Foxcote Manor again

On duty for a second consecutive day on the KESR, this time at Cranbrook Road level crossing. Regular readers of this journal will know about the day which consists of opening and closing the gates across the road to allow the trains to pass then retiring to the hut for 45 minutes of snoozing, ukulele practice, reading and blipping. Repeat 14 times during the day.

Today's shot is of the Foxey Lady drifting down the bank from Tenterden towards Rolvenden with the 15.35 ex Tenterden. Steep downhill gradient here, so no effort required by the Manor. On the way back is a different story when she has to put her back into the gradient (literally as she is going backwards) with a sharp, energetic bark from the exhaust that is thrilling to hear.

Maybe there will be one final photograph of the loco on Thursday when I'm back at Wittersham Road. Foxey Lady will be gone before my next turn later in August.

Had an interesting conversation with a couple of cyclists. Turned out that the chap was a former pupil at the first school I taught at in 1976. He chose to leave the sixth form at the very beginning of the year I started to join the police cadets. He's now retired and spends his time with his wife cycling the byways of Kent and Sussex. His wife used to live in Bearsted, not so far away from where we live now. Small world, we spent a while chewing the cud about teachers who, by and large are all long gone.