6 Wonderful Train Journeys for Visitors to Britain

By Derin Clark

As the birthplace of modern rail travel it is no wonder that Britain has some of the best train journeys in the world, making it an ideal relaxing holiday destination for retirees. The UK’s rail network covers some of the wildest and most remote parts of the island, along with picturesque landscapes that the nation is famous for.

This, together with the fact that train travel in Britain is relatively cheap, makes it the perfect form of transport for international tourists – even if you’re on a budget. To give you an idea of what you would be missing if you passed up the opportunity to explore Britain by rail, here are half a dozen fantastic British train journeys:

 
Far North Line

The Far North Line is the most northern train line on mainland Britain. The track connects Inverness to Wick in Scotland and the route passes through some of Scotland’s wildest and most remote areas. Most of the line follows the coast and there are times when the train is almost next to the shore, making this one of the most desolately beautiful journeys in Britain, as well as touching on the least populated areas of mainland Britain.

Perfect For: This route is ideal for those wanting to escape the tourist crowds and see some of Britain’s wildest and most remote regions.

Tyne Valley Line

This 60 mile train line connects the city of Newcastle upon Tyne in the east of England with the Cumbrian city, Carlisle, in the west. This is the oldest coast-to-coast passenger line in the UK and was completed in 1838. The line not only connects the east and west of northern England, but also follows sections of Hadrian’s Wall, which was built 2000 years ago by the Romans. Along with its history, this route provides views of northern England’s picturesque countryside.

Perfect For: If you need to get from the east of England to the west and want some stunning scenery with a bit of history thrown in, then this is the route for you. 

The Bittern Line

Named after a rare bird found in the Norfolk wetlands, The Bittern Line is one of the most scenic routes in the east of England. The line connects the city of Norwich with Sheringham, a popular town on the North Norfolk coast. Along the way the route passes parts of the Norfolk Broads, as well as Norfolk’s wild, open, and sometimes bleak, countryside. 

Perfect For: This route is ideal for those who love the outdoors, as North Norfolk is a great location to indulge in activities such as  hiking, cycling and sailing.

The Heart of Wales

Journey through the stunning Welsh countryside well known for its rolling hills, picturesque valleys and tranquil streams. This single-track route takes passengers through the centre of Wales while also connecting nearly 30 rural towns along the way.

Perfect For: This train line is great for those wanting to explore deeper into the Welsh countryside.

Exeter-Penzance

The Exeter-Penzance line takes in some of the most scenic parts of Devon and Cornwall coast and is described as one of the finest routes in Britain. This train journey takes passengers through landscape that include sandy beaches, small fishing villages and rugged cliff edges. As well as this, it is the perfect starting off point for visiting Devon and Cornwall, two of Britain’s most laid-back and trendy counties.

Perfect For: Those who want to discover England’s most popular coastal towns, villages and countryside.

North Yorkshire Moors Railway

Have you ever dreamt of travelling on an old-fashioned steam engine? If so, head up to Yorkshire where you can book a seat on one of the steam engines that regularly travel on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway. Although tickets are a bit pricey, the cost usually includes a lunch or dinner, along with the chance to travel on a unique train through the famous Yorkshire Moors.

Perfect For: Those who have always wanted to experience the golden age of rail travel.

About the author

Derin Clark is a journalist and writer. She often writes about travel and holidays, and has been published across a range of magazines and websites. 

All photos are compliments of Train Chartering and Private Rail Cars.

County Homes, Books and me (of course)!

Country Homes:
I was looking at magazines today and thinking about what we will come next for us. My husband and I are always dreaming of little changes.  After a wonderful 4th of July spent with my family in our little home, I came away feeling that this place is important to our family because it tells the story of their life. They see little pieces of their history each time they cross the threshold.

