York to Banbury

This is a late posting.

Apologies, I am way behind responding to fellow Blippers’ lovely comments and dipping into blippers’ journals.  I’ll catch up as and when I can.

We were up early this morning and had a quick breakfast before P drove us into York station.  The train we had planned to catch had disappeared off the schedule, so we thought it was best to get to the station as quickly as possible and hop on the first train going to Banbury.  One of the customer service people checked the trains for us and advised that there was a train leaving in a few minutes, so we went to the platform and hopped on board.  We travelled through Leeds, Wakefield Westgate, Doncaster, Sheffield, Chesterfield and Derby to Birmingham New Street.  At Leeds we noticed people photographing the engine and just standing looking.  We asked the young lady who came round with the trolley why there was so much interest in the train and she explained that it was one of only five left and they were being phased out by the end of May. At Birmingham New Street the train we’d planned to catch had disappeared off the schedule.  We went to the barriers and asked for help and a very nice young lady checked the schedules, advised us to walk to Birmingham Moor Street and gave directions for how to get there.  When we arrived we had time to share a sandwich before the train left.  From Birmingham Moor Street we trundled through Solihull, Dorridge, Warwick Parkway, Warwick, Leamington Spa and, finally, Banbury.  I and C were waiting for us and drove us home to Shipston-on-Stour.  What a lovely cottage they have.  It’s Grade 2 Listed and dates back to the 1700s.  We had a really enjoyable evening together catching up on family news and enjoying a delicious meal.
 
The blip shows various scenes from the day, including an excellent mural in Leeds and the twisted church spire in Chesterfield that I snapped as we went past on the train; some people looking at the engine; the engine itself; buildings in Birmingham; and the back and front of a wonderful old door in the cottage.