Exploring Mandalay

Here's what happened on Thursday:-

I got up around six, going down to breakfast around seven. Fairly standard buffet breakfast but with lots of choice and plenty of staff on hand to assist. I'd decided to go to Mandalay Palace on foot, although the day was already warm. Walking alongside the East Moat, I was tickled by a man pruning trees – no ladder, he was just climbing and wielding a saw. His bicycle was parked outside the 'drop zone', with the rest of his equipment - a coil of rope (sisal – none of this polypropylene nonsense) and a larger, 2-man saw tied alongside the bicycle frame. Various passers-by greeted me with 'Hello', sometimes followed by 'What Country?'. This is fairly standard world wide, but that's often the extent of their English vocabulary. A surprising number of people in Myanmar have a working knowledge of English and their delivery, though accented, is much easier to follow than in some countries. In Myanmar, it seems to be their curiosity and friendliness which induces them to speak – it's rare that they want to sell you something .

I found a partial explanation for the dark areas at night when I passed a concrete post with (rather battered) electric cables going up it, a bracket at the top to support the light fitting, but no luminaire. Perhaps the old one went wrong and was never replaced?

I also had a look at the childrens' play equipment set at strategic locations along the promenade. There are two wheels (a bit like a car driving wheel) which you can turn, a swing you stand on (which can be augmented by somebody pressing down on a handle) and a horizontal disc which you can stand on and twist left and right. All these amusements and the methods of construction would, I'm sure, be totally unacceptable back home.

There's a small ticket office at the East Gate where you can buy a ticket to see various cultural monuments, like Mandalay Palace. It took the combined efforts of a man and a women to issue my ticket. The man's contribution was to add my ten U.S. dollar note to the money he already had. The woman did everything else – check my passport, copy salient details to her logbook, copy the same details to the back of my ticket, apply various rubber stamps. Her English was quite good and, after a full briefing, I was allowed in. I think the sensitivity is because, as well as having become a tourist attraction, there are army houses on the site which are off-limits to tourists. Quite what else might be there, I can't say. But everybody is quite friendly and relaxed. I walk along the road to the Golden Palace (which we didn't visit on my last trip). Some sense of mischief induces me to pretend not to see the ticket desk, but the young man comes to find me. At his desk, he solemnly adds the details from my ticket to his log, then I'm allowed to pass. The wooden series of buildings is quite impressive, although not that old. When I can, I'll post my pictures but suffice to say I was happy for some time moving from room to room and building to building. Outside, there's a watchtower you can climb. The modern Watchtower at Bagan appears to be a large version of this original.

The first time I came to Mandalay Palace, I spotted a couple of derelict locomotives from an abandoned miniature railway, and I was determined to follow it up. The tracks led to an abandoned station. I let myself into the compound by a side gate and walk to the improbable-looking locomotives. The next bit can be omitted if you're not into railways.

RAILSPEAK ON
The two locomotives appear to be converted tractors. 'DB52-[610]' is a diesel mechanical, diesel outline with a maker's plate 'Ywataung 1989' and 'MR' (perhaps the line was called the 'Mandalay Railway'?). '610' is presumably the track gauge in millimetres – about 2 feet). In Whytes Notation, the wheel arrangement is 2-2-0 (which, if you think about it, is what tractors generally are). 'DB.55 (610)' is a diesel mechanical steam outline with a similar general layout but all wheels are missing. In fact, anything that can be removed and carried away on both locomotives is missing.
RAILSPEAK OFF

A workman asks me what I'm doing but is quite happy with my explanation. There's a security guard by the main gate at the station who's clearly seen me, so I go to speak to him. Again, he's perfectly happy. He tries to unchain the main gate to let me out but fails, so I offer to climb over the low gate – I've spotted the marks where people have clearly be climbing over for some time and we part smiles and waves. There are some coaches in the distance, but I decide to give them a miss and start to walk towards the South Gate. A real soldier, quite smart in a white helmet, approaches and, rather apologetically says that 'Foreigners must use the East Gate'. Once again, it's all smiles and he gives me a smart salute as I turn back and retrace my steps to the Golden Palace. Here, an old man greets me with 'Hello' and engages me in conversation. His English is quite good. But he is selling his services as a trishaw driver. "It is a long way and it's very hot" he says and quotes me a sensible price in local currency 'Kyats'. Well, he's right, it's a long way and hot, so I agree. He wheels out his steed – an elderly bicycle with a sidecar providing one passenger seat facing forwards and a smaller one facing back. I take the front seat and we set off. He's tough and wiry and makes good, steady progress. He talks for a while but everybody he passes who knows him, even military, ask where he's got a fare to. We soon arrive at the hotel and he is very pleased with the over-payment I make, but I'm happy too.

I take a while to send out some e-mails before the internet goes down again (which it duly did, late afternoon). Then, I take the Land Cruiser with Tony again to the Marble Shop to see if we can do a deal. We can, and everybody is happy. On the way back, Tony detours to let me take some pictures around Mandalay Railway Station and we watch a local train depart. As the train moves down the platform, numerous people jump on. One man with an absolutely huge package struggles to force it through one of the open windows before moving to the nearest open doorway and hauling himself aboard. Finally, a young boy jumps up onto the rear of the last vehicle (a footstep which I think is provided for shunters) and is carried away into the distance. I decide to have a late lunch (a glorious mushroom soup with a can of 'Coke') before allowing myself an afternoon nap. I leave tomorrow morning, so I decide to remain in the hotel for the rest of the day. I spend some time writing up my activities and marshalling my photographs before taking a leisurely dinner. Then it's more writing and, to my dismay, the Night Club starts up again a little before nine. Packing to do and then to bed.

On to Mandalay

I slept very well, woken by a Morning Call from the Hotel at 5.30 a.m. (a few minutes before my back-up travel alarm went off). A nicely-presented light breakfast, exactly as ordered, appeared about 15 minutes later, so I was in reception ready to go at 6.30 a.m. A smiling Mr. Win was already there, so we were soon on our way to Yangon's Domestic terminal (next to the International Terminal) in good time to arrive just before 7.00 a.m. Check-in was painless, so I was soon in the already-hot departure hall (no nonsense about air conditioning here). After about 40 minutes, the flight was called. No nonsense about public address, either. A guy walks round shouting, carrying a board displaying the flight number. A transfer bus soon shuttled us across the apron to the waiting Air Bagan Fokker 100. This is a fairly elderly twin jet with a high T-tail and the two engines near the rear, but it was immaculate internally, in the rather handsome Air Bagan colours of pale blue and green with gold highlights. I was quite impressed that we were airborne a few minutes before our booked departure time of 8.00 a.m. The flight was less than an hour, but the friendly flight crew served a simple but good snack of a croissant, tea or coffee (with a second cup offered) and water or soft drink. Internal seating layout in economy is 2+3. I had a port side window seat with the adjacent seat empty, so I was feeling quite happy when we landed at Mandalay International.

Although dubbed ‘International’, there’s no regular service to other countries but, in the tourist season, charter flights arrive from Europe. There was a few minutes wait for the bags to arrive, but I’d spotted my guide (another Mr. Win) waiting in the public area through the window, so we’d already exchanged hand signals. Reunited with my bag, I joined the guide, met his driver and we were off. The new airport is about a hour's drive from Mandalay itself, the first part a rather sub-standard dual carriageway through flat and rather barren territory. Although there were a few cars, most of the traffic seemed to be charcoal burners taking their product to sell in the towns, using various ramshackle bicycles and tricycles. Mr. Win said that most people still use charcoal – the gas which Myanmar produces is far too expensive. Myanmar, once an oil producer, now has to import crude oil which is refined near Yangon.

Part of our route was a privately-owned toll road. There were noticeably fewer potholes on this section than on the Government roads. Two Myanmar flags displayed in the front window of our car indicated that an annual fee had been paid, so we didn’t have to stop to pay the toll.

