UKRJ S1 Ep 10 Through the West Midlands to Crewe

Through the West Midlands to Crewe – UK Rail Journeys Series 1 – Episode 10

The second day of The Welsh Dragon continues as we continue our journey through the West Midlands to Crewe. We are not following the planned route along the Welsh coast because someone crashed into a bridge. Instead we are taking a long route from Shrewsbury to Crewe.

Our four and a half hour journey allows every passenger to eat a full Sunday Lunch before we arrive and join the coaches taking us to our hotels.

Click on a ‘thumbnail’ to view the photographs that accompany this podcast:
Towards Maindee junction:

We continue our journey through Maindee Junction, just to the west of Newport, where we have to wait for a train from Cardiff to pass.

The junction takes us on to the line towards Gloucester that we travelled on yesterday.

Along the River Severn:

Our Class 47 locomotive from West Coast Railways pulls us north as we travel along the Severn on a beautiful day with stunning scenery.

Through the West Midlands:

We climb the Lickey Incline on our approach to Birmingham and the West Midlands. This area is the cradle of the Industrial Revolution.

As we enter Birmingham we pass the amazing Curzon Street Station, the original Birmingham terminus of the line to London Euston. The station originally opened in 1838 and finally closed to passengers in 1893.

Goods traffic used the station until 1966.

We then cause a stir as we pass through Birmingham New Street station, then, after passing through Wolverhampton station, we cross the BOC site in Lower Walsall Street on a viaduct.

On to our destination:

Our journey then takes us through Stafford and Stoke on Trent before reaching Crewe where we transfer to coaches to take us to our hotels. I’m staying in Caernafon at the Premier Inn for three nights.

Links:

To visit the Steam Dreams website please follow  this link.

This podcast is also available through Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, Castbox , Deezer, Podchaser, Spotify, Stitcher and Vurbl and others.

Music:

AKM Music has licensed Steam Railway and The 60’s Searching for the 60’s for use in this podcast.

© The MrT Podcast Studio 2022

Songhai Empire – TH2021 Ep13

Season 2021 – Talk 13 – The Songhai Empire

In The Songhai Empire David Simpson tells us the story of the greatest Empire on the African continent.

Click a thumbnail below to view the image gallery that accompanies the talk.

Where was it?

The empire dominates to the west of Sudan in the 15th and 16th century. The largest Empire in Africa at its peak. The name is derived from its leading ethnic group and ruling elite, the Songhai.

The state came into existence in the 11th Century centred on its capital, Gao. By the 13th Century Gao grows through trading and attracts the interest of the Mali empire which then conquers Gao towards the end of the century.

A hundred years later the Mali empire disintegrates and the Songhai gain control.

Expansion:

Sonni Ali rules the Empire between 1464 and 1492. It sounds as though he was not a pleasant person, indeed a tyrant!

He is a military strategist and has success in his conquests and takes Timbuktu in 1468 and the trading city of Dejenne in 1473 after a seven year siege.

His son only rules from 1492 to 1493 as he is overthrown by Askia Mohammad.

Askia Mohammad – known as Askia the Great:

He is one of Sonni’s generals. He takes power and institutes political and economic reforms across the empire.

When he dies there are coups and plots amongst his descendants leading to a decline in the empire.

Listen to the podcast and hear David tell the full story.

Please note:

This podcast is a recording of a talk given at the Farnham Maltings and, because of the acoustics in the room, there is a slight echo.

About this podcast:

This podcast is an edited recording of a talk first given to the Farnham u3a World History Group.

The Farnham u3a site is found here.

You can also listen using Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, Castbox , Deezer, Podchaser, Spotify, Stitcher and Vurbl and others.

AKM Music licenses Media Magazine for use as the theme music.

© The MrT Podcast Studio and Farnham u3a World History Group 2018 – 2022

Day 2 We start our Mystery Tour UKRJ S1 Ep09

Day 2 – We start our Mystery Tour – UK Rail Journeys Series 1 – Episode 9

The second day of The Welsh Dragon begins in Shrewsbury station where we start our Mystery Tour. Sadly we are not following the planned route along the Welsh coast because someone has crashed into a bridge.

We are travelling by a long route to Crewe. Our four and a half hour journey will allow every passenger to eat a full Sunday Lunch before we get arrive. We start by retracing our steps along the Welsh Marches line on our journey from Shrewsbury.

Click on a ‘thumbnail’ to view the photographs that accompany this podcast:
Shrewsbury station:

The ‘mock Tudor’ railway station reflects the style of the Shrewsbury School building opposite. The platforms extend over the River Severn.

Just to the south of the station is the Severn Bridge junction signal box. This signal box, built in 1903, is in the centre of a triangle that enables locomotives to turn round.

The signal box is the largest mechanical signal box in the world and has 180 levers. 89 of these are still in use.

On to the Welsh Marches line:

We set off south, retracing our route of yesterday. A Class 47 locomotive from the West Coast Railways fleet pulls our train today. It is a beautiful day and the scenery is stunning.

All around me I can hear bottles being opened and the sound of clinking glasses as our first course comes out of the kitchen.

Onward to Craven Arms:

We speed towards Craven Arms, the train hiccups and then we come to a complete halt. Apparently one of the traction motors has caught fire. The locomotive crew put the fire out and isolate the traction motor.

We resume our journey under reduced power.

I hope that you’ve enjoyed this podcast. If so, please join me in a couple of weeks time and find out whether the Welsh Dragon can make it up in the Lickey Incline with our injured locomotive.

Links:

To visit the Steam Dreams website please follow  this link.

This podcast is also available through Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, Castbox , Deezer, Podchaser, Spotify, Stitcher and Vurbl and others.

Music:

AKM Music has licensed Steam Railway and The 60’s Surf 66 and Joseph McDade has licensed The Tavern for use in this podcast.

© The MrT Podcast Studio 2022