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Anthony BoydellUnited Kingdom
Newent. Glos
Unspecified
Every homo sapiens needs an outbuilding within the curtelage of their property
Welcome...to my Shed!
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Though trains were, again, involved in the day's excursions it was really all about the walking. Those who have followed this blog for a long time will already know about our Yorkshire holidays and my own particular love - nay obsession - with The Rail Trail: for us, this 4-or-so mile trek starts in the centre of the village:
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The Starting Gate.
From there, it's downhill to Beck Hole.../pic7670508.jpg)
...to join the path that follows the original railway route. Ziggy could enjoy the rushing, rusted becks: dunking himself, face-first, to rootle out the best scratchy stones./pic7670509.jpg)
Sometimes we're in wooded shade, other times in the full glare of the sweltering morning./pic7670510.jpg)
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In my Mind, the route is now divided into a series of clearly-defined sections: the downhill bit, the wooded bit, the bridges bit, the open valley bottom cinders bit, the boring stretch and the penultimate "Row of Cottages":/pic7670515.jpg)
When you're interested in vintage cars - as Arthur is - there's nowt better than a sunny Summer's day to bring them out!
The last section is the climb up the hill passed a scenic view of the Engine Sheds (see later) to the 'top':/pic7670516.jpg)
It's that place with that view again.
This is, truly, my Heaven-on-Earth spot; and if I could convince Mrs B that we should retire here, I'd visit it every single day.
With plenty of time before our scheduled train into Whitby - basically, we boys did the walk while Mrs B and Daisy got the bulk of the day to go shopping and snacking - we ambled through the tunnel to get a closer look in the Yards:/pic7670518.jpg)
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And, of course, as we made our way to the Station café for some lunch:/pic7670627.jpg)
While waiting for the delayed steam service into Whitby (where we could connect with the others for a drive home), we got chatting to a pair of American gentlemen - Dan and Tom - who were on a two week vacation to the North of England: Liverpool, Manchester, Grosmont (for the trains) and York. While we yakked, they kept waving at the station's live 'Platform Cam' (https://www.nymr.co.uk/grosmont-webcam) because their grandchildren were watching us from the 8-in-the-morning United States!/pic7670526.jpg)
The view from under the Larpool Viaduct as we approach Whitby.
We lost Dan and Tom during the boarding of an extremely packed 13.15 service and spent the next 20 minutes with our heads out of the window - soot-faced and wind-cooled - until the salty sea stink heralded our arrival at the Coast.
A perfect day.
Life and Games (but mostly games) from Tony Boydell: Father, Grandfather, Husband, Curator of the Museum of Board Games (in Newent) and Independent UK Game Designer.
Archive for Trains
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Anthony BoydellUnited Kingdom
Newent. Glos
Unspecified
Every homo sapiens needs an outbuilding within the curtelage of their property
Welcome...to my Shed!
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Arthur and I spent Tuesday exploring more trains in the area by way of a drive to Malton, a Branch Line shuttle into York and a short walk to the National Railway Museum:
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Arrayed around a central turntable, enormous locomotive machines from days of near-and-far Yore dwelled heavily like the iron-and-steam Liths of some train-based Stonehenge:/pic7669979.jpg)
In this warehouse of industrial taxidermy, one can wander in the shadows of these behemoths and admire the strength needed to contain and channel the pressured steam:/pic7669981.jpg)
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The view from underneath.
The Dynamometer - a carriage stuffed with performance measuring apparatus - dazzled as your gaze was drawn to the scratchy ink needles, the valves, pipes, dials, pegs, cables and plugs. Piston-like pillars disappeared below the floor and a rather lovely, embroidered chair sat - like an engineer's throne - in the middle of this scientific kingdom! Well, Arthur & I were impressed!/pic7669989.jpg)
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That's a big funnel.
One of the few exhibits you could do more than just prod/stroke from ground-level - or peer into from an adjacent step gantry - was the Shinkansen (Bullet Train); this whole Car was accessible - comfortable seats, original signage and a small glimpse of the Motorman's driving seat at the front:/pic7669993.jpg)
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Make yourself at 'ome!
After the mandatory visit to the Gift Shop, we emerged into the bright daylight and wander across Ouse Bridge into the heart of the City - in search of comics and/or board games at the local iteration of Travelling Man - success! The return train journey back to Malton - and the drive to Goathland - were non-speaking as Arthur had his nose in a Moon Knight graphic novel; my own purchase - Railways - would have to wait until we were parked up and a mug of tea was also available.
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Anthony BoydellUnited Kingdom
Newent. Glos
Unspecified
Every homo sapiens needs an outbuilding within the curtelage of their property
Welcome...to my Shed!
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For the first time in a couple of years, we have returned to the North Yorkshire moors for an escape. Multiple cars are now required - due to different, scheduled arrivals and departures - and 'the big car' containing myself and Arthur grumbled its way the 300-or-so miles to Goathland.
