# massively weird statue-looking thing in the countryside near Durham?



## D (Aug 19, 2008)

I'm posting from inside a train bound for Edinburgh.

If I hadn't been looking at my computer screen rolleyes I might have gotten a better gander at this very large thing that went out of view almost immediately after I saw it.  It looked like a massive statue of a woman with outstretched arms that were wings made of iron somewhere between Durham and Newcastle on the right side of the train tracks (northbound).

Anyone?

Also, now I'm in the train station in Newcastle and I must say - the approach was pretty damn cool.


----------



## quimcunx (Aug 19, 2008)

The Angel of the North by anthony gormley. 

good innit.


----------



## Kanda (Aug 19, 2008)

Been there for years: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angel_of_the_North


----------



## selamlar (Aug 19, 2008)

The Angel of the North?  Surely you had heard of that before?


----------



## D (Aug 19, 2008)

It looked like a statue, but it might have been a farming apparatus for all I know.


----------



## quimcunx (Aug 19, 2008)

She's from the US, selamlar.


----------



## D (Aug 19, 2008)

selamlar said:


> The Angel of the North?  Surely you had heard of that before?



Er - surely I had not! May I plead ignorant American? I don't even have to plead it - it's clearly what I am in this context.

I've never been north of Birmingham (unless my parents took me somewhere as a child I don't recall), so cut me some slack.


----------



## selamlar (Aug 19, 2008)

quimcunx said:


> She's from the US, selamlar.



Ok then.

*The Angel of the North? Surely you had heard of that before?   Stupid yank *

Better?


----------



## DotCommunist (Aug 19, 2008)

She stands, a grim metal warning post. If you get up close there's a plaque that reads 'North of me it is all inbreds and Witches. Ware! ware!'


----------



## D (Aug 19, 2008)

It's pretty fierce.  This is a gorgeous train journey.


----------



## quimcunx (Aug 19, 2008)

Where you getting off?  The coastline after Newcastle is lovely  depending on what lines you're on and Edinburgh Waverley is cool to pull into.  Sit on the right, facing forward and look out and upwards, ever upwards.


----------



## Fruitloop (Aug 19, 2008)

Hope you're having fun up there.


----------



## perplexis (Aug 19, 2008)

Bon Voyage


----------



## Crispy (Aug 19, 2008)

It'd be worth your while to catch a train even further north to Aberdeen, which has even more spectacular scenery.


----------



## D (Aug 19, 2008)

It's a locomotive double-posting frenzy!


----------



## D (Aug 19, 2008)

Crispy said:


> It'd be worth your while to catch a train even further north to Aberdeen, which has even more spectacular scenery.



I'm going to Forres by train.

Looking at all this, I do wish I had my bike. 

But I guess I'm just enjoying it at high-speed right now.


----------



## Crispy (Aug 19, 2008)

oh awesome, you have a lovely journey ahead of you


----------



## quimcunx (Aug 19, 2008)

Crispy said:


> It'd be worth your while to catch a train even further north to Aberdeen, which has even more spectacular scenery.



I took that line a couple of years ago for the first time since being a kid.  'slovely.  Some family friends have a B&B in Stonehaven.  I should finagle an overnight stay before they retire.


----------



## mrkikiet (Aug 19, 2008)

i'm not sure what's better, the angel of the north or free wireless on the train. 

I am however convinced that the scenery just before berwick, with some of those ruined cottages on the clifftop cannot be bettered.


----------



## Pieface (Aug 19, 2008)

Aw - glad you're appreciating Newcastle and the Angel, D!  I grew up in that neck of the woods  

Train journey to Edinburgh is gorgeous - do what quim said!


----------



## teuchter (Aug 19, 2008)

quimcunx said:


> Where you getting off?  The coastline after Newcastle is lovely  depending on what lines you're on and Edinburgh Waverley is cool to pull into.  Sit on the right, facing forward and look out and upwards, ever upwards.



There is only one line from Newcastle to Edinburgh 



D said:


> I'm going to Forres by train.
> 
> Looking at all this, I do wish I had my bike.
> 
> But I guess I'm just enjoying it at high-speed right now.



Are you going via Inverness? If so you will go by the Highland Main Line from Perth which is also a good journey. You will pass over the highest point on the UK mainline rail network.

If you would like me to provide any other fascinating pieces of information about that line, please let me know.


----------



## quimcunx (Aug 19, 2008)

teuchter said:


> There is only one line from Newcastle to Edinburgh



Well I've travelled between them quite a number of times and am _sure_ my route has varied from time to time from the normal one.  




And it definitely isn't like that time I thought the Timex factory had disappeared but I'd just looked to my left 1 field earlier than usual...






teuchter said:


> If you would like me to provide any other fascinating pieces of information about that line, please let me know.



D, if you would like someone to provide any other fascinating pieces of information about that line, please let teuchter know.


----------



## teuchter (Aug 19, 2008)

quimcunx said:


> Well I've travelled between them quite a number of times and am _sure_ my route has varied from time to time from the normal one.



Well. Maybe that was before the Beeching axe.

Anyway, I suppose you could go all the way across to Carlisle and then up that way but that would just be silly and the only conceivable reason a train would go that way would be if the normal line was closed and even then it would be highly unlikely that you would take that route if you were coming from the South. I think we can safely say that D will be going by the coast route like everyone else.


----------



## Roadkill (Aug 19, 2008)

quimcunx said:


> Well I've travelled between them quite a number of times and am _sure_ my route has varied from time to time from the normal one.



