The Dodges in 2022
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Now then, where were we ? Ah yes.....
....triumphing after only 90 minutes !
The next day we hosted old friends Richard and Gina Davidson, plus Julian Taylor, for Sunday lunch.
We returned to Tenerife in mid-January. The Jet2 flight from Birmingham involves a 3 a.m. alarm !
With Omicron still rampant at this point, there were still a lot of Covid precautions to observe !
Oh dear, this isn't what we were hoping for ! We arrived to find the island enveloped by the Calima, a weather phenomenon which occurs once every couple of years or so. The normal breeze becomes a blustery wind, and picks up loads of dust and sand from the Sahara. Normally it only lasts a couple of days, but on this occasion it lasted for nine days, including the whole of our first week. The temperatures held up OK, and you got hazy sun during the day, but it then turned seriously gloomy late in the afternoon. This shot was taken half an hour before sunset, with lots of the automatic lighting having already switched itself on.
That's better !
Normal service resumed !
Here 'Bentago Express' and 'Bencomo Express' pass each other, a couple of miles out from Los Cristianos.
In the midst of the Calima, we also had a thunderstorm, which dumped a load of snow on the peak of Mount Teide. Here you can see the peak, peeping over the edge of the caldera.
This was taken soon after sunrise.
We've enjoyed trips aboard Freebird One in the past, but Chris was unimpressed by it's latest livery, which appears to hark back to Benson & Hedges fag packets !
Heading west initially, towards La Gomera, which is about 20 miles west of Tenerife
We did a morning trip this year which included the obligatory whale watching, and we certainly got to see a few this time round. These guys are part of a pod of Short-finned Pilot Whales, which lives permanently in the deep waters between Tenerife and La Gomera.
They insist on trying to flog you a photo of yourselves on these trips. No, at €10, we didn't bother.
The skipper, coming alongside very nicely indeed.
Up early one morning, Venus looking spectacular as it rises about an hour before the sun.
It'll soon be time to diet !
For the first time we organised a weekend in West Wales, specifically Burry Port, between Swansea and Carmarthen. It was however one of those trips that was compromised right from the get-go. Our planned departure date co-incided with Storm Eunice, with red weather warnings covering the whole of the Midlands and South, meaning that we had to wait until the Saturday morning before heading down there. That morning Tom Harper tested positive for Covid, thus preventing him and Fliss from joining us.
This is the harbour at low tide.
'Five Go Down To The Beach', well wrapped up against the wind, which continued throughout the weekend.
L-R: James & Caroline Bryant, John Sullivan and Chris, with Lynette Sullivan following.
A lovely beach at low tide.....
Given the compromised nature of the weekend, we decided to return later in the year.
A fine Greek meal on Saturday evening.
After the wind, came the flooding. This is the approach to The Angel on February 23rd
....compared to how it normally looks.
The red thing that you can see sticking out of the water on the left hand side is a gauge to measure the height of the water !
In this case it was only about 10" (25 cm) below the level of the lower canal basins which are accessed via this lock, as well as being off the top of the depth scale shown below.
This is how it normally looks.
The bottom narrow lock is under here somewhere, honest !
The same view in normal times
The park and play area - just the ship showing, and appearing to float !
Chris had to go to Bewdley the next morning for a medical appointment. This is the river bridge, with the 'permanent' flood defences deployed. The word 'permanent' in this context means they have permanent mounting points, and are put in place whenever the river is expected to flood.
This photo shows the normal water level.
The view from the bridge, looking east. Despite numerous floods in recent years, this side of the river still only has temporary flood barriers, which on this occasion were over-topped.
Those barriers were holding back an astonishing volume of water.
The southside waterfront.
According to one of the Environment Agency, when the river peaked, some hours before this shot was taken, the litter bin (bottom right) was completely submerged !
Denise with Nigel & Sally Drewett this photo was taken on Brean Beach,
when visiting them in Weston-Super-Mare.
Brean Down as seen from the beach, with the River Axe estuary in the foreground.
The new pier Weston the following day.
The beach at Berrow, a few miles further down the coast.
It was a sunny weekend, but very much one for wrapping up well !
