Monthly Archives: July 2012

Unusually for me I was open today, simply because I had a stock delivery.

Not a nice day weather wise, very humid and intermittent showers.

I actually got a nice shot of City of Peterborough today, the sun came out as it arrived second service.

Here is the picture.

Just after I took the picture the sun went in, so it was good timing.

Not many people about and it reminded me why I don’t normally open.

Highlight of the day was a woman asking me the time the torch was due to arrive, shame she was a day late. She was quite disappointed when i said she had missed it, I am sure that she thought it was my fault.

We have had some quite humid days and I am sure at some stage we will get a good storm to clear the air and for me it can’t come soon enough.

Busy couple of days ahead then hopefully a decent weekend on the railway.

I have a couple of projects that need a kick start to get them back on track so that’s the aim of the next couple of days.

I still reckon I could do with a ten day week!!!

Well today was the day the Olympic flame arrived at the station.

It was dull humid and intermittently wet, the ideal day to draw a crowd.

Before the main event we had the security train check the line.

Here it is passing the signal box. This picture is © Jacquie Dart

And here it is arriving at my platform 1, as you can see nothing very flash just a class 14 with a guards van.

The tension was building for the main event. The crowds gathered as you can see from this picture again © Jacquie Dart

The event was covered by Anglia TV who did a live interview with the railways President. Here are a few pictures of the proceedings.

Then the main event, the Olympic flame arrived, now note I say flame rather than Torch as the flame was carried in a lantern on the train.

Not an ideal picture but my priority was the train not photography. Still it captures the moment I think.

Here is a picture taken by the wife which at least is in focus!!!

Then it was all over the flame was run to the convoy then out towards the city centre. The crowds disappeared quickly and that was it.

Now the keen amongst you may have detected that Old Arkwright seems less than keen on the event. Well spotted!!!

Now I appreciate this is a once in a lifetime opportunity, but several things failed to get my interest.

First was that we had the lantern and the flame rather than the torch and the flame, several people commented to us as we were leaving what a disappointment that fact was.

Second, as I have said to a few people I can’t help but think that the money this has cost could have been better spent on things like hospitals, education and the like.

Finally because we had the lantern and not a torch it will perhaps remain in the minds of many as a disappointment, and that’s surely not a legacy we want.

Sure we had the shop open and took some money, but whether we get any long term benefit come to the railway is another matter, certainly with the exception of a couple of regulars in the crowd I recognised nobody as a past customer or a regular visitor, and I would hazard a guess that 99% of those present will likely as not ever have visited the railway before, nor will they visit it again.

So how we stand to benefit as a railway long term is beyond me, so I do ask myself the question “Was it worth it?” and I am sorry to say personally I don’t really think it was to be honest. But that’s just my opinion, what do you think?

Finally I would like to thank Sue my wife, Jason, Nathan and of course David Smith the President and his wife Judith for their help today, I could not have done it without you. Thanks especially to Judith for kindly bringing along a couple of cakes she had made, they were excellent and if any of you reading this blog get the opportunity to taste one of Judith’s cakes don’t turn it down because if you do you will miss a treat.

Now I know what your all thinking, and that’s what the hell does the blog title mean?

Well that’s simple I was only open this weekend at the station on Sunday.

Saturday I was otherwise engaged meeting a friend at the bus station who is staying with Sue and I for a few days.

Today the railway had a Caribbean themed day at the main station and Sue and our guest paid it a visit. I gather it was most enjoyable and the Rum Punch went down a treat!!

It’s nice to see the railway trying new things, and seeing that they are willing to do so is excellent.

Jason with me today and it was an average sort of day really and certainly not that busy, but then again we have not exactly had a summer heat wave yet.

The Tuesday sees the arrival of the Olympic Torch at the station and we will see it hopefully go as smoothly as the dummy run did.

Watch this space for a report on Tuesday evening!!!