Ice cream table from my grandfather's country grocery

I suppose that is why I am thinking about decorating with things I have stored away. I have always wondered what it would be like to live in a home put together by a decorator. In the end though, I know that what I have is all about the way I live. The Roseville pottery was owned by my grandmother and mother. The Little Red Riding Hood cookie jar was a gift from an aunt when I was a child. Pictures painted on glass graced the wall of an ancestor. Even the toys in the toy box were played with by children that are now nearing 50.

Don't bet me wrong, I am not a hoarder. I give things to my children so that they might treasure them as I have. But still, there is always plenty for everyone. I love my country garden my husband has built for me and will tell stories about each plant, where I bought it or how long I have been moving it from one house to the next.

My beautiful country home is just that because we use what we have always used but in different ways. We love it.

Books:
We have just returned from a trip to Barnes and Noble. I don't care how much I use my Kindle, there is something about a real book that speaks to me. Barbara Kingsolver has a new book out called Flight Behavior: A Novel (P.S.)that is beautiful. The jacket has a sleeve that folds inside like a hard cover book cover. I didn't buy it but I was tempted because I liked the feel of it in my hand.

I picked up several others, some that I have on my Kindle already. It was reassuring to see a printed copy for some reason. Among those was The Amazing Life of Henrietta Lacks  and Gone Girl: A Novel. Both were notable books that Barnes and Noble had on their tables. I enjoyed both of these books but for very different reasons.

Then I saw Cleopatra: A Life written by Stacy Schiff. The author wrote the Pulitzer Prize winning book Vera (Mrs. Vladimir Nabokov) and I am hoping this one is equally as good.


While I am at it I may as well mention my obsession with the writers of our constitution. I have read John Adams by Davic McCullough(beyond excellent), Benjamin Franklin: An American Life by Walter Isaacson (author of Steve Jobs biography) and am in the process of reading Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power by John Meacham. This is a great way to read books like this, each written by a different author with a different style about men that lived and worked during the same era. Jefferson was very young, John Adams was middle aged and Franklin old. What a lesson these books are teaching me!

Me:
I am having a great summer...I hope you are too.

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Duct Tape to the Rescue

Survive Your Husband's Retirement

      The first time I realized that my husband’s retirement was going to prove challenging for me was the day he told me how to load the washing machine.

      He was a good husband, but over the forty plus years we had been married, it’s probably safe to guess that he hadn’t done more than forty––possibly fifty––loads of wash. This made me wonder what made him an expert on the proper way to load a pile of smelly clothes so the washing machine didn’t make funny noises in the spin cycle.

      At one point in his career he had served as the Director of Operations for a manufacturing company, but I didn’t think it qualified him to direct washing machine operations. Proper use of a home washing machine takes experience, and I had more of that than I cared to remember––my kids were allergic to disposal diapers.

      After wondering about “hubby’s” audacity in attempting to instruct me on the rudiments of daily clothes washing, I remembered the comment of a high school classmate. He told me that his retirement went  smoothly as long as he remembered to duct tape his mouth. Now I understood!

      When a husband retires, the opportunity to give instructions (or orders) to others goes the way of the paycheck, and he needs to find something to do with all the his acquired knowledge. Often he shares it with his wife, whether she wants it or not. I think my classmate offered the perfect solution if a husband’s desire to share his wisdom becomes oppressive. Surely, a dose or two of duct tape on a slightly bearded face would get the message across! Duct tape even comes in colors––pink, red, white, several blues, yellow...and can be special ordered with a college insignia.

      Since my husband retired, I’ve been studying the changes that occur in marriage when a husband retires. My purpose was first to understand why our relationship changed so dramatically in this stage of life. Then, having accumulated interesting information, I realized that my research might provide a life line to sanity for other women with retired husbands. Duct Tape is one of the more outlandish solutions I’ve come across, but take heart women with retired husbands, life will get better once he learns the ropes of retirement.

PS: When I googled to check color choices for this famous tape, I learned that you could make roses with duct tape.  If you’re looking for something to calm your nerves or for something to do around the house that he may not choose to supervise this could be an answer.