We passed through a number of small towns which made a fascinating sight. Walking through Yangon yesterday reminded me how different the lifestyle is from what we’re accustomed to in Europe. But looking at these small towns, they could almost be on a different planet. Imagine a series of petrol stations, in competition, along a dusty road where the traffic is a mixture of pedal bicycles, mopeds, jeeps, trucks and the odd-looking home-brewed lorry. These lorries have something like a Briggs & Stratton engine mounted in the open air up front, belt driving a dubious-looking transmission with the appearance of being assembled from components found in the scrap bin (which, indeed, was probably the case in some instances). The smaller filling stations comprise a welded frame supporting a 5-gallon round steel tank for fuel about six feet above the ground. A flexible discharge pipe allows the fuel to be delivered to the customer and a second round tank is sometimes provided at ground level, presumably to reduce waste at the end of the filling operation. Nearby, you’ll find a decrepit bamboo easy chair where the proprietor seems to spend most of his time. The more prosperous establishments may have a second rack displaying a series of 5-gallon plastic containers, presumably to impress you with their turnover. Yet other businesses will display oil and there may be simple repairs in progress, like replacing the tyre on a moped. A rustic bamboo shelter may be a hardware store, with an enticing variety of products laid out in front. Everywhere there are people, standing, squatting, lying, sitting. Work is taking place, but there is little sense of urgency apparent.

Eventually we get to New Mandalay, an industrial development area with larger factories like steel fabricators or manfacturers of pre-assembled building components. Soon, we’re entering central Mandalay and running East along 26th Street which flanks the moat and walls of the Mandalay Palace site. The Palace site is a perfect square, over one mile per side. The Sedona hotel is situated opposite the South-Eastern corner of the moat.

Sedona is the hotel arm of Keppel-Land from Singapore. The Sedona Mandalay is modern and large with 247 rooms – not exactly likely to appeal to me, but I’m disarmed by the warmth of the welcome and the number of staff fussing round. After arranging the time of the return to the airport at the end of my 2-day stay, Mr. Win departs and the staff show me to my suite on the fourth floor. I’m impressed, particularly by the message on the large bed spelt out in petals ‘WELCOME TO SEDONA’. I couldn’t bring myself to disturb it until the evening. My room is at the front and the two large windows command splendid views along the Eastern moat with Mandalay Hill and its many gilded temples rising up at the far end. (Hotel Pictures).

I’m assured my Notebook computer should work on the hotel’s high-speed network in my room but I can’t get it to auto-configure. But the hotel’s IT manager soon sorts out the settings and proudly shows me the Google home page. Unfortunately, that and Googlemail is about all I can get. Most other things I try to get are filtered out. Oddly, I can update my photo site but not look at it. The ‘FTP’ methods of adding photos are barred, as well. I can neither read my blog, nor write to it. Oh well. By the evening, even the restricted service has stopped and it’s the next day before it’s restored!

Last time I was in Mandalay, I was impressed by the work of the marble carvers, so I decided to hire the hotel Land Cruiser with Tony, one of the hotel’s uniformed porters, as driver and guide and revisit the area, then going on to Mandalay Hill. I spent some time looking around the marble shops (Pictures). The second shop was one I’d been to on my first trip and I found a statue I rather liked (first quality, of course). We then followed the sales lady on her moped to their warehouse to look at some other similar statues, second quality and hence cheaper. Then we returned to the shop and I decided I preferred my original choice. A shipping agent was summoned to work out costs for packing and freight to our nearest (inland) port, Birmingham. There’s then duty, VAT and shipment the rest of the way. The costs mount up! I told them I’d think about it overnight so we left the shop and Tony drove me to Mandalay Hill.

Mandalay Hill is cone-shaped, rising out of the plain, heavily wooded and requiring a series of hairpins to get the road up to the car park near the temple on the summit. Tony said there’s an escalator to get up to the temple and an elevator to get down but, when he enquired, neither was running for another hour. The break time apparently varies according to the electricity supply. In any case, it seemed strange to me having such devices in a Buddhist temple – surely there’s no Merit in ascending without effort. So, shoe-less, I set off up the winding steps the rest of the way, amazed at how many stalls lined the steps selling religious and secular items of a general ‘tacky’ nature. The businesses appear to be aimed at indigenous pilgrims. Whilst some people greeted me with “Hello” or a smile, there was no attempt to sell. Despite the occasional radio, there was a peacefulness to the place – certainly a ‘sacred space’. The views from the top were stunning. A number of workman were engaged in repairs to the various structures. It must be a continuous battle to keep such exposed locations in good order. I found two other sets of covered steps which appeared to descend most of the way to the plain, presumably for serious pilgrims. There are some pictures of Mandalay Hill here. I return to Tony and the waiting Land Cruiser elated but exhausted (temperatures were around 35 degrees).

After a shower and a nap I decide to take an early dinner. The ‘Set Menu’ is included so I decide to try it. I forget exactly how the menu described it, but it was basically an egg and french onion soup, fish in a cream sauce with potato and, to finish, ice cream with miniature eclairs. In practice, it was superb – fresh ingredients, subtle flavours and imaginative presentation. The electricity went off three times during the meal and once later, but each time it was restored within a few seconds. I watched the marionette show laid on in the lobby for a few minutes but there were not many guests watching. My bed had been ‘turned down’, leaving a ‘Good Night’ card, a flower, small biscuits in a box folded from paper and a tiny bird, again folded from paper. When I returned later, the traditional dance display was in progress but appeared to have no audience – so disappointing for the performers. However, I was determined to take a walk although it was dark outside. I headed West on 26th Street. Street lighting appears very intermittent – a few sodium lights relieve the gloom, then there will be a patch with no lights, lit only by the headlights of cars and mopeds. Despite the British involvement, traffic drives on the right. Speeds are moderate and driving is not aggressive. Whilst the horn is frequently employed, it’s the soft ‘beep’ which says “Hey, I’m here”. The lane nearest the kerb is reserved for pedal cycles, which are never lit and only sometimes have bells. Pedestrians seem to walk in the gutter, not quite as dangerous as it sounds because bicycles will try to avoid you if they see you.

Walking on the narrow pavements is a no-no. At least half the width is a concrete duct or trough, presumably for drainage. The trough should be closed by a series of pre-cast concrete lids, but these are frequently misplaced, broken or just missing, threatening broken limbs. The other half of the pavement often has a series of trees or posts for frequent road signs, so that’s unsuitable for walking, too. Eventually, I crossed over the dual carriageway to the moat side (crossing was a bit scary), where there is a broad promenade which is much easier to negotiate. It seems to be a favoured hangout for young people. Couples given anonymity by the darkness were ‘necking’ in a very European way. Some people were just chatting. Others were hunched over an unearthly blue glow – the joys of texting have arrived in Myanmar, I presume. A few major traffic light controlled junctions have high lighting posts and are much better lit. I also spotted a number of CCTV traffic cameras. All the benefits of Western so-called Civilisation are making an appearance in Myanmar, I’m afraid.

I managed to cross the dual carriageway again safely and enter 76th Street. Although a major thoroughfare, the pavements were in poor condition, widening in front of shops, but that space was greedily taken over by the shopkeeper, often to house an electric generator. Some of these were fairly modern ‘package’ types, some were portables in a tubular frame. In Yangon I saw an apparently home-made ‘Lister’ type engine mounted on a bedplate with a separate generator. The two were linked by an unguarded belt drive and the whole contraption roared away in the middle of the narrow pavement emitting black smoke. Incidentally, the pavement ducts in Yangon, with their pre-cast covers, are invariably worse than in Mandalay, looking for all the world as if an earthquake has just occurred. There are also frequent holes where excavations have been made, perhaps for a new water pipe, but then matters have been abandoned. “Elf’n’Safety” has not yet quite arrived (for which relief, much thanks, I’m inclined to add).

So after all this walking through Mandalay, strange to relate, my footsteps had led me to Mandalay’s modern railway station, just before the 9.0 p.m. overnight train to Yangon (which I think takes a leisurely 15 hours over the 420 mile journey) was due to depart. The station was thronged with waiting passengers. Those on Platform 2 and the higher numbers seemed to be bedding-down (literally) for a long wait. There seemed more anticipation on platform 1, so I correctly inferred this was where the train would arrive. I could hear activity at the North end, so I walked to the platform ramp in time to see the coaches for the service propelled in. The gangway of the end coach was open and railway staff (I assume) were looking out. A warning bell was ringing American-style. I lost count of the coaches, but it was a long train of ‘ORDINARY’ and ‘UPPER CLASS’ vehicles which, at least in the dark, looked quite smart. I didn’t spot any evidence of air conditioning anywhere. There was at least one shunter on the platform, calling the train on with a white LED torch. My (very indifferent) pictures have been added to my 'Railways in Myanmar' collection.

