Saturday 27 September - Zurich

I must first comment about the amazing weather. Zurich is hot and sunny with very few clouds. Everyone is out and about on a Saturday even without the Zurich Film Festival.
I was up early and took the tram to the airport.  The no. 10 tram is a nice leisurely ride and there is plenty of space for luggage. Paul's flight arrived on time and we  came straight back to the hotel, again on the no. 10 tram.  Why take a train when there are trams available?
First this afternoon we went on the no. 11 tram to the Zurich Tram Museum which is in an old car barn. The  vehicles were all well preserved but a little  closely packed.

We intended to catch a no. 10 to Rehalp to connect with the Forchbahn but a museum tram came along first on route 21. This only runs when the museum is open between Rehalp and the Hauptbahnhof. 

At Rehalp we caught a Forchbahn tram to Esslingen. This is a tramway operated as an extension of the Zurich tram system but the trams are painted red and are kept at Forch. The line climbs through the Forch pass in pretty good scenery, especially today. This is typical eastern Switzerland scenery with green rolling hills, some wooden houses and plenty of cattle and sheep. There were good views over a lake to the east and there were several sailboats out. There was a lot of activity at Egg and we stopped off on the way back to investigate. The Egg fair was going full swing with rides, food and drink. A great day for it. The line is single track from Forch to Esslingen and as the next tram through Egg was going to Essinglen we went back there and stayed on the tram. This was better than waiting in the hot sun.

Egg

Egg Fair

Egg

Zurich was packed down by the lake which was thick with sailboats. A couple of steamers punctuated the noise with their sirens. There were a large number of swans with their cygnets, also ducks and coots, all looking for handouts of which there were many bearing in mind the large number of fast food stands.  As we moved along one form of music would fade into the next as there were a large number of performers - Caribbean, guitar, folk songs.  We walked along a little then took a tram back to the Hauptbahnhof for some food and train watching.

Friday 26 September -Travel London to Zurich

Eurostar left on time and things went well until the approach to Paris Gare du Nord where we were held for over 30 minutes while they investigated a mysterious package. I still had two hours to make the transfer to Gare de Lyon. RER line D was very crowded but I had plenty of time. The TGV to Zurich went via Dijon and the new line via Belfort and Mulhouse to Basel. The sun shone all the way and helped to make a long journey pleasant. The hotel was right where Google Maps said it would be.
No pictures today.

Thursday 25 September - Eltham College 1960 class reunion.

We had a great time together at the Skinners Arms on Judd Street near St. Pancras station, London. John Palmer, Colin Bishop, Peter Gregory, Clive Grenyer, Charles Smith, Mike Fulford, Dai Bamford, Dai Rhys-Tyler, John Bingham, Rob Carter, Derek Browne and  Colin Churcher. The lunch orders with discounts and beer kitty were ably managed by our treasurer, Dai Rhys-Tyler.  Regrets were received from Gethyn Timothy, Roy Bennett, Ian Cunningham,  Peter Holgate and Tony  Butwick. The pictures tell the story.

Charles Smith, Dai Rhys-Tyler, Clive Grenyer

Derek Browne, Dai Bamford, Mike Fulford, Peter Gregory

Derek Browne and Dai Bamford

Mike Fulford and John Bingham

Peter Gregory

Wednesday 24 September - Cutty Sark and Tower Bridge

 We took Docklands Light Railway from Tower Hill running alongside the electric line to Southend and Shoeburyness.  I fired steam passenger trains along this stretch.  Coming in I had to make sure there was enough fire to keep the steam up for the brakes to be fully charged coming into the stub end station at Fenchurch Street but not too much because we were not allowed to make smoke or blow off steam in the station. Coming out I had to have a good fire for the run back to the coast.

 

The Cutty Sark is magnificent. The vessel has been extremely well restored but it is also shown in an interesting manner. The whole  vessel has been raised so that one can walk around underneath it and sit with  a drink. The explanations were well done and very interesting.

There was some frigging in the rigging

We then moved back to Tower Hill to see Tower Bridge. The weather was fine and we were taking pictures from the side when a tourist mentioned that the bridge was about to be raised. A tall ships sail training boat came up with the crew ranged all over the boat and singing a special chant.

A couple of beers with scratchings was lunch at the Anchor and Tap, a good pub close by. No music, no TV, no games - just good beer and conversation.
We then took the tour of Tower Bridge. It allowed us to walk across the top section and the exhibit of other famous bridges was interesting. However the tour of the engines was good but the explanations were facile. Museums tend to dumb down their exhibits and try to make them into a learning experience.

 The Millenium Bridge was good and there are good views in both directions. We finished up at St. Pauls and took the Underground back to the hotel.
Dinner this evening was at the Stanhope Arms including a  Black Sheep  brewery Four Square ale.