We may need to have a word with one of our new neighbours concerning exactly where he chooses to park his company vehicle !
Actually, this is the concrete mix for the shed base behind the garage.
We were hoping that one cubic metre of concrete would be sufficient.
An extremely rare sighting of Chris about to undertake physical labour.
Did we have sufficient concrete for the base ? Yep, and then some !
Question: What do you do with about half a ton of surplus concrete ?
Answer: Bag it up before it sets, then take it to the tip !
Construction of the shed followed about 10 days later....
... after which Taylor-Wimpey very kindly removed the stack of bricks which they'd given us
In mid-March we were joined for lunch by Alice Jay and Lynn Hadrell, along with their various Schnauzers. Along with Denise, they are seen here attempting to assemble the pack for a media feeding frenzy.
Left to right: Poppy, Pepper and Ruby Jay, Sapphie and Blue Hadrell.
Joined by Muttley for a few fleeting moments
It's not hard to see why Woolacombe is one of our favourite weekend destinations
This was the last weekend in March, and saw some simply fabulous Spring weather
Morning walks don't get much better than this !
This time we were joined by Tom & Fliss Harper, plus Diana
According to the Government, there was by now a new larger variant of Covid going around that was large enough to see with the naked eye !
Sunset on the Saturday evening
'The Bay Brasserie' part of the Woolacombe Bay Hotel....
...where we enjoyed a fine dinner on the Saturday night.
Sunday saw a walk to Mortehoe. Here Diana pauses on the Coastal Path
A wonderful landscape, seen in perfect weather.
Chris, meanwhile, had been getting them in at The Red Barn, as it's opening times were a bit weird following a change of ownership.
Completely knackered !
The pub might have been closed, but as our apartment on this occasion did not have a balcony, there was nothing to stop us using their tables at Pimms o'clock !
The clocks went forward on Sunday morning, so we were there for the first genuinely light evening of the year. Here Chris prepares to photograph the setting sun.
Chris now gets to 'play trains' up to three times a month these days. He's joined the Severn Valley Tinplate Runners who meet every four weeks at Quatt, just south of Bridgnorth.
Here is a rather impressive 'O' gauge electric layout, which includs an '8F' hauling 38 wagons.
In the spirit of "Anything you can do......", the Dublo 3-rail contingent paired up two '8F's, albeit in the smaller 'OO' gauge.....
....managing 48 wagons in total.
Chris's first Birthday Lunch. Experience has taught us that Easter Sunday is not a good day to hold a social gathering, so instead the two of us 'gathered' at The Navigation, Lapworth, for lunch and a canal walk.
A flight of locks, a significant canal junction, two pubs, and a railway nearby. What more could you want ?
Pablo the Pug was with us for a 10 day stay at this time.
Afternoon tea followed lunch and a walk, absolutely delightful, except.......
.....Muttley was not quite as well secured as we thought, and suddenly decided to have an altercation with one of the local swans, as captured by a boater at the top of the nearby lock.
NB: It was the swan that backed off !
Earlier in the year, Denise signed up for art classes in Kidderminster, and, at the end of the course, was able to exhibit the results.
Springtime in Stourport
Chris is always delighted by the return of light evenings, and is seen here enjoying the sunset at the top of Hartlebury Common.
Springtime, sunshine, and the sight of steam drifting past a carriage window....
Yes, it's the Severn Valley Railway's Spring Steam Gala.
Here new-build 4-6-0 'Saint' class No 2999 'Lady Of Legend' stands at Arley.
The star of the show was undoubtedly Gresley A4 'Sir Nigel Gresley', named after it's designer.
When we got the keys to No 31 in late August 2021, Chris's aspiration was to be able to get a car into the garage by the end of the year. That went well then !
Finally !
It should be noted that although garages have become significantly larger over the years, the doors haven't, making this a very tight fit !
The Birthday Lunch this year took place on May 1st, supposedly in order to give the conservatory builders time to get the job finished. The less said about that, the better ! (Photos by Diana)
The weather kept us inside, but nobody really minded.....
The floorshow later on was created by giving Fliss Harper - suitably fortified with an extra G&T - a box of Ikea to play with !
