...but I'm with you, Fairy, when it comes to complaining about 30C. Today is idyllic though, with a gentle breeze to prevent overheating, and to discourage the midges.
Definitely no cynicism here re railways/privatisation etc, nor re the habit of politicians to make decisions which feather their own nests. Making decisions for the good of the general public now seems impossible.
Your lunch spot looks wonderful, BL!
Since 2019 I've lived in east Clare, in the west of Ireland.
That looks lovely Busy and a bargain to boot. I'd much rather eat out in France than in England except for curries and Thai.
I am feeling cooked. Been out in bright sun since 10 am except for lunch on the terrace in the shade. Genial company and two lovely gardens plus the nursery now owned and run by one of the members who bought it 2 years ago after he decided on a change of career and had re-trained as a landscape designer. I have found some lovely coral coloured alstroemerias and some deep purpley penstemons and discovered he delivers topsoil. Good to know.
Just having a decaf with my feet up before I take the dogs out. Homeowrk to do this evening for patchwork. Been too busy moving furniture and re-arranging contents to do it earlier. Oops. Still, nowt on telly is there? If you don't like football, tennis or Poldark.
I hope your visit has gone well Chicky. Enjoy your hols Yvie. That ice cream sounds good but I'd have to make it when Possum isn't looking. She thinks she doesn't like bananas.
Having had problems with SNCF and Possum's return trip to Namur at the end of May I am less enamoured than I was. I do tho, have memories of horrendous journeys from Euston to Manchester and vice versa for weeks on end and standing all the way because BR didn't think paying for a ticket, even in advance, entitled you to a seat.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
...and standing all the way because BR didn't think paying for a ticket, even in advance, entitled you to a seat.
I remember a battle about ten years ago with whichever rail company it was at the time because, having bought tickets (with numbered seats) by phone in advance we got to our seats to find a couple sitting in them ... they had identical tickets having bought them online ... all the train guard could say was 'They say it can't happen, but it does.' I had to sit on the floor near the loos between the carriages for over an hour as my strapped up knee wasn't stable enough for me to stand on a swaying train.
In emails and phone calls I explained that, because of an injury I wouldn't have made the journey had I not been able to book a seat, and was accused of trying to 'travel for free'. Eventually, after having threatened to go to the press and the rail ombudsman I was given vouchers in the sum of half the cost of my journey. Grrrrrrrrrr!!!
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
I think a major difference is that the French and Belgians think railways are a democratic leveller for the greater good. They are priced fairly thanks to subsidies from taxes but that keeps cars off the road and allows people to live outside the major conurbations and commute easily. They do very good promotions to get people out of the big towns and cities and off on day trips or longer excursions to the seaside or countryside which in turn promotes tourism. I always got the feeling that BR saw the customer as a bloody nuisance and the privatised companies seem to be there to milk them at every turn.
Time for the UK government and tax payers to think again about costs and benefits and have a bit of vision for the longer term.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
I've spent a lot of hours travelling on trains, before and since privatisation. I think the problems with the UK 'rail notwork' (as us regular travellers know it) are a lot older than the rail franchises - it goes right back to Beeching and decisions taken then about the relative futures of rail vs road - really fundamental mistakes made by politicians from which we have never recovered. BR couldn't afford to invest as much as was needed. The private companies have spent a lot in the last few years - you can see it as you travel around. Pay turnstiles for station toilets and new shopping opportunities and shinier floor finishes (that get very slippy when it rains). They've repainted the trains in nice new colours and given the staff new shirts and badges and re-recorded all the announcements with the new franchise name.
All the platform information signs now have little messages saying that they are very sorry for all the disruption but it will lead to much faster trains and more seats. In the case of the line I'm travelling on, we won't actually get the new trains or faster journeys but some other people elsewhere will so that's nice. We don't mind half our trains being cancelled and the rest taking an hour longer if it means someone somewhere gets an extra 3 minutes in bed or a seat one day in 5 instead of only one day in 6.
To be fair, they are electrifying additional parts of the network and those parts are getting new trains with much smaller and more uncomfortable seating (always the mark of progress). Down here in the southwest, we just need a train that works more days than it doesn't. The Lake District I think still just wants a train, any train.
Still, CrossRail has some lovely stations I believe. Very architectural.
Gardening on the edge of Exmoor, in Devon
“It's still magic even if you know how it's done.”
Beeching was certainly bad in many ways but the French and Belgians have also made cuts to little used or unviable lines and stations. A lot of abandoned railway tracks in Belgium have been converted into RAVeL - réseau autonome de voies lentes - for use by pedestrians and cyclists and they make great links between villages and small towns for access and leisure as well as refuges for wildflowers and critters.
