Month: March 2026

UKRJ S2 Ep 15 North from Carlisle

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 18:56 — 17.3MB)

North from Carlisle  –  UK Rail Journeys Series 2 – Episode 15

In ‘North from Carlisle‘ I spend some time at Carlisle Citadel Station before boarding my ScotRail train to Glasgow.

Please click on a thumbnail to see the photographs that go with the podcast:

Glasgow and South-Western Railway:

I leave Carlisle on the lines built by the Glasgow and South-Western Railway, formed in 1850. A locomotive workshop at Kilmarnock in 1856 had Patrick Sterling as the locomotive superintendent for 10 years.

A magnificent terminus at Glasgow St Enoch Station. It opens in 1876 to coincide with the opening the Settle and Carlisle line. The Midland Railway agrees to run their Scotch expresses from St Pancras into St Enoch.

Sadly the station is no longer.

The Borders:

We pass the extensive Kingmoor marshalling yards which date from 1963. A part of the the 1955 Modernisation Plan for Britain’s Railways with the expectation of the withdrawal of steam, large goods yards and the closure of many lines.

Edward I, the Hammer of the Scots, en route to confront Robert the Bruce, died of dysentery near here in 1307.

Eastriggs:

We pass the fenced sidings of Eastriggs MoD site, part of the H.M. Factory Gretna. Dating from in 1916, it was built as a response to a shortage of shells on the Western Front.

16,000 workers produced 800 tons of cordite each week. The vast works stretched over nine miles and straddled the English-Scottish border.

A 125-mile railway system, with six passenger stations, and up to sixty-two trains a day took the workforce to their factories. In addition, 1,700 goods wagons left the site every day.

There were fourteen ‘fireless’ locomotives, built by Andrew Barclay of Kilmarnock, on the site. Fireless locomotives have a large, highly insulated, reservoir charged with steam.

Winding down after the Great War, a part survived for over 90 more years until 2010.

Listen to the podcast to hear more about my journey North from Carlisle.

This podcast is also available through Amazon Music,  Apple Podcasts,  Castbox, Podchaser, Spotify, YouTube and others.

Music:

AKM Music licenses Steam Railway and Look at the detail for use in this podcast.

MRTGY 2026 02 February

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 12:52 — 11.8MB)

February  –  MrT’s Gardening Year 2026 – Episode 02

February, after a very long January, the evenings start to draw out during the shortest month of the year. This can be a very cold month but this year has been mainly mild and frost free.

Please click on a thumbnail to see the photographs that go with the podcast:

Wet, wet, wet:

Apparently this is the wettest month on record in some parts of the country. Those records go back to 1836! In southern England, where my garden is, it hasn’t rained as much for over a decade. The only plus is that it has been a mild month.

In bloom:

February sees the garden spring into life with blossoming bulbs. First we see the Snowdrops come to their peak, most of mine are in the grass so hide until they are about to flower.

Then come the Crocus in their gorgeous colours. On a warm day they are a destination for the bumble bees. Sadly this year the flowers have suffered from the rain.

The yellows and whites of the Daffodils and Narcissi are next. I must remember to dead head them when the flowers are over to stop them setting seed. If they set seed the bulbs will waste energy on seed pod production rather than direct the energy back into the bulb for a good show next year.

The Hellebores are at their peak. I’ll let the flowers fade and set their seed. Hopefully some will grow and increase my collection. Purists say that these will not be ‘true to type’ but I really don’t care!

At the bottom of the garden the Bluebells are growing under the oak tree. Another month and it will be a haze of blue. The problem with Bluebells is that they spread everywhere and I’m going to have dig quite a few out of the herbaceous border.

Vegetables and fruit:

The Carrots are back outside, in their raised position, and we still have quite a few more to eat. The Perpetual Spinach is recovering from it’s freezing and we’ll soon be cutting it again.

I’ve planted new Autumn Bliss Raspberry canes in the fruit cage and hopefully they’ll give us a good crop.

Listen to the podcast to hear all about my gardening month.

This podcast is also available through Amazon Music,  Apple Podcasts,  Castbox, Podchaser, Spotify, YouTube and others.

Music:

AKM Music licenses Horticulture for use in this podcast.