Thursday26th June - Crowded House

Good morning to you all,

The weekend was a busy one what with the Cranmore 150 event and a trip to Westonbirt Arboretum to watch Crowded House in the middle of it all.

The weather held off throughout, just. We had an occasional threat of a shower but, luckily, the odd patch of drizzle was all that happened.

The Cranmore 150 event went really well with around 5,000 visitors to the Merehead Rail Sidings to look at a multitude of trains, including the steam trains Kinlet Hall and the Black Prince. Wildlife artist and steam train enthusiast David Shepherd was there on the Sunday, riding the footplate on the Black Prince. I did take some 3d's of the event so look out for them in the coming weeks. As for my photos in the Railway magazines, well I have sent some off but no news as yet.

Crowded House were fantastic. I got into their music whilst back-packing around Canada in 1991. Unfortunately, by the time I got around to saving up for a ticket to see them live the band broke up. Since then I'd been following lead singer Neil Finn's solo career, along with his Finn Brothers output, and seeing him live instead. When I met my future wife I introduced her to the Crowded House and Finn sound, and she liked it, so we'd go off to the concerts together. I ended up proposing to my wife at a Finn Brothers concert at the Royal Albert Hall a few years ago. So it was a real treat for both of us to see the band back together again.

I made an appearance in my local newspaper last week. Last Thursday's Shepton Mallet Journal featured a small article about the 3d website, it also included a photograph of me. Click here if you'd like a look. Unfortunately the photographers report was altered before it went to press and some of the information is incorrect, but overall I was happy to get some publicity for the site.

This weeks update is of Hatch Beauchamp along with the third and final instalment for St Omer. Next week will see the start of a six week special on the Isle of Wight.

That's all for now folks. Have a good weekend wherever you are.