My Derby Friar gate Line Route map updated.

Back in February I started work on a project to accurately map out the complete original route of the former Derby Friargate Railway Line, over the months I have been adjusting certain areas of the map and adding lots of photographs that people have taken along the route.
My project has received a lot of attention from people, with my map being viewed over three thousand times since I created it !

If you have not seen my project then have a look, you may learn something new. I would like to thank the many people that have helped by taking photographs of the route for me and letting me know about any errors. Some recent photographs added are of the Ventilation shafts over Mapperley Tunnel.

I have also added a lot more "quick links" to my project which allow you to go zoomed in direct on major points of interest along the route such as all of the GNR stations : Egginton Junction, Etwall Railway Station, Mickleover Railway Station, Derby Friar Gate Railway Station, Awsworth Railway Station, West Hallam Railway Station, Kimberley East Railway Station, Daybrook Railway Station, Basford North Railway Station, Gedling Railway Station and Netherfield Railway Station.

Here is a link to my project :

My Derby Friargate Line Route Map Project.


or a direct link to the map on Google maps :
Friargate Railway Line Route Map.


Reference Books.
Some of the Railway books I used for reference while working on this project :

Friargate Line: Derby and the Great Northern Railway

Lost Railways of Derbyshire

Lost Railways of Nottinghamshire

There are lots of books on this subject but quite a few are out of print but you may find one on ebay.

Videos.
Here is a video of a train using this former line:


Another video, this one at Breadsall Railway Station :



Best wishes
Andy

The Bombardier march on Saturday 23rd July 2011 in Derby. Show your support by joining the march.

This is not just a local issue, its a national one !
SUPPORT THE MARCH & RALLY TO SAVE BOMBARDIER
I have tried to answer all questions that you could want here such as What time does the march start, where does the march start from and end up, What is the marching route map and what roads are going to be closed in Derby during the march.

You don't have to be from Derby to know about this as its been on all major news channels. Bombardier is the UK's last train builder so this is very important.

The protest, which calls on the Government to reverse its decision not to award the £1.4 billion Thameslink contract to Bombardier, promises to be one of the largest events of its kind here for a generation.

Those who feel that the Government has made the wrong decision not to back city train-maker Bombardier are being urged to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with workers whose jobs have been put at risk.

Since losing out on Thameslink, Bombardier has already shed 1,429 jobs at Litchurch Lane. And the firm is carrying out a full review of its UK operations.
A further 1,500 job losses could be in the offing in Derby if Bombardier decides to pull out of the UK.
There is also the impact this would have on Bombardier’s supply chain. Conservative estimates believe around 12,000 jobs could be affected. Unions are saying the figure is more likely to be about 20,000 across the East Midlands.
The RMT union claimed that more than 500 train maintenance and cleaning jobs in London and the South East are now under threat as a result of the Government awarding the contract to Siemens. The union said that as well as train manufacture, the contract covered train maintenance.

Join the The Bombardier March in Derby on Saturday 23rd July.
The protest will begin at 10am when participants start gathering at Bass’s Recreation Ground.
At 10.25am, the crowd will be addressed by speakers introduced by Julia Long, national officer at the Unite union. The marchers will then set off at 11am following the route I have marked on the map below, reaching Cathedral Green at noon.

The Bombardier Protest March is 1.2 Miles from the start at Bass Recreation Ground to the end at Derby Cathedral Green.
Bass Recreation Ground does not have any parking places so you will need to walk to the start of the march. The main entrance to it is near the newly built Skate Park on the corner.
Cathedral Green does not look like its shown in Google Maps or streetview due to it being revamped after they captured it. But you can see the new look of Cathedral Green in my Virtual Tour.

Below is a route map showing the exact route that the rally is going to take. I have based this on the information from Derbyshire Police and the Derby Evening Telegraph.
If you click the link below the map then you can print out a large version. Or if you own a smart phone then use my smart phone GPS drop pin locators to get to the march.

The Bombardier marching route map for 
Saturday 23rd July 2011.

View Bombardier march in Derby July 23rd 2011. in a larger map

Smart phone GPS Locator points:
If you have a smart phone (iPhone,HTC,iPad etc) then you can use a navigation drop pin I have made for you. While viewing this blog on your phone tap the links below to get very precise locations for the start and end of the march on Saturday:

The Bombardier march Staring point  <--- Tap this link on your smart phone.
The Bombardier march Ending point  <--- Tap this link on your smart phone.

When you tap a link above, it will launch your mapping application and place a "push pin" onto the map with the exact location of the start or end of the Bombardier march . You can then use this marker to get driving, walking or bus directions from your current location.
For example on an iPhone you tap the Directions button at the bottom and this will pre-fill in the start and end locations so just tap the Route button at the bottom and it will show you either the driving route or the walking route. If you tap the middle button at the top, this will even show you which bus number and when the next bus departs !



