Old Buffers

Would you get on a train with this man?

I used to for about 3 years, and he hasn't changed a bit. He always looked like this.

Paul and his Mrs. met us at Nene Valley Railway in Peterborough for a short trip on some traditional British Rail rolling stock that we were only too familar with.

Even the reading lights didn't work to add to the authenticity.

Watching Paul laughing at me trying to stop Alexander clowning on the seats every 30 seconds made me laugh inside and see myself. Boy am I grown up now. I've got childern to shout at.

I nearly came out with the magic phrase the two of us heard incanted by an American to his child, on a train somewhere in Europe 20+ years ago: "I have words to say to you!"

On the return rail journey Paul and I followed the signs saying "This bar closed. Other bar this way." It was of course also closed.

1 point to Rod.

We wandered back down the carraiges to the ladies and children, having navigated past two canines and their owners. Upon arrival Alexander proclaimed...
"Daddy I found two dogs and I sat with them."
Being as ever the master to tact I told him...
"That's no way to refer to your mother or Paul's wife."

Since I have been to the Nene Valley Railway many times and Paul and his Mrs. hadn't, we headed off to a really nice hotel/pub that I knew right near the railway line.
Of course I couldn't find it at all.

So, Paul suggested we drive to a village because any village in England has a pub in it.

He was of course right, and we ended up in Elton, which I know I visited with Rosemary but thankfully do not recall. I do however recall riding through the village with the bike club on the way to the Peterborough Bike Rally. I also recall riding back that way with Kev's sister on the back which was a fun time, a long long long time ago.

The Elton pub was a most excellent example of public houses with the smell of wood smoke, a beer gardern and even a field between it and the church sporting 2 five-a-side goals. Alexander, Paul and I were well into that.

Time stopped for us there until the rain began, and we began to realize that Mr. A would need to be fed and watered back at the hotel if he was to sleep through the night. So we said our farewells; our respective spouses taking the wheel.