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| ARRIVA WALES 175 ENTERS CHESTER STATION ABOUT TO DEPART THE BLOG TO WREXHAM FOR A FAW CUP FINAL AT THE RACECOURSE |
The headline may be a slightly disingenuous parody of the old Dionne Warwick song but although I have not travelled to a match by boat it did allow for the inclusion of the wonderful Anderton Boat Lift at Northwich while seeking out a walk to Barnton FC for a home game. The football day out for me is made up of many parts as some of these recent blogs have described from grounds to games, referees to fish and chips and of course the public transport mode of travel, I have also been ably supported by a selection of lifts too from many charitable sources thank you. But with the stand out modes being bus, train and shanks pony it was quite interesting to see which other formats may be available and hopefully from steam trains to miniature railway and tram to the unique Parry People Mover there have been a few options and even within the train, bus and tram version a nice selection of vehicles/units. Much as it was hard to select the final band of fish and chips for that blog this one has proved the hardest task of all and I could easily have included double the final total. So if there are any over at the end of the waffle I hope you will enjoy continuing to peruse them.
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| TAKE YOUR PICK AT ABERYSTWYTH MAIN LINE OR THE VALE OF RHEIDOL WITH A BIT OF STEAM BEING DISPENSED |
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| THE EPIC BALA JOURNEY HAVING DEPARTED THE T3 FROM WREXHAM WILL MEANDER ON TO BARMOUTH |
In time the pull of a faster journey would result in a transfer of a train service with the joy of a toilet on board something that in those days the National Express coaches did not have, indeed so long were the journeys that the coach driver billeted down in The Queens Park Hotel overnight before taking back the first service the next day. This would result in some early experience of the Tube with a change at Earls Court for a final destination of Fullham Broadway. As the experience of the British Rail system continued there were many interesting journey including watching Chelsea at Grimsby on a bitterly cold afternoon and coming back on the old compartment carriages to a trip to Burnden Park Bolton on an afternoon that never ceased on the rain front. Having been on an uncovered terrace as Chelsea secured their then second division status with a Clive Walker goal I got back to the station only to discover the ticket wet through and having nearly disintegrated.
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| DIDNT QUITE MAKE A JOURNEY BY BOAT BUT HERE IS THE ANDERTON BOAT LIFT JUST SHORT OF THE JOURNEY TO BARNTON FC |
The ultimate early achievement was Edinburgh in a day and after the necessary research and I guess suitability of fixture it would be off to Tynecastle for a Hearts fixture, it could have been Hibs but Hearts it was to be I cant remember too much apart from I was watching football in another country! It would probably have been against Falkirk and with Henry Smith in goal and the likes of John Colquhoun on show the Jam Tarts were a team to be reckoned with. The day was an epic with departure around 5.55am from base station with changes at Sheffield and Doncaster an arrival in the Scottish capital around noon would allow for a look around the fair streets and at that time there always seemed to be a new players autobiography out before they became popular south of the border. The walk along the Gorgie Road would allow for a purchase of two or three fanzines from the time and of course the official programme.
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| EAST MIDLAND TRAINS ABOUT TO DEPART NORTHBOUND FOR A EMCL FINAL AT BARROW TOWN WITH THE FAMOUS BRUSH FACTORY AT LOUGHBOROUGH |
Return journey would start just after 4.40pm, in those days games finished on time with a brief half time break, a sharp walk back along the reverse route and up Princes Street would allow the drop into Waverley Station for the 5.30pm back to Doncaster and after if I remember rightly one change a return at base around 2250hrs. A remarkable day out that I was fortunate enough to do many more times including some wonderful overnight stays in what is a superb city. Future trips allowed visits to Glasgow and after racing back to catch a train after witnessing Rangers v Aberdeen, November 1987 a game that was a painful memory for England captain Terry Butcher who suffered a broken leg very early in the game, I made the train only for it to break down in a tunnel on the way back to Edinburgh only for it to be passed by the train that I could have caught if I had ambled back from Ibrox.
