UK August into September

In our compartment on the Severn Valley Railway, being pulled by a steam train

Since getting back from Liverpool, it all seems to have been about Brian's 70th birthday. It started even before then with a birthday meal with dad and Liz in Spain a couple of weeks ago but has continued. We had a pre birthday meal with Manu and Crystal as we were not going to coincide on a weekend for a Sunday club, for a very long time. They were absolute stars, drove home from a long weekend away in Yorkshire, got out of the car and walked to the train station. As Crystal said "we have to eat anyway!"

The Severn Valley station at Kidderminster. Looks very traditional, but in fact its quite new. After the line was closed by British Rail and taken over as a heritage line, they had to build a separate station alongside the mainline station and this is it. A pretty good job, filled with memorabilia, old poster and station staff all dressed in traditional uniforms, with the added bonus of everyone happy and smiling. Its a fabulous day out, taking you back 50 or 60 years to how things used to be

Wednesday we had planned a walk with Denise and Paul, but the forecast had been bad so we'd booked to go on the Severn Valley Railway. We got the regular Tuesday walk train of 08.06 as this gets to Kidderminster in an hour, (via 3 trains) rather than an hour and a half. This would give us chance to have breakfast at AJ's, another walk group favourite, but no, it was closed for the week! Disaster, hopefully not setting the scene for the day. We managed to grab something weird from the local Polish bakery which enabled us to be the first people on the first train so giving us the pick of compartments! 

There's the steam train that's going to take us. The Hagley Hall, number 4930, built in 1929, rescued from the scrap merchant in Barry, South Wales, sold to Severn Valley Railway in 1972 and completely refurbished in 1979

The only carriage with compartments on the right for best animal viewing as we went past the safari park, was obviously a must! Where else in the UK can you see rhinos while being pulled by a steam train? We took the train all the way to the end, getting off in Bridgenorth (train No4) where we took the country's oldest, and steepest funicular railway down to the river. A quick drink in a pub, sheltering under an umbrella to keep out of the rain shower before going back up the Cliff Railway to where we planned lunch (trains 5&6). 

Views of Rhinos and Buffalo from our train window

 The Old Castle was ok, though nothing special, but we had a nice time. Back on the train back to Highley and the Ship Inn with great views over the river, before catching the last train of the day back to Kidderminster (trains 7&8). Just in time for the 4 train journey back to Alvechurch. There was a 3 train journey, but that would have taken an hour and a half rather than an hour! We managed 3 of the trains with no problem, but at Barnt Green everything stopped, including the Cross Country from Newcastle, so we hopped into an Uber, so 11 trains and an Uber. Not bad in a thoroughly enjoyable day. 

The day wasn't quite over, we took cake up to the Weighbridge for Sunday Club.

In the cab of a Class 40 diesel (46 045). They didn't let me drive though!

Thursday Abi came over to bring Brian a gift and to go out for brunch. He now has a huge pile of art supplies to add to what he already had from 15 years ago. A hobby for when he's old he claims!

All that remains of Bridgnorth castle. It was a Royalist stronghold during the English Civil War so was completely destroyed by the Parliamentarians when they were routed 

Friday Brian spent the day with Terry working on the forms to send to the court to get the tenant to move out of a house they bought together. A horrible situation, but as they bought it for their retirement and Terry is 12 years older than Brian, it's probably time! That was the unpleasant bit, but then Fiona and James came over so we could go out for the yummy Kurzi lamb at the local curry house in the village. This obviously lead to a late night and lots of alcohol, but a really good time.

Bridgnorth is on a hill, so has a great view down over the river Severn , the town and country beyond

Sunday wasn't strictly for Brian's birthday, but John was having a BBQ for Friday club, which we don't go to, though we do know the majority of people. We took a tiramisu, a pavlova and some chairs and a table. While dropping these off I made some veggie kebabs, got Tara kitten out of the tree, and other useful things. We returned at 16.00, along with everyone else to enjoy the event. Brian made the mistake of offering a hand and ended up manning the BBQ at which he did a sterling job. I can't believe how much everyone ate but it was fabulous, with the one small downpour not dampening the spirits.

