Vegas & The Aftermath - Diary

[tikay]

On my favourite train line, from Glasgow to Inverness, fantastic scenic route. Already spotted roe deer, a fox, herons, a buzzard and a flock of geese, should see red deer when we get up into the snow. Back down in the morning.

You lucky man.

Whilst you were admiring the spectacular views from Glasgow to Inverness, I was on the Virgin East Coast Main Line to Leeds. Passes right by Elland Road stadium, as it happens. Nothing to see there.

Strange you should mention that Inverness train journey.

A few years back, when Gill & I were in Scotland, we visited (several times) Kyle of Lochalsh Station, also Plockton Station, & Duirinish Station.

Since then, our Bucket List has included taking the train from Kyle of Lockalsh to Inverness.

Just reading the station names gives us a tingle. Is there a more spectacularly pretty railway line anywhere in the UK?

And does any single railway line have such a collection of wonderfully named Stations?



 

 

 
  Kyle of Lochalsh
 
  Duirinish

  Plockton

  Duncraig

  Stromeferry

  Attadale
 
  Strathcarron
 
  Achnashellach

  Achnasheen
 
  Achanalt
 
  Lochluichart
 
  Garve
 
  Far North Line
 
  Dingwall

  Conon Bridge

  Muir of Ord
 
  Beauly

  River Ness

  Rose Street Junction

  Welsh's Bridge Junction

  Inverness

[tikay]

Kyle of Lockalsh Railway Station.

If the train does not stop there, it's in the water.

[DaveShoelace]

As it's national book day:

1) Best book you've read in the last 12 months
2) All time favourite book
3) Kindle, paperback or hardback?

[Doobs]

Funnily enough I was looking at random Scottish stations and came across this. 

http://www.cyclingscot.co.uk/altnabreac.html

A station at the end of a dirt track in the middle of nowhere.  Not sure I fancy the midges.

This one has more of a sense of purpose

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/europe/uk/scotland/8596883/Scotlands-perfect-point-to-point-hike.html

Not sure I fancy walking up the hills either, but might have to start ticking these off when I retire.

[Karabiner]

Dingwalls was a damn fine nightclub in Camden Town when I was in my pomp.

Who'd have thought it was named after an obscure highland railway station.

On the subject of rhetorical questions; do they deserve to be punctuated with a question mark?

[Doobs]

Not sure if you have been following this.  Some Irish fella who runs a tinpot airline has been mouthing off at the Grand National handicapper.

Loved this bit of writing

“I want to come back on some of the drivel spouted by the head of handicapping,” O’Leary began. Continuing in conciliatory vein, he referred to Smith’s words as “complete and utter contradictory nonsense”

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2017/feb/17/talking-horses-grand-national-weights-michael-oleary

Presumably if Phil Smith complained about a flight on his tinpot airline, O'Leary would just tell him to feck off? 

Anyway, he has now withdrawn 8 horses, alledgedly in response to this. 

For background, Irish horses have been cleaning up at Cheltenham for years, allegedly running off weights that may not have reflected their ability.  So having aseparate UK handicap is not a new thig at all.  It has been going on for a few years. 

Hope Phil Smith adds an extra pound to each of his horses next year, entirely down to the crassness of this behaviour.

FWIW O'Leary won £561k last year in the Grand National, he runs bad.

[Doobs]

Corrour station fwiw

[tikay]

As it's national book day:

1) Best book you've read in the last 12 months
2) All time favourite book
3) Kindle, paperback or hardback?

Blimey Barry, makes the questions harder, why don't you?

I'll have to answer it in several parts over a few days.

3) is easy - paperback for me. Always.

2) TBA, there is no one all time fave, but several I can't choose between. I'll try & list a few in the next day or 2.

1) Again, very difficult to answer. I tend to enjoy most stuff I read, but I choose them with great care, as I don't want to waste my time reading stuff I don't enjoy. Reading remains, perhaps, life's greatest pleasure.

Here's two of this years pick which I particularly enjoyed.


 

[tikay]

As it's national book day:

1) Best book you've read in the last 12 months
2) All time favourite book
3) Kindle, paperback or hardback?

So many, Barry.

Here's a few which spring to mind.


 

[tikay]

.

[DaveShoelace]

Based on those, you might like these



^^^The most decadent rock and roll stories you'll ever read and brutally honest



^^ I kid you not, this is the only wrestling biography I would recommend to people who think it's stupid



If you like Bryson I think you would adore this one^^^

[RED-DOG]

On the subject of rhetorical questions; do they deserve to be punctuated with a question mark?

I asked that very question recently Ralph.

Meester Tal, he say "No".


PS- I suspect he's wrong but I darn't say so.

[Eck]

Howdy old fella.

Been doing a bit of cycling around Scotland last few years, did the  Spey Way last year and came across this old beauty. It used to be part of the Strathspey Railway and was previously called Knockando but was bought over by the Tamdhu distillery which it used to service. No passenger trains have ran since 1966 and the whisky freight finished in 1971 but was nice to see it so well preserved as it is now a part of the Tamdhu Distillery Visitors Centre, classed as category C listed building.

Click to see full-size image.

Click to see full-size image.

Shouldn't really be surprised I suppose as the distillery's must be some of the best maintained buildings i have seen anywhere.

[Karabiner]

On the subject of rhetorical questions; do they deserve to be punctuated with a question mark?

I asked that very question recently Ralph.

Meester Tal, he say "No".


PS- I suspect he's wrong but I darn't say so.

I feel that it might depend on just how rhetorical the question is.

If I were to say to Tony "you're a daft old bugger aren't you" I definitely don't think that needs a question mark, but my earlier "who'd have thought that Dingwalls was named after an obscure highland railway station" might just warrant one.

[RED-DOG]

On the subject of rhetorical questions; do they deserve to be punctuated with a question mark?

I asked that very question recently Ralph.

Meester Tal, he say "No".


PS- I suspect he's wrong but I darn't say so.

I feel that it might depend on just how rhetorical the question is.

If I were to say to Tony "you're a daft old bugger aren't you" I definitely don't think that needs a question mark.

No.Definitely no question.