RAILSPEAK ON
I’m told the coaches are Chinese-built. I can’t confirm that, but it seems likely. They’ve chopper couplers but, in the dark, I couldn’t determine the braking system. I expect 1-pipe air. Fairly modern bogie design. Very obvious was the drive to the dynamo/alternator. A large pulley is fitted to the end of the axle, driving a small pulley on the generator through a belt. I assume this is to get the generator spinning fast enough at the moderate train speeds. A sheet metal cover is supposed to be fitted over the exposed belting but, in a number of cases, it was missing.

The last vehicle on the train was a bogie guard's Van, but next I was surprised to see a bogie flat car, clearly being used as a shunters’ truck and, finally, the locomotive. The shunting locomotive was, I suppose, a diesel electric, certainly carried on two bogies. The shunters quickly uncoupled the flat car from the Brake Van and, beckoned by a position light ground signal, the driver sounded a peremptory blast on the horn and disappeared back into the darkness.
RAILSPEAK OFF

I didn’t stop to see the train depart, but walked back to my hotel, footsore but happy on arrival. I was less happy, later, when the Night Club attached to the hotel started playing loud rock music which went on until a quarter to one in the morning – and the internet was down! But, eventually , I got to sleep after a pretty good day.

Flying to Myanmar

Dinner at the Western Park Chinese Restaurant, Yangon.

Last night I slept soundly, if briefly, for I'd booked an alarm call for 4.0 a.m. Fifteen minutes later, two cheerful waiters delivered a continental breakfast as I uploaded some of yesterday's pictures to my photo site. Finish packing, downstairs to reception and at 5.0 a.m. Julie arrives with the car to return me to the airport. The Oriental definitely seems like home and I'd happily stay longer. It's still pitch dark as we set off from the hotel, which means that the toll road to the airport is still quiet - in less than an hour it will be starting to clog-up. The massive new passenger terminal is also quiet, so I'm checked in on the TG303 to Yangon in a few minutes. The duty-free shopping mall is open and ready for business but there aren't yet many takers. I have the usual problems locating the Business Lounge but get there at 6.0 a.m., with about an hour to kill. Thai have an unencrypted Wi-Fi so you may imagine me in an armchair, laptop balanced on my knees, looking out across the apron, which buzzes with traffic, transfer buses, vans and tugs each with a string of six luggage trailers. Isn't technology wonderful (when it works)? Let's hope my flight to Yangon works. This is what my itinerary says about my arrival in Yangon:-

Transfer - Yangon airport to hotel. After clearing customs and immigration (this may take some time), a Road To Mandalay representative will meet you in the arrivals area and escort you to your hotel.
The Strand - Superior Suite
Accommodation: 1-DOUBLE FOR SOLE USE
Arrive: 09 September Depart: 10 September
Your accommodation includes American breakfast.
Built in 1901, this Colonial hotel offers suites with high ceilings, polished wooden floors and tasteful furnishings and a deluxe bathroom. Dining facilities include The Strand Cafe offering a menu featuring Burmese and Western cuisine, and the Strand Grill with a classical menu. Check-in time is from 14.00 and check out time between 11am and noon. Room availability outside these times is at the discretion of the hotel.

It worked rather well, in fact. The Thai A300-600 was a little late away, waiting for our 'slot time', but still arrived around right time. The flight duration is just over an hour so the Thai cabin staff have to be pretty smart serving the well-presented continental breakfast, which they did with their usual professionalism and good humour.

Yangon International Airport is diminuitive compared with Bangkok but it has a modern terminal building with air bridges so within a few minutes I was inside the terminal and faced with a refreshingly short walk to Immigration. Formalities were completed quickly and with a beaming smile from the one girl as she returned my stamped passport. It took a little longer for my checked baggage to arrive on the luggage carousel then it was on to Customs. I'd taken the precaution of declaring my Notebook Computer and Digital Camera as 'temporary imports' but the girl in customs assured me, with another welcoming smile, that it was not necessary to declare them. Then into the public area and head for the sign with my name on it. As I introduce myself to the representative, the captain of 'Road to Mandalay', Myo Lwin, approaches, warmly welcomes me and then introduces his wife, who's also there. Finally, Doctor Hla Tun appears and there are more greetings. What a wonderful and unexpected welcome! The Captain and his wife leave but I am to see them again in the evening as I am invited to dinner at a well-known Chinese restaurant in Yangon.

The Doctor accompanies me to the Strand Hotel where there is an equally effusive 'welcome back' from all the staff. (My hotel pictures). The new hotel manager introduces himself and we chat for a few minutes before moving on to my room where the Doctor spends some time telling me more about the five visits he has made to the Delta (the area of Myanmar worst affected by Cyclone Nargis) treating medical conditions resulting from the Cyclone. The next day, the Doctor will leave for another trip, this time to be accompanied by an Italian lady doctor educated and currently working in England.

In the afternoon, I walk to Trader's Hotel, to see the 'Road to Mandalay' offices and meet Nicholas who manages them. I explore a little more of the city on foot, taking a few pictures which I've added to my Yangon Collection. I can't resist taking a few more photographs of the railway - see Circle Line pictures) and I return to the hotel shattered as, after an overcast start to the day, the afternoon became sunny and very hot. There's just time for a little nap before getting ready to be picked up by the Doctor. The Doctor arrives with his charming wife and eldest son and we drive along Strand Road to the restaurant. The Captain, his wife and the Lady Doctor are already there and we have a very convivial meal featuring Peking Duck. There's discussion about the damage to 'Road to Mandalay' and when she will resume service and I accept the Captain's suggestion that I should try to be on her new 'Maiden Voyage'. When the party breaks up, the Doctor runs me back to the Strand, allowing me to make this post. I don't know when I'll be able to report next, but here's what the Itinerary promises for tomorrow:-

Wednesday 10 September 08 Transfer - hotel to Yangon airport. Road To Mandalay staff will meet you at the pre-arranged time and take you to the airport. Our staff will reconfirm timings on your arrival in Myanmar. The flight will be operated by Air Mandalay or Yangon Airways ATR72 or ATR42 Aircraft (or similar), your free baggage allowance is 20KGS per person and note that space on board for hand luggage is very limited. Air Bagan flight W9 009 confirmed Yangon-Mandalay 06.30-08.20. Transfer - Mandalay airport to hotel. On arrival of your flight, your guide will be waiting to accompany you to your hotel.
Sedona Mandalay-Club Suite
Accommodation: 1-SUITE FOR SOLE USE
Arrive: 10 September Depart: 12 September
Your accommodation includes full board.
Set in a four acre landscaped garden, and facing the city`s glorious sights of Mandalay Palace & Mandalay Hill, the hotel offers a range of dining facilities and leisure facilities include an outdoor pool, tennis courts and fitness centre.

Well, I doubt if I'll be troubling the tennis courts.

Briefly in Bangkok

The 'River of Kings' in Bangkok, adjacent to the Oriental Hotel.

My flight from Dubai made a straight-in approach to runway 19R, landing at about 12.30 in the afternoon on Monday 8th. It took about ten minutes to taxi to the terminal but, as soon as we stopped, two air bridges coupled up to let us off. I was in the 'first wave' and passport control was a breeze. It took about ten minutes for my bag to turn up, then it was through customs to find my 'Meeter and Greeter', Julie. She then went off to track down the car and driver and we were soon on the elevated toll road heading for Bangkok and the Oriental Hotel. I'd stayed at the Oriental once before. This time, they'd put me in the 'Garden Wing' which, although modern and multi-storey, is on a more intimate scale than the 'River Wing'. All the staff will 'Wei' to you (the Thai version of bowing) and wish you good-day with 'Saswadee ka'. They get through a lot of flowers - on arrival I was presented with the wrist-sized Thai equivalent to the Hawaiin 'Lei', the 'Welcome Drink' (fruit juice) was accompanied by a tiny basket of flowers. In fact, most transactions come decorated with a flower somewhere. The room had a lounge area overlooking the 'River of Kings' and seven steps leading up to the sleeping area, with a small window looking out across the city on the landward side. A well-appointed bathroom led off the sleeping area. Hotel pictures.

