Am I turning into my father?

Am I turning in to my father? I possibly am. The rain was coming sideways at my caravan so all my plans for walking in the fells had to be ditched. What else could I do… yes I could finish my jigsaw, which I have been attempting to complete for the last 4 months or I could continue to read my quite good book… However I had a lightbulb moment, I would jump on the train and have a great adventure just like my father used to do…

My father always had a passion for trains,(steam or diesel) train timetables, train lines and well just anything to do with trains. In his last few years he would buy a senior citizen weekly train ticket and head all over the North of England just because he could. He would work out a route to incorporate as many different train lines as possible within a day always returning to Sheffield. The following day he would plan his next trip out which he would complete on day 3. Day 4 was another planning day and day 5 the final trip of the week. He would set off equipped with his small rucksack bought specifically for this purpose, with his train timetables, binoculars, ham and tomato sandwiches, carton of apple juice and probably a couple of pieces of fruit just in case. I packed my similar small rucksack, (not bought specifically but decided it was more suited than canvas bag due to the weather) no sandwiches, just water and an apple just in case. No timetables for me, instead my phone and my battery charger – oh how times have changed! Plus my book as an afterthought.

My route didn’t really need any planning, simply get on the train at Millom and get off the train at Whitehaven. No pressure to get on and off various trains making connections, jump on the 11.46 from platform 2 at Millom and arrive 49 minutes later at Whitehaven. Simple, even I could do that. The 49 minute journey takes you up the West Coast of Cumbria, taking in some pretty spectacular scenery providing the rain eased up and I could actually see out of the windows! I was in luck the rain had stopped. I chose to sit on the sea side rather than the hill side. The train which compromised of 2 carriages, was virtually empty. I shared my carriage with 2 elderly flat capped gentlemen both travelling alone who made me smile, however I wasn’t convinced that they were having a day on the trains like my dad, more likely heading up to Whitehaven, Workington or Carlisle to shop or visit family.

There are 8 stops between Millom and Whitehaven, some of them, remarkably are still request stops, as in the train only stops if you put your hand out like a bus. At each of the stations the train slows right down so the driver can see if anyone is waiting to get on. The train line starts to go right along the coast as we reach the Ravenglass estuary 17 minutes into the journey. Here you can change lines and go on the minature Ravenglass to Eskdale lal’ratty train, the only interchange on the whole line.

It then hugs the coastline all the way up to the very picturesque St Bees. Along the way, we stop at Sellafield beside the nuclear power station. Noone gets on or off, although it made me think how this train would probably be much busier during rush hour, getting people to and from their job at the power station. We then pass the quirky community who live on the narrow beach at Braystones between the sea and the train line. These houses have always fascinated me, living so close to the beach sounds perfect, until you think of the wind and rain today and all the other inclement weeks of the year, facing the Irish sea. Beautiful sunsets though! There is a real mixture of dwellings, from very old caravans, wooden shacks to sturdy brick houses. I think they are dependent on calor gas. The majority of these houses are lived-in most of, if not all the year round. Some of the properties have really developed their outdoor space: I spotted pizza ovens, properly constructed barbecue, children’s play areas and lots of other fabulous inventive outdoor space ideas.

I then looked out for the dramatic St Bee’s Head heritage coast, the highest cliff on the North West of England. It’s made of sandstone, (many iconic Lakeland buildings are built from the red stone) has large bird colonys on it and is one end of the long distance Coast to Coast walk. By now the sun was shining and the headland looked great.

Almost in Whitehaven, I started to get myself ready to get off the train, I didn’t want to travel any further North, when I found the view disappear as I was plunged into darkness in a tunnel I had not expected. Schoolboy error – My father would have known about that tunnel and its history. So of course I have come back to the caravan and done my homework. I found out… In the 19th century the train originally only went North to Carlisle. The journey South was from Newtown, the other side of Hospital Hill. There was a single mineral line running between the 2 stations through the market place towards the harbour which wasn’t allowed to be used during the three market days a week, but nothing for passengers. They had to walk over the hill to continue their journey. The 1333 yd long tunnel was then built through Hospital Hill in 1852 and took 2 years to construct, so the 2 train lines could join. So I know you will all feel much wiser now knowing that little gem of knowledge, indirectly, courtesy of my father. I alighted the train on time and headed out towards the harbour of Whitehaven to spend a fabulous day exploring and yes, the sun shined.