I bet you are relieved that I am finishing my English holiday posts. There may be one more to tidy up some loose ends.
Four cars transported some of the family for about half an hour to Beamish, a former coal mining village and now a wonderful museum of all things back in the early to mid twentieth century. On this warm sunny Sunday it was very popular but it can cope with crowds. Everyone loves Beamish but it can lead you to exhaustion.
There are various ways to get down the hill to the central part of Beamish. I just followed the family crowd and piled on an old double decker bus. The bus must have been sixty years old but was remarkably quiet and smooth. Sister 1's partner had brought his portable electric scooter which could not get on to the bus. We just left the pair to make their own way.
This was not my first visit to Beamish but it has improved since my last visit.
I am fairly sure this is the bus we caught down to the village.
No risk from the electric pole that transmits power from the overhead wire to the tram motors. You can touch the pole because the tram has a strong earth connection through the tram to the wheels and the steel rails. You will not be a preferred conductor of electricity, unless the tram is off the rails. The you need to...'Exercise great caution.'
The band struck up and made some great music.
Sister 3, her 8 year old and 20 year old grandsons walked with us to check out a steam train ride from the railway station. We had walked rather a lot to discover the train was not running.
Fortunately there was an attraction nearby for the young one.
Around and around we all went.
Followed by a slippery slide.
And a throw a ping pong ball into a cup. Every child wins a prize.
Some of us lunched in the very good and spacious old cafe.
After a few hours we caught an electric tram back up the hill. At the lower area Sister 1 and her partner had turned up, somewhat to our relief. They had walked/scootered down very slowly, stopped for some things to see and lunched. We all piled onto the tram but the partner's electric scooter beat us up the hill, being driven by Sister 3's grandson. He said he had received some strange looks.
It was a wonderful finale for our month in England. We said our goodbyes and the next morning Sister 1 and her partner drove us to the station airport. Again we had a restful overnight pause in Colombo and renewed our acquaintance with hotel staff, and it was just so nice to be home, in spite of our apartment taking days to warm up properly for our winter.
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I have enjoyed vicariously travelling with you - but have found it tiring. Beamish looks lovely.
ReplyDeleteEC, it wasn't too bad. Mostly one thing a day, you know.
DeleteSuch a beautiful town you were visiting. The buses and various types of vehicles are just so special (for photographers like me!)
ReplyDeleteRoentare, you would have a field day there.
DeleteBeamish looks very pretty. A place I think I would like to visit. I liked the photo of the heritage electric tram. There is a very similar one that runs alongside our house.
ReplyDeleteJayCee, I've looked at your tram line in the past and I would love to travel on it from end to end. There are many heritage trams at Beamish, all that can been seen in my photos.
DeleteThe Stalker
ReplyDeleteTerrific post and photos Andrew. Love those electrified numbers and some wonderful old buildings
When I was growing up in Sydney they were trolley buses on the San Souci route plus on others maybe Rockdale
Stalker, Rockdale rings a bell for me for electric trolley buses, as does Kogarah. Got it now. Long before the closure of Sydney's electric tram system, electric trolley buses replaced steam trams in Kogarah and Rockdale.
DeleteThe weather looked glorious for your visit to Beamish. I suspect you were gasping with delight as you viewed the different historical transport options - like that greedy boy in "Charlie and The Chocolate Factory".
ReplyDeleteYP, I am neither a foamer or anorak wearer. I can only guess at the character in that movie. The history of public transport interests me much more than the vehicles themselves. Nevertheless, I did enjoy travelling on and seeing the old vehicles.
DeleteI did not mean to cause offence and I am sorry if I have unwittingly hurt your feelings. I realise that you are a very sensitive chap. The boy in the story/film was called Augustus Gloop.
DeleteDo you think my injured feelings will be made better by knowing the name of film character called Gloop? I am at the end point of a cold and I think gloop is a good word for the greenish matter coming out of my nose.
DeleteYuk! Too much information!
Deletelol
DeleteI have enjoyed your travel posts and hope you are feeling better.
Ninety percent ok now Darla.
DeleteI love the old fairground stuff. Beats modern day rubbish hands down.
ReplyDeleteCaro, the eight year old loved the merry-go-round, the slide and the ping pong ball throwing. Kids do still like such simple pleasures.
DeleteI for one like these English holiday posts and look forward to the tidying up.
ReplyDeleteThanks Kirk, but now expectations mean I have to make an extra effort for the tidy up post.
DeleteBeamish looks a wonderful place to visit. Is there local accommodation so one could stay and extra day? Did you ride the merry-go-round and slippery slide?
ReplyDeleteRiver, the daily ticket price gives you entrance for one year but I am unsure about local accommodation. I doubt there is beyond a few b&bs perhaps.
DeleteLooks a good day there, but are they bricks on the ground or similar?
ReplyDeleteMargaret, I think they are locally mined clay bricks.
DeleteThese are funny vehicles ! I have never seen a tram where you could sit on the top ! We have a tram museum here, and when I see the tram which took me to my school, I feel like an antique ! The inside was out of wood and you had to jump into it !
ReplyDeleteGattina, you should visit the museum and tell a guide that you used to ride those trams.
DeleteIt's good that the old mining village has found new life - and income. It looks as though a lot of thought has gone into it.
ReplyDeleteJB, I've not checked but I think it has been there for quite some time and has grown to be so large and popular.
DeleteAll those two decker buses look like great fun rides, as long as its not raining, then I"d want the lower level.
ReplyDeleteStrayer, generally I think open tops are not appropriate in England because of rain.
DeleteIt pretty part of the world.
ReplyDeleteAs most of England seems to be TP.
DeleteI lived in the UK for two years, and have visited many time since, but I don't remember hearing about Beamish. Look what you learn from blogging, many thanks.
ReplyDeleteHels, it probably not that old, or if when you were there, very modest in size.
DeleteWow an interesting place, you mentioned coalmining. Were there are artifacts from that? I am fascinated with the history of that, visited the coal mines of Cape Breton, etc. Also curious as to any challenges on your trip? Advice? I am viewing my upcoming with some trepidation.
ReplyDeleteXO
WWW
We didn't see them this time WWW but we did see coal mining information and displays during a previous visit. R's brother in law was telling us a long story about mining lamps that he discovered during his visit.
DeleteI hope you are not arriving via Heathrow.
Oh, my kind of place! I, too, have a summer cold!
ReplyDeleteJackie, except my cold is definitely not a summer cold.
DeleteOh what a wonderful time. It looks like so much fun. Love that double decker bus/tram? in the last photo.
ReplyDeleteIt is good fun Sandra, for kids and adults. The last photo is of a tram. You can see the pole connected to the electric wires.
Delete