Cyril Haearn wrote:Walking to the boozer
1.Do you always go to the same place? Other railway journeys are available, towards Penistone for example
2.What I really want to know: why do you spend free time with colleagues from work? Surely you know them well enough already?
3.Who pays? I spend more time with colleagues at work than with friends and family, there are several colleagues I would cross the street to avoid
To answer your questions:-
1.This a new Winter thing once a month.In Summer we tend to have a couple of rides a month.The reason we are concentrating on the Hope Valley area is it's a starting point for those who haven't done any walking there and the choice is good.We may move onto the South Pennines at some point.It makes no difference to me but some of the lads want to explore the Hope Valley.
2.There are 10 of us on my shift and we all get on.I consider them friends as well as work mates(might be a Steel works thing?)only 6 of us regularly ride/walk/go out for a beer.We also have an annual weekend(usually mid-week on our shift pattern) away(London,Dublin,Lakes etc).Barcelona is our next planned trip.It makes work less of a chore when you have a laugh outside work.Three or four of them also go to Football matches and we've done a few Music gigs.
Yesterday two ex-work mates(retirees) also came with us
This is why I like what I do.It reminds me of the community feel of growing up in a mining village.
3.Pays?
I presume you don't mean who buys a round but on a social level?
Well as it's only once a month my immediate family hardly miss out.I've not seen or spoken to my parents in almost 12 years(long story) and I gave up on my brothers and sister when it occurred to me that none of them have ever been to my house and the only time I saw them is if I got in the car and drove over to them
I've not seen some of my "friends" in years as we all work very different shifts,some live in Lincoln,Ilkley,Los Angeles,Spain and Australia and sadly 5 of my childhood friends are no longer with us.We had a Class of 84 reunion a couple of Saturdays ago and some of my best mates from school were there.Most of them I haven't seen since.....1984
So really no one "pays" as due to my shift pattern I spend a lot of time not working and doing stuff with my family(especially cycling stuff with my son).I typically have 14-18 days off a month so we have plenty of family time
Yesterday was a one-off as we were including a few extra Xmas drink.Usually the walks are done in School hours so I'm back in time for my lad getting home.
@mjr.
The times I stated are correct whatever it says on the rail website.I actually arrived at Chapeltown at 20:35.
RE the Norwich train.When I first read it it said Huddersfield but I could have misread (or the Hudds train had left earlier)as you are correct as it then changed to Norwich,
The train we boarded and had to leave had "Leeds" on the front.Even the driver got on and looked bewildered to have to change trains!