Patrick has been on his travels ...
We took the 08:01am Midland Pullman from Nuneaton to Minehead in Somerset last week. The Midland Blue Pullman, is a sumptuous train built and developed in the late 1950’s and operated in the 1960’s. To make a comparison, it is the Concorde class of travel on the railways.
It is all First class and is not skimped. The trains were built in the days when we did have a manufacturing base in this country, in the Metro-Cammell works in Washwood Heath, Birmingham. You have to be a a bit of a train buff, and hanker for a good helping of nostalgia to fully appreciate the experience of these days from yesteryear. I have, and luckily we both have an interest in history and railways, especially the preserved steam railways we have today throughout the UK. This particular journey was the second one we have made on ‘The Pullman’ - the first, being earlier in the year when we boarded the train at Tamworth high level, travelling directly to Whitby where we enjoyed the traditional scampi and chips. On that occasion, we were only first class - so no meals were served at that time....but there was all-day tea coffee, snacks and a bacon ‘butty’ served during the journey!
This time, going on the Pullman to Minehead we decided to ‘go for it’, and experience their first class dining. For me, it was a bit of nostalgia. As a youngster, with my parents, siblings and a great aunt, we would set off with our buckets and spades to go by train to Burnham on Sea for two whole weeks, alighting at Highbridge Station.
Not quite the same journey we used to take. The trains going in the direction of Birmingham would leave from The Abbey Station on Midland Rd in Nuneaton. Setting off from Nuneaton Trent Valley, as I still call it. We took the Nuneaton chord passing over the West Coast main line. This is a recently constructed deviation so that Birmingham bound trains avoid traversing the junctions on the main line. I caught sight of the ‘Weddington steps’ as we passed slowly. Then a quick flash of Aldi, near to where Gerry lives, and then on through the Arley tunnel, then onwards for a stop at Coleshill Parkway. (I used to know every point, signal and blade of grass on this route. I travelled to Birmingham daily when I was a student). The bucks fizz and coffee appears and was served and we had started chattering to the fellow passengers sharing our table. I was keen to watch out for our deviation around Birmingham, thus avoiding New Street station. The Pullman eased around the Lifford loop, as it is known, and then rejoined the line west of Birmingham at Kings Norton. There has been talk over the past forty years of reopening the Lifford line for a passenger service into Birmingham. After years of procrastination I looks as if there are signs of new platforms being constructed - sense at last.
The observations out of the window were taken over by chatting and the serving of a sumptuous breakfast as the train quietly and very smoothly made its way past Cheltenham and onwards towards Bristol Temple Meads station. In what seemed no time at all, the train had arrived in Taunton. It had to have permission to cross the busy main line and proceed on a short branch line to use the track of the West Somerset Heritage Railway. The Heritage Line starts from Bishops Lydeard, and goes to its terminus at Minehead. These days, the only mainline trains that are able to complete this route from Taunton are special excursions. Attempts to get a service for the locals from Minehead direct to their nearest main town Taunton, have been thwarted by impossible demands by Rail Track, Health and Safety Wallers and local ‘nimbies’ for the past thirty years.
I gleaned this from a man at the station in Minehead who suggested that ‘They needed their bloody heads knocking together - the locals would use the service’. Amen.
We had over a couple of hours at Minehead, enough to take the air, and walk to the harbour and visit the town’s little local history museum. After a day of nostalgia, we were prompted back into the the present day with the sudden sighting of a large board sticking out of of a hedge - 'Vote for Buggins', a reminder declaring that it was voting day on Thursday. We didn’t let that spoil our dinner - which was served with champagne and wine on the homeward journey. A grand day out - no filming....just a few iPhone photos....yes, this was a day to be enjoyed!!
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