#saltair half

[avastrasposts]

Come in, Atled Air, come in.

A Pilot!Frankie x fem!reader one shot

This is all fluff, just a little brain worm I had a few months ago and today it decided it wanted to be written.

Happy Morales Monday!

You still vividly remember the first time you “met” him, how a routine Thursday shift in the control tower lodged itself in your brain as a bright memory of when you first heard his voice. 

Thursday

“Saltaire Airfield tower to Atled Air flight 117, do you copy?” 

You release the switch on the microphone and scan the monitor in front of you. The small commercial flight coming in to land is still too far away to see in the sky, but the radar at the top of the air traffic control tower at the small Saltaire Airfield sees it clearly. You track their progress as you wait for the pilot to respond. 

“Atled Air flight 117 here, I can hear you loud and clear, Saltaire tower.” 

His voice comes through with a crackle in your headphones and even as you flick the switch to transmit at your end, you’re losing yourself in the way he sounds. The low, smooth gravel of his voice lingers in your ears and slips down your spine, and you know you want to hear him speak again. 

“Atled Air 117, we have some sharp side wind gusts coming in off the ocean on runway one so I’m moving you to runway two. I repeat; you are clear for landing on runway two.” 

“Copy that, Saltaire tower. Atled Air 117 adjusting course and coming in to land on runway two.” 

His voice wraps itself around your brain and you want to push your headphones tighter against your ears to have that warm voice even closer. When he clicks off, you take a second to respond, your finger fumbling on the switch. 

“Roger, Atled Air 117. Welcome to the island,” you say, cringing at yourself, you never welcome flights to the island, so unprofessional. This may be a tiny regional airport but correct air traffic protocol is as important here as at any of the large mainland airports. But from Atled Air comes the crackled response. 

“Thank you, tower, I look forward to exploring.” The smile in the pilot’s voice is clear, a small chuckle at the end just as he flicks off his microphone. You grin at the runway below the tower, your sharp eyes spotting the small aircraft as it circles and approaches runway two. 

There’s no need for you to guide the flight in to land, it’s the only flight landing, the next one isn’t due for another half an hour. Instead you just watch the pilot smoothly set his aircraft down, not even a wobble on the landing gear. 

“Atled Air 117, please proceed to gate one,” you say into the microphone as the small passenger aircraft begins to taxi down the runway. 

“Copy that, tower,” comes the reply, sending another little delightful shiver down your spine. You only hope you’re on duty when he flies out. 

Saturday

Frankie adjusts the aviators on his nose and consults the instruments in front of him before he looks up and out through the windshield. The green smudge of the island is visible below him, a blip in the blindingly blue ocean. It’s only his second flight out here, a new destination for Atled Air, but he’s been looking forward to it since his first trip on Thursday. The voice of the female air traffic controller had lingered in his ears long after he’d brought the aircraft to a stand still by the gate. And unfortunately she hadn’t been on duty when he flew out a couple of hours later. Now he was crossing his proverbial fingers that her sweet voice would hail him as the flight reached the island’s air space. 

He hesitates for a few seconds before he flicks the microphone to transmit. 

“Saltaire Airfield tower, this is Atled Air 243 approaching your airspace. I’m seeing some turbulence on the radar, but we should be ready to land shortly.” 

He flicks off and grimaces, that message wasn’t strictly necessary, he just couldn’t wait any longer to find out if it was the same woman in the tower. But when his headphones crackle to life and her soft voice flows into his ears, he can’t stop the grin that spreads across his face. 

“Atled Air 243, Saltaire tower here. You’re a little bit early, I need you to hold your altitude and circle at the outer marker. We have an aircraft with broken landing gear on the tarmac that needs to be towed out of the way.” 

“Copy that, Saltaire tower. Atled Air 243 holding at current altitude and circling at the outer marker,” he replies, chastising himself for not keeping the smile out of his voice. 

The tone of her voice is slightly veiled and has a lilt, a hint of an accent he can’t place, and it makes his skin tingle to hear the way she rolls the r’s around her tongue. Before he can stop his mind, he wonders what it would sound like to have her say his name, how Frankie would sound whispered into his ear, a warm breath against his neck. 

He adjusts his aviators again as he shifts in his seat, thumb hovering over the microphone switch. He shouldn’t really… 

“What happened to the landing gear? All ok on the ground there, Saltaire?” 

“The pilot missed the edge of the tarmac as he was taxing out and hit a rock,” her voice comes back through his headphones, and sends a pleasant shiver down his spine, “No injuries, just a bruised ego.” The smile is clear in her voice and Frankie smiles at his end. 

“Well, at least I know it wasn’t one of our pilots,” he chuckles, “I’m the only Atled flight out here today.” 

“I know,” she replies a bit too quickly and then stutters, “I-I mean, I keep track of all our flights. Of course.” 

“Of course,” Frankie replies, “You’re a very good air traffic control tower, always on top of things.” He winces at his own line, why the fuck did he say that? Who compliments an air traffic control tower? 

“You’ve only flown in here once before,” comes her reply with a small giggle, “but thanks, we do our best even though we’re a small airfield.” 

He checks his instruments, looking for a reason to hail the tower again, her bright laughter still ringing in his ears. The island is spread out underneath him as he corrects his course, holding at the outer marker, and his headphones come to life again. 

“Atled Air 243, you’re clear to land on runway one, over.” 

“Copy that, tower. Atled Air 243 approaching runway one.” 

“Welcome to the island,” she smiles through the airwaves and Frankie feels the tips of his ears go warm as he begins the pre-landing checklist. 

“Thanks, Saltaire, looking forward to getting on the ground,” he smiles back. 

Tuesday

You scan the list of incoming flights as you clock on for the shift and feel your stomach do a little summersault when the Atled Air flight is at the end of the list. Last flight of the day. And so far both flights have been piloted by the same pilot with the low, warm voice. You cross her fingers and send up a quick prayer that it’ll be him again. 

The shift flies past, pun intended, as the afternoon slides into evening, and before you know it, Atlead Air 584 is approaching, the final flight. The weather has deteriorated during the day and heavy fog has settled over the island, not unusual, but it does mean flights need extra attention when coming in to land. Your hands shake a little with excitement as you flip the microphone switch and hail the incoming flight. 

“Atled Air 584, Saltaire Airfield tower here. I can see you on the radar but the fog is thick on the ground, I’ll guide you in as you approach the outer marker.” 

“Copy that, Saltaire tower,” comes his voice through your headphones and you do a little happy shuffle before quickling glancing behind you to make sure noone is watching. The smile in his voice makes butterflies tumble in the pit of your belly, and you quickly take a deep breath, focusing again. 

“Atled Air 584, runway one is waiting for you, approach the outer marker.” 

“Copy that,” he says, and you hear him inhale and curse in a low tone under his breath, “Damn, it’s thick down there, Saltaire. I’ve got zero visibility of the runway.” 

“Just take it nice and slow, Atled, I’ve got you on radar, guiding you in.” 

Frankie leaves his microphone open and grips the yoke with both hands, glancing over his instruments, hearing the beep of the outer marker as the aircraft slowly descends towards the fog-covered island. 

“Looking good, Atlead,” your voice comes through into his ears, soft and calm, almost intimate in the way your tone guides him, “Keep on that course, middle marker coming up.” 

“Copy that, Saltaire,” he replies, releasing a slow breath through his nose, you can hear it woosh gently through the microphone at his end and then he inhales again.

“Inner marker,” you say, “looking good, Atled.” 

With a low thud, the landing gear hits the tarmac and the aircraft jolts. Frankie gently reduces the speed and sighs into the still open microphone. As far as landings go, he’s had much, much worse, but next to zero visibility always adds an extra layer of tension to any landing. 

“Thanks, tower, great guiding,” he huffs, “Atled Air safely on the ground.” 

“It was great flying, captain,” your voice smiles at him through the headphones, “You’re clear to taxi to gate number one.” 

Your microphone clicks off and he rubs the back of his neck with his free hand, the other one on the yoke. He drops his hand to his thigh, tapping the outside with his fingers a few times before his thumb is back, hovering over the microphone switch. 

“Atled Air to Saltaire tower, you copy?” 

“Saltaire tower here, is there a problem, captain?” 

“Uh, no…This is very unprofessional but…when do you finish your shift in the tower? Can I maybe buy you a drink?” 

“I'm off in thirty minutes. And a drink sounds nice.” You bite the inside of your cheek to stop yourself from giggling, your cheeks aching from the smile stretching your face. 

“Is that bar across the road from the airport any good? Can we meet there?” he asks, smiling like a fool at his end, eagerly rubbing his hand over his thigh as he glances up at the tower. 

“Sure, see you there, captain”. 

Forty minutes later

You glance towards the door again as you hear it swing open, and this time it’s him, the Atled Air uniform giving him away straight away. He scans the bar as you scan him, tall, dark haired and broad, wide shoulders stretching the seams of the uniform shirt tight. As he spots you, the only woman at the bar, he smiles, a dimple appearing on his cheek as he walks towards you. His captain's hat is under his arm, and he runs his free hand through his hair, the chocolate brown curls creating an unruly halo under the dim bar lights. 

“Hi,” he says, his low, warm voice wrapping itself around you as he leans forward and brushes his lips over your cheek, “I’m Frankie.” 

[theoffingmag]

When I was in high school, researchers did an experiment in my hometown to determine whether they could manage deer overpopulation by injecting does with contraceptives. The experiment started in 2014 and lasted almost eight years. The same researchers had been testing immunocontraception on white-tailed deer on Fire Island—a long thin strip of land off the coast of Long Island—since 1993.