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| AGAIN EMT THIS TIME AT THE NEWISH CORBY STATION WITH THE MERIDIANS ON THIS DAY OPERATING A SHUTTLE BETWEEN JUST CORBY AND KETTERING |
A little break here for the termini and of those there have been many some our outstanding, some are modern and new, some are functional and some are Crewe Bus Station. I can only guess this is up for regeneration if not it needs to be as below it is shown in all its splendour just a few years ago when I visited it while attending a Crewe Cup Final there was a nice selection of weeds, various boarding up of commercial properties and a massive amount of corporate aquamarine.
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| CREWE BUS STATION A FINE EXAMPLE OF REGENERATION IN NEED LOTS OF BOARDING UP, WEEDS AND CORPORATE AQUAMARINE A TRIP BACK TO THE 70'S
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As the weariness of professional football led me into the wonderful world of non league football where the most ridiculous of journey would sometimes take place just to watch a county league or some other lowly defined game which more often than not turned out to be far more entertaining and interesting affair than the £40 Championship game shown on the TV that same weekend.
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| THE ORIGINAL TILTING TRAIN A 144 PACER AT CONISBOROUGH STATION FOLLOWING A DENABY TRIP |
There were long and convoluted journeys that gradually extended to walking three or four miles from the nearest train station even a couple of bus journeys off the train route and then of course the local ones that should be easier, I give you a lovely trip to Wirksworth Ivanhoe last season that took in three buses just to get there but just back up the previous experience of a wonderful game at effectively step 8 of the non league structure.
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| GRAND CENTRAL MEANDERS INTO WAKEFIELD KIRKGATE FRESH FROM ITS TRIP DOWN SOUTH |
What sticks out then? Well there is a wide collection of journeys from learning about bee keeping off a lady from the north east who I travelled to Birmingham with to station announcements in Welsh that continued to fascinate me. In one close season I had a need to found out more about The Welsh Premier League an interest that saw me spend many a Saturday in the Principality. Here in lies the main basis for this article an epic journey to mirror the Edinburgh expedition of the 80s a trip to Bala Town Fc and if this went wrong I could be camping out in the foothills of the nearby Snowdon so risky was the public transport.
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| FIRST HALIFAX READY FOR A TRIP BACK TO HUDDEERSFIELD AFTER A RUGBY LEAGUEE TRIP TO SEE ELLAND RLFC HAVING JUST ARRIVED BACK FROM THE CLUBS HOME BASE UP AT GREETLAND |
It all started with an alarm clock call at 5am before departing from base station on an EMT Trains service to Stockport just after 7am were the tightest connection of the day would be a seven minute change for the all stopping Northern train to Chester. With a brief interlude it was soon time to hop aboard an Arriva Wales set to get me the short journey over the border to Wrexham whereby bus would take up the strain for the final leg of the journey.
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| NCT TRAM ON ITS WAY TO HUCKNALL AS I MADE MY WAY TO FC CAVALIERS CLOSE BY TO FOREST FIELDS WHERE THE TRAM AS JUST PULLED AWAY FROM |
The Welsh Premier League had appeared on the radar after the usual amount of research and after many a journey into the dark depths of the north Wales coast starting with a gentle toe in the water over the border trip to Airbus there were further undertakings that would collect Prestatyn, Rhyl, Connah's Quay, Llandudno and Bangor for a cup final to come over the years. Added to this Flint Town United, FC Nomads, Llandudno Junction, Buckley and the club that grabbed me more than any I guess Holywell Town. But the early ones included the consistent champions of TNS and then popping into the collection was Cefn Druids. There were many to be visited still and as mid Wales gave up the wonderful Newtown the same train line also offered the delightful west coast ground of Aberystswyth Town, while adding the beautiful Caersws ground too. But the one that pulled at the 'to do' list strings for too long was Bala Town it looked nearly impossible and the ground was often a veritable mud bath that was until the latter was solved by installing a 4g pitch and so just under four years ago on the day that struck up bonfire night it was time for some potential fireworks of my own. With the route and times planned out, a large selection of Kendal Mintcake and a tent which doubled as a dingy it was time to take up the challenge.
