CitroJim's AX, C3 Picasso, Cycling and Running Tales

[MattBLancs]

I wonder how fast the bull can run?

Mention of the dead parrot sketch then this question, I can't help but suggest

"About the same as the airspeed velocity of an unladen sparrow?"

(African or European?)

[CitroJim]

This was taken on the seventh day of the seventh month JIm...but not in 77 , but a real live train on those new rails!

https://flic.kr/p/2nAdJYC

An engineering train involved in track laying Makes a change from seeing one involved in demolition! A good old Class 66... Shame it wasn't a class 77! The Class 66 has been a great locomotive for BR over the years and has quite an interesting history...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Rail_Class_66

As a side issue, I can remember exactly what I was doing on the 7th day of the 7th month of 1977... I was working in our Drawing Office, learning the trade, and was proud to put '7/7/77' in the date box of a large drawing I was working on... A proper one drawn using pen and ink I loved my time in the Drawing Office. It was a craft in those days and one sadly lost when CAD came along

I wonder how fast the bull can run?

Mention of the dead parrot sketch then this question, I can't help but suggest

"About the same as the airspeed velocity of an unladen sparrow?"

(African or European?)

Classic Python That gave me a good giggle this morning

[NewcastleFalcon]

As a side issue, I can remember exactly what I was doing on the 7th day of the 7th month of 1977... I was working in our Drawing Office, learning the trade, and was proud to put '7/7/77' in the date box of a large drawing I was working on... A proper one drawn using pen and ink I loved my time in the Drawing Office. It was a craft in those days and one sadly lost when CAD came along

Excellent Jim, and that goes straight into the category of classic FCF gems teased out by a bit of a random link, one of the great pleasures of the FCF, the occasional random reward which fuels the addiction.

Neil

[CitroJim]

Excellent Neil

[CitroJim]

And those drawings with JAE in the 'Drawn By' box and 7/7/77 in the 'Date' box were still in regular use 20 years later... A series of A0 drawings used to explain the operation during training courses on the maintenance and repair of a very complex piece of equipment... One of the proudest moments of my career

I first saw them again when it was my turn to attend that particular training course...

[bobins]

And those drawings with JAE in the 'Drawn By' box and 7/7/77 in the 'Date' box were still in regular use 20 years later... A series of A0 drawings used to explain the operation during training courses on the maintenance and repair of a very complex piece of equipment... One of the proudest moments of my career

I first saw them again when it was my turn to attend that particular training course...

The 'How to use a tea urn and make a standard cup of tea' were always very well attended and popular training courses

[CitroJim]

And those drawings with JAE in the 'Drawn By' box and 7/7/77 in the 'Date' box were still in regular use 20 years later... A series of A0 drawings used to explain the operation during training courses on the maintenance and repair of a very complex piece of equipment... One of the proudest moments of my career

I first saw them again when it was my turn to attend that particular training course...

The 'How to use a tea urn and make a standard cup of tea' were always very well attended and popular training courses

[CitroJim]

After a particularly excellent lunch with Mick and Bob today - see the 'Meeting Arrangements' thread - I took an opportunity to visit somewhere very famous...

And it nicely continues the railway theme

Bridego Bridge, the scene of the Great Train Robbery. In august this year it will have been 60 years since and there's still a lot we don't know about exactly what happened... I've taken a keen interest in it for years and years and could almost do a Mastermind on it now... I guess because it's fairly local and perhaps the biggest and most infamous thing ever to happen in Buckinghamshire...

Curiously, Network Rail make no mention of the role the bridge played in what has been described as the 'Crime of the Century'... It's not even now called 'Bridego Bridge' and indeed no longer called 'Train Robber's Bridge', a name it carried for a few years back along... Now it's just Bridge 127 near Mentmore, Bucks. I guess given its location, NR are keen it never becomes a tourist attraction or a shrine to organised crime. You have to know where it is and when you get there it's not very welcoming.

I tried to park my car in the same spot as the Austin A35 Van in the famous press photo taken just after the robbery..

The British Postal Museum and Archive

Things look very different nowadays and when I got home I see I was on the wrong side of the bridge Even my car is pointing the wrong way

Currently, I'm re-reading what I consider the best of many books written on the subject that tries, in vain, to answer a lot of the outstanding questions... With, I believe, all but one of the known robbers now dead - Bob Welch being the exception, I guess we'll now never know the full truth...

It remains a fascinating field of study and I never tire of it...

[CitroJim]

As the 8th August this year will be 60 years since the Great Train Robbery, I'm planning a bike ride to mark the occasion. It'll pass through Cranfield to as the first significant destination as it was here that one of the robber's cars was recovered to after it broke down on the M1 near to where this ride starts... The robber was on his way to Leicester and the garage his car was recovered to, with alleged failed big ends, still exists as a Morgan and Lotus dealer...

The ride then heads for Bridgeo Bridge - ringed orange in the map below - and then proceeds along the route they used to their hideout at Letherslade Farm, ringed in green at the end of the light blue highlighted section of the route...

OS Maps

Then it's back to the start... A nice, scenic and interesting 100 miles.

I'll be riding it as soon as I can to prove the route... And to recce coffee and food stops

I'm hoping it'll be a nice, social group ride on the day...

[mickthemaverick]

I have never made the connection before but I have just realised that the robbery took place on my friend's birthday! I'll have to give that some consideration when thinking about her present this year!

[CitroJim]

I have never made the connection before but I have just realised that the robbery took place on my friend's birthday! I'll have to give that some consideration when thinking about her present this year!

A copy of the book I recommend in another thread on here Mick Or perhaps an invite to join me on my commemorative bike ride

[mickthemaverick]

There's no chance of joining you on a bike ride. But a cruise round the course in support may be a goer!! I'll have to suss out whether she has any plans for the day, she does take an interest in various historical events so there is a chance it may happen.

[CitroJim]

There's no chance of joining you on a bike ride. But a cruise round the course in support may be a goer!! I'll have to suss out whether she has any plans for the day, she does take an interest in various historical events so there is a chance it may happen.

Excellent! That really would be great

I could modify the route to take in the Buckinghamshire Railway Centre where, last time I visited, they had a near-complete Travelling Post Office and... Just nearby in the village of Quainton, is the George and Dragon - a most excellent lunch venue - unless it's full of bloody cyclists It often is...

The route could even be modified to pay a visit to Bicester Village for a bit of retail therapy

[mickthemaverick]

I definitely feel a planning lunch is called for once SWMBO has recovered from Saturday's operation. I'll also see if the birthday girl has any plans and if not book her!!

[CitroJim]

I definitely feel a planning lunch is called for once SWMBO has recovered from Saturday's operation. I'll also see if the birthday girl has any plans and if not book her!!

Magic!!!