Hi ! The event ? Every sunday through out the year trains run between Embsay station and Bolton abbey station .If you fancy a cup of tea nip into the Bolton abbey station cafe ! High up above your head will be found possibly the largest collection of pressure lamps on display and open to the public in Great Britain ! This is the collection of stephen Walker the statiom manager and Mick Emm . Too many collectors just stash all their lamps away in attics and they never see the light of day again ,hopefully these lamps will always be on view and remind so many of a way of life they had forgotten. Fact ! Bolton Abbey station was never hooked up to mains electricity in the 80 odd years of its history before Beeching axed its existants around 1965 so it seems fitting that portable paraffin lamps should once again grace the station. Sadly as this is open to the public ,electric lights have be used ( health and safety ) and I had to put the lamp shelves up high to stop any "tea leafs " from helping themselves to the lamps ! ...mick
Bolton is, yes, but don't go there because Mick's collection is at Bolton Abbey which is a different place altogether! Still north of Watford, though, so you'll need your passport...
Yes been here a few times with Mick and its well worth a visit I think there is a lot more been added since I was there ,, Don't forget to have ago on the train GREAT !!!! Kenny
Looks nice and cosy, though my neck would hurt after a short while I specially like the goblin on the 2. picture Claus C
A truly wonderful place to visit.Mick's lamps certainly look very impressive in the period surroundings of Bolton Abbey Station. Well done Mick. Al
Thought I'd pop in on my way to a meeting in Derby in a couple of weeks time, only to google it, and find its another two hours further north Ah well
You'll have to call in on me instead Ray, I bet there aren't any VL's in there and I'm sure you're passing a bit closer. I'm afraid I don't have a steam train though.
Hi ! Mathew ? Why do say with such conviction there won't be any VL 1's in the collection ? Thats a bit mean like for some one who has never seen this huge collection of lamps myself and the station manager ( Stephen walker ) have dedicated ourselves to creating in the past 14 years. I have loads of lamps you would not expect to see down at a the Bolton Abbey Railway Station now numbering over a hundred ! Luckerly we started putting this collection together when there was little or no interest in pressure lamps and lamps would cost 3 or 4 pounds each. To undertake such an idea now would be absoulutly hopeless . The latest lamps to find a home at the railway are a Polar Hasag do nut , A Nulite ,A Ditmar and a few more you can see when you're in the area ! Just to remind you the reason for putting this collection together was the fact that Bolton Abbey station was never hooked up to mains electric and during the station's existance it allways ran on oil lamps and I guess or would like to think some of the lamps could have been Tilley's. The location of the :- Embsay and Bolton Abbey Railway Is just outside Skipton on the road to Harrogate , N.Yorks BD23 6AF Tel. 01756 710614 for general enquiries. www.embsayboltonabbeyrailway.org.uk By the way you or Ray were seem'd to be having a geographical proberlem. I'll give you a clue ! Watford is the gateway to Neil's house just outside St.Alban's ! Watford gap is the gateway to the North and thats 50 miles north of Neil's gateway , known for its Service station on the M1 ( Watford Gap Services ) just before M6 branches off north ! ....mick
Matt Cheers, might just do that ! Could take up Neil's invitation too, along the way though that's probably gonna be a whole day on its own eh Mick Thanks for your help mate, now where's Watford ??? great collection and obviously an enormous amount of effort you have both put in David No tweaking now
Ray ! Dungness is a very very long way from Watford ! Hows Miss Turbine 2012 ? Has she made it into the 2013 calendar ? ....mick
I have stayed right opposite the entry gates to Embsay station in an old weavers cottage , behind the cottage is the old tannery & hidden out of the way at the top of the village is a lovely resevoir to walk around 8) just do the google earth thing I love Yorkshire & have stayed in the area many times , Embsay is right next to Skipton on the edge of the beautiful Yorkshire Dales & one of the best collections of lamps i have seen ever 8) belongs to my freind Henry who is a good mate of Neils 8) If you get the chance to visit you would not be dissapointed Stu
Yeah she's fine buddy and she says Hi to you, says she'll share a drink with ya at Newark, though she'll bring her own as she don't like Meths Great looking, witty and definately a worthy candidate for a place in any calender..... Tracey's not bad looking either Cheers
For a second there, I thought you were talking about that Blanchard Market Stall lamp - then I spotted Turbo Tracey (obviously I'd dismissed Mick and Trevor as likely candidates in nanoseconds...) Makes a great full English breakfast on a Sunday morning, she does...
Hi Ray ! My big proberlem is a liking for " Southern Comfort " . However we were out showing lamps one weekend at a traction / vintage rally and I broke the bottle of "SC" one night ! so had a bright idea for the next bottle I brought !! I have four wide mouth plastic storage containers for the meths easier to use and store in their ex army metal ammo box ,as they can't fall over , so I now have three plastic containers for meths and one for " Southern Comfort " only down side in dark can't tell which container has meths and which container has " SC " ! I'm kind of getting use to the meths in a strange sort of way ! From a distance anyone looking at me thinks I'm holding the meths container as it looks like a tupperware beaker ! Maybe I am !! ...mick
I been looking at this picture again mick, colour don't look like any Southern Comfort I have seen suppose you got mixed up again with it being dark pete
Great story Mick, made me chuckle Is that cos you get through more meths than "SC" Besides, Only took Pete just over an hour to hang you out to dry with photographic evidence too (or is it just another excuse to show off those lovely SL's Pete ??? I know, I know, any opportunity ) Don't blame ya, they're lovely