After a quick shower and a change of clothes, I decided to make a brief trip out. The Oriental has its own landing stage and a private ferry shuttles from the hotel to more facilities on the opposite bank and downstream a few hundred yards to Taksin Bridge. Taksin is, currently, the final station on the elevated mass-transit 'Skytrain' (My 'Skytrain' pictures). Just three stops takes me to Sala Daeng station, with directions from my hotel on finding a nearby bookshop in Thaniya Plaza. First, I walk to Rama IV Road to watch the build-up of traffic and admire the statue of King Rama VI set in the corner of Lumphini Park. (My Bangkok pictures). After a little walking, I spot Thaniya Plaza and its shopping mall. The specialities seem to be reproduction antiques and golf equipment but there's also a branch of Asia Books where I buy a 'Lonely Planet' Guide Book (I won't say where to - that would spoil the surprise). I'm surprised to be asked "Do you want a plastic cover?" At no extra cost, the bookseller takes a piece of clear plastic and expertly makes a slip cover secured with 'Sellotape'.

By the time I'm back outside with my purchase, there's a furious tropical downpour so I make my way back to the Skytrain station and return to Taksin. By the time we arrive at Taksin, the rain has abated. The hotel ferry has just brought some guests from the hotel, so I'm able to jump straight on for the short journey back to the hotel. I can't resist going to the Authors' Lobby for English-style afternoon tea and scones with clotted cream and a selection of jams. It's almost six p.m. as I get back to my room (we're six hours ahead of the U.K.) and rapidly getting dark, as it does in these latitudes. I'm fairly tired at this stage so, with an early start tomorrow, I relax in my room and prepare this report, using my Notebook Computer and the hotel's (chargeable) broadband facilities.

There's time for a walk around the hotel to remind myself of some of the facilities. The string quartet still play in the main reception in the evening, largely ignored by the people hurrying in and out of the hotel. Dinner on the terrace is still accompanied by jazz from a trio of keyboard, electric guitar and female vocalist. There's music, too, in the 'Bamboo Bar', but not 'till later. Over the river, the hotel's 'Sala Rim Nam' restaurant offers Thai cuisine with Thai music and dance. The 'China House' (where I dined on my last visit) offers Chinese-style food in a preserved colonial-era villa. The 'Verandah' is more coffee-shop casual dining. Then there's 'Le Normandie' for French cuisine and 'Lord Jim's' for international cuisine and seafood. Or, of course, you can eat in your room.

The mynah birds still live in a large aviary outside the authors' wing and chatter to the passing guests - they've been in residence for 11 years now. I think the hotel's tradition goes back almost 150 years, right to the start of the opening of Siam to the Western World. But, alas, Bangkok is just a staging-post on this trip for tomorrow I'm due to fly to Yangon.

The Game's Afoot!

Here we go again! It’s one o’clock on a Sunday afternoon and I’m at Birmingham Airport. I haven’t flown from Birmingham since my almost-disastrous departure to the Ukraine a few years ago (I’ll tell you about it, one day). The amount of new building at the airport is amazing, but it remains a very cramped site. Sunday lunchtime seems a very popular time to travel and the Check-in Hall is seriously crowded. Fortunately, things are a little quieter in the ‘Emirates’ zone and there are a couple of desks for business passengers, so I’m checked in within a few minutes.

But next, a brief railway interlude (bet that surprises you). The ill-fated ‘Maglev’ train which formerly linked Terminal 1 with the Network Rail Station at Birmingham International has been rebuilt as a cable-hauled ‘Air-Train’. I take the opportunity to make a round trip on the driverless 2-car trains. I’m intrigued that what’s basically very old technology (similar to the San Francisco Cable Cars) can still offer a practical solution.

Back at Terminal 1, Departures Level, there is an amazing queue of passengers snaking back and forth, blocking access to the shops and generally creating the sort of mayhem that I associate with Heathrow. Fortunately, my boarding card is stamped for ‘Priority Access’ so, once I can find the entrance to the lane, things move rather faster for me and I’m soon looking for the ‘Servisair’ lounge which deals with Emirates Business Passengers. It’s a fairly small lounge and quite crowded, but it represents a relative haven of tranquility compared with the scrum outside. Modern air travel has become so stressful that one of the main advantages of a business ticket is the partial reduction in the hassle involved in passing through airports.

I’ve never flown with Emirates before, but they get some good ratings. When my agents were looking for a decent fare to the Far East for this trip, Emirates had a reasonable offer, so I agreed to try them. The first flight takes me to Dubai, then a second flight should take me on to Bangkok. If you’ve read my posts on my last major trip (‘RTW5’) you’ll know that I was very taken with Myanmar and the river cruise on the ‘Road to Mandalay’. In fact, I’d booked to take a different cruise on the same ship in September (that is, now), and the Emirates flights were intended to get me to Bangkok in connection with the cruise. But then Cyclone Nargis hit Myanmar, causing chaos that was only partly reported by the Western Media. The ‘Road to Mandalay’ was in dry dock at Yangon at the time and was seriously damaged, resulting in the whole of the 2008 cruise programme being cancelled. The down side of special air fares is that there may be restrictions on altering or cancelling flights. I had the choice of forfeiting the fare I’d paid or building another trip around the Emirates flights already booked.

In connection with my agents, Wexas, we designed a different trip and that’s what I’m about to start. Wexas, based in London, bill themselves as a ‘Travel Club’. They cater for ‘serious travellers’ and all their consultants are personally committed to travel. Once I come up with some idea of what I’d like to do, they will do the research to put some flesh on it and advise what’s possible. There’s then a period of refinement where they make suggestions and I make counter suggestions until we end up with a plan which is both appealing and possible. Working with the same consultants over a number of years means that I don’t have to explain my preferences and usually any suggestions they make will be attractive. It’s a relationship that’s produced some fairly amazing trips.

Greetings from Dubai, where I'm transiting on my way to Bangkok. I left Birmingham on Sunday afternoon about 3.0 p.m. (about 45 minutes late on schedule) on an Emirates 777-300-ER, and arrived Dubai about 1.0 a.m. local time. I'll add more details as possible. Dubai airport proved a mixed experience. On landing, we taxied for about ten minutes before finding our stand way out on the apron. Four modern buses were waiting to transfer passengers. Business class was offloaded first through the front stairs and we had a rather uncomfortable stop-and-start progress past the Cargo Centre, the In-flight Catering Centre, finally arriving at the terminal after a good 15 minutes in the bus. The terminal doors admit us to a noisy mass of people off various flights all trying to get through the security procedures before being let loose in the terminal. I'd been given printed transit instructions at Birmingham which proved useless because they've re-numbered all the gates. Apparently, this intelligence has not yet filtered through to Birmingham. After wandering round aimlessly for a while, I went to a KLM Lounge, where a charming girl phoned to check my gate number and then gave me directions to the Emirates Business Lounge nearest that gate. I've always had a soft spot for KLM. The Emirates lounge was busy but well-appointed. I couldn't get my computer to connect to any of the Wi-Fi but found a bank of (rather slow) internet computers which allowed me to get the first version of this post onto Blogger.

I got to the departure gate in good time but, the process of getting another bus back to the new flight meant that it was about an hour before we started to taxi to the runway. Around six hours flying would take us to Bangkok's huge relatively-new Suvarnabhumi airport. The seating layout in business is 2-3-2, which I'm not keen on. Birmingham to Dubai, I was stuck in the middle one of three but Dubai to Bangkok I had 2A window seat. Mind you, they pulled the shades for most of the flight to Bangkok and kept the cabin lighting dim to encourage people to sleep. Service and food was fairly good but the most impressive feature was probably the On-Demand entertainment system boasting over 600 channels of films, television, music and audio. On the two legs I watched three films - the latest Indiana Jones (I wasn't very impressed), 'The Bank Job' which did impress and the recent 'St. Trinians' (some OK moments but totally lacking the charm of the originals).

