View From The Top
7 Jul 2013 06:36 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
curiouswombatWe are having some very nice weather at the moment. When my sister organised a church outing, yesterday, for afternoon tea in the cafe at the top of our only mountain, it might have been expected to be the only cloudy day in the week - but no! The sun shone!
My sister and I, and Dawn, our new minister, decided to travel from Douglas to the station at Laxey, where you get onto the Snaefell Mountain Railway 'trams', on the even older Manx Electric Railway, so more or less making a day of it.
So there are a lot of photos under the cut of the views from the top, one or two people, the Snaefell Mountain Railway - and a couple of odd notices I came across as we waited to change trams...
Jackie, Dawn and I travelled to Laxey in what we called 'the toast-rack' as children - the open car of an Manx Electric Railway tram. You can tell it was a warm day - Jackie and I have travelled on 'the tram' many times and know how cold it can be in the toast-racks! The MER opened in 1893 (apparently making it the first overhead-wire-powered electric railway in the world - or so Wikipedia says - it must be close to that anyway) - and some of the tram cars are actually that old - the one we travelled on was a little more modern - built about 1910!.
Taking pictures on the climb from sea-level to 2,036 feet above it is not an easy option as the tram has windows and it shakes and rattles - and anyway, I like to just look sometimes. But this is what the views from the top are like, as you see the whole island spread below you;
The line you can see on the lower hill-side in that ones is the line we came up.
Here is another picture, showing a tram coming up -
And here is one of the trams -
The mountain railway opened in 1895 - the trams are powered by the overhead electric wire, like the MER ones, but are helped to climb up the five mile route from the bottom of the valley by having a 3rd rail to engage an early type of rack and pinion system.
The silver line snaking away in that picture is the mountain road - famously part of the TT course, and one of my favourite bits of road.
I just love these two pictures - some people walked up the mountain rather than taking the tram - including 3 year old Baby B with her dad in the second one - and there is something very Sound of Music about these pictures -
And after we all had admired the views and chatted, we had a very satisfying afternoon tea - here is my sister, on the right, with three of our church friends -
When we got to Laxey we had to wait about 20 minutes for the tram back to Douglas. Dawn and I popped into the small church beside the station; but I didn't take any pictures inside it - actually I was more taken with two notices in the porch -
You have to read that first one carefully to see exactly what is going on - and it made me smile particularly as our own organist is on maternity leave - but we never thought of doing this! And the second one just made me smile -
Not a notice you often see in church!
Today was a special service in church, and I have photos, but I'll share them in a day or two.
Oh - and an enormous hurrah! of joy and relief for Andy Murray.
My sister and I, and Dawn, our new minister, decided to travel from Douglas to the station at Laxey, where you get onto the Snaefell Mountain Railway 'trams', on the even older Manx Electric Railway, so more or less making a day of it.
So there are a lot of photos under the cut of the views from the top, one or two people, the Snaefell Mountain Railway - and a couple of odd notices I came across as we waited to change trams...
Jackie, Dawn and I travelled to Laxey in what we called 'the toast-rack' as children - the open car of an Manx Electric Railway tram. You can tell it was a warm day - Jackie and I have travelled on 'the tram' many times and know how cold it can be in the toast-racks! The MER opened in 1893 (apparently making it the first overhead-wire-powered electric railway in the world - or so Wikipedia says - it must be close to that anyway) - and some of the tram cars are actually that old - the one we travelled on was a little more modern - built about 1910!.
Taking pictures on the climb from sea-level to 2,036 feet above it is not an easy option as the tram has windows and it shakes and rattles - and anyway, I like to just look sometimes. But this is what the views from the top are like, as you see the whole island spread below you;
The line you can see on the lower hill-side in that ones is the line we came up.
Here is another picture, showing a tram coming up -
And here is one of the trams -
The mountain railway opened in 1895 - the trams are powered by the overhead electric wire, like the MER ones, but are helped to climb up the five mile route from the bottom of the valley by having a 3rd rail to engage an early type of rack and pinion system.
The silver line snaking away in that picture is the mountain road - famously part of the TT course, and one of my favourite bits of road.
I just love these two pictures - some people walked up the mountain rather than taking the tram - including 3 year old Baby B with her dad in the second one - and there is something very Sound of Music about these pictures -
And after we all had admired the views and chatted, we had a very satisfying afternoon tea - here is my sister, on the right, with three of our church friends -
When we got to Laxey we had to wait about 20 minutes for the tram back to Douglas. Dawn and I popped into the small church beside the station; but I didn't take any pictures inside it - actually I was more taken with two notices in the porch -
You have to read that first one carefully to see exactly what is going on - and it made me smile particularly as our own organist is on maternity leave - but we never thought of doing this! And the second one just made me smile -
Not a notice you often see in church!
Today was a special service in church, and I have photos, but I'll share them in a day or two.
