Vagueness and the Aftermath - A sporadic diary

[gatso]

Have you had a Tour of Ebbsfleet Station yet? Very soul-less, totally lacking in character or atmo.

nah, I've driven past it loads though and it looks awful

[tikay]

They have hardware Shops, & bicycle shops, in Gravesend? Gravesend in Kent?

of course. we've got trains too. once HS1 opens in december it'll be 17 minutes to st pancras

Yes, but not proper Trains. Have you seen them? All plastic, sort of Japanese styleee streamlined, with lawn-mower engines. Dreadful things. Have you had a Tour of Ebbsfleet Station yet? Very soul-less, totally lacking in character or atmo.

Tony..no point in trying to educate them, they have not got a clue.

Waste of time Maureen, I agree. They are too busy watching Big brother & such tosh to see the beauty in trains & train stations, the permanent way, lineside signalboxes, facing points, slam-door stock, 4-6-4 & 0-6-0, privs, double-homes, learning the road, & other wonders of our glorious railway network.

What can you do?

[steeveg]

loved the 40s 50s 60s post ,another one so true

Back in the 60s when I was a boy
A spud gun was a smashing toy
A pea shooter with peas was also good
But give me an old pram and a plank of wood.
A plank of wood and a pram you query
But in 2 hours they`d become a steery
From Picton Rd wash house we`d nick a pram
No one saw us so away we ran
In our back yard we stripped it down
Where`d you get that my mum would frown
Some yarn was given, so to work we set
Our steery`s deadline was still to be met
With hammer and nails and a large bolt and nut
One major problem, a hole needed cut
Not having a drill to bore a hole
However were we to fulfil our goal
Now a red hot poker from the coal fire
Burned right through the plank with the greatest desire
Bent over nails held your axle in place
Double them up just in case
Tie on some rope to help you to steer
Your steery would last you for many a year
Hours and hours of pure simple joy
A steery brought to every young boy.

[tikay]

we have all those things in Ruislip too (apart from the Home and Colonial wotsit, obv).  And lots and lots of trains.

You have a Lido, too. I ran away to that once. I helped the man work the miniature railway for 3 days, & slept in the Toilets each night.

And you have the Central Line, the heart & soul of the LU - West Ruislip, Ruislip Manor, & Ruislip Gardens Stations. Lovely Stations, all of them, very rural.

[The_nun]

My swiping on point.

[tikay]

My swiping on point.

Wow. A regular station, & it's just magnificent. Beautifully scaled.

Is that Huddersfield?

[RED-DOG]

loved the 40s 50s 60s post ,another one so true

Back in the 60s when I was a boy
A spud gun was a smashing toy
A pea shooter with peas was also good
But give me an old pram and a plank of wood.
A plank of wood and a pram you query
But in 2 hours they`d become a steery
From Picton Rd wash house we`d nick a pram
No one saw us so away we ran
In our back yard we stripped it down
Where`d you get that my mum would frown
Some yarn was given, so to work we set
Our steery`s deadline was still to be met
With hammer and nails and a large bolt and nut
One major problem, a hole needed cut
Not having a drill to bore a hole
However were we to fulfil our goal
Now a red hot poker from the coal fire
Burned right through the plank with the greatest desire
Bent over nails held your axle in place
Double them up just in case
Tie on some rope to help you to steer
Your steery would last you for many a year
Hours and hours of pure simple joy
A steery brought to every young boy.

Made loads of those. We used exactly the same method, including the hot poker. "Trolleys" we used to call them. (The scot's boys used to call them guiding bogeys)

[The_nun]

Yes, ain't it a beaut.

[tikay]

Yes, ain't it a beaut.

I'm stunned by it Maureen. And there are probably hundreds like that in the UK. I bet it has a lovely echo inside, too.

[RED-DOG]

My swiping on point.

Looks like where the lightning struck in "Back to the future"

[The_nun]

Echo of male banter, jokes, worries,  foul language that can be tolerated easily and above all closeness,.. love it. I believe we have said before that the railway workers generate a very close feeling towards it's colleagues., unless you have worked on it or had close dealings it is hard to comprehend.

[The_nun]

Without googling, who is the statue of in front of it.

[RED-DOG]

My swiping on point.

Looks like where the lightning struck in "Back to the future"

[The_nun]

Clock is a different time Tom.

[RED-DOG]

Clock is a different time Tom.

Of course it is now, but it wasn't when they took the photo.