They focused the study on five adjacent communities lining the northernmost and fattest area of land on the island: Kismet, Fair Harbor, Ocean Beach, Lonelyville, and Saltaire. Somewhere between 74 and 164 female deer were injected with the immunocontraceptive PZP and then given a booster. Such a vague range. By 2000, it seemed like the drugs had taken effect: in certain areas of the island there were half as many fawns. But Fire Island is a protracted finger, stretched and knobbly, and in other parts of its thirty-two mile-long, half-mile-wide sinewed expanse, the effect wasn’t so clear.

They shot the deer with vaccines via dart, planting a pink bloom of dye on their coats in the process, like a paintball splatter. The researchers could tell by bloom who had been injected that year. But by the next, the pink had evaporated into salty air, rubbed off by branches, by wind, by whipping rain. Five volunteers who lived on the island year-round were responsible for keeping accounts of the deer, noting each time they spotted a pink splotch.

Later, when they attempted the study in my hometown, these researchers would take increasingly invasive measures to keep track of the deer they studied. A hefty orange tag punched through an ear, flicking about like an ankle monitor. Discomfort in the name of science, of tracking. I remember watching deer in my backyard and feeling this anxiety as if it were my own. Their ear tags waggling like flags, warning of some strange something somewhere blistering beneath the surface, beyond their control. The tags, neon and flashing, reminded observers that this was an experiment, and no one was entirely sure just what the birth control would do, or how deer bodies might react.

But though their anatomy became increasingly constrained by outside hands and needles and tranquilizers and contraception, Fire Island deer remained free to flow through the discrete pockets of beach-town communities, connected only via coastline—freer, even, than humans are. As much as this experiment was intended to be scientific, precise, it’s hard to control an animal bounding across borders it isn’t even aware exist.

— Juliet Gelfman-Randazzo, "All the Parts of Things"

[graywyvern]

( via / via )

Saltair.

"In the evenings we will sit right here on this front porch and count the stars." --@FrogandToadbot

Hardly even half a year after its closure, Mike Lacher created the GeoCities-izer.

marooned in the Belt of Orion & mild winter sunlight my precarious gait across the firmly set flagstones

Twisted Metal and Societal Collapse.

[phatjosh180]

A whole lotta ughs ...

A whole lotta ughs …

The past couple weeks have been tough. Heck, this past month has been tough on me. I’m not using it as an excuse. But, I’d sure like a break or two once in a while.

I’ve been trying to get myself into a groove with my running and fitness and it just hasn’t materialized the way I envisioned it. Granted, I did meet my sub-three time goal a couple weekends ago during the Emigration Canyon Half…

[wallspikes]

Chapter 2

still no title BUT chapter 2 baby!! ive got one final left and then im free for the semester! wahoo! this one clocks at 2.2k... im still working on chapter 3 so it'll take a bit longer for that one to be posted <3 also CW: referring to a person as "it" throughout this chapter!

Saltaire, New York

Saturday, June 6th

7:12 P.M.

Gio stared at himself in the mirror of the bathroom, absentmindedly clenching and opening his fist over and over again, lost in the exciting memory of the tiny man he’d had a run in with just a handful of minutes before. The bite had…. definitely stung, though, leaving him with a half-swollen hand that he had scratched raw, whatever the culprit was sick with making the wound itch like hell. He couldn’t believe it had bit him, but he guessed it was warranted. All that staring and touching he did was only gonna end up like that.

Wait. Sick?

He should… probably clean his hand.

Eyes blown wide, Gio crouched to reach beneath the countertop and picked out a brown bottle of peroxide — probably long since expired, judging from the washed-out label, but it would have to do — to douse his hand until the wound stopped bubbling or the chemical’s sting became unbearable. The swelling never subsided, in fact the irritation may have made it worse, but the bit of bleeding he’d been dealing with on-and-off since he'd gotten home had fortunately clotted up.

He wrapped his palm once, twice with a thin gauze, loose to let the bite breathe, but enough to stop him from unconsciously scratching it until it bled. He looked down at his hand, all puffed up and pink, some places tender to the touch. He sighed. He hoped the peroxide was enough. Sure, he’d picked out the stray grains of sand and rinsed it under cool water the second he could rush into the bathroom without his mother noticing his… mutant hand… but he hoped the peroxide would stop it from developing an infection or getting any worse or sticking there permanently—

But what if it did? How was he going to explain that? Do people even know those little guys exist in the first place? He’d have to come up with a lie. Maybe he could tell his parents he cut his hand, or some bug had gotten at him. A really big bug.

He couldn’t explain it as it was. What was he going to tell everyone? He couldn’t just shuffle up to his parents and claim he’d been bit by some little doll-creature he’d found on the side of the boardwalk — sure, it was probably his fault, but it did happen — without earning himself a couple of concerned, pitied glances before his father clapped him on the shoulder to talk it through together or redirected him to schedule another appointment with his therapist. Nic would never let him live it down.

And if the little guy wasn’t some common knowledge he hadn’t gotten the memo about, Gio didn’t want to be the one responsible for exposing it to the world. It seemed scared enough as it was, with just one person hanging around it, he couldn’t imagine it being in the spotlight.

He would like to see it again, though.

That wouldn’t be too bad, right? He’d already seen the unexpectedly minuscule man, what harm would it do if he went to go see it again? It wasn’t like he was telling anyone.

Gio had watched the man run away, hastily fleeing the scene even after he had called after it — asking for its name of all things, like an idiot — before it took a turn into the brush. It must have lived there, away from the boardwalk, but still close enough to reap its benefits.

He could go back there tomorrow night…? Wait for the little guy to come out of its home and do whatever it did. Maybe he could get a couple of words in before it inevitably ran away.

Would that be weird? That would be weird, wouldn't it? The little guy is still a stranger to him, and he’s going to— what? Going to sit outside it’s house until it stepped out, and demand it speak to him? That would be creepy.

Night would be his only option, though, of that he was sure, and he doubted he’d be able to stumble along it by coincidence again. If a daytime trip ended badly for it, it would give night time a go. Also, it would probably avoid the scene of their first incident, and in that case, so would Gio. Instead, he’d set himself up by the channel he’d seen it bolt down. Lay out on the boardwalk, watching the stars go by until it came out for the night. That’s if he could escape the house and stay out without his mother getting too suspicious of what he was up to. And avoid getting run over by late night bikers.

Should he bring a net? A net… he cringed. What was he thinking? He didn’t want to hurt the guy, or scare it too badly. He’d probably done that already, so better not make it worse. Maybe he should bring food, though. If food was around, it would be more likely to come out, right? That would work on him, at least.

Gio sighed, and flicked off the light of the bathroom. He shoved his wrapped hand into his pocket, hoping none of his family members would question why he looked so suspicious as he made his way to his bedroom. He didn’t think—

“Hey, Gio.”

He jumped at the voice, swiveling on his heel and shoving his hands so far into his pockets he could feel the back of his t-shirt untuck from his pants. Standing, peeking her head out of her bedroom door, was Nicolette, with a face of annoyed confusion. Gio tightened his jaw. He didn’t hear his sister open her door while he was lost in his thoughts, “Nic! Hi,” he tried — and failed — to replace his nervous expression with a smile, “What’s up?”

Nicolette tilted her head, “What’re you… doing?”

“What? Nothing! Just going to my room—“

“I saw your hand.”

Gio’s face reddened. He pulled his uninjured hand from his pocket and gave a dismissive wave, “What hand? My hands are fine.”

“Gio, your other hand,” she said, deadpan, “You ran in the door and then shoved it beneath your shirt before mom and dad saw it, but I saw you before you could hide it. I was on the couch.”

“I, uh—“

“And you’re being all jumpy and weird. What bit you?”

He deflated. Giving up the act, he let Nic see his hand, now mummy-wrapped, “It was, like, a bug or something,” he lied, “I didn’t see it. Y’know, probably a horsefly or something. Maybe a tick.

Nicolette grabbed his hand, starting to pull off the wrappings before he could snatch his hand away. “Wait, Nic—!“ he yelped, tugging to no avail, “Stop! It’s all bloody and gross! C’mon!”

Down to the skin of his hand, Nicolette leaned forward to inspect the bite: a little less centimeter across, with two distinct teeth marks on each end, and flat, crooked lines in a row from puncture to puncture. Flipping his hand over, she found a similar sight. Nic narrowed her eyes, “What kinda fly has teeth?!”

“Ah… a horsefly…?”

Gio could swear he could hear the sound of Nicolette’s teeth grinding, “So, what? You’re not gonna tell mom, even though you got bit by some animal that could give you diseases?”

“Yeah,” he wrapped his hand, “That was the plan.”

“What’re you so afraid of?!” Nic exclaimed in a hiss, “Are you afraid of shots now? ‘Cause I’m sure you should be getting a rabies shot.”

“Yeah, me,” Gio scoffed, slapping the spot on his thigh that still ached with a bit of residual soreness from his most recent injection earlier this week, “I'm afraid of shots. Look, Nic, it’s not that big a deal! Some… animal bit me, I cleaned it, and I feel great! Nothing to even worry about!”

“Nothing to worry about until your hand blows up like a balloon?”

Gio paused, glancing down at his hand, then back at Nic, “That… won’t happen…? Alright—“ he grumbled, shoving his hands back into his pockets, ”Just let it go. And don’t tell mom or dad.”

Nicolette leaned against her doorframe, narrowing her eyes, “I’m not gonna wait for you to get sick before I tell them.”

“Agh! Fine!” he spoke with a grouse, “Here’s the deal— if my hand blows up, you can tell mom and dad, but if it doesn’t, and you still snitch on me, I’ll tell mom about that girl you’ve been seeing so she bothers you with the baby photos.”