Ivor: The best laid plans...

'Dai Station' reads the local paper's report on 'Ivor'.

In my previous 'Ivor' post in 2008, I described how we spent the day giving shuttle rides with one car of the 2-car diesel railcar. A similar operation was planned for the following Saturday, 23rd August, but plans don't always work out as intended.

This time, I was 'marked' as driver on the Diesel Multiple Unit (back to a two-car formation with the brakes repaired). Preparing the DMU for service isn't quite as simple as 'turn the key and go' but it's much quicker than on steam, so I had the luxury of signing-on around 08:30, instead of a couple of hours earlier for steam. Before running passenger trains, an inspection run is normally carried out along the length of the line, visually checking that the track and route is safe. My arrival time allowed for the DMU to carry out this inspection.

'Mayflower' was to operate the service train. On arrival at the shed I found the '02' diesel mechanical shunter next to 'Yvonne' not in steam, then 'Ivor', wreathed in smoke and finally 'Mayflower', with its crew completing preparation. There was no driver present for 'Ivor' and the trainee fireman had 'blacked-out' the fire so as to produce plenty of acrid smoke but not a lot of heat. So my thought of having a nice, clean day went out of the window as we set about improving matters in Ivor's firebox. It was clearly going to be some time before 'Ivor' would be in steam, so I made my way to the DMU siding to get the 2-car unit ready. Gerald said that the '02' would not start and I knew that, if the worst came to the worst, we could shunt with the DMU. However, Gerald had located a battery charger, allowing the '02' to be put on charge for a while. Eventually, the '02' started-up so I moved the DMU to the north end of platform 1. This allowed the '02' to drag 'Yvonne', 'Ivor' and 'Mayflower' into the south end of platform 1. 'Mayflower' was uncoupled and made her way to platform 2, ready to take the first Shenton service at 10:55. The '02' propelled 'Yvonne' and 'Ivor' to the outside pit. 'Ivor' was still struggling to make steam but I had to leave again to make the inspection run to Shenton with the DMU. On my return, 'Ivor' was 'off the mark' but steam pressure was rising only slowly. It had been suggested that the smoke tubes were blocked and, although I was dubious, we carried out a quick 'tubing', after the '02' had returned to the shed road with 'Yvonne'. The 'tubing' dislodged very little soot but, at long last, we had a decent, bright fire and pressure started to rise.

Now it was time to "oil-round" 'Ivor'. Most of this was carried out by the trainee under instruction as, once 'Mayflower' returned from Shenton, I was scheduled to take the DMU on a shuttle trip up the line to Headley's Crossing. After the shuttle trip, the DMU was 'stabled' in platform 1 and I returned to a much happier 'Ivor'. Once the second Shenton service had left, 'Ivor' was able to move into platform 1, where all available hands made the locomotive a bit more presentable. Before 'Mayflower' returned, 'Ivor' had to be parked out of the way, allowing 'Mayflower' to run round whilst the DMU was on its second shuttle trip to Headley's.

So, for the rest of the day, this pattern repeated, with the DMU dashing up to Headley's each time 'Mayflower' arrived back and 'Ivor' standing in the platform (or steaming up and down the platform) but moving out of platform 1 when 'Mayflower' returned. When 'out of the way' was the north end sidings, the coal bunker on 'Ivor' was replenished. There was a variation when the service train arrived back after the fourth trip. This time, the DMU had been positioned in platform 2 so that 'Mayflower' could arrive in platform 1. Once the DMU had disappeared up the line on the fourth (and last) shuttle, 'Mayflower' could run round, pausing at the water column at the south end of platform 2 to take water. Whilst 'Mayflower' was down the line on the fifth run, the DMU was disposed in the DMU siding. Finally, 'Ivor' made a final appearance in platform 1 before heading for the outside pit for disposal. Disposal of a steam locomotive is always rather hot and dirty work, particuarly at the end of a shift when everyone is getting tired. Once the job was done, it only remained for the '02' (still coupled to 'Yvonne') to pick up 'Ivor' and put 'Yvonne' and 'Ivor' in the shed for the night. The '02' was stabled just outside the shed.

After working on 'Ivor' and the DMU on Saturday, I was happy to have a day off on Sunday. But I was 'marked' as DMU driver again on Bank Holiday Monday, 25th August. The weather was kind and we had lots of visitors. This time, 'Ivor' had a driver, so I was able to stick to my rostered 'diagram', doing a line inspection trip and four Shuttles to Headley's Crossing, coupled to 'Ivor', who pulled the train back to Shackerstone each time.

My pictures in 2008 of 'Ivor'.

My post on the 2007 'Ivor' events.

Ivor the Engine: 2008

Rob, Sam, Andy and Dai Station chatting before the shuttle departs.

Following a succesful visit to the Battlefield Line in July and August 2007 (See post), 'Ivor the Engine' returned to Shackerstone in August 2008.

Out of the two famous engines, 'Ivor' and 'Thomas', it must be admitted that 'Thomas' is the better-known locomotive. Thomas's originator, the Reverend Awdry, sold the rights to Britt Allcroft, who developed the 'Thomas' television programmes and a range of tie-in products. Having created a successful international 'brand', the rights were disposed of to Hit International, which zealously guards its investment. Licenses issued to preserved railways to operate Thomas Events involve significant costs to the railway and require compliance with arduous and detailed conditions. I can't help wondering what the Reverend Awdry would make of the commercial empire his stories have spawned. In contrast, 'Ivor the Engine' remains a rather more innocent creation. Peter Firmin and Oliver Postgate produced a series of relatively unsophisticated but charming animated stories for television which still have appeal.

The idea of creating a real, working steam locomotive with the rather improbable outline of the original animated 'Ivor' is delightful. Steve, the owner of the working 'Ivor', has succeeded admirably in implementing the idea. So, purist that I am in most matters of railway restoration, I was nevertheless happy to have an opportunity to drive 'Ivor' again.

On Sunday, 17th August Sam and I prepared the locomotive and trundled down to the station nice and early. This left the inspection pit free for 'Sir Gomer' to use. 'Sir Gomer' was to operate the 5-coach service train during the day. Willing as 'Ivor' is, handling the service train is a little beyond his capabilities. But 'Ivor' was allowed to operate a one-coach diesel shuttle during the day.

Normally, 'Ivor' would have been coupled to the 2-car Diesel Multiple Unit, but there was a problem with the brake cylinders on the one coach. So, when Rob the DMU driver arrived, 'Ivor' helped out with shunting the defective coach to the siding for repair. Then 'Ivor' was coupled to the good DMU coach and stood in platform 1 to await passengers. Each time 'Sir Gomer' arrived in platform 2 with the train from Shenton, Rob took the train to Hedley's Crossing, about a mile out of Shackerstone, with 'Ivor' being pulled backwards. Then it was the turn of 'Ivor' to do some work and pull the coach back to Shackerstone. Meanwhile, 'Sir Gomer' had run round the train and was ready to set off for Shenton.

On our last trip of the day, 'Dai Station' accompanied us on the footplate of 'Ivor' and you can watch his splendid video by clicking below.

To see more still pictures of Ivor's visit, Click Here.

Hotels of the World

It's never been so easy to travel, for which many of us are grateful. But I can't help feeling that a certain elegance and excitement that attended travel in the past has been lost. Wouldn't you have liked to do the 'Grand Tour', learning about the past glories of Europe? Or, more recently, travelled on the great liners, staying in a succession of classic hotels? Perhaps I'm just a romantic. Certainly, these pleasures were restricted to a much smaller group of people than today.

When I'm on one of my jaunts, I try to seek out Hotels with a bit of history so as to learn a little about what travel once represented, before all remnants of the past are eliminated in the uniformity of modernity. My collection of photographs is fairly undiscriminating, and I've included a number of unremittingly modern hotels, but my preference is always for somewhere with a little history attached.

