Choo choo's

It's no secret that I love railways. It's in the blood and something I was born with. You can't switch it on and off - the love is either there or it is not. I love the feeling of sitting on a platform and that expectation that a train is somewhere in the distance and on its way. I can sit in stations all day, watching the comings and goinigs, the different trains and absorbing the sounds. At least, I could if I wasn't married. There are certain things you sacrifice when you marry... I am absorbed in a wonderful book I've borrowed from my local library - I'd first seen it in a book shop and promised myself I would one day buy it. It is entitled 'All Change - Visiting the Byways of Britain's Railway Network' by Paul Atterbury. It is beautifully illustrated and explores many of the not so well known and long forgotten parts of the UK's once great railway network. The pictures take you back to a different time when the railways were the primary means of transport, long before the motorcar became a throw-away item. My son has my love of railways also. He's 4 years old and enjoys railways just as much as me. He's happy they are there whereas I also like to know why and how they got there.
British Transport Films are also a wonderful resource which have become almost an institution here amongst lovers of the railway. There were hundreds made - each one a masterpiece in its own right - with lavish budgets and direction typical of a Hollywood blockbuster. GPO Films also give a valuable insight into our bygone railways and there are some wonderful films made that document how our mail was once carried by travelling post offices. Well worth seeking out...