Fliss is an accomplished Ikeanologist !
Finished !
Two days after the conservatory was supposed to have been completed, work on the base began....
Gently does it....
A mighty impressive piece of kit.....
The first of 13 one tonne bags of materials is gently lowered into place.
This, however, was the sum total of progress on Day 1, as the builders got fed up of waiting for the skip to arrive......
....which eventually happened around lunchtime.
In early May the Severn Valley Railway staged a model railway exhibition in 'The Engine House' at Highley
This is an impressive representation of Dawlish Warren (South Devon) in 'N' Gauge, which is scaled at 1:148, with a track gauge of 9 mm. The backscene includes an accurate rendition of the view across the River Exe estuary to Exmouth.
This model is set in the early 1970s, and includes the old ex-GWR camping coaches which were still in use at that time.
A cut-away model of the old 'Round-House' style of engine shed, which included a fully motorised turntable.
Meanwhile, outside, you can see a fine railway constructed in 12" to the foot gauge.
This is 'Sky Princess', which was our floating home for the latter two weeks of May.
For the photographer, one challenge is to portray the sheer size of the vessel, which, at 330 metres, is longer than the height of the Eifel Tower. You certainly get your daily steps in finding your way around this one ! One clue as to her size is the people that can be seen on the quayside, to the right of the ship.
There's always a 'Sail Away' party as you leave port.....
Our cruising buddies were once again (L-R) Sarah and Steve Rendall, Sally and Nigel Drewett. Now will you please take that stupid hat / sunglasses combo off please Mr Dodge ?
That's better !
Our two week trip to the Baltic began with two full days at sea. After this, our first port-of-call was Gdynia (Poland), from where we took a coach trip to Gdansk. This is part of the old waterfront.
Gdansk has loads of beatiful old buildings.
Old meets new as a trip boat passes a brand new pedestrian swing bridge.
Inevitably it has a big wheel these days - this is part of the view.
This somewhat unflattering back view does begin to give an idea as to the sheer size of ships like this.
OK, all aboard for Stockholm.....
.....and the cultural highlight of the fortnight, a visit to The Abba Museum !
Denise and Sarah, in a 'recording booth' giving the world their version of 'Thankyou For The Music'
You can also perform on stage with the noticeably size zero 'Abbatars'
Steve claims that he was touched up by one of them, but we weren't sure that we believed him !
It has to be said that all that wall-to-wall Abba-ness felt a bit overwhelming at times.
Is 'Abbawhelm' actually a thing ?
Some of the old streets of Stockholm are extremely narrow
If it's Friday, then this must be Estonia.
One drawback of the 'Sky Princess' was that once aboard, there was no way of getting a decent view over the bows other than by selecting 'Bridge Cam' on your TV.
Here, we're arriving at Tallinn, sharing a quay with 'Celebrity Princess', which left Southampton at the same time as us.
The two ships are very similar in both size and layout.
Another day, another delightful square.....
Here, we're about to start a walking tour, with our guide Igor trying to hide behind his placard. Now we all know that in the movies, anyone called Igor will be a man-mountain about seven feet tall, intent on ripping someone's head off. Not this one, a charming and highly intelligent guy, who spoke utterly flawless English.
Russia's invasion of Ukraine inevitably caused changes to our itinerary. We had to miss St Petersburg and Helsinki, which meant that the middle weekend consisted of two days at sea, dawdling back across the Baltic, from Tallinn (No 5 on the map), to Warnemunde (No 6).
Our other calls were Gdynia (No 2), Visby (No 3), Stockholm (No 4), Copenhagen (no 7) and Kristiansand (No 8).
This view from one of the top decks shows the approaches to the station at Warnemunde, with the old fishing port behind and to the left.
All aboard train and tram first, for a visit to Rostock.
This extremely glum-looking figure was dubbed 'The Bristolian'. He's there on his holidays, in yet another continental city with excellent and affordable public transport, and is suffering from a severe dose of 'tram-envy' !
Another beautiful city, and another dose of 'Tram Envy' for Bristolians !
Copenhagen, and a boat trip is in the offing.......
The Danish Royal Yacht.