Bristol Hotel, Panama City, Panama: This is a modern hotel with fairly classic styling situated in the hotel district of downtown Panama City. The staff are friendly and helpful. Pictures

Santa Isabel Hotel, Havana, Cuba: The Santa Isabel is a long-established hotel in a Spanish-style building, overlooking the Plaza des Armas and a few minutes from Havana Bay. Many of the original fittings have been retained, giving a genteel charm which, combined with the friendly service, gave me an enjoyable (if brief) stay. Pictures

Iberostar Grand Hotel, Trinidad, Cuba: The building, in Spanish Colonial style, has been thoroughly modernised and is an excellent base for exploring Trinidad and the surrounding area. Pictures

Saratoga Hotel, Havana, Cuba: The Saratoga Hotel is a 'classic' hotel with a city centre location adjacent to the Capitol and Parque Central. It has been extensively modernised and has a rooftop open-air swimming pool and cafe commanding stunning views of the city. Pictures

Mayaland, Chichen Itsa, Yukatan, Mexico: The Hacienda which included the Chichen Itza site has been developed into three resort hotels. 'Mayaland' adjoins the World Heritage Site and has a private entrance to the site. Pictures

The Wynn, Las Vegas: A large Casino with Golf Course, Theatres, Restaurants and accommodation attached. Pictures

Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok, Thailand: I spent one night at the Shangri-La in March 2008, en route from Yangon (Myanmar) to Las Vegas. I'd stayed there once before (Round The World One, I think). Pictures

Trader's Hotel, Yangon, Myanmar: Trader's Hotel in Yangon, Myanmar is housed in one of the relatively few high rise buildings in the city. Pictures

Strand Hotel, Yangon, Myanmar: The Strand is the famous hotel established by two Armenian brothers, the Sarkies, in what was then known as Rangoon. Pictures

Park Hyatt, Tokyo: The Park Hyatt is a modern hotel in the Shinjuku area of Tokyo. Pictures

Iwaso Ryokan, Miyajima, Japan: The Iwaso is a Japanese-style hotel ('ryokan') with a long history. I was able to stay in one of the 'cottages' adjacent to the main buildings. Pictures

The Brighton Hotel, Kyoto, Japan: A modern hotel in a quiet part of Kyoto, near the Palace. Pictures

Marriott Hotel, Nagoya, Japan: A modern, well-appointed hotel in a tower block above Nagoya railway station offering excellent service. Pictures

Imperial Hotel, Tokyo, Japan: This is the second building occupied by this classic hotel, preserving its reputation for excellent service. The Reception of the original building is preserved at Meiji Mura building museum! Pictures

Duxton Hotel, Perth, Western Australia: Modern but friendly, like much of the city it serves. Pictures

Heritage Hotel, Auckland, New Zealand: The former Farmer's Department Store has been fairly sensitively converted into a comfortable and friendly hotel near the centre of the city. Pictures

Waldorf Astoria Hotel, New York: A classic hotel now in its second building. Pictures

Imperial Hotel, New Delhi: Nowhere is more evocative of the British Rule in India than this elegant 1920s hotel. Pictures

Cecil Hotel, Shimla, India: Another 'classic' hotel, originally favoured by the British in India, recently refurbished by the present owners, the Oberoi Group. Pictures

Heritage Hotel, Christchurch, New Zealand: Most of the accommodation is in the well-appointed but characterless new building. However, the hotel incorporates the Old Courthouse building, somewhat better. Pictures

Glenfern Villas, Franz Josef, New Zealand: The long-distance bus from Greymouth will deliver you to these well-appointed self-catering villas, a couple of miles North of Franz Josef itself. Pictures

Mena House, Giza, Egypt: Who could resist a hotel room with a view of the Pyramids at Giza? The old part of the hotel is a former palace with an impressive list of past guests. The modern enlargement of the hotel is less satisfactory. Pictures

Raffles Hotel, Singapore: Traditional hospitality, Singapore Slings, Afternoon Tiffin and "I'll see you again" played at 8.00pm. A treasure, indeed. Pictures

Windsor Hotel, Melbourne, Australia: Facilities excellent, helpful staff, and a bit of history - my kind of hotel. Pictures

Radisson Hotel, Tahiti: The facilities were good but I'm afraid I didn't feel as welcome here as some places. Could it be the French management? Pictures

Hotel San Francisco, Quito, Ecuador: A fairly sensitive conversion and extension, preserving the facade and many Spanish Colonial features. Pictures

Hotel Casa Vieja, Mexico City: A boutique hotel which really seemed like home-from-home. Pictures

Lake Palace Hotel, Udaipur, India: This gets my award for the Most Romantic Hotel in the World. Excellent accommodation, friendly staff. The marble-clad hotel, originally built as a summer palace, occupies a small island on an artificial lake, appearing to float on the water. Outstanding. You may remember it from the James Bond film 'Octopussy', with Roger Moore. Pictures

Oriental, Bangkok: A classic hotel with a distinguished history. Pictures

Copacobana Palace, Rio de Janeiro: One of the world's classic hotels and the first hotel to be built on Rio's Copacabana Beach. Pictures

Anantara Resort, Golden Triangle, Thailand: The one where I did my Mahout elephant course. Pictures

Luangsay Lodge, Pakbeng, Laos: An overnight stay on my cruise down the Mekong in Laos. Pictures

La Residence, Louang Prabang, Laos: An Orient Express hotel set on a hillside a few minutes drive from downtown Luang Prabang. Pictures

Settha Palace Hotel, Vientiane, Laos: A pleasant two-storey hotel right in the city. Pictures

I haven't included links to the individual hotel websites, but you should be able to find them easily. Many sites include fairly eleborate photographs or virtual tours. My list of hotels will be expanded as I deal with the backlog of photographs and also, hopefully, as I continue to travel!

You can browse all my hotel pictures by going to the Hotels of the World Collection Page.

Jean Martyn Organathon

What is an 'Organathon'? It's an organ marathon. Brewood Parish Church, Saint Mary and Saint Chad, has an electrically-operated pipe organ which is in need of major maintenance. A fund-raising programme is currently under way. As part of this programme, the Church's Director of Music, Jean Martyn, performed a 12-hour organ marathon on Thursday 14th August 2008. She played both the church organ and her own electronic organ which she uses for commercial concerts at various venues around the country.

The Organathon was divided into different music styles:- Big Band Era, Childrens' Hour, Classical, 60s Juke Box Jury, Music from the Movies, Ivor Novello and Opera, Classic FM, Music of the 20s-30s-40s, Requests and Dedications, Blackpool, Favourites, Grand Finale Concert. There was a wonderful atmosphere in the church with plenty of audience partcipation on the familiar numbers. Refreshments were provided so that visitors were able to stay for as long as they were able and children were welcome.

The video clip below shows Jean Martyn playing 'Oh I do like to be beside the seaside' on the church organ. Everybody rated the day a great success and thanks are due to all those involved in the organisation of this unusual event, particularly to Jean Martyn herself, who demonstrated not only her musicianship but also her stamina!

Peak Rail 1940s Weekend: 2008

The Peak Rail 1940s Weekend has become a very important feature of the year. Not everybody is in favour of re-creating scenes from wartime. My own view is that the educational benefits to people like me, who didn't experience the Second World War first hand, justifies the attempt.

This year, just a few days before the event, the coaching stock suffered a graffiti attack, the second such attack this year (see report), creating even more work in the already-major build-up to the weekend.

The poster above shows all the attractions but, since I was the driver on Sunday 3rd August, I saw very little of these other activities. An intensive service of seven round trips during the day left the loco crew with little free time. The battle re-enactment was deliberately scheduled to occur when the passenger train was safely out of the way 'down the line'. Peak Rail stalwart 'Royal Pioneer' (click for lots of detail pictures of this locomotive) was to work the service train throughout the day. Because of the heavy expected loading on this weekend, we were to run with a seven-coach train (the maximum that the run-round loop at Matlock Riverside can accommodate). Arrival at 7.45 a.m. gave me time to 'oil round' and examine the engine, so as to be ready to come off shed at 9.30 a.m., although the morning fireman, Robin, had to make an earlier start to prepare the fire. We travelled 'light engine' to Rowsley to pick up the stock and were ready to leave with the first 'Up' service at 10.15 a.m. A stop was made at Darley Dale in the 'Up' direction but all 'Down' trains ran through non-stop. We ran very close to right time all day. At lunchtime, Robin was relieved by Chris, who fired during the afternoon.