Gio didn’t believe his sister’s eyes could get any thinner, the whites of her eyes disappearing behind thick eyelashes, “You wouldn’t…”

“Not if you don’t!” Gio, who had been inching towards his own bedroom throughout the conversation, disappeared into the dark confines and slammed the door behind him with his final words. His sister cursed him, and he breathed a sigh of relief and thunked his head against the wall with the sound of her bedroom door latch.

That was close. Too close.

Nic had always been nosy, Gio didn’t really know what he expected of her, but he hoped she’d bought his… unlikely story, despite it all. It wasn’t very thought out. Who didn’t notice an animal crawling up to them and taking a bite out of their hand? That wasn’t something that could be easily missed, especially when the bite was as big as the one Gio had earned himself.

Maybe he should get a rabies shot, though…

No, he’s just worrying now. The little guy seemed perfectly fine. Just a little scared — okay, a lot scared — but it was fine! No frothing at the mouth or problems walking. No rabies. It was just… scared.

God, Gio felt bad about that. He wiped a hand down his face with a languid groan. In that moment of meeting, his manners had completely disappeared in favor of the childlike curiosity that tugged a smile to his face. He’d just… wanted to touch it. Wanted to make sure it was real, not something he’d thought up after taking a head-rattling fall into the sand. He remembered the buzzing of shock and excitement, confusion mingled with wonderment unparalleled that rushed through his veins at the feeling of a little hand and a tuft of incredibly soft hair, or the hammering heartbeat beneath his thumb. It told him it all was real:  the little man with the hand-stitched shirt and the fishhook that looked comically oversized in its hands—

—The fishhook!

It had dropped it’s fishhook at his knees, leaving it there as it ran off, and Gio had pocketed the tool before he left. He scrambled to pull it from his pocket, holding it delicately between two fingers as he studied the meticulously sharpened point and curve of the hook, as well as the two hand-woven grips of light blue thread. They were so detailed, pulled together by the impossibly small hands of an impossibly small man.

He shuffled over to his bed, flopping down on it with a resounding sigh, still holding the hook high above his head as he continued to examine it. A fish hook... Well, at least he knew the guy was resourceful, as if he couldn’t already tell from the patches and threads in its clothing. Gio placed his glasses on his bedside table, hooking the arc of the little weapon on a temple so he wouldn’t forget to bring it with him when he’d take his trip out to visit.

With the lights off and the sky starting to darken, Gio pulled the covers up to his chest. He could deal with getting ready for bed later, for now, he pulls his laptop from the drawer of his nightstand and does some cursory searching — and, unsurprisingly, finds nothing but hoax posts and insistent accounts of encounters that he’s now inclined to believe. Very few pictures, and if there were, they were blurry. He figured that was a good thing. No scholarly articles, which was even better. What he did unfortunately stumble upon, though, was a forum spearheaded by a person who seemed dedicated to getting their hands on one of these creatures, for reasons that seemed… dubious in nature.

Gio clicked off of that page, turning his attention instead to searching for guides on how to lure out small animals — what he should bring, how he should act, tips and tricks — and most of them recommend he bring a small net or cage-trap, just to safely relocate the animal, or make sure it couldn’t get at him too easily. He… could maybe do that? Just bring one, just in case? He didn’t intend to relocate the little guy, hoping he could sit down and have a conversation with it, but he also didn’t want to get bit again, and if it lunged at him he’d have very few options to stop it besides swatting at it — though, he feared that may hurt it.

He relented. He’d tuck a small minnow-net into his backpack, just in case. He hoped he wouldn’t need to use it. Gio sighed before he clicked on a video for a bit of mindless entertainment, leaning back against his headboard. He couldn’t even focus on that, too preoccupied by the thoughts that ran through his mind.

God, he hoped it was still there.

[lumsyfashionista]

bradford bid

BRADFORD IN THE 16TH CENTURY

. During the 16th century Bradford developed much bigger and more critical. This was despite flare-ups of torment. It struck Bradford in 1557-58. . The fleece industry proceeded to develop. By the 16th century, numerous individuals in towns close to Bradford wove fleece. It was at that point taken to the town to be filled and coloure .There was moreover an impressive calfskin tanning industry in Bradford. Approximately 1540 an author named Leland portrayed Bradford as: 'A lovely active showcase town, approximately half the measure of Wakefield. It has one area church and a chapel devoted to St Sitha. It lives for the most part by (making) clothing and is 4 miles far off from Halifax and 6 from Christ corridor (Kirkstall) Nunnery. There's a conversion in this town of 3 brooks'. By 1500 a language structure school existed in Bradford and within the late 16th century the wooden houses within the town were revamped in stone.

 BRADFORD IM THE 17TH CENTURY.

• In 1642 came the gracious war between the lord and parliament. The individuals of Bradford unequivocally upheld parliament but the encompassing farmland sided with the ruler. In October royalist troops made there, to begin with, endeavour to require Bradford but the townspeople effortlessly drove them off. The royalists returned in December 1642 but once more they were driven off. In January 1643 a drive of parliamentary warriors was sent to involve Bradford. • In June 1643 a royalist army was sent to require the town. Sometime recently they arrived the parliamentary commander chosen Bradford was as well troublesome to guard and he chose to slip absent. In any case, his men were captured by the royalists at Adwalton Field. The royalists were victorious. • The vanquished parliamentary armed force fled back to Bradford. After 2 days they chose to elude at night. Most of them battled their way through the royalist lines and gotten away.

 The royalist officers at that point entered Bradford and sacked it. Bradford remained in the royalist's hands for a brief time but they surrendered the town at the starting of 1644. • In Walk 1644 the parliamentarians once more entered Bradford. It remained in parliamentary hands till the conclusion of the gracious war. Be that as it may, the enduring of the individuals of Bradford was not over. There was another flare-up of torment in Bradford in 1645. BRADFORD IN 18TH CENTURY • In the early 18th century Bradford was a little showcase town with a populace of, maybe, 4,000. Be that as it may, within the late 18th century Bradford was changed by the industrial revolution. • The material industry within the north of Britain boomed. The primary bank in Bradford opened in 1771. Bradford canal was built in 1774 and in 1777 it was connected to the Leeds-Liverpool canal. The advancement in communications boosted industry within the town. In 1793 a Bit Corridor was built where cloth can be bought and sold. Be that as it may, after 1800 the hand linger weavers.

 BRADFORD IN 19TH CENTURY

• In the late 18th century and early 19th Bradford developed exceptionally quickly. In 1780 it had a populace of around 4,500. By 1801 it had more than 6,000 tenants. By 1851 the populace of Bradford had come to an extraordinary 103,000. The gigantic rise in the populace was mostly due to migration from Germany and Ireland. • The exceptionally quick development of Bradford implied houses were built in an aimless design. There were no building controls until 1854 and most working-class lodgings were repulsive. There were no sewers or channels and stuffing was common. Most exceedingly bad of all were the cellar residences. Entirety families lived in clammy, ineffectively ventilated cellars. Regularly destitute families had no furniture. They utilized wooden boxes as tables and rested on straw or rags. • However there were a few enhancements in Bradford within the 19th century. In 1803 an Act of Parliament shaped a bunch of men called the Enhancement Commissioners who had powers to clean the lanes and light them with oil lights. They might too give a fire motor and a tidy cart. After 1823 the boulevards of Bradford were lit by gas. In 1847 an enterprise was shaped to run Bradford. • However, like all mechanical cities in those days, Bradford was terrifyingly unsanitary. In 1848-49 420 individuals kicked the bucket amid a cholera plague. In any case life in 19th century Bradford slowly moved forward. Within the 1860s and early 1870s, the organization made a organize of channels and sewers. From 1744 a private water company provided channelled water to anybody in Bradford who might pay. The committee obtained the company in 1854. After 1854 building directions progressed the quality of modern working-class houses. (Although dreadfully awful residences built some time recently at that point remained for decades). In 1877 Bradford organization started the work of ghetto clearance.

 • In the 19th century it was common to debase foodstuffs by including cheap substances. Calcium sulfate was included in peppermints. In 1858 a sweet creator in Bradford sent some person to get a few from a pharmacist. In any case, by botch, the pharmacist collaborator picked up a few arsenic considering it was calcium sulfate. Arsenic was included in the desserts. As a result, 200 individuals got to be genuinely sick and 20 died. • Meanwhile in 1853-71 Titus Salt built a show town at Saltaire. The town had better than average working-class homes, schools, and a church. • There were other enhancements to Bradford amid the 19th century. In 1843 a hospital was built. The primary stop, Peel Stop, opened in 1863. The enterprise obtained Peel Park in 1870. The primary open library in Bradford opened in 1872. • Meanwhile the railroad comes to Bradford in 1846 and from 1882 horse-drawn cable cars ran within the streets. Electricity was, to begin with, created in Bradford in 1889 and in 1898 the primary electric cable cars ran within the lanes. The

 BRADFORD Within The 20TH CENTURY

• In 1904 a Mechanical Show was held in Bradford. Cartwright Dedication Lobby was built in 1904. The Alhambra Theater opened in 1914. • to begin with board houses in Bradford were built-in 1907. Many more were built within the 1920s and 1930s to supplant annihilated ghettos. In 1919 the Church of St Dwindle was made Bradford Cathedral. Bradford Regal Hospital was built in 1936. • However on 21 Admirable 1916 blasts in a weapons production line slaughtered 39 individuals and harmed 2,000 houses. • Meanwhile in 1910 Benjamin and William Jowett began making cars in Bradford. The Jowett company made cars until 1954. Within the 1920s and 1930s, the material industry declined strongly and there was mass unemployment in Bradford. In any case, modern businesses came to Bradford such as a building. Printing moreover prospered and there was enormous increment within the number of clerical employments. Numerous more individuals worked in managing an account, protection, gracious benefit and neighbour hood government. In any case in 1939 the material industry.

