A-Z Day 21: Railways

R is for: rainbows, rats, relativity, raffia, renaissance, Rome,  rants and, best of all, railways.

I love  rail travel, which is just as well, given that as one of that rare breed - a non-driver, I do an awful lot of it; at minimum one -  sometimes up to three times a week. The staff at our local station are beginning to recognise me! 

Part of the reason I'm so fond of it is because of the space it gives me; I do some of my best thinking on good old FGW, Cross-Country, South-Western, and, on very special occasions - Arriva Wales. There are curiosities to discover: like the labyrinth installations  on the London Underground, the Paddington Statue on Paddington Station. Nearer to home, I'm pleased to report that the memorial plaque to young Henry West is now safely back in its place of honour on Platform 7.

Much much further afield is the spectacular scenery along the famous West Highland Line, where Mr GP and I spent a wonderful day as part of our grand hike from the North of England to Oban, four years ago. If you ever have the chance to visit the Western Highlands, please, please don't leave the area without booking a trip; you'll be in for a truly memorable experience, I promise.

It's getting late, so I'll leave you with today's musical treats: Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull, (whose playing once inspired Mr GP to learn the flute) in Locomotive Breath, and the old favourite: Love Train by the O'Jays.

Music for a while...

...doth all your cares beguile, especially when it involves a trip to see those Grandaddies of prog rock Jethro Tull. Last night's trip to see Ian Anderson et al perform TAAB and TAAB2, was every bit as enjoyable as the last one was and also fulfilled a life's ambition for Mr GP, who was too young to be able to be able to go and  see the band when the original TAAB was released.

Unlike the 2010 tour though, we enjoyed a grandstand view in the second row from the front, hence I've no idea if 2010's pattern of  audience wandering in and out to spend a penny repeated itself or not. I think the band must have noted this one, though, given Ian Anderson's brief but...ehrm...effective prostate cancer awareness spot.  I'll admit to nearly splitting my sides and worse besides laughing at this point, but seriously, given the average age last night, what better way to get the message over to your target audience.

Though yes, showing a colonoscopy video might have been a step too far!