Quality Work

A sign leading out of my street, through a street or two then up towards the A370. Astounded at the quality of engraving... Someone must have took literally MINUTES doing that!

Backwell Scouts

Quite jealous that they have their own HQ, my group meet in a school in Weston-super-Mare. It's not ideal - I am trying to get a HQ built but to be honest I have no experience of the fundraising & red tape avoidance something like this takes.

Incidentally Backwell was the stomping ground of Mark Rickard who it seems epitomises everything that I admire in scouting. I believe that I was a successful soldier due to my outdoor experience as a scout in the Peak District. Outdoor activities, for me, are what scouting is all about. It seems that Mark Rickard was of a similar mindset, and obviously made a deep and lasting impression on those around him. Good stuff.

That Sign

Gerald asked in an earlier post what the sign might be, luckily I had shot it but not used it yet.

Bike thieves, and worse vandals... Wind me up - I have lost a bike or two, I now have a rule that I never spend more than a £1000 on a bike - it's so difficult to insure them.

Backwell United or not....

Backwell United Football Club
I have always been one for supporting my local football club, when I was growing up in Hyde I was a regular at Ewan Fields home of the mighty Hyde United have a look at the website and see if you can spot why they (we) are still record holders... I played in goal at Ewan Fields in a charity match against local schoolkids, about 30 of them... Despite having a couple of Manchester United players, including Clayton Blackmore, on the team we still lost spectacularly!

When I moved to Germany I saw a few matches, some from Hannover 96, but the most memorable when a few of us sneaked off the tanks to watch Stuttgart Kickers playing away, and my memory fails me now, but I am sure it was FC Hessen Kassel. In any case Stuttgart being the away side got our support and we ended leaving the stadium with close to a police escort - supporting the away side in the home end was not a great idea - especially in uniform!

Later in Bristol I watched a few games at Mangotsfield United Football Club - who share their initials with my own side - the mighty Manchester United Football Club

Anyway, the whole point of this rambling - I had a chat to a bloke at Backwell United and asked what their normal attendance is (known as a gate) - I have to say I was surprised to hear that they are lucky to get 25... Thats 25 people - not hundred!

So, guess where I am going Tuesday night? Might as well make it 26 eh.

and as a test - any women manage to read this far down the blog? Free biscuits to any girl who has...

Stairway to Bristol

Stairway to the Bristol platform in any case.

Not taken a train from here yet, can hardly wait!

Back to the Bicycles

The bicycle shed at the station.
The legendary scene of fumblings and awakenings at school, though not for this all boy school attending blogger it wasn't.
It looks quite sad and deserted here though to be fair the commuters had long since gone home when I took this.

Main Line

Quite a poor photo, I have never tried to capture a train from quite so close before. I will go back out and try again soon.

This is the main line between Bristol & Exeter & onto Plymouth I guess from there. This is one of the tiny little trains that stops at every station between Bristol & Weston Super Mare.