OK, I admit that my blog posts have been a bit morose of late!

I put it down to losing four good people in the last four months and getting totally p****d off about it! I’m kind of funeral’d out.

So it’s time to celebrate life a bit, French style through food!

Here at Dookes H.Q. we are incredibly lucky to have a reasonably large and productive slab of Cornwall, it’s something I never take for granted either….even when I’m on the never ending task of cutting the grass!

Anyway, getting to the point, I just realised that just about everything I have eaten today has come from our plot of land, which is great and gives me a nice feeling somewhere between smug and humble.

So here’s the menu:
Breakfast; Soft fruit, raspberries and strawberries.

Lunch; Hard boiled eggs and salad. Yes we keep a few chickens as well.
Supper; Globe artichokes followed by more fruit.

Yes I know, I’m a lucky sod…but better go cut the grass again!

Dookes.

It’s that time of year again, when the Plymouth Chapter goes to Looe for Fish and Chips!

With the weather clerk continuing to be kind, we mustered at Trerulefoot and about thirty Harley Davidsons rumbled into town for a fish supper at the famous Kelly’s Chippy, where we took over the upstairs restaurant!

The obligatory ice cream followed as we walked through the narrow streets to the beach and then made our separate ways home as the golden orb sun set. What a superb evening!

Harley amongst friends.

Dookes

When I was in France I posted the sad news of the death of “Transplant” Andy Marriott, a much loved member of the HOG Plymouth Chapter.

Today was his funeral and he was accompanied on his final journey through the sunny streets of Plymouth by an escort of twenty four Harley Davidson motorcycles.

Quite a send off, but not the day for photographs.

Christine, Peter and Jenna, you are in our thoughts and hearts.

Andy, we’ll miss you, keep the rubber down, the shiny side up and ride free.

Dookes

Railway preservationists the world over have a reputation for a special sense of humour! You have to have, to volunteer for some of the really grotty jobs!

So when I spotted this at a petrol station near to the Vivarais in Lemastre, I had to share it with you….

With less foam, less deposits and less pollution; the new fuel is…….

Coal!

Love it!

Dookes

Right ho, now back at Dookes HQ and to be honest still absolutely knackered!

Last week, when Harley and I passed through Lamastre, I briefly commented on the Chemin de Fer du Vivarais. This 33km long narrow gauge railway is a surviving branch of what what once a much bigger network that bisected the Vivarais Plateau on the Eastern side of the Massif Central. At it’s peak the system carried over 600,000 passengers and 170,000 tonnes of freight per year. Inevitably, two world wars and the growth of cheap road transport took it’s toll and by the 1960’s the system was terminally doomed…. However, the example of preservation schemes in the UK inspired enthusiasts in France to save two sections of the Vivarais.

The longest section is that from Tournon sur Rhône to Lamastre and since 1968 it has been a big tourist attraction in this part of France. Unfortunately in recent years the project has been financially suffering And a couple of years ago services were suspended. Fortunately, the enlightened Regional Government has recognised the value of the railway to the local economy and has been supporting work to reopen the railway. I am delighted to report that the reopening is planned for September this year.

When I looked in at the line’s base in Lamastre it was buzzing with activity. Piles of new sleepers were stacked everywhere; rolling stock was being painted; a works train was shunting the yard; track gangs were busy fettling the rails; the main loco/stock shed had been rebuilt; the smell of new paint was in the air and it was rumoured that one of the steam loco’s was off down the line on a test run! All excellent news…I can’t wait to return for a trip!

Anyway, pics. The works train.

Painting a remorque.

There’s only one reason for that much coal!

Everything looking business like.

Further north is another preserved section of the CFV, running from St Agreve to Tence. This is a separate operation altogether and is mainly operated by historic diesel railcars, though it does see some steam occasionally. Nothing happening at St Agreve when we passed through, but the place was very tidy and the rails polished with use.

Railcars in the shed.

I think that’s a Bugatti at the back.

So there you are. Railway preservation / tourist railways French style; looks like it’s all in safe hands. If I get back when things are in steam, I’ll blog it, promise!

Hear that whistle callin’, all down the line.

Dookes