A much anticipated visit to Tivoli Gardens....
Spectacular....
but sadly our visit was on a thoroughly gloomy evening.
Moose ? or Reindeer ?
None of us were certain, but this fine looking fellow acts as gate-guardian at Kristiansand, our final port of call.
Just before we set sail, he was unceremoniously picked up by a fork-lift......
........and deposited in a warehouse, presumably until the next cruise ship arrived.
Whilst we were away on the Cruise, the conservatory base and brickwork was completed, albeit well behind schedule.
A summer evening spent exploring Clee Hill, Herefordshire, which, at a height of 1500 feet above sea level, gives a fine view of the surrounding countryside.
Lots of evidence of human activity here, probably quarrying
Chris spotted where the cover photo for the Ordnance Survey map was taken !
This is Rosie's Wood, near Slimbridge. It's a community woodland for which the main fundraising event each year is an evening of 'Jazz In The Woods', with two stages, and non-stop music for five hours !
Even on a fine day in June it was pretty nippy under those trees come the evening.
No, the table-cloth on the right is not on fire, it's a brazier improvised from an old washing machine drum
It was all very atmospheric and enjoyable, even if there wasn't a single note of, er, Jazz played during the entire evening !
Mid-June, fully two months behind schedule, the conservatory build finally got under way.
At least when we had the Keynsham conservatory renewed back in 2015, the flies had the decency to wait until the installers had left before moving in. Not this time !
Almost complete !
The interior, at the 'blank canvas' stage
This is the 'Dial Hill Railway', and what you see here represents the fruits of 40 years of labour by it's owner. It is a garden railway, depicting the narrow-gauge Lynton and Barnstaple Railway, which is currently being restored back to it's former glory in North Devon. In the foreground you can see a 'full-sized' section of 2 foot gauge track, whilst behind it is a simply splendid model of Chelfham Viaduct.
Tom Harper studies one of the trains
This railway features live-steam locos, radio-controlled !
A pair of engineers inspect the line......
Chelfham Viaduct once again. Modeller's license dictates a straight structure, whereas the real thing is curved.....
A photo from 'Trains of Devon' shows the real thing on the last day of operation in 1935.
Next a visit to see Steve and Sarah Rendall in Teignmouth,
Chris very happy to find its quite close to the railway !
Siesta time, during a visit to the beach.
Steve does his 'gazing pensively out to sea' thing
A group selfie taken by Denise at the Ness Hotel. The entertainment here was watching the gulls raiding other customers' meals !
The view from Shaldon Bridge, showing part of the port.
This location has always been a favourite for railway photographers
On Midsummer's Day, Chris discovered The Horse's Mane in the Clent Hills, which gives a fine panoramic view to the west. Bristolians reading this should think of Tog Hill Picnic Area on steroids, but without the dogging !
On this occasion somewhere in excess of a hundred people had gathered to watch the sunset.
When the sunset finally came, at 21:35, it got a round of applause !
Back to France this year, for the first time since 2019. We spent the first three weeks of July (including that heatwave) on the Canal du Midi. Now in recent years, as documented within theese pages, this beautiful canal has lost the majority of the Plane trees which used to line it's banks. Between Castelnaudary and Toulouse however, the majority of them have survived, making for views like this.
From Castelnaudary, we initially headed north-west to Toulouse. This roof-top restaurant was recommended by one of the members of staff at Le Boat.
Just a small part of the view from the roof terrace.
From Toulouse, we headed back to Castelnaudary. In all our years of boating, we've yet to come across a boatyard with a better view than this.
This year Le Boat 'upgraded' us to one of their Royal Classique class boats, which turned out to be riddled with problems ! During what we now refer to as The July Heatwave (as opposed to The August Heatwave), we've found somewhere shady to moor whilst waiting for a lock.
Another healthy salad for monsieur.
In the centre of Beziers, this is the Place Jean Jouares, which was being redeveloped during our last visit in 2017. Now that it's finished, it looks great during the day.....
...and truly spectacular at night !
Amongst the attractions is a set of computer-controlled fountains which 'perform' a musical sequence at 10 p.m. each night. The sequence lasts for over 15 minutes, and they have a different one for every day of the week.