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| THE LOVELY CANOPIES OF GOOLE STATION AS OUR HULL BOUND NORTHERN JOURNEY PREPARES FOR THE CONTINUATION OF ITS JOURNEY |
Wrexham bus station is a modern but deteriorating by the minute affair and as levels of anxiety increased towards departure time of the Lloyds Coaches T3 service to Barmouth and its non appearance I started to look at back up games. Then she came around the corner a plain white small single decker ready for the 3 hour journey to the west coast my journey would be a mere 1 hour twenty minutes through Llangollen, Corwen the former home of Owain Glyndwr the last Welsh Prince. Half past mid day saw me arrive on the streets of Bala and something that had been a dream for a while was becoming a reality with a cattle prod tour around the town and its exquisite lake it was soon time to sample Maes Tegid an hour before kick off for the game versus Cardiff Met which as per all Welsh Premier games had a 2.30pm kick off. The ground was a five minute amble from the High St and after the game a comfortable twenty minutes was available I say comfortable as the service back to Wrexham was nearly fifteen minutes late as the rain came in on an unprotected bus stop the largest of double deckers turned up. Knowing the narrow country lanes we travelled through and reversal into gated entrances on certain parts of the route as the bus served outlying villages I feared for a successful connection in North Wales. We were 25 minutes down by the time Llangollen appeared and with a forty minute safety time at the other end I was getting a little edgy as the fireworks went off all around they were starting to go off in my mind too never mind checking out accommodation in Wrexham for an overnight stay. Thankfully five minutes was picked up and enough time to get back to the station for a, you've guessed it, slightly delayed train. With a reversal of the route undertaken so far a return at base station was achieved around 2255. It had been a wonderful day out could I repeat this again soon I'm really not sure.
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| ITS NORTHERN AGAIN ABOUT TO HEAD BACK WEST FROM COLNE STATION AND ITS DESTINATION OF PRESTON WILL SEE NUMEROUS STOPS ALONG THIS SLOW SECTION OF LINE |
This season has seen a couple of long journeys to Consett for a debut Northern League game alongside a two hour trip to Ely City the former would involve a tight bus connection at Durham and the latter probably one of the most comfortable journeys with seats available both ways on the same train. Alongside the long three hours on the train from Birmingham to Aberystwyth these are some of the most enjoyable journeys to add to the previously mentioned North Wales encounters. Sandwiched in between those was the two and a half hour journey to March Town with a change at Peterborough that had given me the first insight into Eastern Counties League football and of course a fist visit to the interesting little town too.
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| MINATURE RAIL TO ARRIVE AT THE FOOTBALL THEN HERE AT COVENTRY COPSEWOOD FC THE COPSEWOOD MINATURE RAILWAY ARE IN FULL STEAM |
The geography south of the London boundary is an area that I need to explore a little more and non league wise the longest but relatively easy journey saw an accompanying bus trip from Russell Square to watch Fisher Fc in a S.E Counties game and with a selection of a bus instead of a tube train it took longer but allowed for a wonderful look around the sights south of the river from the top deck of a London Omnibus something that was also experienced the opposite way when visiting Haringey Borough on the real White Hart Lane.
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| BIT OF ROUTEMASTER SERVICE WORK JUST A FEW YEARS AGO ON A TRIP TO GRESLEY MIDLAND CLASSIC WERE STILL UTILISING THEIR VINTAGE STOCK |
From the Midland Classic Routemaster that took me to Gresley to the Welsh spelling on the buses around Chester and North Wales that made me take a second look before boarding it has to be said that with the proper research and of course some built in standbys it is quite amazing where you can get to, sadly there remains many grounds in Mid Wales that will be inaccessible unless the journey is made by car.
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| GO ON YOU ASK FOR THE RETURN TICKET ITS MOLD BY THE WAY |
Many of the journeys encounter some beautiful countryside and views and of course the joy of just sitting back can add to the fun of the day out although there is often a complete lack of control as you are I the hands of somebody else who follows the route by the book of course. With the trains of course if there is no track you are not going of piste. Overall with back up plans there is a remarkable story of success with public transport and although it is always a stress it has to be said it has all been fairly successful at the end of the day. There have of course been a few hiccups like the made dash over platforms when returning from Penistone at Sheffield station when all London bound trains stop at Chesterfield, wrong. On this occasion there were about two a day that did not and thankfully as I sailed through base station at 80mph the train manager believed my honest mistake and authorised my tickets for my return from Derby.