 • In the late 20th-century tourism got to be a major industry in Bradford. Cliffe Castle Exhibition hall opened in 1959. Bradford Mechanical Historical centre opened in 1974. The Colour Exhibition hall opened in 1978. The Exhibition hall of Photography, Film and Tv opened in 1983. The Peace Exhibition hall opened in 1997. • In the 1950s Bradford was changed by expansive scale migration from the West Indies, India, Bangladesh and Pakistan. Bradford got to be a multicultural city. • In the 1950s and 1960s numerous more chamber houses were built and the city center was redeveloped. Bradford College opened in 1966. The Kirkgate Middle opened in 1971 and 1974 Bradford was made a Metropolitan Area Committee. In the meantime in 1977 a Transport Compatibility was built in Bradford.

 BRADFORD Within The MIDE 20TH CENTURY

• In 1955 the war of ghetto houses continued especially in Manchester where 68,000 were classified to be unfit. • In 1957 Henry Brooke the MP Serve of lodging and neighbourhood Government found that annihilated or condemned houses are expanding 20.000 in 1954 to 35,000 in 1956, whereas rehousing over 200.000 individuals amid the mid-1950s. • In 1960 a few neighbourhood specialists came to accumulate with a long term arrangement to address ghetto issues they found out that between 1955-1960, 416,706 houses were assessed unfit but as it were 65.372 were pulverized by 1960. Liverpool was one of the most noteworthy with around 88,000 taken after by Manchester. So they were one of the 38 areas that need that needs extraordinary attention. • Bradford board is arranging to make strides transportation system in Bradford within the another 15 a long time from 2018 Bradford Newsroom .by barging in the 21st-century cable cars which would connect to the proposed highspeed Northern Powerhouse Railroad.Got it from Bradford newsroom Thursday the 27th November 2018 at 11:30

 • City pioneers says that would too give unused extra capacity between Bradford and Leeds with a modern halt at Laisterdyke and line running through the South of Bradford with a halt in Moo Field sometime recently proceeding onto Dewsbury in Kirklees. • A London Underground fashion graph was one of the proposed lines, which would connect Leeds city middle with Bradford, Spen Valley, Castleford and East Leeds. They are moreover trusting to incorporate Leeds legs of HS2 Rail station which is anticipated to be done by 2023

 • The board says all usually within the early stages of improvement but guaranteeing that Bradford and the more out of control locale features a transport. organize fit for the 21st century that can take full advantage of a city middle station for Northern Powerhouse Rail. • washrooms Thursday the 27th November 2018 at 11:30 • City pioneers says that would too give modern extra capacity between Bradford and Leeds with a modern halt at Laisterdyke and line running through the South of Bradford with a halt in Moo Field sometime recently proceeding onto Dewsbury in Kirklees. • A London Underground fashion chart was one of the proposed lines, which would connect Leeds city middle with Bradford, spend Valley, Castleford and East Leeds. They are moreover trusting to include Leeds legs of HS2 Rail station which is anticipated to be done by 2023 • The chamber says all this can be within the early stages of improvement but guaranteeing that Bradford and the more out of control locale incorporates a transport organize fit for the 21st century that can take full advantage of a city centre station for Northern Powerhouse Rail.

[chrislamberttattoo]

Final session on this snake and peony Japanese half sleeve coverup. Dm me to set up a consultation Www.chrislamberttattoo.com www.snakeandtigertattoo.com leeds #leedstattoo #ilkley #york #harrogate #skipton #otley #leedsuniversity #slamdunkfestival #saltaire #chapelallerton #huddersfield #headingley #vegan #veganink #bespoke #leedslist #satorialist #bespoke #yeadon #vegan #vegantattoo #chrislamberttattoo #drmartens #japanesetattoo #japanesecollective #irezumicollective #japanesetattooleeds #london #victoriaquarter #hebi #hebitattoo #snaketattoo #japanesesnake (at Snake and Tiger Tattoo) https://www.instagram.com/p/BwPkR4yF2tD/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=s9im3mbodfpg

[wigmund]

From Earth Science Picture of the Day; October 10, 2018:

Shoreline Patterns of the Great Salt Lake Photographer and Summary Author: Patrick Wiggins

The Great Salt Lake reached it’s highest level on record in 1986 when the surface was some 1,284 m above sea level. The water level was so high that it lapped over Interstate 80 (the highway running across the top of the picture) and flooded properties on the populated east side of the lake. Huge pumps were installed to move water out of the lake and onto the desert to the west.

Since then, extensive diversion of the water that would naturally flow into the Great Salt Lake has caused the lake level to decrease to its current level of about 1,278 m, and it's continuing to decline. It's the ever-changing shorelinethat results in many of the intricate patterns seen along the water’s edge in this aerial view, captured through the open window of a Cessna 172, as I flew about 700 m above the water.

Note that the building at the upper left is the latest of a series of entertainment facilities known as Saltair. The first was built in 1893 and destroyed by fire in 1925. A second was built shortly thereafter but closed for financial reasons in 1958 -- the buildings burned in the late 1960s. The one pictured here, a repurposed Air Force aircraft hangar, was built in 1981 and was nearly ruined when the lake level rose a few years later.

The Great Salt Lake shoreline is constantly changing and is a view I look forward to seeing every time I fly over it. Photo taken on September 1, 2018.

Photo Details: Camera: Apple iPhone SE; Exposure Time: 0.0003s (1/3344); Aperture: ƒ/2.2; ISO equivalent: 25; Focal Length (35mm): 29.

Great Salt Lake, Utah Coordinates: 40.757458, -112.194222

Related Links

Causeway Caused Colors on Great Salt Lake

Impacts of Water Development on Great Salt Lake and the Wasatch Front

Student Links

USGS Water Data Discovery

Water Resources of Utah

Earth Observatory

A Decade of Water

[mcfade]

Another series of Photography Workshops drew to an end in Manchester on the 26th September. It seems like ages since we started on our beginners evening in Leeds, which turned out to be the only evening where it rained! 2018 was amazingly dry and hot – it made the whole 10 workshops a joy. 

So here’s a quick review of what we covered in our Photography Workshops – I’d designed them for absolute beginners to gradually learn technical and creative skills over the months. 

Photography Workshop 1 – Leeds

“Creative camera control”

Leeds was a wet night – we met around the corn exchange and used the arches as cover. The night was all about how F-stops and focal lengths can be used creatively – blurry backgrounds and crazy close up photos were the theme! We even went into a pub for shelter – Aire Bar. 

Here are a few shots from the evening. 

Photography Workshop 2 – Bradford

“Seeing like a photographer”

Session 2 was about looking – we walk around in our daily lives and pass by literally millions of potential photos each day. So in Little Germany, we took our time – we found things like bollards and thought about how they could be used in an image. Would you use a long lens and stand back, or a wide lens and get very close? 

Seeing images is something which comes with practice, time and patience – it’s not an easy one to teach, other than to find things myself, then show them the photo I’d just taken!

Low shots from the floor, wide shots with lots of stuff in, zoomed in shots with just 1 focal point… a real eye-opener of a workshop.

Photography Workshop 3 – Burley and Ilkley

“Landscape photography – Filters”

Landscape is popular and if you’re in a decent location, you can get some fantastic shots with basic skills. So on this workshop, we built on the first 2 workshops by showing the group how Filters work. 

I demonstrated the polariser effect on water – making the reflected sky appear and disappear as you rotate it. Also ND grad filters and how they darken the sky, leaving the land alone. I even got the 10-stop filter out and showed them a 30 second shot in daylight.

The wier at burley is great – you’ve got the curved steps for starters, plus the stepping stones to use. 

Half way through we went to the Cow and Calf on Ilkley moor – the sun was going down fast so we made silhouette photos of the famous rocks, with bold red skies behind. The ball of the sun became a great focal point.

To end we went on to the rocks to find carvings – they make great foregrounds for a landscape

Photography Workshop 4 – Almscliffe Crag

“More water and boulders”

The second landscape evening started near Harewood House in at a wier on the river wharf. Here we created long exposure photos of the bubbles as they spiralled around – these leave trails and spirals, so quite surreal. 

We concentrated more and more on metering and how to use manual exposure on this workshop – quite a baffling process at first, so best to introduce it slowly over the weeks! 

After the river we went to another famous Yorkshire Crag at Almscliffe – we were treated to the best sunset of the summer to that point, it was amazing how red the sky went – right past 10PM! 

Photography Workshop 5 – Location Portraits

“How to photograph people outside – and use the location creatively”

We’d not done any portrait workshops for a few years, so invited along 5 friends to model for us around the Royal Armouries area of Leeds. We had the best turnout of the summer for this one – so split the group in to 5 pairs, each with a model. 

The main thing I wanted to share was that the easiest way to get a decent portrait is to use a long lens, zoom right in and then walk back to get the framing right – this cuts out all the background distractions you don’t want and blurs things beautifully. 

Another beautiful summers evening meant we could shoot till 10PM – so we got hundreds of great shots between us

  Photography Workshop 6 – Location Portraits 2

“2 very different locations…” 

For the second portrait session, we had Nicola and Chloe doing their thing – and a little later, Andy Blue Maclaren joined in. Location 1 was park square, a sea of flowers and green – so very soft and pastoral look. In here we used trees and benches to start with – then moved on to the old police station building which was a couple of minutes away. 

The building has lots of graffiti over it, so great for a grungey background to the portraits. We did narrow depth of field portraits, looking along a wall to Chloe peeking around a corner. 

