Books, Harwich and Western Scotland

The NRM's new director Colonel Steve Davies took up his post on Monday 8th February. His first official function so I am told will be at the opening of the new temporary exhibition Once Upon a Tide which will largely focus on the Harwich route ferries. This opens on Wednesday 10th February, A busy day at the NRM since railway history guru Terry Gourvish is speaking in the afternoon at the Institute of Railway Studies about the ORR and the SRA. Fascinating initials those and certainly controversial not so long ago.

Given a fair wind, some acceptable weather and so long as the wife's cold does not bite me, I hope to be at both these events and may be able to report on them. The exhibition has turned the Great Hall turntable into a car ferry and cements close links between York and Utrecht at various levels (a previous post has referred). It may be both of us manage the exhibition. Since the Forsythe Collection was laden with spot on relevant material, it will be fascinating to see whether any pieces have been used.

Back in 2006 I published a book largely about this subject. It was called From Tilbury to Tyneside. On the book front, yesterday delivered pleasant and positive news. Our first book in what has been a trio about transport publicity was To Western Scottish Waters. This appeared back in 2000 and the initial hardback edition was swiftly followed with a paperback. Now ten years later in a pleasing statement of faith, it is available again in a slightly amended edition published by Amberley Publishing, one of the successors to Tempus. The book arrived here yesterday and readers may buy signed copies here.