Author Topic: Bluebell railway  (Read 3759 times)

Offline John Rudd

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Bluebell railway
« on: February 14, 2017, 03:51:34 AM »
Off to the Bluebell Railway this weekend for a ride on the steam train......, :)

Any where else I should visit while I'm donw there?
eccentric millionaire financed by 'er indoors
Location:  Backworth Newcastle

Skype: chippiejnr

Offline awemawson

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Re: Bluebell railway
« Reply #1 on: February 14, 2017, 03:57:54 AM »
It's approx on the A23 - do yourself a favour and on the way back go a bit further west to the A24 to Ashington and visit Tim & Digger at G&M tools - a veritable Aladins Cave of toys

http://www.gandmtools.co.uk/
Andrew Mawson
East Sussex

Offline chipenter

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Re: Bluebell railway
« Reply #2 on: February 14, 2017, 05:11:50 AM »
There is also the Kent & East Sussex Railway iff you like puffers mostly tank engins https://www.kesr.org.uk/.
Jeff

Offline awemawson

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Re: Bluebell railway
« Reply #3 on: February 14, 2017, 05:18:57 AM »
John,

If you come to the Kent & East Sussex, it's pretty close to us - kettle's always on for a cuppa  :thumbup:
Andrew Mawson
East Sussex

Offline Pete W.

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Re: Bluebell railway
« Reply #4 on: February 14, 2017, 09:22:41 AM »
At one stage I built up a collection of fifty years' worth of 'Model Engineer' magazines.

I bought several (many) volumes from a gentleman who used to buy and sell back numbers to raise funds for the Kent & East Sussex Light Railway.  I forget his name.  He used to advertise in the then current issues of 'Model Engineer'.  He lived in, if I remember rightly, one third of a big old house in Biddenden (or was it Tenterden?) and I collected several purchases in person rather than risk damage in-transit.  He kept and sorted his stock of the magazines in the attic.  He used to spend time up there sorting loose copies into volume sets and told me that he often heard the sound of the death watch beetles in the oak rafters.  He also claimed to be able to mimic that sound and start 'conversations' with the beetles but he never demonstrated that!!!

The house was amazing - it was oak-framed with brick infill and looked as though it was built on rough sawn oak logs just laid on the ground.  There were lengths of 10¼" gauge railway track laid in part of the shared garden.

Fifty years' worth of 'ME' took up quite a lot of space - remember that in the immediate post-war years it was weekly.  A friend had given me a batch of copies that formed the nucleus of my collection and I had a subscription for the (then) current editions while I progressively extended the past end of the collection with my purchases from the gentleman at Biddenden.  I had no television receiver in those days and often used to spend part of the evening browsing a volume of 'ME'.  Then life took an unwelcome turn, a bereavement and domestic upheaval, and I had to sell the collection. 
Best regards,

Pete W.

If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs, you haven't seen the latest design change-note!

Offline John Rudd

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Re: Bluebell railway
« Reply #5 on: February 14, 2017, 09:46:01 AM »
John,
D
If you come to the Kent & East Sussex, it's pretty close to us - kettle's always on for a cuppa  :thumbup:

Thanks for the kind offer Andrew,

We are setting off on Friday afternoon, staying a travelodge, going to the local 'Gardens and big house thing' Saturday morning, then the Railway after lunch....
Sundays sees us driving back via Northampton to see our grand daughter....
Just wish we were staying a bit longer.....Had I realised that the school was off for hols, we could have taken the caravan and spent a few days if we could have found a site that was open.....but it might be too cold.....brrrrr.
eccentric millionaire financed by 'er indoors
Location:  Backworth Newcastle

Skype: chippiejnr

Offline awemawson

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Re: Bluebell railway
« Reply #6 on: February 14, 2017, 10:22:14 AM »
Room in the farmyard for the caravan if it helps  :thumbup:
Andrew Mawson
East Sussex

Offline PekkaNF

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Re: Bluebell railway
« Reply #7 on: February 14, 2017, 10:35:21 AM »
Slight OT, or warning?

Didn't they use your farm for Braniacs caravan park, somewhere 2012 or so?


Pekka

Offline awemawson

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Re: Bluebell railway
« Reply #8 on: February 14, 2017, 10:47:56 AM »
That's what we do when 'the Travelling Folk' arrive with their tarmacadam operations  :lol:
Andrew Mawson
East Sussex

Offline John Rudd

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Re: Bluebell railway
« Reply #9 on: February 14, 2017, 11:21:35 AM »
Room in the farmyard for the caravan if it helps  :thumbup:
Shame.... We could have given you a few quid too for the pleasure of staying..... :Doh:
eccentric millionaire financed by 'er indoors
Location:  Backworth Newcastle

Skype: chippiejnr

Offline awemawson

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Re: Bluebell railway
« Reply #10 on: February 14, 2017, 12:24:13 PM »
No need for fiscal arrangements, you're a Mad Modder  :thumbup:
Andrew Mawson
East Sussex