On alternate Wednesdays, we usually pick up our grandson from after-school club and he stays the night with us.
The other Wednesday, Sue and I often have a day out. As we look after my daughter’s son on the other Wednesday, she reciprocates and pops in the check on the dogs giving us the chance to go a little further afield without having to rush back for the pooches.
Checking on the Trainline website we got a couple of return tickets for a tad under sixty quid.
Our first train departed Coleshil Parkway at 09:00 so, as usual, we were there, waiting, in plenty of time.
Also waiting on the platform was a guy in orange hi-vis who, when a goods train approached, stuck out his hand. Strangely, the 66 class GBFreight loco stopped. The driver and the orange guy exchanged words followed by an exchange of places.
Thinking about it, freight drivers must change over somewhere, I’ve just never seen it – I have now !
Our cross-country Turbostar (class 170) arrived (and departed on time). Being at the end of rush hour it was rather full and we had to stand but only for fifteen minutes until we pulled into New Street.
Our next train would depart in around twenty odd minutes so we had time for a loo break and to grab a coffee before making our way to platform 8 for the 08:42 to Paignton.
To get our tickets at the price we did, we utilised our Two Together railcard and split-ticketing. In effect, we bought a ticket from New Street to Cheltenham and another from there to Bristol. We didn’t have to change trains or even seats (which we had reserved).
The train was just about full and we were glad that we had reserved seats.
An hour and twenty minutes later, we arrived at Bristol Temple Meads.
Apart from a bit of geocaching (mainly Adventure Labs) we planned on visiting S.S. Great Britain.
SS Great Britain is a museum ship and former passenger steamship that was advanced for her time. She was the largest passenger ship in the world from 1845 to 1853. She was designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel (1806–1859), for the Great Western Steamship Company‘s transatlantic service between Bristoland New York City. While other ships had been built of iron or equipped with a screw propeller, Great Britain was the first to combine these features in a large ocean-going ship making her one of the most technologically advanced ship for her time. She was the first iron steamer to cross the Atlantic Ocean, which she did in 1845, in 14 days.
(c) Wikipedia
I hadn’t done my research properly and we were unable to locate the stop for the bus that would take us to the ship so we ended up walking the mile and a half. On the plus side, we picked up a few AdLabs en route.
Just before we arrived at the wharf, we passed an office which had a model of Shaun the Sheep in one of the windows.
“Look, it’s Shaun”, I said to Sue.
“Yes. It’s Aardman Studios”, I was informed. Well I never !
Just beyond the magic plasticine we came to the SS Great Britain museum.
We paid for a couple of tickets and were informed that they were valid for the next twelve months. Nice !
On entering, we were greeted by one of the staff who asked if we’d seen the ship before.
“I did”, Sue replied, “a few years ago”, she continued, “When it was brought up the channel on a barge”.
The guide was mightily impressed and between them, Sue and the woman worked out that my good lady must have been only nine or ten at the time.
The first part of the vessel to be visited was “under water”. Steps lead down to the unpreserved underside of the ship which we were free to walk around.
The exhibit was well designed with a glass and water ceiling to give the illusion that we were sub marine.
The propeller and rudder were massive giving an indication as to just how big the vessel is.
Return above the waves, we passed through a museum housing facts and artefacts telling more about the ship. For example, when under sail (the ship was a hybrid) the propeller could be raised out of the water to reduce drag. Clever bloke that Brunel.
From the museum, we boarded the ship which had been restored to depict two diverse uses that it had been put to.
The stern end illustrated how the ship would have looked in it’s latter years when it was used as a transport emigrant to the newly discovered gold fields in Australia.
The front half (nautical term) was how it would have looked in it’s heyday as a luxury ocean cruiser plying it’s trade between Liverpool and New York.
After exploring the ship, we visited an exhibit entitled Being Brunel, which told the story of IKB.
Near the entrance was a photo op in front of a wall sized photo of some big chains. I donned a suitably size stovepipe hat and struck the pose.
After the dressing up and learning about the great man, we dined at the on-site (well, technically, just off-site) eatery looking out over River Avon.
As Sue was enjoying her post-dinner coffee, I nipped out to grab a few AdLabs (including one at the aforementioned Aadman Studios).
Fully sated, we crossed the river on the little ferry and went in search of a bus stop back to the railway station. We found a stop but as the next bus wasn’t for another fifteen minutes or so, we decided to walk back grabbing a few more AdLabs on the way.
We got to Bristol TM in plenty of time. Plenty of time for pasties and coffees. The crumbly nature of the pasties attracted the local wildlife.
Going back, our reserved seats were not next to each other but in front of one another. Luckily we managed to negotiate a swap so ended up side by side.
The train was on time and arrived back at New Street only a few minutes behind schedule. We still had time to change platforms for our final ride back to Coleshill Parkway and the car.
Sue was in need of the loo and I persuaded her that The Griffin was nearer than home.
After a couple of pints (or possibly three – Neil and Paul made me do it) we returned home to two doggies who were glad to see us.