Guest Blogger: Nora Hall is a writer with a retired husband, and that’s why she wrote the book, Survive Your Husbands Retirement. The book will be published later this month. For more information see www.surviveyourhusbandsretirement.com

Fourth of July...special in so many ways!

This on is for our beautiful grandson Ethan M. Hormans, USMC.

I may have told this before but I am going to say it again...I LOVE THE 4TH OF JULY! My youngest sons was born on the 5th and I was in labor all day on the 4th that year.  My great-grandmother's birthday was on the 4th of July. My mother and father had their very first day on the 4th of July.

I seems to me that the birth of a nation and a family benchmark is enough to make a person want to light sparklers and march to John Phillip Sousa. But then that is just me!

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Ethan and his mother and father...proud parents!

Oregon Backroads: Eastern Oregon where the west was won!

For those people that have lived in Oregon all their lives, Eastern Oregon is all that land east as the freeway (I-84) leaves the Columbia River. This is the place where the Oregon Trail passed and battles with native American left marks on the land and the Homesteaders dropped their belongings on dry hillsides with such high hopes.

Range lands is still precious and well guarded.

As you travel east on I-84  through the Cascades along the Columbia River and over the Blue Mountains toward that far edge of the state not only does the landscape change, the culture and the feeling for time is altered. In some ways the west was never won in this part of the world.

A school friend of mine, Gary Langley, sent me a letter yesterday with a description of a ranch, his family owns in Baker County. They have decided to sell the land. He spent part of his childhood on the Homesteaded ranch his grandfather claimed in 1917.  His father, mother and a brother lived in a two room house with no electricity and no running water. A pitcher pump pulled water from a well probably dug in the early 20 century.

My Grandparents Elsie and Ira Langley built that cabin as was required in order to be given a 160 acre homestead by Woodrow Wilson in 1917...They had to grow hay and raise cattle for 5 years to own the land outright....Or they could live there for 1 yr. and pay $1.25 an acre to own it outright. The cabin had 2 rooms splitting the cabin in half...1/2 a communal bedroom and the other 1/2 for cooking and living. There was a bull snake that lived in the house and kept mice and rattlesnakes away. 

It was a hard life with no indoor plumbing, electricity and only a well with a pump for drinking and cooking water. The crick (Clear Creek) ran year around from a very strong spring called Try Spring. The water ran the whole distance of the property and provided irrigation for the 4 small fields used for growing hay to feed the cattle in the winter. The barn (almost fallen down by now) housed 4 work horses that pulled horse drawn machinery for doing the processing of the hay to be stacked for the winter feeding season. 

The only access to the ranch was a wagon road in which we came down the hill with a team of horses pulling a wagon that Walter and I sat in a wash tub in the back of the wagon to get up and down the hill. 

Grandfather was assassinated by a disgruntled and crazy fellow rancher in Dec of 1918. Grandma moved off the ranch and it was not until 1944 that dad and his brother went back to ranching again.In 1945 Mom, Dad, Walter and I moved in and ranched for a year or so until I had to go to school.

Gary revisited this land last week with family members and a neighboring rancher. One family member was thinking he could live there and not have to bother with other people...then he saw how hard it was to find and opted out. The woman rancher, 79 years old, carried a sharpened shovel to lean on when walking and to kill rattlesnakes with. Time in nature is not recognized and the perils are much the same as they have always been. The hike into the homestead took two hours. The hills in this part of the world are very steep...when a person from the Northwest says "steeper than a cows face" that is just what they mean.

While I would drive on the back roads on this part of the country, I would never open a gate or trespass on land. It is "the law of the west" and you should pay attention. Ranchers need to protect their herds and land.

Map here for area. This is Rye Valley Road going up Dixie Creek.

For locals that live between Baker City and Ontario, the Langley ranch is located off of Dixie Creek up a county road called Rye Valley Lane. There is an exit sign on the freeway and the road would eventually carry you through Mormon Basin to Burnt River Canyon road.  There are remnants of hydro gold mining in Rye Valley and a small creek flows down a narrow canyon.