To get down the hill they have a cliff railway, so we had to take it

Monday we helped tidy up before having a good look at John's new (to him) car, a 1969 Triumph Herald. It's very cute. We saw most of Monday club at the Weighbridge. Tuesday was a walk around Rugby with John and Keith and Wednesday we met Alex and Rob in Stirchley for a Thai meal. Lovely to see them, and catch up on their trip round Scotlands islands. The train got us back just in time to pop into the Weighbridge for last orders so it would have been rude not to!

Its a steep slope, the steepest apparently

Thursday we went climbing before going into the Jewellery quarter to collect my new ring. A bubble ring made of stones from my jewellery, mum's jewellery and a couple that I 'fossicked' in Australia and had cut in Bangkok. It's a lovely, personal, item.

The old hand operated signals that are used to indicate the destination of the next train

Friday we met Abi in Birmingham to try and spot the herds of Bulls roaming the City. We had a lovely time, though only managed about a quarter of the available to see! Off the train, and straight to Jan and Paul's, for a Friday Club gathering, pizza and a bonfire, in their beautiful garden. We were honoured to be invited and had a great time.

The last train back to Kidderminster was also a steam train 

That's almost it for his birthday celebrations, we've seen or spoken to nearly everyone, we just have an exclusive train trip on Wednesday to Betws-y-Coed to go and then it's all over.

They also have lots of diesels too. In fact they have a huge amount of equipment in various stages of repair

Waving bye-bye to Denise and Paul who were departing for home from the other platform to us 

But there was more to come. This was the cake we bought for the Wednesday night drinking club in the Weighbridge. It's called 'Wiggles' and very nice it was too!

The fabulous Kurzi Lamb with Fiona and James at the New Dilshad Indian restaurant in our village

Followed by  many drinks until about 3:00am back at our house

John with hhis 1969 Triumph Herald a real retro car, beautifully restored

BBQ at Johns. Its amazing how many people you can get in his back garden - and all under cover

Tuesday walk with John and Keith in Rugby, the birthplace of the game, hence the ball sculpture

There was a train model shop on the way, so with these two being so keen on trains (Keith even has a model train set in his back garden), we had to go in and take a look

We had a long walk along the Oxford canal

Followed by a walk back into Rugby following the track bed on the old Great Central railway, closed to trains in the 1963 Beeching cuts, but not finally relinquished by BR until the late 1970's (I had the full history from Keith but I won't relay it here)

We finished back in Rugby at the Windmill, a Black Country Ale pub, for some craft beer and a cheese and onion cob for lunch. Fabulous! From here we should have got the train home, but there was a problem (possibly signalmen going on strike) and all trains were cancelled. Uber came to the rescue all the way home from Rugby

Friday we met up with friend Abi for a walk round Birmingham city centre to look at the bulls. There are more than 100 to tick off, we did 47 of them on quite a long walk round

I put this on as Abi said I looked cool! Its not often that happens so I had to make the most of it. Photo'd by this one as it's the Peaky Blinders bull, and I'm wearing my Peaky Blinders jacket from the Commonwealth Games.

We walked past many of Birmingham's most beautiful buildings. This building is in Victoria Square and houses Birmingham Art Gallery

Still in Victoria Square, the building behind the sculpture is the Town Hall. I've seen many bands play in there in my youth, Black Sabbath, Jethro Tull, Genesis...

Talking of Black Sabbath, this is on the Black Sabbath Bridge  on Broad Street, a permanent exhibition in honour of the famous Birmingham band. The flowers are there following the death of Ozzy Osbourne, their lead singer who died recently

On Friday evening we went to Jan and Paul's for Friday Club. They live just up the road from us in a huge, beautifully restored old house with a massive garden and, rather than go to the Weighbridge they had drinks and food at their house, followed by a sit and chat around this fire until about midnight. Brian got hold of a stick and did what blokes do best, poke a fire!

It was a lovely chilled evening, a great way to finish the week