Can't have done.  As teuchter says, there is only one line between Newcastle and Edinburgh, unless you go by some very circuitous route involving Carlisle, which would add about four hours to the journey.

The East Coast Main Line is very beautiful once you get north of Newcastle.  Tbh, though, it's not as lovely as the Great Western main line once you get west of Exeter.  That really is a spectacularly beautiful journey.


----------



## quimcunx (Aug 19, 2008)

teuchter said:


> Well. Maybe that was before the Beeching axe.




  How old would that make me?


----------



## quimcunx (Aug 19, 2008)

Roadkill said:


> Can't have done.  As teuchter says, there is only one line between Newcastle and Edinburgh, unless you go by some very circuitous route involving Carlisle, which would add about four hours to the journey.




It's Timex all over again.


----------



## Strumpet (Aug 19, 2008)

D said:


> It's a locomotive double-posting frenzy!




Have fun D!


----------



## Refused as fuck (Aug 19, 2008)

You're not stopping?


----------



## quimcunx (Aug 19, 2008)

Refused as fuck said:


> You're not stopping?



She's been and gone.   


She didn't have a laser pen on her anyway.


----------



## Refused as fuck (Aug 19, 2008)

But...but... I has cake.


----------



## _pH_ (Aug 19, 2008)

Roadkill said:


> Can't have done.  As teuchter says, there is only one line between Newcastle and Edinburgh, unless you go by some very circuitous route involving Carlisle, which would add about four hours to the journey.



Can you still go from Euston via WCML  (don't know if it still happens but trains used to split at Carstairs, one half going tae glasgae, t'other half to edinburgh iirc; this was pre privatisation though iirc, so prolly all changed)

e2a: oh beg pardon. it was about newcastle - edinburgh. me and my londoncentric ways!


----------



## D (Aug 19, 2008)

Refused as fuck said:


> You're not stopping?



What, you didn't see me whiz by in my stylish specs?

I am off to see a show now! Edinburgh =


----------



## Refused as fuck (Aug 19, 2008)

Well enjoy. But it's going to be rubbish without the Refused Party Program.


----------



## teuchter (Aug 19, 2008)

quimcunx said:


> How old would that make me?



Old enough to know better.


----------



## Refused as fuck (Aug 19, 2008)

Young enough not to care.


----------



## quimcunx (Aug 19, 2008)

*sends teuchter to bed without rhubarb crumble supper and before 'Great Railway Journeys' comes on telly * 

*gives refused extra slice of lemon tart and lets him stay up to watch football*


----------



## teuchter (Aug 19, 2008)

*notes quimcunx's apostrophe incompetence*


----------



## quimcunx (Aug 19, 2008)

*notices teuchter peeking at 'Great Train Journeys' through the landing bannisters and sends his dad up to give him a thrashing*


----------



## pogofish (Aug 20, 2008)

When there are works on the East Coast Line, they do tend to send trains on a rediculous diversion via Lanarkshire & even over to Carlisle before crossing back to Newcastle. Adds flaming ages to the journey. Last time I saw that in action  was last October. Think the delay to waverely was @2hrs


----------



## Firky (Aug 20, 2008)

It isn't the angel of the north you southern fucks, it is "the twocker's guardian angel" 

I fucking love geordies


----------



## D (Aug 23, 2008)

I'm going via Aberdeen not Inverness.  More coastline action! (plus, it just turned out to be cheaper and more efficient to go via Aberdeen instead of Inverness)


----------



## teuchter (Aug 23, 2008)

D said:


> I'm going via Aberdeen not Inverness.  More coastline action! (plus, it just turned out to be cheaper and more efficient to go via Aberdeen instead of Inverness)



That's a shame. You won't see any proper Highlands. Are you going back the same way?


----------



## D (Aug 23, 2008)

teuchter said:


> That's a shame. You won't see any proper Highlands. Are you going back the same way?



I can go back any which way I please - was thinking I'd go through the Highlands.  And maybe stop somewhere along the way and see some crazy-looking cows.


----------



## teuchter (Aug 23, 2008)

D said:


> I can go back any which way I please - was thinking I'd go through the Highlands.  And maybe stop somewhere along the way and see some crazy-looking cows.



Don't know how much time you've got but you could go to Inverness and take the bus from there to Fort William or Spean Bridge (that will take you all the way along the Great Glen, and along Loch Ness-side) and then take the train from Fort William/Spean Bridge down to Glasgow - that journey is well worth doing.

I wouldn't particularly recommend Fort William as a stop-over place though.

But the hostel at Loch Ossian could be interesting. You can only reach it by walking in, or by the rail line. I think it tends to get booked out in the Summer, mind.

And then you could check out Glasgow which is more of a proper city than Edinburgh.


----------



## JTG (Aug 23, 2008)

D said:


> Also, now I'm in the train station in Newcastle and I must say - the approach was pretty damn cool.



Yeah, I did it in the opposite direction the other month and the stretch from the station and across the Tyne is gorgeous


----------



## gentlegreen (Aug 23, 2008)

Does anyone else think the willow man by the M5, and possibly also that luminous green pole thing near WSM are a bloody hazard when you're trying to drive your car and not be distracted ?


----------



## moose (Aug 23, 2008)

It was even more distracting when the first willow person suddenly wasn't there one time because it had been burned down.


----------



## JTG (Aug 23, 2008)

moose said:


> It was even more distracting when the first willow person suddenly wasn't there one time because it had been burned down.



not as distracting as it was for the cop we'd put in there with a load of chickens and goats


----------