Of course this protest march is quite a major thing in Derby so some roads are going to be closed due to the amount of people expected for this rally.

These are the Road closures and times so you know where to avoid.
Station Approach - 10.30am to 11.45am.
Siddals Road - 11am to 12.15pm.
Traffic Street - 11.30am to 12.30pm.
The Morledge - 11.30am to 12.30pm.
Albert Street - 11.45am to 12.45pm.
Full Street - 11.30am to 2pm.

You can print out your own Banner for this march HERE.

Want to learn more about what this is about then follow these links :
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-derbyshire-14019992
http://shirazsocialist.wordpress.com/2011/07/21/march-to-save-bombardier-jobs/
http://www.unitetheunion.org/news__events/events/support_the_march_and_rally_to.aspx
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-derbyshire-14249116

Some videos about the Thameslink contract:
Another stitch-up for our railway.
ITN News - 1,400 jobs go at last UK train factory.
Sky News - Bombardier Cuts Over 1,400 Jobs In Derby After Losing Key Government contract.

See you at the march! I will hopefully be recording the march so subscribe to my Youtube Channel and you will get notified when I upload my Bombardier March video at some point in the next few days.
Andy

Where to find Georges Tradition fish and chip restaurant in Chellaston Derby.

Do you like Fish and Chips? Who doesn't! A few years ago we tried a new chip shop that opened in Belper Called George's Tradition and were really impressed with the quality. Since then they have opened up several more shops and also restaurants around the East Midlands. So far have tried Belper, Long Eaton and Allestree and they are all as good as each other. Their shops are located in Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Staffordshire, so far they have ten open.

In May 2010 they opened a new one in Chellaston and despite several attempts to locate the shop while out and about we could not find it. The map locations on their website are flash based so would not work on my iPhone. Typing in the postcode given on the website  "DE73 5XE" into the google mapping app would show up a marker literally in the middle of the River Trent near Swarkestone! See for yourself HERE.
So I then tried searching for the full address given on the website  "Unit 5, Royal Glen Park, Derby" and that showed several markers but non anywhere near Chellaston. Had to give in.

Well a few months on after now seeing the map location on a PC I decided to help anyone else looking for this George's by creating a few things to help.
You will notice that if you view the satellite view of where this restaurant is located then it just shows grass, thats because its a new building that was built after Google captured it from above.

1) If you are viewing this on a smartphone (i.e. iPhone, HTC, Galaxy etc)  then simply tap my link below :

Accurate Drop Pin for Georges Tradition at Chellaston, Derby

And this will launch your mapping application and place a drop pin onto the map with the exact location of George's Tradition at Chellaston. You can then use this marker to get driving or walking directions from your current location.

2) Or you can find this shop by seaching in your smartphone mapping app for Rowallan way, Derby that will take you to roughly the correct location.

If you you look at Google Streetview for this shop you will notice that they are only putting in the foundations for it.
So what I did is take a 360 degree view from near it so you can see what it looks like now in March 2011.
Its just like Google Streetview, only better quality. I have marked the shop with an interactive rollover marker.

360 degree view showing the location of George's Tradition at Chellaston, Derby :
Use your mouse to click and drag the view around. (note this does not work on an iPhone)


I have also created a high resolution version of the above (broadband needed) :
360 view of the location of George's Tradition at Chellaston Derby.

I have also made a webpage showing the two views "then and now" HERE so you can see the difference.

By the way they have a loyalty card thats worth having, The George’s Tradition Privilege Loyalty Card is pretty good as they give you 10 points for every £1 spent and each point worth 1p, in other words 10p back for every £1 you spend. So if you use their resturants from time to time then it would be mad not to bother having Loyalty Card. You can cash them in at any time to buy food from them.

I made a driving video Chellaston new estate I recorded this back in May 2008 before that corner plot was built on, in my video (at 0.57) you can see all the fencing blown down and the rocks on the pavement. This is the corner now ocupied by George's.

If you found this post of use then please leave a comment.

Thanks
Andy

The Derby Friargate Line Route map. (GNR Derbyshire and Staffordshire Extension.)

A few years ago I created a map showing the route of the former GNR line through Friar Gate. Over the last week I have been redoing this route map using all the latest web developments and knowledge I've gained to make a greater detailed map than ever before.

Large sections of the route have been or are being, converted to cycle paths and walkways and adopted by Sustrans.

The GNR Derbyshire and Staffordshire Extension route or Derby Friar Gate Line as its often referred to locally was a "back line"that opened in 1878 and ran from Nottingham through Derby (over Friar Gate Bridge) and to Egginton where it joined the North Staffordshire Railway. This line closed in 1964.

On my map I have traced the entire original route of the Friar Gate Line from its junction at Egginton all the way to Nottingham. Along the way I have marked on the locations of the all the GNR railway stations that served the Friar Gate line.

