Google Maps image of the front of 1904 built building with grey brown brick facing and red brick detailing in its current guise as the Harry Clasper pub with outdoor seating in the grounds

2/ The WUDC offices on Front Street, Whickham are now a Wetherspoons. The building was constructed in 1904 for the Carr Ellison family and leased to WUDC until abolition. Gateshead Council took it on, but it's been a pub since 2014. Not to be confused with Gateshead old town hall.

Cast iron inspection cover with diamond pattern. Smith Patterson, Blaydon on Tyne, Nortons Patent No. 2620 1918 WUDC

1/ A cast iron inspection cover. Despite being only 2 miles from central Gateshead, Dunston was part of the WUDC (Whickham Urban District Council) area from 1894 until local govt reorganisation in 1974. Smith Patterson, not far away in Blaydon, ran under that name from 1870-1954.

Back to a time when Inverness was a bit of a mecca for enthusiasts! The Duffs were hammering up and down the Highland mainline, and the 37s were chugging along to Aberdeen and back. Not quite the same these days!
37212 In trainload coal anyone?
#Class37 #Tractor #Inverness

Ariel, Greek calico cat, mainly white with black and brown markings on her head and tail, sleeps on a purple and yellow-checked cover in sunlight.

Ariel snoozing in the sunlight this afternoon.

A flock of Chilean flamingos

Common Eider Duck on the pond

Ponds and surrounding trees looking westwards with blue skies towards visitor centre

White sweet cherry blossom close up with woodland behind it

A trip to the WWT at Washington is always something to look forward to, whatever the season. Yesterday was first visit this year. We feel as at home in its surroundings as its residents do.

American Kestrel deep dive. Toronto, Canada, April 17th 2026.
Photo by Jose Raposo

Former TPE class 350/4, 350408 prepares for departure from Crewe with service for Birmingham New Street. Good to see one of the former fleet again, always liked these units.
#Class350 #Siemens #Crewe

Glasgow & South Western Railway poster promoting train services to resorts along the Ayrshire coast. (1910)

Alexander Morton, 1945–2026.

Actor known for Get Carter, Looking after Jo Jo, Take the High Road, Taggart and Monarch of the Glen (pictured).

A Ford Prefect being hoisted off the Stornoway mailboat MV Loch Seaforth at Armadale, Skye.

Pic: Robert Chappell

Dawn-departures: In the foreground and e300 forming the 07:04 London St Pancras to Brussels. Behind it, and e320 ready for the 07:31 to Paris. You can see from the image that an e320 is slightly longer than our original trains.
#TrainsNotPlanes.

Illustration from the perspective of the northbound platform at Wapping showing a red F Stock with distinctive oval cab end windows emerging from the Thames Tunnel into the platform as a mixed freight train heads the other way towards Rotherhithe, with a brake van on the rear.

#OnThisDay 60 years ago the East London Line was disconnected from the GER mainline near Liverpool Street, and freight traffic ceased. This 1995 Illustration of Wapping in the 60's by Nick Hardcastle depicts a freight disappearing into the Thames Tunnel as an F Stock emerges.

I've made do with online maps, but it's not the same and this will come into its own for something I'm doing later in the year, too.

87018 ‘Lord Nelson’ in what was my favourite iteration of InterCity. Yes, the nameplate was too close to the red band, but I loved those big yellow wrap round cabs and black numbers. Happy times for these WCML giants.
#Class87 #WCML #Carlisle #InterCity #BritishRail

Cover of 16th edition Rail Atlas Great Britain and Northern Ireland founded by SK Baker. Joe Brown.

Been promising myself a copy of this for a good while! Arrived this morning. @joebrownlondon.bsky.social

357045 passing through #WestHam on an ECS move, looks great in her new livery #class357 #C2C 16/04/26

Keir Starmer did not know Mandelson failed vetting, government says A decision to go against the recommendation of the vetting agency was taken by officials in the Foreign Office, spokesperson says.

Mandelson should never have been considered for the role. Even on the basis of what was known then, I'm struggling to understand how anyone at the centre of Government would have expected him to pass vetting anyway.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

A very welcome sight in the postal sidings at York on 15/04/26!
37407 ‘Blackpool Tower’ looking the business, along with 37512 ‘Thornaby Demon’. Whilst I love what’s been done here, they’re not exactly faithful to the originals which is a bit of a shame.
#Class37 #Tractor #York

Road vehicle incursion at York Street, Belfast Investigation into a near miss between a train and a heavy goods vehicle near York Street, Belfast, 20 March 2026.

www.gov.uk/government/n...

#BakerlooLine at #SouthKenton bound for #HarrowandWealdstone 15/04/26

NY Times headline: JD Vance Says the Pope Should Be More Careful When Talking About Theology.

A headline which speaks volumes..

How Lammy and Vance’s unlikely friendship is being leveraged Their relations remain warm just as those between their leaders seems decidedly chilly, Chris Mason writes.

Lammy and a US vice president who thinks we just 'don't get the joke' when his boss depicts himself as Jesus, less than a week after threatening to wipe out a civilisation. Not sure it's a vehicle for whimsical commentary from Chris Mason on an "unlikely friendship".
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Trainload Distribution liveried 47304 finds itself on a TransPennine service at Manchester Victoria. Days when even if suitable traction wasn’t available, the service still ran!
#Class47 #Duff #TrainloadDistribution #ManchesterVictoria #TransPennineExpress #BritishRail

New Brighton Tower - when it was built it was the tallest structure in Britain. It was taller than Blackpool but only lasted from 1899 to 1919 when demolition started. The building under the Tower survived until 1969.

2807 at Gotherington last May

Sundays are for pretending I’m starving to get a third breakfast before 7:00 AM.

66763 ‘Severn Valley Railway’ eases through Leeds with 6D37, the Rylstone to Hunslet. A splash of orange in a world of grey!
#Class66 #Shed #GBRf #LeedsCityStation

For sheer colour intensity and vibrancy, nothing we do matches the natural world.

We elected you to Congress to be a check on executive power, not a spectator.

You swore an oath to defend the Constitution, not to protect a man who threatens democracy, threatens war, and threatens the future.

Stop hiding behind voters.

Stop punting responsibility.

DO YOUR JOBS.👇

With a large teddy bear face on its nose, green Class 14 D9516 sits with its nose peeping out of Wansford shed with a BR blue classmate just visible behind and the cab of a small steam loco visible on the line to the right

A shot from the other side of the cab of D9516 with 13 year old me standing on the steps, left arm holding the hand rail.

D9516 and friends at Wansford on the @N_V_R in August 1989. No idea who that is hanging off the steps!😉