Jan models the ubiquitous 'tin helmet' - rather heavy and uncomfortable after a while. It's sobering to consider the privations that civilians, let alone service personnel, endured during the war. Uncomfortable protective equipment was the least of the problems. Because of food rationing, many people were permanently hungry but were still required to work long hours. Additional work, like Fire Watching, was commonplace. Because of air raids, there was the continual worry of eventually returning home to find your house destroyed and family injured or dead. All this, on top of families being torn apart to provide the fighting forces overseas and left with only sparse and intermittent communications.

Chris, who was fireman in the afternoon, wearing a respirator similar to those issued to railwaymen. It was thought that there was a real risk of gas attack and the civilian population was issued with a simple design of gas mask. Servicemen and workers like railwaymen were provided with a slightly more sophisicated form of protection. Imagine the problems of carrying out your duties encumbered like this. In the event, gas was not used - fortunate, as the effectiveness of the respirators, particularly the civilian version, has been seriously questioned.

It was a satisfying day, but I always find the war weekends very thought-provoking (as, indeed, they should be).

I took a few pictures. Click to view them.

In 2007, I took a few pictures of the battle re-enactment. Click to view them.

There are more pictures from the 2006 event. Click to view them.

Day Out With Thomas 2008

The 'Day Out With Thomas' events at the Battlefield Line form an important part of the railway calendar. On the 13th and 19th July, I was booked as the Driver on 'Thomas'. He was a little poorly, some concern having been raised about the condition of his springs, so he was generally confined to pottering about the station at Shackerstone and being admired by all the children. An extension to the whistle chain allowed children to actually sound Thomas's whistle from the safety of the platform! This was very popular (except with the loco crew).

From time to time, there were little 'playlets'. In one, Thomas appears to be poorly until the Conductor uses a fishing rod to catch and remove a fish from his water tank. Thomas cheers up considerably after the removal of the fish (no letters of protest, please - real fish are not used). In another playlet, children bring real water in small plastic buckets to fill Thomas's tank. The enthusiasm of the children is wonderful to watch, although the conclusion is usually that the unfortunate loco crew get water thrown at them.

There were also 'Races', with two locomotives running parallel along platforms 1 and 2 (whilst the main train was safely out of the way down the line). Both 'Fast Races' and 'Slow Races' were undertaken, involving 'Thomas', 'Percy' (a.k.a. 'Sir Gomer') and 'Yvonne' (the Cockerill Tram Engine). At other times during the day, 'Fergus' (the Aveling Barford) clanged up and down giving brake van rides.

The first and last trains of the day to Shenton were hauled by a Class 47 (I'm not sure what part of the 'Thomas' Canon that represented) and 'Mayflower' (as the 'Big Green Engine') handled the other departures.

In addition to all this activity, 'Daisy' the Diesel Multiple Unit was giving passenger shuttle rides from Shackerstone to Hedley's Crossing and back (a round trip of about two miles). On the 19th of July, it was agreed that 'Thomas' could accompany 'Daisy' on one of her shuttle trips. 'Thomas' was 'tied on' and 'Daisy' hauled 'Thomas' down to Hedley's Crossing. 'Thomas' then pulled 'Daisy' back to Shackerstone, greatly enjoying the opportunity to do some useful work.

I was booked on again on the 20th July, this time as the driver on 'Daisy'. On some of the shuttle trips, the 2-car DMU was filled to capacity and we had to turn people away.

The July events had been advertised on television to try to improve the numbers attending - there certainly seemed to be lots of people there. All the visitors I spoke to thought the event good value, with a ride on the main train, a brake van ride, a trip on 'Daisy', engine races, playlets, face painting and a 'Thomas' bouncy castle all included in the ticket price.

Pictures of 'Day out with Thomas'.

Detailed pictures of the locomotives:

'Thomas'
'Fergus'
'Mayflower'
'Daisy'

'Percy'
'Yvonne'

Graffiti

In June 2008, Peak Rail's normal passenger rake was the target of graffiti 'artists'. To enable the vehicles to be returned to service (Peak Rail does not enjoy the luxury of a spare rake of coaches), the graffiti has been removed professionally, but the necessarily aggressive nature of the cleaning process has resulted in large areas now showing the original blue British Railways livery. It will cost over £25,000 to reinstate the lined-out maroon preservation liveries.

Tragically, there has been a second attack, at the end of July, just before the popular 'Warring Forties' weekend. Apparently, the same 'Tag' was used in both attacks.

It's hard not to become dispirited or angry at the wanton destruction of an attempt to preserve the past so as to inform the future. It would appear that 'the future', as represented by the vandals responsible for the damage, have no interest in the past. A gloomy prospect for us all.

The police are seeking any information which would allow them to identify the miscreants - call 0845 123 33 33.

Peak Rail's Pictures of damage.

Hamlet

On Monday, 21st July, I accompanied my niece, Ann, to see the R.S.C. production of William Shakespeare's 'Hamlet', with David Tennant and Patrick Stewart, at the Courtyard Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon. This production had received excellent reviews and the casting of David Tennant in the title role, fresh from his success as 'Doctor Who' on television, ensured that every performance was sold out. The final accolade, a few days before my visit, was the presence in the audience of Britain's embattled Prime Minister, Gordon Brown. So what did I think of the production?

Well, you may realise that I am inclined to be rather old-fashioned in my outlook and a production in modern dress was starting at something of a disadvantage. In fact, I thoroughly enjoyed the performance, although my approval was not without certain reservations about the production.

For me, The Courtyard Theatre is something of a "Curate's Egg". The 1,000 seat venue was opened in 2006 and appears rather temporary with lots of bare plywood and apparently temporary arrangements. A rectangular stage projects into the auditorium with seating on three sides and three levels. The fourth side is closed off by five huge, reflective, rotating 'doors' in place of a conventional proscenium arch. Runways allow the cast to enter and leave using all four corners of the projecting stage, necessitating props and make-up areas behind the stalls seating in the area through which the audience enters and leaves. All this leads to a sense of involvement which is not unhelpful. I didn't find the acoustics of The Courtyard Theatre ideal.

I've always held that the thing that counts in Shakespeare is the words - respect the text and other aspects of the production, whilst important, are secondary. It's some time since I'd read the text but, as far as I remembered, the author was well-served. The re-arrangements which have been made have been carefully considered. There are plenty of places on the Internet where you can access the full text of Shakespeare's works - I quite like the simplicity of Jeremy Hylton's Site. As you'd expect from a top-notch company, the phrasing and timing was effective. I haven't previously seen a production of 'Hamlet' which played the humour right up to the hilt, as this one does. Oddly, it didn't grate with me, leavening the general sense of despair which can descend on this play and throwing into relief the major tragic moments.

David Tennant

David Tennant certainly takes hold of the role of Hamlet. Although he has a distinguished career as a 'serious' actor, one might uncharitably characterise his portrayal here as 'Doctor Who reprised' - there was a lot of running about the stage with arms outstretched in a manic way. Yet I found the result fairly convincing - the veering between comedy and tragedy suggesting Hamlet's distraught state of mind. It was certainly a refreshing interpretation and seemed to meet with the approval of the audience.

Patrick Stewart

Patrick Stewart is impressive in the role of Claudius (doubling as the Ghost of Claudius's dead brother). He, of course, has also combined the classics with a populist career - 'Star Trek' and blockbusters like 'X-Men' are to his credit. I last saw him give a mesmerising performance in 'The Tempest' so his commanding presence in Hamlet was no surprise.

The rest of the cast were experienced and supportive, contributing to a sense of competence throughout the performance.

I didn't particularly like the modern dress and some characters retained dated costumes or uniforms, giving a rather uneven effect. The actors in the play-within-a-play (where Hamlet seeks to portray the death of his father and precipitate re-marriage of his mother) employ sumptuous gold-decorated costumes presumably deliberately contrasted with the relatively restrained dress of the main characters. There were a number of scenes where modernity added nothing for me and jarred with the progress of the story. The most egregious moment was Hamlet's meeting with Fortinbras's army, accompanied by soldiers abseiling from very audible but invisible helicopters above whilst ground marshals signalled the 'choppers' with illuminated batons.