A day's boating to the east of Beziers, you reach the eastern end of the Canal du Midi, and enter the Etang de Thau, a spectacular inland saltwater lake, which is about 10 miles long, and a couple of miles wide.
It's canal boating Jim, but not as the British know it !
The French celebrate Bastille Day on July 14th, with a public holiday, and many lavish events. At Frontignan, this is a parade prior to the 'Fete des Joutiers' which is basically jousting on water !
With the musicians visible at the bow of each boat, the engagement begins....
....sometimes with spectacular results !
Two days later, an early start, and we once again join the Canal du Midi to begin our journey back to Castelnaudary
Steve and Rachel Wells, now both happily retired, joined us for the last eight days of the trip.
At Malpas, we entered the world's oldest canal tunnel.
Rachel's found the bar !
This is the ancient walled city of Carcassonne, where this spectacular curved effect was obtained by careful selective cleaning of some of the masonry.
Back at home, Pablo the Pug came to stay with us for the month of August, as his owners decamped to Spain.
'Back to School' for both Chris and Denise during August, a birthday gift from Chris's sister.
At this school, the lesson was preceded by gin and snacks !
It really was like returning to the school Chemistry lab !
Some of their full-sized kit
This was to be the month that we got the garden landscaping more or less sorted, beginning with some tentative marking out.
Also on the agenda, groundworks for a proper porch at the front. Here Chris prepares for the arrival of the inevitable skip.
Make that 'skips', plural
Chris's sister Sheila visited us during this time, bringing her 'grand-dog' Martha.
The (rear) skip was full within a day or so, time then for the materials to start arriving.
We were surprised at the size of the foundations required for a relatively modest porch.
Time for the foundations to be poured...
....hard graft in what had by now become 'The August Heatwave' !
In the back garden, things were already beginning to take shape.
We were amazed how much soil was required to fill the raised beds.
Time for another visit to The Horse's Mane, this time with Tom and Fliss Harper, who dropped in for a couple of days. At this point Tom will undoubtedly be committing photography elsewhere !
After 8:00 in the evening, the temperature was still in the mid-twenties.
This is Chris, taking the previous photo.
Simply beautiful !
Morning coffee, already under the parasol, then....
Well, when it's that hot, what else can you do ?
The conservatory, furnished for summer.....
....and work complete in the garden.
Just add lighting.
Still a bit more work to do, but, just a year after moving in, we were delighted with the results.
The Mikron Theatre Company are a tiny group of players who tour the waterways of England on a canal boat. Early in September they put on a performance at Stourport.
The entire cast (two in drag) during the performance. Honestly, it's much better than it looks here !
Stourport Basin later that evening.
We returned to the Thames in September, for what may have been our last boat hire in the U.K. for the forseeable future.
Le Boat's 'Tango' is one of our favourite designs, and much better suited to a river than a narrowboat. 'Tango 1' is seen here at Goring on our first evening.
This intriguing vessel, 'Time for LiFe' is a brand-new, all-electric boat which we came across at the Crick boat show in June. We were shown around by owner Colin, a retired airline pilot. Following further finishing off, this was only it's second full day on the water.
Asked "Are you really living the dream now ?", Colin's reply was very much in the affirmative !
What a lovely toy to get to play with !
Between Reading and Henley, we were joined by one of Chris's former Network Rail pals, Crossing Keeper Eddie Langford.
Chris's sister Sheila also enjoyed a couple of nights with us.
As did her daughter Lottie.
The camera isn't exactly lying here, but a wide-angle lens is making Lottie's dog Martha look very large indeed !
Approaching Windsor from upstream
The entrance to the magnificent station at Windsor & Eton Central, built by the original GWR to attract royal patronage from Queen Victoria.
Our visit was planned weeks in advance, but as events transpired we arrived only four days after the passing of Queen Elizabeth.
Despite the plethora of phones and cameras, the atmosphere was one of quiet, respectful contemplation.
Just one simple message.....
...amongst thousands.
Chris at the helm later in the week
A fine evening spent at Penton Hook Marina.
Steve and Rachel Wells had by now joined us for a couple of days.