Oh - and an enormous hurrah! of joy and relief for Andy Murray.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 07/07/2013 05:52 pm (UTC)There is! What a beautiful day you had.
no subject
Date: 07/07/2013 06:08 pm (UTC)And yes - I am just so amused at how sound of Music those two pictures look. The sun was so bright that I couldn't see them properly in my camera - it was a bit 'point it in the right direction and hope for the best'!
no subject
Date: 07/07/2013 06:07 pm (UTC)*basks in equally nice weather*
no subject
Date: 07/07/2013 06:37 pm (UTC)This warm sunny weather is really rather nice, isn't it? We're having about 20C most days - although it was a bit cooler up there.
no subject
Date: 07/07/2013 06:19 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 07/07/2013 06:38 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 07/07/2013 06:21 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 07/07/2013 06:42 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 07/07/2013 06:58 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 07/07/2013 06:28 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 07/07/2013 06:44 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 07/07/2013 06:53 pm (UTC)- Erulisse (one L)
no subject
Date: 07/07/2013 07:13 pm (UTC)Morris, sitting with his wife (with the dark hair) was on crutches following knee surgery 2 months ago - but was one of the people who walked up from the road! So he looks well ready to tackle sandwiches, scones with jam and cream, and cakes!
no subject
Date: 07/07/2013 07:08 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 07/07/2013 07:24 pm (UTC)And isn't that organ sign cunning? I laughed when I realised what it was really saying!
no subject
Date: 07/07/2013 07:15 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 07/07/2013 07:26 pm (UTC)It does remind me, in parts, of Northumberland.
no subject
Date: 07/07/2013 08:42 pm (UTC)Also hee! at the toast rack!
no subject
Date: 07/07/2013 09:02 pm (UTC)We are clearly a breakfast island - with toast-racks attached to the trams and the sea terminal that is known as The Lemon Squeezer (http://www.flickr.com/photos/voirreys_pics/6089083451/)...
no subject
Date: 07/07/2013 09:17 pm (UTC)Your sister looks as if she was enjoying herself.
no subject
Date: 07/07/2013 09:45 pm (UTC)On a really clear day you can see the hills of both England, Scotland and Ireland - even Wales sometimes. But such clear days are rare, and we were fortunate to get as good a view as we did!
Jackie has the feeling of relief you get when something you have organised works out! As well as the pleasures of a nice tea to enjoy...
no subject
Date: 08/07/2013 02:28 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 08/07/2013 07:35 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 08/07/2013 03:08 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 08/07/2013 07:36 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 08/07/2013 03:59 am (UTC):)
I so want to visit your island!
One day...
no subject
Date: 08/07/2013 07:38 am (UTC)One day, indeed. You will be most welcome.
no subject
Date: 08/07/2013 06:29 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 08/07/2013 07:39 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 08/07/2013 01:35 pm (UTC)And congrats to Andy Murray! I didn't get to see the entire match but caught the end. Very exciting.
no subject
Date: 08/07/2013 05:15 pm (UTC)I felt so relieved for Andy Murray - now that he has finally won it people can just enjoy the fact that he is one of the world's very top players.
no subject
Date: 08/07/2013 03:22 pm (UTC)I can see why you would call it the toast rack, it looks already to take it's load of toast for a ride!
Your tram cars are very similar to the little trams that take tourists around San Diego, except not on the rails, we have the Tijuana Trolley, oops, pardon me the San Diego Trolley for that !
What a cheeky way to get some one to play for them!
Huggs,
Lynda
no subject
Date: 08/07/2013 05:20 pm (UTC)The scenery from up there is rather spectacular considering how small the island is.
I've just looked up the San Diego Trolley - and yes, the historic ones do look rather like ours, don't they?
no subject
Date: 09/07/2013 12:10 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 09/07/2013 12:26 pm (UTC)Those pictures just made me smile when I saw them on screen - they really only needed Julie Andrews!
I do like the views from up there - when you get one of the rare very clear days they are even better - but it was still lovely on Saturday.
no subject
Date: 10/07/2013 12:26 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 10/07/2013 04:21 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 12/07/2013 10:34 am (UTC)What a splendid idea! How lucky for you to have so beautiful weather. The shots are lovely - such a cool train! And the view is indeed spectacular. I had just finished the Silmarillion when I first saw the pictures, and immediately thought that this could easily be the view from the Meneltarma... or from somewhere closte to "New Imladris", too. (I've already read the new chapters and immensely enjoyed myself; review will take a little.)
The notes are great, but I'm afraid I didn't get the first one, or wouldn't without your comment, no matter how carefully I read it.
no subject
Date: 12/07/2013 12:06 pm (UTC)this could easily be the view from the Meneltarma...
I hadn't thought of that - and you are quite right. There are more mountains around New Imladris - they won't get such open views!