What they didn't do was assume that it was better for everyone to aspire to, or be forced to, switch to cars. They kept their trams too. They have a stronger sense of community and socialism with a little "s" and they have invested in new technology, line upgrades, better trains, staff levels..... Not perfect by a long chalk but pretty good.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
Evening all - still roasting here Liri. The cottage views would be bonny just now Waited till the afternoon and went for a little walk in Glen Douglas, and home by half eight. A hill I've done several times, but I just wanted something nearby that would be quiet. Lovely jubbly. Nice breeze higher up which I was grateful for, and just the sheep, the pipits, the dragonflies and a buzzard for company. Managed to 'not leave any lights on' and came down the conventional way, ie 'on both feet'. Every cloud.... Not done the photos yet, but this one shows that we can do big blue skies here too Pottered around before I went and generally did very little. I don't know where you get your energy Obelixx! Have you seen the new Welsh drama 'Hidden'? It's very good. Been on here a couple of weeks or so - BBC4 on Saturday nights. iPlayer should have it.
That's a lovely view BL. Perfect for your lunch. Just the thing to distract you from the stress of the house sale etc. Are the flowers water lilies, or something smaller?
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Posts
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
...but I'm with you, Fairy, when it comes to complaining about 30C. Today is idyllic though, with a gentle breeze to prevent overheating, and to discourage the midges.
Definitely no cynicism here re railways/privatisation etc, nor re the habit of politicians to make decisions which feather their own nests.
Your lunch spot looks wonderful, BL!
I am feeling cooked. Been out in bright sun since 10 am except for lunch on the terrace in the shade. Genial company and two lovely gardens plus the nursery now owned and run by one of the members who bought it 2 years ago after he decided on a change of career and had re-trained as a landscape designer. I have found some lovely coral coloured alstroemerias and some deep purpley penstemons and discovered he delivers topsoil. Good to know.
Just having a decaf with my feet up before I take the dogs out. Homeowrk to do this evening for patchwork. Been too busy moving furniture and re-arranging contents to do it earlier. Oops. Still, nowt on telly is there? If you don't like football, tennis or Poldark.
I hope your visit has gone well Chicky. Enjoy your hols Yvie. That ice cream sounds good but I'd have to make it when Possum isn't looking. She thinks she doesn't like bananas.
Having had problems with SNCF and Possum's return trip to Namur at the end of May I am less enamoured than I was. I do tho, have memories of horrendous journeys from Euston to Manchester and vice versa for weeks on end and standing all the way because BR didn't think paying for a ticket, even in advance, entitled you to a seat.
In emails and phone calls I explained that, because of an injury I wouldn't have made the journey had I not been able to book a seat, and was accused of trying to 'travel for free'. Eventually, after having threatened to go to the press and the rail ombudsman I was given vouchers in the sum of half the cost of my journey. Grrrrrrrrrr!!!
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Time for the UK government and tax payers to think again about costs and benefits and have a bit of vision for the longer term.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
All the platform information signs now have little messages saying that they are very sorry for all the disruption but it will lead to much faster trains and more seats. In the case of the line I'm travelling on, we won't actually get the new trains or faster journeys but some other people elsewhere will so that's nice. We don't mind half our trains being cancelled and the rest taking an hour longer if it means someone somewhere gets an extra 3 minutes in bed or a seat one day in 5 instead of only one day in 6.
To be fair, they are electrifying additional parts of the network and those parts are getting new trains with much smaller and more uncomfortable seating (always the mark of progress). Down here in the southwest, we just need a train that works more days than it doesn't. The Lake District I think still just wants a train, any train.
Still, CrossRail has some lovely stations I believe. Very architectural.
“It's still magic even if you know how it's done.”
What they didn't do was assume that it was better for everyone to aspire to, or be forced to, switch to cars. They kept their trams too. They have a stronger sense of community and socialism with a little "s" and they have invested in new technology, line upgrades, better trains, staff levels..... Not perfect by a long chalk but pretty good.
Waited till the afternoon and went for a little walk in Glen Douglas, and home by half eight. A hill I've done several times, but I just wanted something nearby that would be quiet. Lovely jubbly. Nice breeze higher up which I was grateful for, and just the sheep, the pipits, the dragonflies and a buzzard for company.
Managed to 'not leave any lights on' and came down the conventional way, ie 'on both feet'. Every cloud....
Not done the photos yet, but this one shows that we can do big blue skies here too
Pottered around before I went and generally did very little. I don't know where you get your energy Obelixx! Have you seen the new Welsh drama 'Hidden'? It's very good. Been on here a couple of weeks or so - BBC4 on Saturday nights. iPlayer should have it.
That's a lovely view BL. Perfect for your lunch. Just the thing to distract you from the stress of the house sale etc. Are the flowers water lilies, or something smaller?
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...