We finished off with a flash photo demonstration at the old swimming pool car park – a little taster of what you can do with speedlites

    Photography Workshop 7 – Cars

“Wide shots, detail shots and flash shots… “

After 6 workshops, everyone was getting to grips with camera settings so it’s the perfect time to do the car workshop so they can try their new skills out on something totally different. 

Our friends at WY TVR Club had their meeting at the Manor Golf Club, so we met there at 7 and shot through till about 9:15 – then i got a pair of flashes out to show what you can do with 2 lights.

  Photography Workshop 8 – Saltaire

“World Heritage Site – Landscape and Architecture in the same night!”

Saltaire is a real mix for the photographer. You have the river and canal for the landscape guys, the mill and chapel for the architecture people and the model village for the urban photographer. 

This workshop was a little wet at the start so we took shelter on the tow path under a bridge for a while. Here we had great refelctions of the mill in the water, so all wasn’t lost! 

After that we crossed the foot bridge over to the wier, this leads the eye to one of the mills, so its a great setup. Lots of trees have grown there recently, so the space to shoot is getting smaller each year. 

To finish off we went to the cobbled streets and captured reflections in the watery lanes. 

  Photography Workshop 9 – York

“Old walls and a shambles”

By this stage, 8 workshops done, things are starting to click – exposure makes sense, composition seems easier and it’s an evening of putting it all toghether. We met near the train station this year and went to the walls for the classic view of the Minster. This gave us options to use the wall in our composition, and gradually as the sun went down, we could do longer and longer exposures to add in car light trails. 

The Minster area was closed, unfortunately, so we spent more time on the Shambles and just trying different techniques. When we got to the Shambles, we had Nicola Papperazzo on hand to do some great poses for us – we tried this both with ambient light, which was VERY low, and with a couple of bare SPEEDLITE flashes which we sat on door frames and steps! A lesson in improvisation and being flexible. 

  Photography Workshop 10 – Media City

“Sunset, blue hour and night photography in the north’s canary wharf”

And the final one… the sunset and night shoot at Salford Quays. 

This was about coping with the changing light – we showed the delegates how to use LIVE VIEW and the live histogram to constantly check the exposure. 

It was also about composition. It’s an area full of features, lights and structures. So to make the most of it, you need to remember right back to lesson 2  in Bradford and use the Rule of Thirds and Lead Lines to piece together your images. 

Once it was dark, the sky became too dark for most images, so we included less and less of it as it really was wasted space. And as usual, we stayed an fair bit after 10PM – it really is that absorbing down there!

  All Done

So that’s the summer in a nutshell – we’ve taken beginners and shown them the basics first, then introduced new subjects to try them on, week after week, until they leave with a firm platform from which to take their photography forward. 

We’ll be doing a similar series over the winter, maybe one per month, where we start in the cities and then take groups in to parks and maybe even moors and landscape locations to shoot at night with torches!

Watch this space

Summer Night Photography Workshops – 2018 Review Another series of Photography Workshops drew to an end in Manchester on the 26th September. It seems like ages since we started on our beginners evening in Leeds, which turned out to be the only evening where it rained!

[scullz1013]

It seems like my trip to Chicago was such a long time ago when really it was only at the end of June. As usual, life has got in the way of my blog posting, but here at last is the update you need.

Our first full day in Chicago was a show day where, as regular readers will know, very little actually happens. This show day was much like any other, catching up with friends, hanging about, various levels of ticket related tension and then a brilliant show at the end of it. (My review of both Chicago shows can be found here: https://www.altrevue.com/single-post/2019/07/01/Concert-Review---The-Rolling-Stones-Chicago-62119-and-62519 ).

The next day we headed over to Chess studios where countless famous blues artists from Chuck Berry to Nina Simone have recorded. The Stones recorded there too and there was a photo exhibit of their time at the studio. They do tours throughout the year and as it is one of the few preserved studios from the 1950s left in Chicago, it is well worth a visit for any music fan - I imagine you would also get a much smaller tour group when the Stones aren't in town.

We also went on the Loop today - it’s literally just the elevated part of the subway, but it runs really close to a number of the buildings downtown, so it’s a great way to get close to some of Chicago’s intricately detailed architecture. It’s only a short ride, but I enjoyed it so much I insisted on doing it twice.

On Sunday we checked out the American Writers Museum. It was right near where we were staying and I’d seen a poster for a Bob Dylan exhibit that I thought looked interesting. It was so good! Not just the Dylan exhibit which focused on his transition from acoustic to electric and was really nicely done but the whole museum. It’s not that big but it’s well thought out and packed with cool stuff from typewriters to an amazing “waterfall of words” installation.

After the museum we checked out Navy Pier because since I refused to go to the bean, we had to do something touristy. We enjoyed walking around until a rainstorm came and it’s always nice to be able to say you’ve done stuff like that.

The Chicago History Museum was the next day’s all encompassing activity. I managed to get a groupon for it which cut the cost of our entry in half. It’s a big museum with a big price tag, so this is worth doing if you want to visit. I was really impressed with the diversity of exhibits and the balance of family friendly and more in-depth displays. From dioramas (Americans love a diorama) to the bed Abraham Lincoln died in (macabre and nobody will convince me otherwise) we were totally engrossed and spent the entire day there.

The second show day meant that I was on my own if I wanted to do anything interesting so I decided to go to the African American History Museum. By pure happenstance it was a Tuesday and Tuesdays are free for everybody so I made sure to buy something from the gift shop. I learned a lot about the African American experience in Chicago including the all black regiment that served in the first world war and the first black mayor of the city. The museum also has a focus on art and since I don’t go to many art specific museums it was nice to check out some of the work of people local to Chicago.

On our final day in this awesome city we went to Pullman. Pullman was originally built as a planned town but has since been subsumed into the greater Chicago area. Much like Bournville or Saltaire in England, it was built by a factory owner to house his workers. The Pullman factory made luxurious rail cars and the name is still synonymous with rail travel today. Now one of America’s few urban National Parks (You’ll find another in Dayton, OH which you will have already read about in a previous post here) it was once recognised as the best town in the world. Although the criteria for this achievement wasn’t made clear and I’m not too sure of the legitimacy of the awarding body it was still a really interesting place to walk around. The houses are all privately owned now but it is still very much a living neighbourhood and the residents work hard to preserve its history. I also got a hella good falafel burger for lunch there and that’s a sign of quality if ever one existed.

I had a brilliant time in Chicago, even though I feel I barely scratched the surface of what the city has to offer. I hope to get back there and see more soon but for now on to somewhere I know very well, Washington DC.

[bargainkat]

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I don't normally post videos, and this is about a week and a half late, but I think it's important. I went to a concert to see an artist who goes by the name of LOGIC. Maybe you've heard of him? He is a biracial rap artist and he recently released an album called "EVERYBODY". This album delves deeply into every social issue from racism, to mental health, to discrimination, to conformity. And there's one song he released before the album was released, its titled "1-800-273-8255". Also known as the national Suicide hotline. The song begins with the lyrics "I don't want to be alive" and then it evolves to "I want you to be alive" and finally ends with "I finally wanna be alive". There hasn't been a single day in the past ten years at least where my depression hasn't fogged my head with thoughts of disturbance. Where I haven't felt good enough for anyone or anything. Where I have felt like I'm not special and like I never mattered to anyone and never would. As someone who deals with severe depression and anxiety, these are consistent thoughts no matter how good of a day I've had. But in this moment, right here, where he made us say over and over again "I am special". I held one of my best friends hands, I cried a lot, and I shouted those words as loudly as possible. And for the first time in what seems like forever, I felt special. Everyone is special, everyone has a purpose. Everyone deserves to be alive. I've said it before and I'll say it again, if anyone ever needs a friend or someone to talk to, I am here. If you are considering taking your life, call the national Suicide hotline, message me, turn to people that make you feel safe, because I promise there is always a purpose to live. Because you are special. #logic #nationalsuicidehotline #18002738255 @logic301 @malijagic1013 @john.porter.hill182 @haydenbergalicious (at Great Saltair)

[doubleshiny]

LEEDS! IT’S GREAT!

Chiefly for the benefit of @adorecalifornia - this is what I enjoy about Leeds - hopefully you will see that despite what some people tell you it does not in fact, suck.

Food and Drinks - some of my faves

Belgrave Music Hall

I love this place, it’s a bar with a burger kitchen called Patty Smith’s and  a pizza kitchen called Dough Boys where you can get the best pizza in Leeds for not very much money. On Sundays it’s even cheaper because of their half  price sale  - £1.25 a slice. Belgrave Music Hall, 1-1A Cross Belgrave St, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS2 8JP.

Shuffledog

A Brewdog brand bar which means hipsters, craft ales and food. They have beers called things like Jet Black Heart and Punk IPA and everyone has a beard or a hundred tattoos or both. There are two in Leeds, the newest one has shuffleboards in it for some reason. ShuffleDog, Crispin House, New York Road, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS2 7PF.

Nation of Shopkeepers

Studenty place for beer and food, large outside area. Nation of Shopkeepers,  29 Cookridge St, Leeds LS2 3AG

Dry Dock

Literally a boat which has been turned into a bar. This is owned by the Scream chain of pubs which is ultra studenty so there are lots of activities going, cheap menus and special offers. Gets crazy crowded at weekends. Dry Dock  Woodhouse Lane , Leeds, LS2 3AX

 Art and Stuff

The Royal Armouries - museum of arms and armour is in Leeds and is fascinating.

Leeds Art Gallery contains some of the country's most famous paintings including The Lady of Shallott by John William Waterhouse.