But, at the end of the play, I felt I'd witnessed a production of some moment and this view seemed to be shared by the audience generally, judging by the acclamation. Whilst 'Trekkies' were not in evidence, some of the audience members (mainly female) appeared to be 'Who-ies'.

In December, the production transfers to the Novello Theatre in London for a short season. I have no doubt that tickets will be changing hands at a premium.

Lionsmeet 2008

Lionsmeet 2008 was held at Butterley Park Miniature Railway on Saturday, 26-Jul-2008. The railway is within the Midland Railway Centre site in Derbyshire. It was hot for most of the day, with only brief showers.

We were, as usual, made very welcome by the host club and it was a most successful gathering. The format followed the usual pattern, as outlined in the poster for the event reproduced above.

An official report on the proceedings will be published in the Old Locomotive Committee's official organ 'Lionsheart' in due course but, in the meantime, these notes may furnish limited information.

The writer was, once again, 'volunteered' to be the official observer of the dynamometer car readings and enforcer of the competition rules. Alan Bibby proposed the title 'Dynamometrist' for this role, but I rather prefer 'Dynamometrix'. This year, we had seven contestants on six 5-inch 'Lion' models. By convention, the previous year's winner runs first; the order of the remaining contestants is determined by drawing lots.

Jon Swindlehurst: Jon elected to haul three bogie coaches in addition to the obligatory dynamometer car (once again, kindly loaned for the occasion by Guildford Club, through the good offices of David Neish). In addition to the Driver and Dynamometrix, he decided to take four adults and two young people as load. In 10 minutes, he ran 6,410 feet, producing a Work Done figure of 52,500 ft/lbs.

Richard (Southport Club): Richard took the same three bogie coaches and five adults (plus Driver and Dynamometrix) as load. This was the first outing of the locomotive for some time following boiler repairs, but Richard's Work Done was within 5% of Jon's figure. In 10 minutes, he ran 5,620 feet, producing a work done figure of 50,480 ft/lbs.

Martin Reeve (from the Host Club): Martin agreed to substitute a 4-wheel driving trolley for the leading bogie coach (to provide a more effective train brake), giving a load of 2.5 bogie coaches and five adults (plus Driver and Dynamometrix) as load. In 10 minutes, Martin ran 4,530 feet, producing a work done figure of 41,200 ft/lbs.

David Neish: David ran with the same 2.5 bogie coaches and a load of 3 adults and a young man (plus Driver and Dynamometrix). The young man was David's grandson, Douglas, giving three generations of the Neish family in attendance. In 10 minutes, David ran 5,460 feet, producing a work done figure of 46,100 ft/lbs.

Andrew Neish: Andrew then took over his father's engine (permitted by the rules provided no other competitor objects). He added a coach to give 3.5 bogie coaches and a load of 4 adults and Douglas (plus Driver and Dynamometrix). In 10 minutes, Andrew ran 5,500 feet, producing a work done figure of 49,000 ft/lbs.

John Mills: As John started his practice run, the bumping and boring between locomotive and train indicated that all was not well. Observing the locomotive from the side, there seemed to be a serious valve timing problem. John returned to the steaming bays to see if repairs could quickly be effected (again, permitted by the rules provided no other competitor objects). Sadly, as we all rather feared, repairs would require some disassembly and John retired from the competition.

Bill Stubbs: Bill took just 1.5 bogie coaches and an initial load of 1 adult (plus Driver and Dynamometrix). However, suffering some adhesion problems, Bill 'dropped' the adult and carried out his competition run with Driver and Dynamometrix. The locomotive became 'winded' a couple of times, each time necessitating a pause for a 'blow-up'. In 10 minutes, Bill ran a distance of 2,520 feet, producing a work done figure of 8,200 ft/lbs.

Alan Bibby verified and announced the results then Alan from Butterley Park formally returned the Winner's Cup to Jon Swindlehurst, who will thus be required to polish the Cup for a further year! And so, another most enjoyable event came to a close, thanks to the efforts of Alan Bibby and the excellent arrangements made by all the members from Butterley Park.

My pictures of Lionsmeet 2008.

Crewe North Junction History

The signal box at Crewe North Junction always seemed a magical place to me during my early visits in the 1950s. In the 1970s, I finally got to visit the box whilst it was still in service, in connection with work my firm was doing for the railways. The box is now preserved, in situ, as part of Crewe Heritage Centre. The preserved box was, in fact, the fifth generation of signal box on the site. This brief history is based on displays at Crewe Heritage Centre, with grateful acknowledgment.

1863: In 1863, the first signal box to control Crewe North Junction was erected in the angle between the lines to Liverpool and Manchester. This photograph, taken around 1867, shows the signal box towards the left of the picture, with three signal posts carrying both Up and Down signal arms towering above the building. This was the style of the time, where signals were integrated with the box itself, following the style of semaphore telegraph stations. Later, the remote operation of signals by wire allowed signals to be placed at the actual clearance point where drivers were expected to stop. The view is looking south from the Works area and the foreground is filled with a marvellous assortment of locomotives. The silhouette of Crewe Arms Hotel is visible in the background, with Nantwich Road crossing the lines on a bridge. Both of these features remain today. The locomotive sheds are on the right.

My photograph-of-a-photograph only hints at the wonderful quality of these early glass-plate negatives. I presume the original is from the collection managed by the National Railway Museum.

1868: Just five years after construction, the first signal box was replaced by two signal boxes, both supplied by Saxby and Farmer. The first was immediately north of the station platforms, the second was in the angle between the lines to Liverpool and Chester.

This photograph was presumably taken to show the construction of the 'Spider Bridge' which was to link the station to the Works. Note the use of wooden scaffolding. The station signal box is on the left; the Junction signal box is on the right.

1879: As part of major alterations to the station, the two signal boxes were replaced by a single signal box of fairly standard L&NWR design with a Tumbler interlocking frame of 144 levers. This was situated in the middle of the junctions between the lines to Liverpool and Chester, with access from the now-completed 'Spider Bridge'.

This is the view looking south-east from the 1879 signal box. The bracket signal is based on the Saxby and Farmer design, the straight-post signal to the left is the evolving L&NWR design. The rural area around Tommy's Lane and Crewe Arms Hotel are visible in the background.

This is the view looking south-west from the 1879 signal box. Notice the tall L&NWR signal on the goods lines and the Nantwich Road bridge in the background. The No.1 Locomotive Shed is on the right. This was demolished in the early 1900s to allow the construction of the Chester Independent goods lines.

This is the view looking north-west from the 1879 signal box, showing the Chester Deviation main line. The original Chester line is on the right, going through Crewe Works. Note Crewe North Engine Shed on the left, the Up Chester bracket signal and the numerous chimneys within the Works.

1906: Between 1896 and 1907 Crewe was completely remodelled again. A large L&NWR power box, using a variant of the 'Crewe' All Electric System was constructed in the angle between the lines to Liverpool and Chester. The narrow gauge line over 'Spider Bridge' joining the Works to the Station passed through the lower storey of the box.

A splendid view from 'Spider Bridge' looking towards the Works showing the 18-inch gauge line carried by the bridge and the 'Crewe' All-electric system box of 1906. Note the Up Chester bracket signal to the left of the box and the Up Liverpool bracket signal to the right of the box.

1940: In 1938, with the threat of war and aerial attack looming, it was decided that certain strategic signal boxes should be replaced by an 'ARP' ('Air Raid Precautions') design, better able to withstand blast damage. Accordingly, Crewe North Junction was rebuilt and the new box, immediately in front of the previous box, was introduced in 1940. The signalling equipment was the Westinghouse 'Style L' all-electric power frame with miniature levers, electric points and multiple-aspect colour light signals. The 1906 signal box was demolished, except for the lower floor, which was converted into a Linemans' Hut. When a.c. electrification was introduced in 1959, additional equipment was required to immunise the signalling apparatus. Two brick-built equipment rooms were built in front of the 1940 signal box to house this extra equipment.

1985: Crewe Station was remodelled and control of the whole Crewe area was transferred to a signalling centre in the area originally occupied by Crewe North Shed, on the Down Side of the Chester Line. The 1940 Crewe North signal box, the Linemans' Hut and the 1959 equipment rooms were retained and became part of Crewe Heritage Centre.