A History of the Railways of Northamptonshire by Peter Butler

This was an impulse purchase, I was in W.H. Smiths looking for a suitable birthday present for a family member when I happened to spot this book and I couldn't resist it. It is a small book with a big price but it is packed with information and it has the best collection of pictures that I have come across. My husband loves everything to do with trains and I am interested in Railway history so our house is full of railway book. We have a number on the subject of Northamptonshire's railway history, most are bigger and glossier, but none are better. This book enabled me to put the pieces together, to visualise how things used to be and to understand how those tantalising little architectural clues that still remain fitted in. I have longed to find pictures of the layout of the old St John's station in Northampton and this book has provide those pictures. It also contains a view of the Bridge Street station platform and a shot of the lovely old Castle Station building and the hideous cattle shed that replaced it. It is a book that I will return to again and again, it was expensive but it is well worth it.

A History of the Railways of Northamptonshire

My Railway Memories

Memories

My husband likes to claim that he is a 'toy boy' he is younger than me but it is not such a massive gap really, just ten years. I think whoever said that a younger man keeps you young should probably read my other blog, I have gained a few grey hairs since Robbie and I got together, but we are good together. The only time the age difference really becomes noticeable is when we talk about our childhood. I was born in the 1960's and he was born in the 1970's, so our memories of children's television and toys and games are very different. Robbie loved his Tonka toys, Hornby trains and Corgi cars, I have happy memories of my Tiny Tears, my Britain's Farm and my Mousetrap game. My favourite outside toys were a space hopper, pogo stick and roller skates, Robbie loved his bike, a Grifter then a BMX.The other day we watched a television program about the 100 best loved kids television programs. It brought back lots of happy memories including Ivor the Engine, Noggin the Nog, Magpie, Camberwick Green; Robbie liked Bod and lots of things that I had never seen. All this talk about childhood made me feel very nostalgic so I think I am going to treat myself to a book about the 1960's or 70's, I was surprised to find that there are so many to choose from.

Railway Nostalgia

My husband Robbie is obsessed with all things to do with the railways and he loves collecting railway books. I can't say that all his books interest me, but I am interested in history and I found this series of books fascinating. There are lots of photos and plenty of information, but they are the sort of books that you can dip into when you only have a few minutes to spare.