We visited Windsor for a second time with Steve and Rachel.
Here the Thames Valley police horses are practising their part in the forthcoming proceedings.
Steve and Rachel posing at Windsor
Moored just outside Cookham for breakfast - some of the most opulent riverside properties are to be found in this area.
Muttley, fully alert and thoroughly enjoying herself.
John Sullivan at the helm. He and Lynette joined us for a brief stay towards the end of the trip.
Heading back upstream towards Henley on a lovely Saturday afternoon.
The Thames at it's finest.
Back to the Severn Valley Railway now, where senior management thought it would be a good idea to take Merchant Navy class 34027 'Taw Valley' and paint it purple to celebrate the Queen's Platinum Jubilee. Reaction amongst enthusiasts was that it looked absolutely awful, though following Her Majesty's passing in September there was no denying that it acquired a certain poignancy.
Here it sits at Bewdley just four days after the late Queen's funeral. Happily the transformation back to it's proper identity is now underway.
For Chris, 'Black 5' no. 45231 'Sherwood Forester' epitomises simple handsome functionality.
Some shots now from the Autumn Diesel Gala, held towards the end of September
Class 40 no. 40 106 'Atlantic Conveyor' stands at Kidderminster.
A former mainstay of the old BR Western Region, D1062 'Western Courier' at Highley. For jubilee year, it has been disguised (yes, really !) as D1040 'Western Queen'.
55 035 'Ark Royal'arriving at Hampton Loade.
Sometimes you just get a bit lucky. Due to the failure of another loco, Chris, along with Tom Harper, got to travel back to Kidderminster at the end of the day behind 'Deltic' no. 55 009 'Alycidon', arriving just after sunset.
The best shot of the day was the final one !
During a trip to see Nigel and Sally Drewett at Weston-Super-Mare, we visited 'The See Monster', a former gas platform re-purposed, albeit temporarily, as a visitor attraction on the Sea Front.
These days Chris gets to play trains with three different H.R.C.A. * groups, including the one at Weston-Super-Mare. Each year this group puts on an exhibition at King Alfred's College at Highbridge. This is the 3-rail 'loose lay' ** layout assembled by the Dublo 3-rail fraternity, of which Chris forms approximately a quarter, with Mike Barton overseeing proceedings.
* Hornby Railways Collectors' Association
** A temporary layout, built at the start of a day's running, and dismantled at the end.
The same layout viewed from a different angle.
The ultimate 'loose-lay', as constructed by the Chiltern HRCA group at a national function held earlier in October. Binns Road was the street in Liverpool where Hornby trains were built.
Back to Tenerife in the latter part of November, and that view from the balcony which we never tire of.
For this trip we were joined once again by Steve and Rachel Wells
.
A sea-pool near Playa de las Americas, photographed by Denise on a beautifully calm morning
Cruise ships leaving the neighbouring island of La Gomera can frequently be seen, especially during evenings. Here 'Mein Schiff 1' (meaning literally 'My Ship No 1') is seen heading towards the south of the island, before travelling anti-clockwise round to Puerto de la Cruz on the north-east coast.
Fred Olsen jetfoil 'Bencomo Express' passes closer to the shore, with a fishing boat closer still.
Denise, Rachel and Steve await the arrival of cocktails on the sea front, hoping for a good sunset.
We certainly weren't disappointed !
Just one day before the new moon, this is moonrise as seen from our balcony just before 6.30 one morning. Although only a tiny part of the moon is illuminated by the sun, the rest of it can seen by 'earthshine'. This is sunlight that has been reflected from the earth, illuminating the moon, and then reflected back a second time to us here on earth.
If it's 12.15 then it's time for Aqua-gym !
Here Rachel, Denise and Steve are put through their paces by instructor Wiktoria
Cheers !
And then it was all over, and it was back to Britain in December
A week later we spent a weekend with Steve & Sarah Rendall at their new house in Penarth.
Sunset looking across Cardiff Bay, seen from the barage.
Early morning, as seen from the top floor of the house
Merry Christmas everyone, and a happy
and safe New Year !
Chris & Denise
P.S: If by any chance you feel the urge to look at previous years, here are the links:
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