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| Setting urban transport to music - the strains of trains | Setting urban transport to music - the strains of trains |
| (about 1 month later) | |
| Northerners and trains – a famed combination. Are you old enough to remember Rt Rev Eric Treacy, the Bishop of Wakefield who was more famous for his railway photography (12,000 images are in the National Railway Museum at York) than for his theology? | Northerners and trains – a famed combination. Are you old enough to remember Rt Rev Eric Treacy, the Bishop of Wakefield who was more famous for his railway photography (12,000 images are in the National Railway Museum at York) than for his theology? |
| Well, the tradition continues, as these two, coincidental stories show. | Well, the tradition continues, as these two, coincidental stories show. |
| First, a big hand for Adham Fisher, a train fanatic who has broken the record for visiting every station on the Metro system in Tyne and Wear. Undeterred by tackling a similar record on the London Underground and still not succeeding after 14 attempts, he 'station-hopped' round Newcastle and area's 60 stops in just two hours, 56 minutes and 32 seconds. | First, a big hand for Adham Fisher, a train fanatic who has broken the record for visiting every station on the Metro system in Tyne and Wear. Undeterred by tackling a similar record on the London Underground and still not succeeding after 14 attempts, he 'station-hopped' round Newcastle and area's 60 stops in just two hours, 56 minutes and 32 seconds. |
| This was a massive improvement on the previous record, which was three-and-a-half hours. Fisher and a support party of two pals boned up on their timetables, started at South Hylton in Sunderland and finished in triumph at St James' Park, Newcastle United's football ground. | This was a massive improvement on the previous record, which was three-and-a-half hours. Fisher and a support party of two pals boned up on their timetables, started at South Hylton in Sunderland and finished in triumph at St James' Park, Newcastle United's football ground. |
| Fisher says: | Fisher says: |
| I planned the route as meticulously as I could in advance because it's all about looking at all the possible options and making a note of where things are. If there'd been any delays or if trains hadn't run to time for whatever reason then obviously the route could have been thrown out of kilter. It was almost a game of chance. | I planned the route as meticulously as I could in advance because it's all about looking at all the possible options and making a note of where things are. If there'd been any delays or if trains hadn't run to time for whatever reason then obviously the route could have been thrown out of kilter. It was almost a game of chance. |
Luckily all went very efficiently, and we can now look forward to the great event being immortalised in song. Fisher runs a music collective called 1000 Stations and writes songs exclusively about urban rail systems. Their first album, Metro EP, has just been cut, including a song about the Metro called Clackerty Clack Clap Trap Rap. | Luckily all went very efficiently, and we can now look forward to the great event being immortalised in song. Fisher runs a music collective called 1000 Stations and writes songs exclusively about urban rail systems. Their first album, Metro EP, has just been cut, including a song about the Metro called Clackerty Clack Clap Trap Rap. |
| You can watch them playing at a gig in Paris here. Only 16 people have which is a shame. Let's get that number up: | You can watch them playing at a gig in Paris here. Only 16 people have which is a shame. Let's get that number up: |
| Now come across the Pennines to Stockport and the sad story of the semi-detached house in a quiet cul-de-sac which won't sell. You can see one possible reason why if you follow this link to the story in the Manchester Evening News. It has four railway locomotives in the (not very large) back garden. | Now come across the Pennines to Stockport and the sad story of the semi-detached house in a quiet cul-de-sac which won't sell. You can see one possible reason why if you follow this link to the story in the Manchester Evening News. It has four railway locomotives in the (not very large) back garden. |
| It is on the market for a very reasonable £74,500 because its owner Mel Thorley has been trying unsuccessfully to find a train-loving buyer since 2006. That's when his uncle, a railway enthusiast of the highest order, died and left him the house, in the quaintly-named backwater of Buttercup Drive. | It is on the market for a very reasonable £74,500 because its owner Mel Thorley has been trying unsuccessfully to find a train-loving buyer since 2006. That's when his uncle, a railway enthusiast of the highest order, died and left him the house, in the quaintly-named backwater of Buttercup Drive. |
| Thorley helped his uncle take delivery of the locos, each weighing five tons, and oversaw their gentle lowering into the garden by a crane. They planned to start a small museum but although he lived to the age of 93, Uncle Eric was unable to realise his dream. | Thorley helped his uncle take delivery of the locos, each weighing five tons, and oversaw their gentle lowering into the garden by a crane. They planned to start a small museum but although he lived to the age of 93, Uncle Eric was unable to realise his dream. |
| Thorley still hopes to do so, either by removing the trains or persuading a buyer to allow him to retain ownership of the garden and engines and continue with his mini-museum plans. If you know of any train sentimentalist, please alert them to this opportunity. With the added carrot, that the West Coast mainline thunders past only 60ft away. | Thorley still hopes to do so, either by removing the trains or persuading a buyer to allow him to retain ownership of the garden and engines and continue with his mini-museum plans. If you know of any train sentimentalist, please alert them to this opportunity. With the added carrot, that the West Coast mainline thunders past only 60ft away. |
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