Echills Wood Railway - Standard Gauge Weekend 2016:
Again, this 7.25 gauge railway host it's annual 'Standard Gauge' extravaganza of miniature engineering over a three day weekend.
Although a member I was only able to spend a few hours there today filming activities within and around the loco shed area and nearby Harvesters Station & it's approaches. Sufficient I hope to show just a small selection of locomotives in operation, apart from EWR members, many owners travel considerable distances to enjoy this event & to enjoy themselves with family & friends. Speaking of friends, it was good to catch up with friends & fellow YouTubers Chris & Rosie Woolston (Wooltman) and fellow EWR friends not seen for a while.
For further info on the EWR and events check out........
St Thomas Becket Fairfield Church, getting the key and exploring inside
Today i visited the Church of St Thomas Becket, Fairfield, in Kent. This is a tiny church in a beautiful but slightly strange setting: down an unsignposted country lane, in the middle of a field in Romney Marsh, surrounded by sheep, and miles from anywhere. To gain access, I had to park on the lane, find the key hanging by the back door of a nearby farmhouse, and then cross the marsh by a footpath, past grazing sheep
At the back of the church is a poem by Joan Warburg, published in Country Life in 1966. This captures the spirit of the place perfectly (and also refers to the floods in November 1960, when the church was, like Piglet, “Completely Surrounded by Water
St Thomas Becket, Fairfield
My parish is the lonely marsh,
My service at the water’s edge;
Wailing of sea-birds, sweet and harsh,
St Thomas Becket, Fairfield
The susurration of the sedge.
Bleating of a hundred sheep,
Where pilgrims and crusaders sleep.
I was too small a church to preach
The gospel to such mighty men;
I’d little Latin and could teach
But simple shepherds; now as then
I loved the frailest and the least,
Scattering words for bird and beast.
The humble hands that built me
Of solid wood and stone
To last throughout Eternity,
Eight hundred years are gone:
Buried beneath the Kentish sod,
And I must intercede with God.
One winter as I watched alone
The whole marsh lay in flood,
Salt waters lapped against my stone
Leaving great waves of mud.
Strange creatures swam for sanctuary,
As ark-like I withstood that sea.
So still I guard the coast and look
Beyond the sea, across the Downs.
I that was writ in Domesday book,
Have watched tall ships and towns
Spring up as flowers, and pass away
Within the fading of a day.
No-one comes to worship, yet
The feathery fronds of water weeds
Wave ghostly hands through grey sea fret:
The sedges and the singing reeds
Seem, as they supplicate and sway,
Murmorous spirits come to pray.
I am nothing but Thy house,
Empty stands the sacred porch;
Yet I can shelter shrew and mouse,
Light a glow-worm for Thy torch.
From a spider’s tapestry
Weave a splendour fit for Three
RH&DR (Part Two) 'Along The Line' - September 2014:
Following on from my previous RH&DR video 'The Journey', this equally long part two is seperated into the Loco/Train activity at various stations & locations 'Along The Line'!!
Due to the amount of footage available & the fact that the timetable together with loco changes preclude it, I have not attempted to achieve total continuity but to group the shots by location. I hope this does not detract from the enjoyment of just watching 'endless steam' (with a few diesels!) on this great little railway which every enthusiast should put on their 'things to do before I die list'!!!
I dedicate my efforts here to a young man who died following his dream whilst driving a locomotive at Burmarsh Road crossing in 2003, His Memorial can be seen at that location in this video & the poem inscribed is reproduced here...... R.I.P
FOR KEVIN CROUCH - ENGINE DRIVER
You drove an engine, a beautiful machine,
'Twas glowing and red, 'twas a childhood dream.
In 'Hercules' you rode the line,
A man of pride in your glorious prime.
You died so young we can barely believe,
And there are many here who will cry and grieve.
But it must be said, though this hour be tragic,
That you dwell in peace in a land of magic.
For you lived and died doing what you loved best,
And few men achieve this, the ultimate quest.
So rest in glory 'cos your legacy lives,
In this place of wonder, the best the world gives.
Jayl - Man 'O' The Marsh - August 2003
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