lee.stephens
Birch Grove @ Kingscote: Bluebell Railway Week: Day 1
I've mentioned before that my son has some significant physical disabilites and severe learning difficulties. As you can imagine, this makes life tough at times. Fortunately there are many people and organisations who do amazing things to help and support people in our position. Through their care, we were alerted to a fund of money available to provide a bit of a break for our family. Having applied and been given it, we decided to spend the half-term holiday doing something that Fenton would love. My father-in-law has been going to the Bluebell Railway, a 9 mile stretch of preserved railway, for over 15 years, volunteering as engine crew. He spends most autumn and spring half-terms driving the trains by day and sleeping in a 'converted' container. Fenton, like most boys his age, loves wheels, tractors, diggers, lorries and trains! So together we hatched a plan that would see us all stay locally (giving Grandad somewhere a little more luxurious to stay) and we would come along to the railway for at least part of each day.
I've got quite a few pictures to share. We also wanted to thank the people who helped us by getting them out quickly and so I've decided to blast them all out in a single week mirroring our trips. It makes Tuesday a little thin (we only spent a short time at the railway and then went elsewhere) and Thursday rather lengthy (you'll see why on Thursday - but I took nearly 500 shots) but hopefully it'll be interesting. I fear it is also a return to 'verbose' Lee - but then I know some of you like that. The rest can just enjoy (hopefully) the pictures. Anyway, enough of the pre-amble - let's get on with it.
This is the locomotive 'Birch Grove' an E4 class at Kingscote station. The driver (Ian Wright - more on him later) is checking the coal stocks. Monday was a very cold but sunny day and I loved the shadow of the lamp post. The swirling steam escaping from various locations was pretty but unpredictable.
See below for some more from the day (all clickable) or check out the set.
PS Any mistakes are mine, until father-in-law corrects me - then they'd be his ;)
Birch Grove @ Kingscote: Bluebell Railway Week: Day 1
I've mentioned before that my son has some significant physical disabilites and severe learning difficulties. As you can imagine, this makes life tough at times. Fortunately there are many people and organisations who do amazing things to help and support people in our position. Through their care, we were alerted to a fund of money available to provide a bit of a break for our family. Having applied and been given it, we decided to spend the half-term holiday doing something that Fenton would love. My father-in-law has been going to the Bluebell Railway, a 9 mile stretch of preserved railway, for over 15 years, volunteering as engine crew. He spends most autumn and spring half-terms driving the trains by day and sleeping in a 'converted' container. Fenton, like most boys his age, loves wheels, tractors, diggers, lorries and trains! So together we hatched a plan that would see us all stay locally (giving Grandad somewhere a little more luxurious to stay) and we would come along to the railway for at least part of each day.
I've got quite a few pictures to share. We also wanted to thank the people who helped us by getting them out quickly and so I've decided to blast them all out in a single week mirroring our trips. It makes Tuesday a little thin (we only spent a short time at the railway and then went elsewhere) and Thursday rather lengthy (you'll see why on Thursday - but I took nearly 500 shots) but hopefully it'll be interesting. I fear it is also a return to 'verbose' Lee - but then I know some of you like that. The rest can just enjoy (hopefully) the pictures. Anyway, enough of the pre-amble - let's get on with it.
This is the locomotive 'Birch Grove' an E4 class at Kingscote station. The driver (Ian Wright - more on him later) is checking the coal stocks. Monday was a very cold but sunny day and I loved the shadow of the lamp post. The swirling steam escaping from various locations was pretty but unpredictable.
See below for some more from the day (all clickable) or check out the set.
PS Any mistakes are mine, until father-in-law corrects me - then they'd be his ;)