'The Railways' and the Club.

In an effort to ignore the pain in my back I have taken to reading unfinished books.  Today I completed 'The Railways,' by Simon Bradley.  

This, I must say, is an achievement!  This is indeed one of those books you can describe as a 'classic.'  It is also very long, 551 pages before you get to the 'sources,' 'notes,' or 'Index!'  It is also very detailed, it has taken me five long years at least, to get through a highly interesting, and very detailed, work.

We have here a very good Historian who loves railways and is capable of describing how they grew, developed and where they were at when he finished writing in 2015.  Well illistrated with glossy pictures in the centre and a variety of drawn prints spread throughout the chapters.  

The book covers the beginnings of railways, the carriages, the engines, the varieties of classes and prices, and how the railways made use of the public.  The book covers the permanent way, that is the actual track to you and me, the variety of sleepers and the men working thereon.  It does not dismiss the dangers working on a railway offer, many men have died, and it is even today still the workmen who are in danger, rarely the public.  We read about signals and signallers, the land they crossed and how it was crossed, the variety of station buildings both great and small, the navvies who toiled by pick and shovel to create cuttings and bricklayers building bridges and sheds.  

Simon discusses the activities at stations, and the companies and people who were behind them, how the layout developed, the people making use of them and the staff operating the railway by day and by night.  

Railway travel made the UK in the 19th century.  Carrying raw material into industry and carrying finished goods to house or export, also carrying the people into work and home again, one of the great joys of life is commuting even today!  Raliways speeded up society, enabled travel to distant places for work or holiday, brought distant hamlets into daily contact with the world, usually by dropping off newspapers at stations.  Railways had more influence of the world in the Victorian days than the computer has had on our world in the last 30 years.  It is no wonder people are so besotted with railways, and flock to heritage lines to travel once again behind a steaming locomotive.  

This book contains many words, it took me a long time to finish, possibly I ought to use it as a reference book, however, every so often I did enjoy it.  I recommend it, if you have time...

 

Last night I took myself out to the club for a Spam meeting.  I only remained for an hour or so as sitting there was not helping my back.  It was good to see the old faces again but a bit uncomfortable.  As you would expect from such a loving group of men no sympathy was on offer!

It was 'Valentines night' so romance was in the air, though not obviously from the faces around me.  Two men brought the wife, how romantic, though one was ordered out early.   Valentines day always brings a difficult decision, is it 12 roses or just one....or do you just give her the whole tin? 

Today, somewhat surprisingly, things appear better.  I have forced myself to keep on the move, made use of ice once again, and at this moment feel better than last night.  The morning will tell.

 

COLD!!!!

While some grumble about 40% of heat in Australia others are watching snowflakes fall outside their window failing to appreciate the lack of heat. Those desperate too cool down can come here and test the frostbite if they wish! 

We suffered a serious loss in the comedy world recently, Alan Simpson who working with Ray Galton created both 'Hancocks Half Hour' and 'Steptoe & Son' died the other day aged 87.  
Born in Brixton in 1929 Simpson had the misfortune to contract tuberculosis when only 17.  However while in Milford Sanitorium, the way such diseases were dealt with in those days, he met Ray Galton and together they improved the patients lot when writing scripts together for their fellow sufferers.  
Surviving their ordeal the two sought out advice from the then leading scriptwriters Frank Muir & Dennis Norden, they were told to send scripts to the BBC and from this odd parts appeared in Radio comedy of the day.  Tony Hancock noticed one of their scripts during a rehearsal and soon they worked on a new kind of comedy from that usual at the time.
Radio comedy featured short acts with musical interludes and occasional special guests.  The two decided more realistic comedy was required, no funny voices, no gimmicks, no catchphrases instead just a situation comedy using wit combined with good acting and indeed that was the basis of the Hancock shows.  The fact that Kenneth Williams indeed offered 'funny voices' and some of Hancocks phrases became a kind of catchphrase, 'Stone me' & 'You will get a punch up the bracket' amongst them, the comedy combined awkward situations, clever witty lines often genius's in themselves, Hancocks personality and acting ability produced a show that was so popular that in the days of 1950's radio some twenty million would tune in to listen.
The Hancock experience lasted until 1961 when Tony broke off the tie and ventured into oblivion but Galton & Simpson continued to change the face of comedy this time continuing on TV where the Hancock shows had naturally ended up with a new long lasting powerful drama comedy called 'Steptoe & Son.'  Once again it was sharp wit, clever lines and good actors, straight actors this time, who combined to produce both pathos and comedy at the same time.  Once again the programmes popularity brought millions to rush home to see this programme.  The popularity was such it is claimed one programme was taken off air on election night (always a Thursday) to ensure people would come out to vote!  
Neither man achieved such success again as that found in these two programmes though both worked in various programmes with mixed success.  It matters not as their place in history is assured.  Both became OBE's and they were awarded a BAFTA Fellowship in 2016.
Like Muir & Norden Galton & Simpson among remain the UK's best loved scriptwriters and their work will remain popular for eons to come.

   
Men beware, the Valentines guilt trip is upon us once again!  Valentines Day on Tuesday is now compulsory violence against men and ought to be banned.  Throughout the land men are forced to pay large sums of cash to florists, card shops and chocolate sellers to ensure they are not kyboshed by a loose frying pan on Tuesday.  Women, whose devious ways are manifest, will of course claim this day means little to them then reach for a blunt instrument, not their tongue obviously, when he forgets or worse doesn't bother about the day.  It's cruel and a mere business moneymaking scam!
Naturally I need buy nothing, the last time I had to was about 15 years ago and I offer a used frying pan, somewhat dented, to show the result when I forgot.  I could of course send anonymous cards to several women just to upset their men  mind....

Fire Valentinus!

Interesting isn't it when you see the inside of a house that you pass daily.  The chimney stack is a beaut innit?  Shame it has to come down!  The result of a fire is quite awful and a very expensive repair is now required on two or possibly three, listed buildings.  The water damage alone will take a while to dry out. The man alleged to be responsible has appeared in court today charged with arson. I suspect we will not see him again for some time. 

Today I offer to the pretty young women who frequent this site this bouquet  of roses. Women so perfect as yourselves deserve these.

Today, as if you did not know, is another jumped up commercial money grab known worldwide as 'Valentines Day.'  The History of this one time saint is obscure, there are at least three of them, and you can take your pick as to which was the one given a backhander to start this codswallop.  The whole thing has hung around since the third century or thereabouts making many men guilt riven for not spending enough, spending too much, and no matter what he spends she still blames him and says her mother was right all along!  Why do we keep falling for these commercial led emotional robberies?  Surely men run after their women all the time?  Surely he informs her of his love daily?  Surely he has no need to spend cash because the florist says he will not be getting any if he doesn't?  Cards, flowers, eating out, events, money, holidays, all for a Valentinius we know nothing about, or if he actually existed!  Bah!  I will not fall for that!

Naturally when I wandered downstairs to greet the postwoman it goes without saying that she wandered right past my door offering a multitude of reasons why there were no cards, no flowers, no offers of dates, nowt, nil, zilch NOTHING for you!  It may of course be the lack of a tip at Christmas might still rankle with her.  Whatever I received no cards, again, this year, including the one I sent myself, and have spent the night wandering around restaurants, hanging about the windows holding a large sign saying "Divorced and able to afford TV Football!" In large black letters.  This of course is a lie but it's a giggle innit!

.

Hope....

.

Valentines Day

I have stopped bothering about this these days.

I've had this attitude ever since I buried the bitch in the back garden.....