Tuesday 23 September- Sevenoaks, Knole House and Deer Park

Took train to Sevenoaks changing at Orpington.  There was a steep climb up into the town but a latte helped.

 

We saw several deer before we reached the visitor centre. The house was interesting but many of the room were dark because of the dark wood and to conserve the delicate fabrics. The gardens were very interesting, they are only open on Tuesdays during the summer. The flower gardens had splashes of colour and the vegetable garden was very formal with privet hedges and lawns.

 

Vegetable garden

 

After a light lunch we walked through the deer park.  The grounds extend for miles and we came across several groups of deer.  Most were in small groups of does and fawns but we came across a stag with large antlers.

We walked through a grove of chestnut trees and the fruit was ready

The walk back to the station was fortified by a Shepherd Neames Spitfire bitter and we came back via Blackfriars to see the new station which has entrances on both sides of the Thames.  The concourse and circulating areas are excellent, well signposted and easy to use.

Dinner was at an Indian restaurant not very good.

Monday 22 September - Reading, Henley on Thames

Reading station looking west. The flyover is taking shape in the distance

The circulating area above the platforms with escalators and stairs at either side

We took a train from Paddington so that I could see the new station at Reading. It is very impressive with 15 platforms, very large circulating spaces on the platforms and a wide concourse that spans all platforms. The track layout has been considerably modified and the fly over for the lines through Reading West are taking shape. There are escalators in all areas as well as stairs and the whole is well signposted. Quite an improvement over the station I had to contend with.

We walked into town and admired the extensive pedestrian areas, especially Broad Street which has been completely transformed.  The Oracle centre is an impressive new addition but what surprised me was the complete transformation of the area around the River Kennett. It was at one time very seedy and a place to be avoided. Now there are posh restaurants and fast food places. This area contained the municipal bus garage and at one time  a hostel where one could rent a section of clothes line which was strung across a room - one would sleep slung over the line. This was cheaper and took up less space than providing beds.

Sleeping over a washing line would probably be illegal here now

We took a train to Twyford and changed for the branch to Henley on Thames. We had lunch at the Anchor (New Forest Fortyniner bitter)

The weather was beautiful and we had a walk around this attractive town which is the home of the Henley Regatta.  The walk beside the Thames was very pleasant indeed although it was tainted somewhat by the smell of all the money there must be in the place - there were a lot of Private Keep Out signs.

The maltings. The Henley Brewery, across the street, is now a high end hotel.

The branch train had one of the two cars locked up for some reason and the guard moved us to first class because he expected a full load of teenagers. It was a struggle to get them all in but he finally managed to get the doors closed.  It was noisy and they were all texting to each other.

I decided to come back via Reading. At Reading our train couldn't get completely on to the platform because the train ahead had stopped short. They could only open the doors on the front two coaches. They have a beautiful brand new station but still haven't eliminated the crass stupidity factor. We caught a fast train to Paddington which, of course, was put into the drain at Paddington so we had to use the stairs.

After a drink at the Mad Bishop and Bear at Paddington (Fullers London Pride of course) we took the Circle line back to Gloucester Road and were amused to see a girl come in, take a seat, and calmly proceed to eat a take out Chinese meal with chop sticks. The new trains are very smooth and there was no danger of hurting herself with the chop sticks.  It looked pretty good.

I had a pint of this pale ale at the pub across the street from the hotel.

Sunday 21 September -Walking around

There is an amazing mix of people staying at the hotel.  At the table next to us at breakfast were Somali drug lords in London to get medical attention for the ailing father and to spend their ill gotten gains. They did not use knives or forks but scooped up bacon, eggs and baked beans with large pieces of pita bread.
Today we started to walk around the area and didn't really stop except for refreshments:
South Kensington
Natural History museum
Victoria and Albert museum
Harrods
Royal Hospital Chelsea (home of Chelsea Pensioners - we saw a couple in their bright red tunics and tri corn hats)
Chelsea Bridge
Battersea park with a great variety of trees, shrubs and water birds (heron, ducks, dving and dabbling, coots, moorhens and grebes, some very large fish were jumping).

 

Battersea Park with the iconic power station chimneys in the background

 

Battersea Park boating lake

Flypast of two Spitfires to commemorate the Battle of Britain

Battersea Dogs Home

Vauxhall
Lambeth
Albert Embankment - parts were very crowded and it was just like a busy seaside promenade.

Never know what you might find in the Thames

Blackfriars - the new station looks impressive but it was closed today because of engineering work

The original stonework has been restored, coat of arms of the London Chatham and Dover Railway

Southwark
Globe Theatre
Cannon Street

Monument from where we took the District line back to Gloucester Road