A mixed day in the sunshine

I was out and about both railways yesterday and got some great shots of trains and sunshine, an unbeatable combination.

Here is some of the stuff I got on the WHR...

Here is a less sucessful shot I got on the FR...

Beer and flowers

Over the last weekend we had the beer festival on the WHR so I spent Saturday trying to capture a flavour of the goings on. people drinking beer is not the most fascinating sight so this year I've tried to mix in a good dose of hot train action too.

The way things worked out it meant that both Funkey diesels were in the platform at Waufawr and both facing Caernarfon with trains so I captured that moment and a variety of other Garratt worked services. Anyway you can see the results for your self...

This week the sun has been shining and so I got in the car and shot over to Bodnant Gardens in the Conwy valley to add a chapter to the Year in Snowdonia. It was baking hot but the sky was blue and the flowers were very... flowery.

This is the house and one of the formal gardens with its ornamental lake.

Blaenau 30 and a fish

It has been a busy week all round here at F&WHR towers, we've been getting ready for the celebrations this weekend of the 30th anniversary of opening the railway back to Blaenau in 1982... makes me feel old as my first volunteering was in January 1981.

Anyway, before I got as far as Blaenau I got sidetracked by the catering manager, Dylan. He said 'Come and look at this fish.' So I did and it was an enormous halibut. Chef Dave was about to prepare it for use in Spooner's and it seemed like a good opportunity to shoot something different and we even got to taste the finished product which was very tasty indeed.

The main work I've done with the video this week has been yesterday and today up at the other end of the FR. Lots of trains coming and going and a couple of rare loco sightings. The ALCO was dragged out of the shed in Glan y Pwll for people to look at as it was a favourite around the time of the opening to Blaenau. The other guest was visiting from the Statfold Barn Railway although it had been a resident at Boston Lodge for some years before its restoration, namely the Peckett now known as Harrogate but known on the FR as Volunteer. It looks great in shiny green paint and made a fine sight on the TYG- BL Ff shuttle with Palmerston. I got a nice shot at Groby Junction but could have done better and had better sunshine, one to remember for later in the year.

Did you miss me?

I've been very busy and had a week off since I last added anything here so it is time for a bit of a catch up. The last post had me off to film a sunset... it clouded over but I did get some more daffs and sheep to finish the spring section of 'The Year in Snowdonia'. This programme is coming along and I only have a few section left to shoot, unfortunately this includes some autumn leaves etc so it won't be finished until later in the year.

Sadly Alan Pegler passed away earlier in the year but some close friends and family took a ride on the WHR to mark the occasion and I chased the train as far as Pont Cae'r Gors, these are the results.

Another important part of my video making is the ability to make promotional packages, recently I've re edited and uploaded both the WHR Beer festival and Spooner's Boat which is the NRM, the boat and the DVD.

In the middle of March I chased 'The Snowdonian' up and down both railways in one day, some of the highlights of this trip can be seen here.

That was quite a day, I was knackered afterwards and had clocked up quite a few miles in the car too.

At the very end of the month I followed Palmerston to Carrog to the Llangollen Steam Railway. It shared a dual gauge track with Dolgoch from the Talyllyn, both were in steam on the Saturday I was there along with loads of standard gauge stuff too.

Coming up soon is Blaenau 30 and then the official unveiling of Hugh Napier, the installation of the new TYB bridge and the Beer festival... phew loads to do. I'm also keeping an eye open for those gnomes.