I have been retired some ten years and originally I had intended to regularly visit the heritage railways as they are now termed, although for a long time they were the preserved railways. The first summer was productive but thereafter I failed to get out and about as much as I might have done.
Then we all got locked down.
So towards the end of that period I started thinking about a week long railrover – which was booked until a rail strike was announced for the same week – which would have led to me being stuck somewhere remote for a couple of days and was cancelled until the strikes were over. Finally that is likely.
When planning the rover it became clear that I could not simply cover off the large chunks of the main rail network I had not visited and so some day trips are now planned alongside the rover to see what I can visit over the next couple of years with this recording my excursions. I long ago completed the old Southern Region network so the travels will be further afield as time and money allows.
Originally I talked about “Festering and Decaying”? In early 2014 my employer and I agreed to part company as I took retirement. This came as a surprise to many and I kept being asked what I was going to do. In the absence of any sensible answers (either then or now) I often responded that I would in future be festering and decaying. The original plan was a monthly outing – which did not last long – and to record development of a model railway – a plan scuttled when the room designated became needed again as a bedroom.
My other interests are food, The Archers, and a lot of the missing 10 years has been spent watching as Southampton reached unbelievable heights and also sinking into the Championship where a rebirth is underway (at least in early 2024 – watch this space).