An uncommonly good day out.

   After the heady excitement of Collectomania and the impending move into the new studio Hazel and I decided to have a little time together. Haze has been reading an excellent book called "Far from the sodding crowd" alternatively titled "More uncommonly British days out. It covers 45 uncommon days out in the UK. 

  


One of the days out was Papplewick Pumping Station which is half way between Nottingham and Mansfield. Click HERE for their website. The pumping station has a two majestic beam pumps in full working order. They were in steam the day we went.

You can roam round the engine room and get up close the working machinery. Equally as interesting is the boiler room that provide the steam for the engines. It has six Lancashire boilers! The whole station was constructed with the style, confidence and pride in Victorian municipal engineering.



 
  

 The station and environs have been lovingly restored to the height of its form glory. Just to make things perfect the local model boat club was running its models round the lake in the bright sunshine and the local model steam railway club were running rides behind miniture steam locomotive. On the day we were there you could take a tour round the the underground reservoir. Don't concern yourself it is dry as it is no longer used as a reservoir.

 

 
















    The station has a smithy which is run by David Gill. He is a farrier as well as a general Blacksmith. I had a long chat with him about his work and my work. We had a chat about his bellows too. Click HERE for David's website. When I was a just leaving school I fancied being a Farrier but 1970's Manchester did not have oppertunities a Farrier's apprentice.

  Don't tell everyone but I would recomend Papplewick Pumping Station for an uncommon day out. Check their website for the days it is in steam.