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| MY FAVOURITE LINE HUDDERSFIELDD TO SHEFFIELD HERE A 3 CAR PACER UNIT DESCENDS INTO PENISTONE STATION EX OF HUDDERSFIELD |
The recent mode of transport that has developed a tentacle into many a town and city and helped no end in getting to non league grounds is the re emergence of the tram. The pleasure of using this in Manchester for a trip to Maine Road FC and a couple of rugby league games as proved important, in Nottingham trips out to Radford of shown a different method of arrival and departure and he new tram train in Sheffield allowed a further visit to Parkgate FC this season for a game versus Chadderton in the FA Vase.
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| HERE IS HOW TO DO A TRAM TWO UNITS TOGETHER ON A TRIP TO MAINE ROAD FC AT DEANSGATE CASTLEFIELD STATION |
All to often though the day is supported with the wearing down of a bit of shoe leather sometimes grounds are very convenient like Aberystwyth which is close by the station but then there are the Widnes and Irlam's of this world although thanks to the development of modern phone technology I have used local buses in the latter years more than ever before to connect up to grounds.
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| RECENT ADDDITION TO SHEFFIELD SUPERTRAM IS THE TRAM TRAIN AT ROTHERHAM PARKGATE STATION AFTER A TRIP TO WATH PARKGATE FC |
Looking back through these pictures and having to select has been a difficult task because I wanted to show some of the forms of transport used in an environment that showed them in different lights and hopefully this has been achieved. Included in this the wide variety of shapes, sizes and colours including the orange West Midlands Trains to Redditch and would any transport review be complete without the much featured Parry People Mover at Stourbridge, a fantastic experience on a superb visit to Stourbridge FC.
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| TAKE YOUR PICK 2 FOR THE PRICE OF 1 AS ARRIVA WALES TRAVELS THE VIADUCT ADJACEENT TO CHESTER STATION A DAY AT THE POLO ALLOWED THE VIEW ON A JOURNEY I HAD TRAVELLED QUITE A FEW TIMES ENJOYING THE OTHER VIEW |
Alongside the football many other sports have been undertaken and the others have probably not been as testing as cricket with rugby league showing a Lancashire, Yorkshire and Humberside feel to the visits although the testing grounds of Egremont Rangers, Wath Brow Hornets and Millom some of the lovely outposts in Cumbria stand on the list. They all look lovely aims and certainly Millon is 'doable' alongside the lines of Bala the other two I think are a lot more difficult. The day long sport of cricket probably set up my biggest challenge with a trip to Delph and Dobcross for a 1pm start with a train to Manchester a skip across from Picadilly to Victoria before at Greenfield station boarding a form of mountain goat bus and arriving just a couple of overs into proceedings. Thankfully a slightly earlier finish than may have been achieved allowed a return journey that saw an arrival again around 2255 at base station from a visit to a very nice and picturesque club.
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| 323 ELECTRIC UNIT AT REDDITCH STATION THE END OF THE LINE WHILE VISITING THE TOWNS FOOTBALL CLUB HERE IT AWAITS ITS JOURNEY BACK TOWARDS BIRMINGHAM |
Night time games have recently added taxis to the equation with buses starting to curtail their tendered evening services and there have been a few risky trip for example a night game at Quorn, a West Yorkshire final just south of Leeds at Woodlesford to name a couple. Even the local evening journeys were getting harder before bus service cuts a simple trip to Heanor involved three buses for a return journey with connection times on 5 and seven minutes but currently the last part of the journey has had to be done by a taxi so limiting quite a few games.
Overall though there are many journeys out there that with a little planning are achievable and so far nothing has gone to far wrong that the Hilton Hotels profits have had to be expanded from a wonderful journey to a days sport in some far off place around these Isles all undertaken by a variety of forms of public transport.
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| HOW CAN I NOT USED THE PARRYS PEOPLE MOVER ITS FEATURED SO MANY TIMES BUT IS SO UNIQUE HERE IT HAS A BRIEF REST AT STOURBIDGE TOWN BEFORE TAKING ITS THREE MINUTE JOURNEY BACK TO THE MAIN LINE AND IT DESTINATION STOURBDIGE JUNCTION |
