Review of the Year 2022

The United Kingdom started 2022 no longer in mandatory lockdown because of the Covid 19 Pandemic but still with an odd combination 'special measures' either advised or imposed voluntarily which persisted throughout the year. The practice of working from home introduced during the Covid 19 pandemic has become standardised (now called simply 'WFH') resulting in lowered productivity and other problems. The Russian Federation decided to attempt to annexe adjacent democratic Ukraine in what it called a 'special military operation', which is being pressed with astonishing cruelty but resisted by the people of Ukraine. Overall annual inflation exceeds 10% but food price inflation varies from 15% to 50%. Because of the situation in Ukraine compounding a series of poor decisions by governments here, gas and electricity prices have increased by 300% or more. Since the economic crisis of 2008, bank borrowing costs had been artificially kept at 0.5%, encouraging imprudent borrowing but during 2022, following months of political instability in the United Kingdom (three prime ministers in as many months), borrowing costs have risen to 5 or 6% even for secured borrowing and unsecured borrowing costs are much higher. Covid has not gone away and influenza and other infections (like 'Strep A') are at high levels. The National Health Service (NHS) has been struggling for years and is currently experiencing strikes of nurses, midwives and ambulance workers. Taxes have been raised here to the highest level in about 70 years in an attempt to deal with the effects of the costs of furlough during the worst of the pandemic. Railway workers, Postal workers and some civil service workers are on strike at the end of 2022 and this is currently likely to continue into 2023.

This is the 17th annual review since I started this blog and the prospects for the year ahead the least optimistic. Also, my apologies that it's taking me longer than ever to produce and publish individual posts.

OVERSEAS TRAVEL

Although overseas travel is once again possible, my impaired mobility has discouraged me from trips in 2022. To find more about overseas visits I've made in earlier years, see:-

Jan Ford's Travels (2001 onwards).
Jan Ford's Travels - The early trips (before 2001).
Jan Ford's Travels: Around the World in pictures
(alphabetic list of countries with links to pictures).

Myanmar (Burma)

My last visit was in 2019 (described here), after which Covid 19 prevented travel. Democratic elections in Myanmar at the end of 2020 resulted in a landslide victory for the National League for Democracy (NLD) but, on February 1st 2021 the result was repudiated by the Myanmar army who seized power alleging voter corruption. This spawned a peaceful Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM) which was met with ruthless violence by the junta. Although Myanmar is a union of partially-devolved states representing different ethnic groups, there have always been Ethnic Armed Organisations (EAO) harrying central government for full independence. This has expanded to produce People's Defence Forces (PDF) or civilian militia in a number of areas to counter the agression of the junta. I would very much like to visit my friends in Myanmar (Burma) but this is not currently possible. For instance, Belmond's river cruise on the 'Road to Mandalay' ship is not currently in operation and Belmond's 'Governor's Residence' in Yangon is closed at present.

TRAVEL IN THE UK BY TRAIN

Railways the united kingdom are in a more perilous position than at any time since privatisation of government-owned British Rail was started in 1994. The deregulation of the industry was initiated in 1991 by EU Directive 91/440, which aimed to produce a more efficient rail network by creating greater competition. In my view, the result has been an unmitigated disaster, with poor service and high fares. In a normal year, I would expect to make a number of trips (mainly by rail) to various destinations in the UK. Despite most of the Pandemic restrictions being lifted, passenger numbers remained depressed, 'emergency' timetables seem commonplace, cancellations occur at short notice, and Trades Unions have regained an appetite for strikes. Rail travel remains unattractive but I persevered and made a few trips:-

Rail Travel in January 2022 posted 12-Feb-2022
New Brighton, again posted 18-Apr-2022
Return to Croydon posted 9-May-2022
Llandudno in April posted 9-Jun-2022
Retrieving my Camera posted 27-Jun-2022
Manchester by rail posted 6-Aug-2022
Old Locomotive Committee Annual General Meeting, 2022 posted 7-Aug-2022
Blackpool by rail, Fleetwood and Knott End posted 26-Aug-2022
Book-buying in Morecambe by Train posted 30-Aug-2022

New Brighton Beach: Fort Perch Rock, Lighthouse and Seatruck Ro-Ro ferry departing for Dublin (Return to New Brighton)


My visit to Croydon included a river trip on the RiverThames: The Houses of Parliament and Westminster Pier


Llandudno trip: The East Shore at Llandudno viewed from a descending Great Orme Tramway car


'A Quiet Afternoon in the Cloud Cuckoo Valley' by Rowland Emett: Science+Industry Museum, Manchester


Blackpool Tower, viewed from North Pier (Trip to Blackpool)

RAILWAYS AND PRESERVATION

Preserved railways continued to be adversely affected during 2022. I continued as a member of the Old Locomotive Committee and remained a volunteer at The Battlefield Line although my activities were on a reduced scale.