The Leeds City Museum, Kirkstall Abbey and Temple Newsam are other notable cultural attractions. In general museums and galleries in the UK are free to enter - some of the stately homes, abbeys etc have a small entrance fee, usually less than £5.

http://www.leeds.gov.uk/museumsandgalleries/Pages/Visit.aspx

 Music

O2 Academy

Rock and pop shows mostly, some examples from this month are Ryan Adams, Nelly, and Weezer.

Millennium Square has a series of concerts, they can be anything from rock and pop to opera and film screenings - this summer they are screening Back to the Future with a full orchestra playing the score.  http://whatson.leeds.gov.uk/Pages/eventdetails.aspx?eventId=whatson-311

S2

First Direct Arena

For big comedy and rock and pop shows as well as exhibitions. Examples this month are the Great British Vegan Show, The Stone Roses, and Blink 182.

 Shopping

Leeds City Centre has every major store you would expect to find as well as some high end stores like Harvey Nichols and House of Fraser. This is also the place for chain restaurants and there are also some good pubs.

Corn Exchange

A big round building with a central area used for markets eg record fairs, vintage clothes fairs etc. Around the edge of the building are small units for independent retailers, with a cafe in the middle. In this area are also lots of bars, restaurants, and vintage clothes stores. https://leedscornexchange.co.uk/

Leeds Market

Kirkgate market is a food and goods indoor market, sort of like a farmer’s market

http://www.leeds.gov.uk/leedsmarkets/Pages/Kirkgate-market.aspx

  Travel to other places

Manchester - train costs about £20 and takes 1 hour

Go here for Manchester Arena, Manchester United football ground, great shopping, great theatre, everything you can expect from a major city

 Liverpool - train costs about £30 in advance and takes about 1hr 40

Smaller than Manchester and easier to navigate, go here for Beatles stuff, football if you are so inclined, music, bars, the Walker Art Gallery, the World Museum, one of the most stunning libraries ever.

 Saltaire - train takes 15 minutes and costs about £5

A model village eg a factory owner basically turned it into a village for his workers to live in. It’s that archetypal cute little village with a lovely church, people playing cricket on the green, a museum about salt, ducks, narrow boats, a little art gallery.

 Wakefield - train takes 20 minutes and costs £5 return (roughly)

One of the UK’s smallest cities, and underrated as a place to visit. They have a lovely recently refurbished cathedral, a museum, some nice pubs, an authentic Victorian theatre called the Theatre Royal and some really friendly people.

 London - train takes 2hrs 30 and costs around £100 in advance

General info

 Trains are much much cheaper in advance, eg a train from Leeds to Liverpool return if bought a week in advance is about £25 whereas when you buy it on the day it is £35. Sometimes the difference can be even more insane, Liverpool to London could be £30 return 12 weeks in advance and £160 on the day. There are different train companies and each has their own discounts, cheap ways of booking etc. Generally the trains are safe, have toilets, catering, etc

Buses are cheaper than trains, a day ticket around Leeds allows you to get on any of that company’s buses all day and costs about £5

A Young Person’s Rail Card costs £30 a year and gets you 30% of all rail fairs - definitely worth getting if you are 16-25 https://www.16-25railcard.co.uk/

More reading

[grapsandclaps]

GRAPS AND CLAPS REVIEWS - GPW 15TH ANNIVERSARY 'THE BIGGUN NEAR WIGAN'

Hello and welcome everyone to this edition of Graps and Claps which took me on a trip to Hindley for GPW's 15th Anniversary show in Hindley 'The Biggun Near Wigan'. The hype and threads about this show have been second to none and it is great to see a promotion like GPW one of the unsung promotions in British Wrestling get some well deserved attention and spotlight on its product.

Starting this journey off at 12:40pm at Rochdale Train Station trying to get a signal to watch NJPW World but to no avail, I made my way to Manchester to meet up with our Geoff to take in the second leg of the journey to Hindley via Wigan Wallgate Station due to the railworks taking place on the Bolton line. The trip to Wigan was a much awaited one as I have never seen what goes down in Wigan and also the beer scene that frequents it town on a weekly basis.

Arriving in Wigan and with my phone dying on its arse, the search for a plug socket was on luckily enough I found a local Wetherspoons 'The Moon Under Water' which had a number of plug sockets available near the fruit machines at the door. With my phone charging, I had a pint of Saltaire Galaxy Pale costing £2.29 which wasn't the best of pints but was still of a passable quality. My first impression of Wigan from a town centre state of affairs was that it had a lot of good shops and decent sized shopping centre but infiltrated with extras from a zombie apocalypse movie.

With our trip around the shops done, we made our way back to the station to visit the recent winner of CAMRA pub of the year - Wigan Central, a haven for real ale, ciders and pies and it didn't disappoint. It has 2 large sized seating areas, plus outside seating to soak up the suns rays on this scorching Saturday afternoon, beer prices you are looking at anything from £2.90 for Cask beer up to £5 a pint for Fruli on Keg, with a couple of hours to kill I had a pint of Prospect Brewery Atom 3.8% pale ale which was made my best drink of the day with it's silky finish and a cracking head of a pint, as an opener to this pub's delights this certainly was a winner.

A pint of a Lakeland 4.5% ale was up next followed by a pint of Vocation Brewery Pride and Joy which was a bit peppery in taste which I hadn't noticed before about this drink before as I have only had it in cans before this day. Whilst we was waiting for the rest of the Graps Gang (Chris, Ben & Will) to turn up I took in one of the delightful Scoth Eggs that were on sale, literally the size of a good sized snowball packed full of meat, a hard boiled egg and a crumbly shell - a great bar snack costing £3.20. Once everyone turned up at 5:10 pm, one last half pint of a 8% DIPA was had before heading off on our merry way to the 15 minute replacement bus service to Hindley.

Arriving in Hindley and having just had a bad review of the new cocktail bar in town 'Kore' from a gentleman on the bus down who said that it was expensive and not fitting of the Hindley scene. Later reports though from Benno of 'Twitter and Girl Gang Wind Up' fame was that it was a good drinking place for a change of pace away from the spit and sawdust places that are mainly seen in this town.

First pub in Hindley we visited was The Hare and Hounds for a £2.60 pint of Darkstar American pale ale and a sit down in its good sized snug area with also a couple of doggos looking on sadly in the corner. Last pub for half of our group before going into the venue was The Hindley Arms for a £3 pint of a 4.5% IPA, not many people in here on this occasion but the seating area and the big screen made up for that.

Sadly for you faithful Graps and Claps readers, the Hindley famous Jonesies Bar was shut so it is now looking less likely that this place will ever get a review in this blog. As myself, Will and Tom moved on to the venue, Chris/Ben/Geoff went to the Bird In'th Hand for a pint and a Jagerbomb to swill the taste of a reported bad pint out of there mouths.

A good sized queue was out in force entering the venue, with my lift later on in the evening Richard coming in the venue with a shark helmet on his head to support one of his favourites Sandy Beach on this evening, as Beach has recently started bringing to the ring an Inflatable shark of all things as a weapon. Needless to say this shark helmet didn't fit my giant sized head which would even make Jordan Devlin or Harry Maguire jealous.

As noted in Graps and Claps, a 10 year old poster of El Ligero once adorned the outside walls of the Rose Club, tonight though it has been replaced by a big banner promoting 'Roy Chubby Brown Live in Hindley' - I expect not many off of my Twitter timeline to turn up at this show.

Anyways let's get into the evening's action of GPW Wrestling, we had a total of 7 matches on this show with only one slight change with Ashton Smith now unable to compete due to a suspected injured ankle or maybe because he didn't want to hear me and our Geoff murder his song again. TO start the evening's proceedings though we had Magnificent Matthew Brooks giving the crowd a stirring rendition of the National Anthem only for him to finish and be low blowed by Isiah Quinn as he was on his way back to the backstage area.

First match of the evening was a Fast Track 6-way with the winner getting a title shot of there choosing later in the evening. The competitors on show were The Midnight Bin Collection of Ste 'Bin' Mann and Jett Fashion who have been having troubles recently with the hint of a break up on the horizon, C.J Banks who was looking to win to get his hands on Sam Gradwell later on hopefully. Other contenders in this match were Danny Hope and Big Joe, the latter who as ever was on great form trying not to get riled up by the audience but ultimately failing.

This was an all-action opener as expected with the number of bodies in this match, C.J Banks came very close to winning it at one point with the Bazooka knee, but the finish came when Jett Fashion tried to run the ropes to hit a dive to the outside but he was caught mid flow with a CHEEKY ROLL UP! from his friend Ste 'Bin' Mann for the loss. The seeds had been sewn right in front of our eyes that all wouldn't go too well later on for The Midnight Bin Collection later in the evening when they would challenge for the Tag Team Titles but I will get on to that later on.

Second up was supposed to be the Ashton Smith vs Martin Kirby Grudge Match but as stated before Ashton had to pull out of the contest. This meant Ashton got to choose a replacement for himself to face Kirby on this evening and his weapon of choice turned out to be the former Cyanide now known as 'The Monster - Crater'. As expected with the huge size difference, Crater dominated for a large portion of this match using a slow and methodical style of a beat down to Kirby who was wishing at this point that Ashton would have been fit. Out of nowhere though Kirby got a second wind and managed to hit of all things a side suplex on Crater for a surprise 3 count to the shock of the Hindley faithful.

Third match of the evening was another who is the Mystery opponent match? This time with Sandy Beach who finally broke his losing streak at the last show defeating Damon Leigh. With this victory, the songwriters of Hindley have been scrambling for a new song to sing to Sandy Beach before the match, oh and how they hit the right notes on this evening with a Barry Manilow Classic 'Mandy'!