The GNR Friar Gate Line Serving stations (Have I missed any?)
Egginton Junction, Etwall Railway Station, Mickleover Railway Station, Derby Friar Gate Railway Station, Awsworth Railway Station, West Hallam Railway Station, Kimberley East Railway Station, Daybrook Railway Station, Basford North Railway Station, Gedling Railway Station and Netherfield Railway Station.
I have also marked the tunnels at Mapperley, Mickleover and Morley.

Using the Satellite mapping function in Google Maps you can clearly see certain sections of the line.
I have also used Google Streetview in many locations along the route to identify road bridges and paths. Sometimes even though the railway line has gone, the bridge over it remains in place.
Some of the markers I have placed in my map have small photographs in them, click on them to view a larger version. These photographs were taken by Flickr photographers.
If YOU have any photographs of things along this route that I have not included then please get in touch so I can add them.

I have put a lot of time and effort into making sure my route path and markers are correctly positioned but in some areas such as Daybrook I may be off slightly, please let me know if this is the case. In those areas where there was no clear route using the Satellite map I had to guess by using bridges and stations either side for reference combined with some old maps of the route.

I hope you find my Friar Gate Line Route map of interest, perhaps you will learn something from it that you did not know before.

My Map :
The Derby Friargate Line Route map. (GNR Derbyshire and Staffordshire Extension.)

I have provided several quick links that will allow you to zoom in on stations etc. Simply use your mouse to drag the map around to follow the original route of the railway lines (marked with a blue line).

Some of the books I used for reference :
Friargate Line: Derby and the Great Northern Railway

Lost Railways of Derbyshire

Lost Railways of Nottinghamshire

There are lots of books on this subject but quite a few are out of print but you may find one on ebay.

Here is an embedded map of the complete Friar Gate Line route showing all markers :

View The Derby Friargate Line Route. (aka GNR Derbyshire and Staffordshire Extension) in a larger map


Thanks
Andy

Derby Sledging Guide, Want to know where to take your sledge.

If you would like to make the most of all this snow we have then check out my Derby Sledging Guide, its packed with information to do with sledging in Derby. Including Local Weather Forcasts, Live local Webcams, Detailed Sledging Location Map, Smartphone mapping drop pins, Where to buy a sledge, Derby snow photographs, Videos of sledging in Derby.
I have provided a link to is Snow Map based on people submitting Tweets via Twitter.


Click the photo to visit my Derby Sledge Guide...

Hope you find my guide of use, please let me know if YOU know of any good locations to go sledging in Derby that I have not yet added to my Derby Sledging map.

thanks
Andy

Flash Forward TV series, FBI building location.

Are you a fan of the TV series Flashforward? I was wondering where that building is located that is used as the FBI building, it seems to be floating on water.
I have found the building, its actually The Department of Water and Power and is located at 111 North Hope Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012-2607.
You may remember episode 15 "Queen Sacrifice" where Marcy and Janis have a fight in the water around this building when they uncover her as a mole in the FBI.

Here is a map location of the building :


View Flash Forward TV Series - FBI Building location. in a larger map

You may also like this nice angled view of the building :
Flash Forward - FBI Building angled view.

If you have not seen Flashforward and are into Sci-fi stuff then try and check it out. The basic plot is..
A mysterious event causes nearly everyone on the planet to simultaneously lose consciousness for 137 seconds, during which people see what appear to be visions of their lives approximately six months in the future. This tells the story of those trying to uncover what happened, with very unpredicatable results.
The next episode is on Sunday 7:00pm 9 May 2010.




 Hope you find this of interest.
Andy

Lara Croft Way, Derby Inner Ring Road opening soon. With Map location.

UPDATE : Lara Croft way opens 11th May 2010.

This is a photograph I took two hours ago of the soon to open Lara Croft Way which forms part of the final section of Derby inner ring road.

Once its actually open I will post one of driving videos around the new inner ring road. I made a video around the inner ring road before this final section was finished back in July 2009. Watch my driving video here : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1nuZ1WGP07U

I have created a detailed map below showing the exact route of the final section of Derby Inner Ring Road with the Lara Croft Way section of it clearly marked.

View Derby inner ring road - Lara Croft Way and Mercian Way. in a larger map

Sledging at Darley Park, Derby, Derbyshire, U.K.

Following on from my last post about where to go sledging in Derby here is a HD video I made on Friday at Darley Park. As you can see this is a very good park for sledging.

UPDATE : Check out my Derby Sledging Guide for ideas on where to go sledging.

The snow you can see here in my video settled on Tuesday night and is still showing no signs of melting yet. It has snowed a few times since then as well but not as much as last Tuesday.

If you know of any other great locations in Derby to go sledging then please let us know and I will add them to my Derby Sledging Map.

Its snowing again right now and more snow to come Sunday.

Enjoy the snow while you can as it may all be gone soon.
Andy