The Old Locomotive Committee

The Old Locomotive Committee (OLCO) was able to orgainise the customary two events in 2022. The Annual General Meeting was held at the Museum of Liverpool where the locomotive 'Lion' is on public display on Saturday, 7th May 2022. There's s short post on my journey there here. A full report on the A.G.M. itself has been circulated to OLCO Members. The second event was 'Lionsmeet' where live-steam models of 'Lion' are run and members can meet up. In 2022, the event was hosted at the running track of Worcester and District Model Engineers, situated in Diglis, Worcester. There's a report here.


Four 'Lion' models steamed at 'Lionsmeet' 2022, Worcester. In the foreground, John Brandrick is a passenger as 'Thunderbolt' pauses, with Jon Swindlehurst waiting behind and A J Reynolds also stopped near the marquee. Meanwhile, John Dalton has the inner track to himself.

All my posts about the Old Locomotive Committee are here and you can find more information (including how to become a member) on OLCO's website here.

The Battlefield Line

New Year's Day found me on 'Foxcote Manor', carrying out the Mince Pie services. There's a report here. The next steam turn was not until June when I was on a shared turn with Adrian L, which was interrupted by a serious steam leak on the locomotive, resulting in my spending most of the day 'baby-sitting' the failed locomotive whilst a Class 33 operated the service. The full report is still in preparation but there are some pictures of the day here. Days operating the Diesel Multiple Unit are always enjoyable (and less strenuous than steam!) and I had turns on Wednesday, 10th August, Saturday 10th September and Wednesday 26th October. There are a few pictures of October working in the album here. I was supposed to operate a DMU 'Mince Pie Special' service on 30th December. Traction was changed to 'Foxcote Manor' still allocated to me but, to my immense disappointment, I succumbed to a nasty seasonal infection on Christmas Eve and was unable to perform the duty on 30th December.


'Foxcote Manor' on Mince Pie Specials (Photo: D. Mould)


Preserved Caledonian Railway 439 Class No. 419: Overall view during preparation outside Shackerstone Shed.


DMU turn, Battlefield Line, 26-Oct-2022: "Waiting for the Road" (Photo: G. Hopwood)

You can find all my posts about the Battlefield Line here.

Incidentally, you can find all my posts about Diesel Multiple Units here (or refer to the 'Index' here).

Myanma Railways

As explained in 'OVERSEAS TRAVEL' above, my last visit to Myanmar allowing study of the interesting railway system there was in 2019 and no new posts on the topic were added in 2022. You can find all my earlier posts about Myanma Railways (in reverse date-of-posting order) here or refer to the 'Index' here.

BREWOOD HALL

Early in 2022, the organising committee (representing 2nd Brewood Scouts, Brewood Parish Church and the informal group Friends of Brewood Hall) met and agreed that we should, if possible, re-start the Annual Garden Party in 2022. I'm pleased to report that the event was held on 16th July 2022 and there's a report here.


Brewood Garden Party 2022

There's an album of pictures showing the 1-acre garden at Brewood Hall through the seasons in 2022 here with a separate album (covering a number of years) showing the fungi which appear annually here.


The Major Yew: Brewood Hall Garden 2022

During the year, as always, various repairs were carried out around the property. In 2022, permission was obtained from the Local Authority for tree maintenance which was carried out in July. There's an album of pictures showing the work here. Fairly extensive external repainting was carried out, repairs to the front doors and entrance porch, various roof and guttering work and some internal redecoration. You can find all my posts about Brewood Hall (in reverse date-of-posting order) here.

TY GWYN

Ty Gwyn is a small commercial woodland around 27 hectares in area near Corwen in Wales.

I made one visit in November 2022 with Dean to see the 're-spacing' work in progress. The weather was kind. There's a report here.


Ty Gwyn 2022: Looking east from the link road showing the 2016 planting

To see all my posts on Ty Gwyn, click here.

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