My great grandparents owned a ranch along the creek where my great grandmother ran the ranch with the help of her brother and a son. They probably were homesteaders. Life was so hard for this little woman. Her son was dragged to death by a horse and his grave is on that land. The brother was killed by a train coming home from a weekend drunken spree in Huntington.

Pioneer Gravestone in Baker City (?) Durbin Creek runs near Huntington.

Clear Creek originates on the property at Try Spring.

Homesteaded granted by Woodrow Wilson in 1917

Woodpeckers had a field day on the side of the old house. The holes were there when my friend lived in the house in the 1940's.

Along US I-84 as you pass an old mining operation and cement plant in a place that used to be called Lime, a small cemetery sits along the hillside. Gary's family is buried there. It is west of the mine and on the north side of the road. If you were to visit, the tomb stones are probably still standing to this day.  There is another similar cemetery on the hill going east as you leave Huntington. Many of my family rest there.

The little river that runs near the freeway is the Burnt River. It is a muddy and polluted little waterway that flows into the Snake River just east of Huntington. I was raised in this little community back in a day when small towns like it across America were a safe place for children and fathers worked all their lives at the same job.

Huntington was home to my family when the Union Pacific Railroad was just arriving in the late 19th century. At the turn of the 20th century it boasted more than 10 whore houses with equally as many saloons. The wild west was alive and well in those days. My grandmother worked at the local mercantile and her parents were immigrants from Sweden. My great grandfather was a foreman on the railroad and supervised construction of the bridges that connected the railroad with the rest of the state.

Note: I hear that Howell's Cafe in Huntington is still serving a mean pizza. Check it out for me will you please?

Life without running water, no indoor plumbing and a wagon ride to get home is what my generation in Eastern Oregon have experienced. Swinging bridges crossed creeks and outhouses dotted the countryside. While most of my mid-western friends were working in department stores or riding roller skates at the local drive-in during the 50's, we were still marveling at the wonders of the modern world. Time had passed us by it seemed.

I, however, lived in town and even though our little house was only about 800 square feet, we had all of the amenities. TV came to our house in about 1955. It was a window to the world for us. That was when our lives really began to catch up with the 20th century.

So, if you are interested in seeing the remnants of a third world country very close to home, take yourself across Oregon from west to east. You can go down the freeway but better yet, go through Bend towards Burns or travel east and south to Harney County. Leave the freeway at Durkey and travel up the Burnt River Canyon toward Unity. Find a campground, fish in Unity Reservoir. I see there is a state camp ground there.

True, things have changed a lot over a 100+ years but if you squint your eyes and block out the power lines as you pass an abandoned house beside the road, you can almost hear and see families scratching a living from the land. You will hear sounds of unrelenting hardship mixed with the simple joy of being alive in a time when anything was possible and land was free.

I do love the State of Oregon.

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Note: The pictures were given to me by Gary Langley. I am grateful for that.

Bad Memory? It's the doors fault!

Maybe you have seen this information before. If you have, go away or forget you were here. Just don't let the virtual door hit you on the bottom. According to some very big research, that will cause forgetfulness. I'm just saying! :)

In a study called Walking through doorways causes forgetting: Situation models and experienced space by GABRIEL A. RADVANSKY University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana and DAVID E. COPELAND University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, Mississippi investigated how the mind retrieves information as a person enters and leaves rooms virtually. The opening paragraph for the research paper went like this:

We investigated the ability of people to retrieve information about objects as they moved through rooms in a virtual space. People were probed with object names that were either associated with the person (i.e., carried) or dissociated from the person (i.e., just set down). Also, people either did or did not shift spatial regions (i.e., go to a new room). Information about objects was less accessible when the objects were dissociated from the person. Furthermore, information about an object was also less available when there was a spatial shift. However, the spatial shift had a larger effect on memory for the currently associated object.(2010)

In other words, you don't recall things you see in a room (even virtually) unless you hold it in your hand. AND when you leave the room (even virtually) the door to the previous room closes and you are more apt to forget what you saw when you leave the room (spatial shift).