No longer requiring an immense team of sherpas to unpack, Mrs B and Ziggy and I quickly donned appropriate shoes and set off up the hill to the Tarn:/pic7664583.jpg)
Soggy, in places, thanks to a less-than-optimal Summer so far, it stayed dry and warmly-breezy enough to see us through the colourful heather:/pic7664572.jpg)
We even discovered a tiny, fairy city:/pic7664573.jpg)
The next morning - Saturday - dawned torrentially and remained so from first awakening until 10AM; things didn't bode well for our planned 'Walk to Grosmont' (see many previous blog posts about our trips to Yorkshire), so we drove to Goathland station and caught the train directly:/pic7664575.jpg)
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Without the usual 90 minutes of countryside rambling and the 20 minute 'first leg' from Grosmont, it seemed like no time at all that we were pulling into Pickering. The skies were dark and, occasionally, doused us in cold wet but this didn't deter us from a meander to the splendid Castle - sampling mead and whisky, the medieval costume rail in the Chapel and tromping between the raindrops to the top of the Motte:/pic7664579.jpg)
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Time for a restorative beaker of Yorkshire tea in the station after being given the overbearing salesman treatment by the secondhand bookshop proprietor THEN back to the wet wilds on our iron steed:/pic7664582.jpg)
Damp, tired but very happy, we gorged upon good things at The Inn On The Moor before falling asleep in front of the TV in a snugly-heated Moor Cottage.
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Anthony BoydellUnited Kingdom
Newent. Glos
Unspecified
Every homo sapiens needs an outbuilding within the curtelage of their property
Welcome...to my Shed!
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'Tis June and time for the UK Games Expo! Huzzah! From 2007 until 2019, my presence for the whole thing was guaranteed but since the parting of (SSG) ways and the Pandemic, spending time away from chez Boydell - even to serve my obsession for games & gaming - is an anxious experience. As this post appears, I shall be beetling up the M50-M5-M42 to the NEC with tummy butterflies and an iPhone full of distracting podcasts.
It helps, of course, to find something to occupy one's trepidatious mind and, this year, I am languishing amid a stack of prototypes in the splendid company of James, Jaya et al on the Naylor Games stand in Hall 1 (1-683:/pic7543297.jpg)
Just some of the goodies.../pic7543298.jpg)
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Something else, too.
I also plan to stop by and see my pals at Chaos Cards, Lookout Games, (the SdJ recommended!) Cubiko Games, Osprey Games, Paul et al on the CGE stand, Bez, Surprised Stare and many others (time permitting).
Fri Jun 2, 2023 6:15 am
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Anthony BoydellUnited Kingdom
Newent. Glos
Unspecified
Every homo sapiens needs an outbuilding within the curtelage of their property
Welcome...to my Shed!
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Mon Mar 20, 2023 5:12 pm
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Anthony BoydellUnited Kingdom
Newent. Glos
Unspecified
Every homo sapiens needs an outbuilding within the curtelage of their property
Welcome...to my Shed!
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A sneaky preview!
Pay 1 Coal before you place your first worker to:
- take your 3rd worker out of the Pub AND
- take any other 3rd worker in the Pub and put them onto a completed Track card; if there are no completed track cards, you cannot take your 3rd worker out of the Pub.
Whenever at least one [G] action is resolved in a Round, return all 3rd workers on Track cards to the Pub. If no [G] action is resolved in a round, all 'track-bound' workers remain on those track cards.
Note: 3rd workers on Track cards cannot be gained by players by any means eg. other trains, station space bonuses and/or contract card effects etc.
Tue Feb 7, 2023 6:10 am
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Anthony BoydellUnited Kingdom
Newent. Glos
Unspecified
Every homo sapiens needs an outbuilding within the curtelage of their property
Welcome...to my Shed!
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A little bit more news.../pic7246286.png)
Sign up for the (advance) newsletter here:
https://naylorgames.com/pages/snowdonia-expansion
Now...are there any clues I can give out? How about:
A train card is now a whole railway line. Famous railway folk make an appearance. Don't forget to pack a Dinner jacket...and an extra pair of socks!
Fri Dec 23, 2022 2:26 pm
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Anthony BoydellUnited Kingdom
Newent. Glos
Unspecified
Every homo sapiens needs an outbuilding within the curtelage of their property
Welcome...to my Shed!
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Steven, who kindly sponsored one of my Lots in the Jack Vasel Memorial Auction and got the 'Hopi Stone Chariot' as his reward, is moving from Australia to Myanmar and had some railway books he thought I might be interested in...so he sent them halfway around the World to my library room:
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How thoughtful and generous! I really am very lucky to have pals like you lot!
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Anthony BoydellUnited Kingdom
Newent. Glos
Unspecified
Every homo sapiens needs an outbuilding within the curtelage of their property
Welcome...to my Shed!
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Some of you may already have seen this:
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https://naylorgames.com/blogs/blog/a-giant-slate-and-a-world...and, in particular, this:/pic7071078.png)
Yes, indeed; this is something I've been musing upon since the first days of the pandemic lockdown and with the support and inspiration of Naylor Games behind me, this is going to be something pretty damn special! So, if you'd like to know more - we'll be teasing out tidbits going forward - then why not sign up today?!
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Sat Sep 17, 2022 8:52 am
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Anthony BoydellUnited Kingdom
Newent. Glos
Unspecified
Every homo sapiens needs an outbuilding within the curtelage of their property
Welcome...to my Shed!
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It's here! My UK map for Mini Express plus THREE more PLUS other goodies:
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https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/moaideas/mini-express-m...
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