Out and about, summer 2024, Severn, Solent and between

[whole diary]

[grahame]

A Town Council event last night cancelled ... an opportunity to join the weekly outing of the Melksham Amateur Photography Group.  Bus to Bath (272, Faresaver) , bus to Bear Flat (522, First) and walk up to the viewpoint.   Back on the 22:13 train, change at Chippenham onto the 22:46 from there to Melksham, arrived 22:55.    The normal recommendation for travel from Bath to Melksham is to "use the bus" but this train conveniently fills a gap in the schedule.











The 22:31 from Swindon to Westbury is the "new boy" on the block - not been running all that long and still building traffic.  It's also one of those trains that's running far from the peak, but is vital to completing the "all day, every day" need.     As it arrived into Chippenham, around a dozen people got off and five more got on - obviously, I don't know if the people who got off were Swindon starters, but this train does fill a service gap for London to Chippenham passengers and I suspect that many of them were longer distance travellers.  Onwards from Chippenham, there were 12 passengers on the train, 5 got off and 2 more joined at Melksham, so that's [14,7].   For the record, a Thursday evening so not exactly a busy night [in Bath].

In Bath, changing bus earlier in the evening and with time to spare (the Melksham to Bath bus runs every 30 minutes except when it doesn't, like between 5 and 6 p.m.) I treated myself to a FOSS^▸ (Freedom of Severn & Solent Rover) rover to run from Saturday for travel 8 days out of 15.  Further Town Council cancellations next Monday evening, and also for the whole week, so a good opportunity. I will be posting further pictures.

[grahame]

From the first day of my FOSS^▸ (Freedom of Severn & Solent Rover) - day trip from Melksham to Durdle Door and Lulworth Cove

Out via Weymouth, back via Wool and Southampton

[grahame]

And the second day of my FOSS^▸ (Freedom of Severn & Solent Rover) Rover - just Melksham to Bristol to meet a fellow Coffee Shop admin who is helping with a data update (I'm sure much more on that will follow).   I took the opportunity to take my cycle on the train - the first time in quite a while, with the objective of seeing how that worked and also trying out the new cycle (previous electric one stolen from our Ukrainian guests).

Here - first picture - at Westbury where I changed on the way out - a FOSS allows double back, and there was no point in trying to make a quick change at Trowbridge as I knew that the Portsmouth -> Cardiff had been cancelled and I would be 30 minutes later than optimum into Bristol.  Picking up the local 2 car train at WSB^» (Westbury - next trains) at least gave the opportunity to get a seat



I had no formal plan after my meeting, in fact I expected to be going down to the Harbourside and doing whatever the mood took.  However, spur of the moment, I took the Bristol and Bath railway path













Come Bitton, I was rather warm and ny battery life indicator was suggesting I might not have enough to reach Bath and also be assisted across Melksham, so I diverted to Keynsham Station. I will try the path again on some day when my tyres are inflated better and it's not so hot

And on the way home, a variety of awkward trains for cycles.  Plan was to go via TRO^» (Trowbridge - next trains), but the Keynsham to Warminster local was cancelled so I connected into the local train an CPM^» (Chippenham - next trains) - my goodness the cycle racks on the IETs^▸ (Intercity Express Train) couldn't have been more impossible to use even with this cycle with middling size tyres

[Chris from Nailsea]

And the second day of my FOSS^▸ (Freedom of Severn & Solent Rover) Rover - just Melksham to Bristol to meet a fellow Coffee Shop admin who is helping with a data update (I'm sure much more on that will follow)...

Yep, that was me, again.

More news on the data update will follow - when I've worked out and become comfortable with the additional software I've been shown.

CfN. 

[grahame]

3rd FOSS^▸ (Freedom of Severn & Solent Rover) day ...

[CyclingSid]

Thrown by the the Gatwick Express set in the first image, not sure which station on the Southampton to Fareham line. Second is possibly Hamble.

Are we in "competition" mode, as I have a reasonable idea of some of the others.

[grahame]

Thrown by the the Gatwick Express set in the first image, not sure which station on the Southampton to Fareham line. Second is possibly Hamble.

Are we in "competition" mode, as I have a reasonable idea of some of the others.

Posted in "Graham is too tired to write much" mode, with a little devil in me that the "Gatwick Express" train was not exactly on a Gatwick service! 

Day trip to Hamble ...  writeup following

[CyclingSid]

I will stick my neck out and Graham can chop it off as required.

This area is part of my Southampton to Gosport ride, although I don't go into the detail that Graham does.

Pure guess is the Gatwick Express at Netley? The miniature railway is presumably at the Royal Victoria Park. This is based on the grounds of what was the Royal Victoria Hospital built after the Crimean War https://qaranc.co.uk/netleyhospital.php.

The railway line across the road I think is near Hamble station and used to link to the oil terminal at Hamble-le-Rice. The museum exhibits are, I presume, in the chapel of the hospital which is all that remains of the original hospital building. Never been in because I wouldn't risk leaving the bike outside.

The seats overlooking Southampton Water towards Fawley refinery is presumably the landward end of the pier that received the hospital ships.

The gravestones are part of the hospital cemetery, mix of headstones some Commonwealth War Graves style, others presumably predate it.

The pink ferry is the Hamble - Warsash ferry, I hope it is in better condition. Last time I used it it sounded as the the engine was going to fall out.

RVH main building was demolished in the 1960s, although the psychiatric unit stayed in use by the army. There is a certain irony to me that Hampshire Constabulary use the former psychiatric block as part of their training centre and will hire it out for weddings.

As always  more detail on RVH at Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Netley_Hospital

[grahame]

I will stick my neck out and Graham can chop it off as required.

This area is part of my Southampton to Gosport ride, although I don't go into the detail that Graham does.

Thank you and save me massive writing - I have much else on my mind today.   The Gatwick Express is at Woolston - the Southern train from Southampton calls just at Woolston and Swanwick between Southampton and Wareham Fareham.

I commend Hamble as a walking destination for the reasonably fit - just a hint of what's there in my post.

[rogerw]

I think you mean Fareham and not Wareham

[grahame]

I think you mean Fareham and not Wareham

I did.   I have corrected it (and had to have a strong word with autocorrect in order to make the change stick!)

[Chris from Nailsea]

The gravestones are part of the hospital cemetery, mix of headstones some Commonwealth War Graves style, others presumably predate it.

Thanks for that information, CyclingSid.  That particular image intrigued me - I thought some of those headstones looked like Commonwealth War Graves. 

[grahame]

The gravestones are part of the hospital cemetery, mix of headstones some Commonwealth War Graves style, others presumably predate it.

Thanks for that information, CyclingSid.  That particular image intrigued me - I thought some of those headstones looked like Commonwealth War Graves. 

A quite amazing graveyard - and indeed the whole area was an amazing find.  I would recommend it as a day out.  I intended to pass through quite quickly to Warsash and onward (perhaps via Fareham) to Gosport and across to Portsmouth Arbour.  As it was, I just made the last ferry into Warsash and then the penultimate bus out of Warsash!

[CyclingSid]

The gravestones are part of the hospital cemetery, mix of headstones some Commonwealth War Graves style, others presumably predate it.

Thanks for that information, CyclingSid.  That particular image intrigued me - I thought some of those headstones looked like Commonwealth War Graves. 

More detail https://www.cwgc.org/visit-us/find-cemeteries-memorials/cemetery-details/39250/netley-military-cemetery/

[grahame]

From Saturday ... a real mixed bunch of a day!