This accounts for the bizarre fact that we will walk from one room to the next on a quest and, once we cross the threshold, cannot for the life of us remember what we are doing in the next room. I personally have gone into the bedroom to find an object over and over only to turn around wondering what I was doing there. In my case, the door actually hits me on the bottom! Scientific American described the phenomena like this:

You're sitting at your desk in your office at home. Digging for something under a stack of papers, you find a dirty coffee mug that’s been there so long it’s eligible for carbon dating.  Better wash it. You pick up the mug, walk out the door of your office, and head toward the kitchen.  By the time you get to the kitchen, though, you've forgotten why you stood up in the first place, and you wander back to your office, feeling a little confused—until you look down and see the cup.

It is reassuring to know this because, as we age, it is a temptation to blame aging or some horrible disease. Nothing is wrong and it is the door's fault. Don't you just love research. Really!

Have a wonderful day.

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Resource:
Walking through doorways causes forgetting...., GABRIEL A. RADVANSKY University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana and DAVID E. COPELAND University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, Mississippi

Scientific American,  Why walking through a doorway makes you forget., Charles B. Brennerand Jeffrey M. Zacks

Retirement Doesn’t Mean Forget the Mirror

Style is an expression of individualism mixed with charisma.  Fashion is something that comes after style. – John Fairchild
 

Staying at home with small children was my first taste of a retirement-type of life away from the business world. I saw no reason to style my hair, put on makeup or care about my clothing every day…in fact, I rationalized away many efforts on the part of friends to get me to do otherwise. In my mind, each day was just a small segment of time…The only people who see me are babies and toddlers and they don’t care…

Guest Blogger Pam Lutrell of
Over 50 Feeling 40.

The small segments of time became weeks, months, years….until I completely lost myself and my self- esteem.  Looking in the mirror was discouraging at best. I understand the temptations of time spent at home.  I understand how we can believe there is really no reason to put the effort into our appearance. But, even if the person you see the most every day is only in the mirror…that is reason enough. We must do it for ourselves, because it does affect our confidence and our joy.

Now, I am not speaking about sitting at your kitchen table day after day dressed in Prada and wearing your Jimmy Choos. I have seen amazing women of a certain age who have gorgeous silver hair; a glowing complexion from well- cared- for skin; little makeup; jeans, a black tee shirt, and bare feet, and they looked better than some on the fashion scene.

But, they still put effort into skincare, exercise, healthy eating, a flattering hairstyle and clothes that fit their bodies.  It takes effort no matter your personal style. Here are some thoughts to keep in mind:

1.     Spend time each morning to look your best…even if your day only includes your home.

2.     Spend time each morning to look your best for running errands.  You will enjoy those errands more, meet new people, receive great service, and find yourself SMILING throughout the day.

3.     Spend time each morning to look your best to combat depression. We can achieve just about anything when we like ourselves inside and out.

4.     Spend time each morning to look your best for YOU. You are your best friend.  Spending time away from the career world becomes easier if you like the person you spend the majority of your time with.

5.     Spend time each morning to look your best so you face anything with CONFIDENCE and JOY.  You may be volunteering your time…vacationing…playing tennis…hosting an event. Anything goes better and is more enjoyable when we are confident.   

There is a huge temptation to give in and think retirement means we no longer have to care or try. Relax…who cares…no one will see you… Au contraire, ladies. Retirement can also mean empowerment if we continue to put our best foot forward and treat NUMBER 1 with respect and care. Guest Blogger: Pam Lutrell, from Over 50 Feeling 40. Pam is a lifestyle/fashion blogger who writes about fashion for women over 50. (from Generation Fabulous)