Things going back and forth.

I just read something about people heading for the beach to enjoy the sunshine in our current, probably short-lived, heatwave. The thing to do, apparently, is to dress not so much for the beach as for Instagram, so that you can post pictures and advertise the fashion industry's product without being paid to do so. Particularly prevalent are photos of sandals. As a result foot jewellery and tattoos, toe rings and fancy toenail polish are appearing. Here's a quote: "I am planning two foot tattoos that will fit perfectly where the gaps in my sandals are." 

As ever when I read such stuff, I remain gobsmacked! 

Also, we were in Manchester the other day and saw a chap running who appeared to be wearing a multi-coloured, tight-fitting top. When he got closer, we realised he was just wearing a normal running vest but his arms and shoulders were so heavily tattooed that no skin could be seen between them. Forget about a couple of perfectly placed tattoos! 

Fashion is a strange thing. 

None of this affected the group of people I met up with on Saturday. What was meant to be a celebration of someone's birthday turned into a staff reunion. Once we were a happy bunch of people who worked together at a sixth form college. Following merger and effective take-over we found ourselves in a regime that left most of us miserable and some of our number on the verge of breakdown. So we mostly went our separate ways. The vast majority of us are now retired. Little real communication has gone on for a while. 

Then recently I received communication about the celebration of a 66th birthday on the steam train that runs along the East Lancashire railway, running from Bury to Rawtenstall and Ramsbottom and various other places. The birthday boy had some of his family along but mostly it was a nostalgia-fest for those of us who used to work together. And a good time was had by all. 

I can highly recommend an afternoon of chugging back and forth on an old train chatting to old friends. Here is a selection of photos.