OH SANDY, YOU CAME AND YOU GAVE US A VICTORY, NOW YOUR LOSING STREAK'S OVER, IT'S HISTORY! COS YOU BEAT DAMON LEIGH ON A FRIDAY, BUT YOUR LOSING TODAY OH SANDY!.

This got a well deserved round of applause for a song thought up on a train ride to Leeds one Sunday afternoon.

Sandy's opponent for the evening would be El Ligero making a rare appearance back in GPW. Lots of inflatable shark shenanigans early on with Sandy chasing referee Mike Fitzgerald around the ring and also tying up El Ligero in a tree of woe whilst trying to attack him with the inflatable with the theme from Jaws playing in the background. Sandy hit a sweet superkick mid way into the contest and then following up with a flying clothesline for a two fall. Sandy then went to go to finish Ligs with a big BOING off the ropes but was caught in mid-air by Ligero who then went up top to hit a big splash for a two count - this match was hitting all of the right notes. With the match going back and forth, it was Sandy Beach who picked up the CHEEKY ROLL UP win from out of nowhere to surprise Ligero for the huge win! 

Ligero as ever is one of those wrestlers who could wrestle a broomstick and get a great match of anyone. Sandy on the other hand was excellent going toe to toe with one of the UK's best - keep your eye on Sandy Beach/Callum Corrie for future reference!

Next up was a Streak vs Career match between DDL and Isiah Quinn with the latter trying to continue his long winning streak that has been going on for two years now at least in GPW. DDL got attacked at the start of this match by Quinn and his Lonsdale clad minions to give Quinn the advantage early on, a blatant miss by Licky Lips (Referee) as Quinn used his staff to fell DDL for a 2 count - this brought the Hindley crowd to their feet in disgust at this mistake of FItzgerald proportions. Thankfully though DDL managed to fight off Quinn's followers as he hit the compactor finisher to Quinn for the 1-2-3. Really good drama in this match for me.

Half time photos were had with CJ Banks and EL Ligero for £5 - look out for some Absolute Andy and Young Bucks style photos from the British Wrong Style section of BritWres coming on a social media platform near you soon.

Back from the break, we were welcomed back with GPW British Title action with the Champion Sam Gradwell taking on a mystery opponent. Rumours were rife with who it would be, but what it turned out to be was a former GPW regular from the land of Holland - Mark Kodiac who I found out used to be a tag team partner of Heresy back in the day. This announcement popped a few of the long time regulars, but on the other hand went over the head of a few of the newer faces in the audience, Kodiac who had a similar look to Mikey Whipwreck of nowadays not the ECW version was quite an agile chap for his size and had Gradwell on the ropes on a number of occasions.

When Gradwell put Mike Fitzgerald in the corner, Fitzgerald was sadly in the wrong place at the wrong time as an oncoming Kodiac splashed him in the corner by accident. This led to Kodiac being low blowed by Gradwell, which was then followed up by the Golden Mile Headbutt from the top rope to get the jammy victory for the 1-2-3. After the match though with Gradwell celebrating he was then too cocky for his own boots as he was beat down by Heresy and Kodiac who left Gradwell laying and prone for a BIG GRIZZLY BOMB which is a tuck senton from the top rope that looked impactful. Really good hard hitting match!

Semi main event now with the GPW Tag Team Titles on the line with the champions - T-Bone & Craig Kollins facing off against The Austins (L.A & Lana). Before The Austins could enter the ring though,L.A was attacked with a wet floor sign by T-Bone to a great sound which somehow ruled by the referee to eject T-Bone to the back leaving Kollins to face The Austins by himself, which to the surprise of the Hindley crowd he dominated both he Austins dispatching them in quick and easy fashion.

With their Tag Team title shot in tow, out came The Midnight Bin Collection to cash in there shot against Kollins. Once again though Kollins was well up to the task as he finished off Jet Fashion in quick fashion for the victory as Ste 'Bin' Mann was thrown to the outside and unable to get in to help his partner. After the match though with Ste 'Bin' Mann showing his disgust, Mann turned on his partner leaving Jet Fashion laying, but a minute later Mann tried to come round to his senses and try to make up with Fashion who as you would think shunned this apology.

Now I am not one for having a complain, as I am generally positive about the wrestling world but I found the whole Kollins basically destroying your face tag teams in quick fashion on his own a bit head scratching as you have no contenders left from a good guy side of things now. The Mann heel turn was done well, but I just didn't get the whole trying to make up angle at the end - this was maybe the only blot on an excellent night of wrestling action. Kollins in his black singlet reminds of one of those New Japan young boys, if his character is that he is a hired gun/arse kicker well played but I do feel he needs a bit more of something to help him stand out among the more noticeable characters like Sandy Beach and Big Joe.

Main Event time and with the prospect of bland butty 101 from Asda on the horizon it was time for your GPW Heavyweight Title Match between Dylan Roberts facing off against the challenger Joey Hayes in a match with high stakes on the line. This was an excellent match with lots of drama involved including Dylan's Manager Alan Alan Alan Tasker being ejected by Official Mike Fitzgerald early on to let the match get on its merry way, with the match coming to an end with both Roberts and Hayes hitting each other's finishing moves for near falls, Tasker made a return to ringside to chuck an object to Roberts who used this on Hayes for a 2 fall. Tasker though was sent packing once again by Iron Mike Fitzgerald who sparked out Tasker.

With Dylan on his way to victory, he was caught out of nowhere with Joey locking in a crossface who got the tap out victory in just over 20 minutes to the elation of the GPW crowd who for once would be travelling home happy after the 2 year long reign of Dylan Roberts. After the match, the GPW roster emptied to congratulate Joey to bring an end to proceedings.

Picture credit - Tony Knox

With the time coming up to 10 pm it was time say goodbye to The Rose Club and set off back on my journey to Rochdale arriving back at Midnight all tired from a great day out at the wrestling - top stuff! I would also like give props to the GPW cameraman who said he likes reading this blog, the little bits of nice feedback make this all worthwhile doing (this brought a smile to my face).

If you are watching this back on VOD, go and check out Dylan Roberts vs Joey Hayes, Sandy Beach vs El Ligero and Sam Gradwell vs Mark Kodiac.

I hope you have enjoyed reading this review of GPW's 15th Anniversary, give this a share on Twitter and any feedback is welcome. Next review will be Futureshock Wrestling from Stockport taking place on the 15th July.

#grapsandclaps

@oggypart3

[wikitopx]

The best things to do in Salt Lake City, Utah go beyond the city's ties to the peculiarities of Mormon culture and the state's recently revamped liquor laws ("private club memberships" are no longer required when entering bars).

With an average of more than 220 days of sunshine each year, ski resorts and high-end hotels, renowned restaurants and hidden speakeasies, salt flats and double-feature drive-ins, Salt Lake City is a destination you should certainly add to your travel bucket list.

At the top of our list? The Utah Olympic Park, which was built back in 2002 for the Winter Olympic games and is now the site of year-round sports activities. If staying indoors is more your vibe, you'll want to make sure to be in town on the third Friday of every month, when the city's galleries stay open late for public perusal. Still not convinced? Browse through our entire selection of must-try activities below.

1.

Utah Olympic Park

Built for the 2002 Winter Olympic Games, the Utah Olympic Park operates year-round and offers a multitude of summer and winter activities, such as bobsledding, luge, ski jumping, extreme tubing, ropes courses, rock climbing and ziplining. You can even have a go at aerial ski training in the splash pool if you dare! Don’t miss a chance to take a ride on the Comet Bobsled; for $67 you can zoom down the track at more than 70mph and experience at least three G’s of gravity.

2. Redwood Drive-In Movie Theatre

Drive-in movie theaters were all the rage in the 1950s, but have been steadily dwindling during the age of Netflix. Only 15 states still have drive-in movie theaters and, fortunately, Utah is one of them. The Redwood Drive-In Theatre has been showing double features since 1948 and enjoys a strong fan base. At just $9 per person, two movies for the price of less than one at a regular movie theater is a smokin’ deal. Get there early to pick the best parking space and grab your popcorn. It doesn’t get better than watching a movie under the stars on a warm summer night.

3. Redwood Drive-In Movie Theatre

Drive-in movie theaters were all the rage in the 1950s, but have been steadily dwindling during the age of Netflix. Only 15 states still have drive-in movie theaters and, fortunately, Utah is one of them. The Redwood Drive-In Theatre has been showing double features since 1948 and enjoys a strong fan base. At just $9 per person, two movies for the price of less than one at a regular movie theater is a smokin’ deal. Get there early to pick the best parking space and grab your popcorn. It doesn’t get better than watching a movie under the stars on a warm summer night.

4. Family History Library

The family history library is a research facility (open to the public, free of charge) that has the largest on-site collection of genealogical data in the world. It has been in operation since 1894 and is run by FamilySearch, the LDS (Mormon) Church—no need to be a member of the church to use their genealogical resources, though, as the Family History Library is open to everyone. Using microfilms, microfiche, books, serials, periodicals and electronic resources such as genealogical websites, the library helps patrons discover their families histories.

5. Great Salt Lake Marina

The Great Salt Lake is a remnant of the massive ancient Lake Bonneville and is the largest saltwater lake in the Western Hemisphere. It’s just slightly less salty than the Dead Sea! Kayaking, paddle boarding, pedal boating and sailing are great ways to experience the spectacular sunsets on the lake. You can rent pedal boats and book dinner cruises with Gonzo Boat Rentals at the Great Salt Lake Marina. On your way to or from the marina, stop for photos at Saltair; the historic building from 1893 hit its peak favor in the 1920s as a beach resort but now operates as a concert venue.

6. Bonneville Salt Flats

The Bonneville Salt Flats offers one of the most unique landscapes in the world; it’s no wonder so many movies and car commercials are filmed there. The Salt Flats consist of hard, white salt crust as far as the eye can see—almost one hundred cubic yards of it. Managed by the Bureau of Land Management, it was designated as an area of Critical Environmental Concern in the mid-‘80s for its unique geology. It’s one of only a handful of salt pans in the world and the only one in the United States.

7. Timpanogos Cave Tour

Timpanogos Cave is a National Monument located in American Fork Canyon that has colorful caverns and all of the helictites, stalactites, stalagmites and anthodites you can handle. The Hansen, Middle and Timpanogos caverns make up the cave system that is accessed by a strenuous 1.5-mile paved trail with an elevation gain of 1,100 feet. On your ranger-guided tour, you’ll learn the science behind the formations as you make your way through the natural passageways of these delicate underground formations.

8. Bicycle tours

Pedal your way around town while learning about the history of SLC by bike with an expert local guide who will give you all of the ins and outs during your ride. Four different loop tours are available for $44 to $64 per person and range from mild to medium in ability level, lasting one to three and a half hours. Cruiser bikes, helmets and light refreshments are included on all of the tours. You can also do a self-guided tour for $7 using Green Bike, Salt Lake’s non-profit bike share program.

9. Gallery Stroll

On the third Friday of every month, Salt Lake City’s local galleries open their doors late for the public to browse their art collections, listen to music and enjoy snacks and drinks for a few hours. Founded by the Salt Lake Gallery Association in 1983, the Gallery Stroll began as a small consortium of art galleries but has become a social gathering for Salt Lake City’s “in” crowd and tourists alike. Nearly 40 galleries participate in the monthly event, which is a self-guided tour (no tickets required). Gallery Guide Maps are available at participating galleries.

10. Grandeur Peak

For one of the best views of the Salt Lake Valley hike to the summit of Grandeur Peak. Start at the Church Fork Trailhead in Millcreek Canyon and hike just over three miles to the summit for a view of, well, grandeur. The 6.5-mile round trip trail starts steep and follows a small stream north into the forest and then climbs to a saddle via switchbacks, from the saddle it’s just a half mile to the 8,299 feet summit. The trail is easily marked and has an elevation gain of 2,650 feet. It features wildflowers and stunning views along the way.

See also: Top 10 things to do in Augusta Ga

From : https://wikitopx.com/travel/top-10-things-to-do-in-salt-lake-city-702616.html

[phatjosh180]

A whole lotta ughs ...

The past couple weeks have been tough. Heck, this past month has been tough on me. I’m not using it as an excuse. But, I’d sure like a break or two once in a while.

I’ve been trying to get myself into a groove with my running and fitness and it just hasn’t materialized the way I envisioned it. Granted, I did meet my sub-three time goal a couple weekends ago during the Emigration Canyon Half Marathon. But, that’s about the only success I feel like I’ve truly met.

I’ve been dealing with bad backs, sprained ankles and this past week — a root canal. An expected root canal. My tooth started hurting during my race last weekend and then by Monday morning it was throbbing in pain.

I couldn’t go to my regular dentist, because this was the same tooth that they couldn’t get numb. So they referred me to an endodontist so they could knock me out to do it. And, that wasn’t cheap. But, that’s a whole other story for another day.

I finally got my root canal yesterday — and it really just killed my week.

But, despite all the road blocks, I’ve been trying to keep on track, even if my runs are short and my workouts shorter. And, for the most part — it’s working. I’ve lost about 10lbs. this past month. A lot of that has to do with my diet. So, that’s progress.

I thought of mixing up my diet and routine again, but I think I am going to stick with what I planned this past month. One, because I wasn’t able to get into a good groove or it and, two, I think I can see bigger improvements with a better focus. I’d really like to lose about 30lbs. and I feel like this is a good road. Especially for my thyroid.

I’m going to get a good run in tonight before my race this weekend out in Magna. I’m hoping for a sub-three. But, I’m not sure if I want to push it TOO hard since I’ve got my 50K coming up in the next couple of weeks. But, honestly, I think I’ll be fine. I think the variables that will determine my result really will be my ankle and back.

The focus right now is all on my 50K on the 28th of this month. I am a bit worried about it with my current mileage the past couple of weeks. But, honestly, I know I’ll be fine. The race director knows I’ll be a bit slower — 10 hours or so. It’ll be fun and that’s my only goal (besides finishing).

Plus, the 50K will be good training for my upcoming marathons in Ogden and Utah Valley. Along with my Bear Lake Trifecta races. I’m going to have a crazy spring and early summer schedule, so kick starting it with a 50K is an usual and — I think — good way to launch my schedule.

I won’t lie — I do worry about my back and ankle a bit. But, honestly, I think I’ve cared and rested both well enough that they shouldn’t be a factor. But, it’ll be on my mind for sure — I just don’t want to downgrade from the 26.2 to 13.1 if I can avoid it. But, that’s my last resort and something I don’t really want to entertain right now.

Anyways — I’m focusing on Saltair right now and focusing on getting my groove and consistency back. I just want to pull some big weight-loss numbers in the next month so I can go into marathon season lighter on my feet.

At least I know I’m on the right track.

A whole lotta ughs … was originally published on PhatJosh | My Life Running.

[travelonlinetips-blog]

New Post has been published on https://travelonlinetips.com/northern-rail-strike-which-services-are-affected-this-weekend-2/

Northern Rail strike: Which services are affected this weekend?

The next in a series of six days of strikes by Northern Rail staff on consecutive Saturdays is taking place on 8 September.

This latest round of industrial action started on Saturday 25 August. 

The strikes, which have been confirmed by the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union, are part of an ongoing dispute over the role of train guards and rail safety. 

This will be the third round of industrial action taken by Northern Rail staff this year, with previous strikes taking place in March and June. 

When will the strikes be happening?

All Arriva Rail North conductors, conductor instruction and train driver members have been told not to book on for duty between 12.01am and 11.59pm on Saturday 8 September, Saturday 15 September, Saturday 22 September and Saturday 29 September. 

Which services will be affected?

More than 70 per cent of usual Northern Rail services will be affected, with very few running before 9am and after 6pm.

I’m going to an event serviced by Northern Rail this weekend. How will my journey be affected?

Events taking place this weekend include Saltaire Festival, Tour of Britain and Penistone Agricultural Show.

Saltaire Festival

There will be three trains per hour to and from Skipton and two trains per hour to and from Leeds. The last train from Saltaire is at 7.12pm.

Tour of Britain (cycling)

There will be one train every two hours between Sheffield and Worksop. The first train from Sheffield is at 6.38am. The last train from Worksop is at 7.07pm.

There will be one train every two hours between Lincoln Central and Worksop. The first train from Lincoln Central is at 8.22am. The last train from Worksop is at 5.06pm.

There will be no Northern service to and from Nottingham. Customers should use Cross Country or East Midlands Trains services.

There will be one train every two hours between Sheffield and Retford. The first train from Sheffield is at 6.38am. The last train from Retford is at 6.57pm.

There will be one train every two hours between Lincoln Central and Retford. The first train from Lincoln Central is at 8.22am. The last train from Retford is at 5.17pm.

Penistone Agricultural Show

There will be one direct service between Penistone and Sheffield during the morning and no afternoon service from Sheffield. The last train from Penistone to Sheffield is at 4.42pm.

There will be one train per hour to and from Barnsley during the morning and one train in the afternoon. The last train from Penistone to Barnsley is at 4.42pm.

There will be an hourly service between Penistone and Huddersfield during the morning and two trains in the afternoon. The last train from Penistone to Huddersfield is at 3.17pm.

All customers are advised to check before travelling and, where necessary, may want to seek alternative modes of transport. Check the Northern Rail website for more details about all services affected. 

Why are the strikes taking place? 

The owner of Northern Rail, Arrival Rail North, a subsidiary of the German national railway Deutsche Bahn, wants to operate driver-only services with automatic doors, a move RMT argues is putting profits before public safety. 

RMT general secretary, Mick Cash, said: “RMT committed to talks in good faith with Northern, but instead of making progress towards a settlement that matches the best practice in the rail industry as negotiated elsewhere, the company have opted instead to play fast and loose, making a mockery of the exercise.

“Our reps know when they are being strung along and it’s that attitude from the company that has forced us to announce this next phase of action. 

“RMT members on Arriva Rail North have been in dispute for well over a year now in a battle to put public safety before private profit and we are angry and frustrated that a genuine opportunity to reach an agreement has been kicked back by the company. 

Unions call for ‘summit’ to break deadlock over train guard row

“German-owned Northern Rail want to run nearly half a million trains a year without a safety critical guard on board in a move that would wreck both safety and access ‎to services and they should listen to their front-line staff and pull back from that plan immediately. 

“RMT recently secured an agreement on Greater Anglia that enshrines the guard guarantee. Similar agreements have also been reached in Wales and Scotland. Arriva Rail North need to do the right thing and come to an agreement that secures a guard on their trains too.”

In a statement to The Independent, Richard Allan, deputy managing director of Northern, said: “The RMT’s announcement of yet more strike action is disappointing and frustrating. This will be a blow for our customers.

“It comes despite Northern proposing and entering into a joint working party with RMT on the future of the on-board role. We have agreed a terms of reference for those talks, agreed to discuss the RMT’s preferred outcome first and then held four days of talks with RMT in recent weeks. 

“Northern is doing everything possible to find a solution to the RMT’s dispute and maintains that talking costs nothing, whilst strike action causes inconvenience to customers and damages the case for long-term investment in rail.” 

Where can I find more information?

All passengers are advised to check the Northern Rail website and social media before travelling. Where possible, passengers may wish to consider alternative modes of transport.  

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