| From: "Bron Gondwana" <brong@brong.net> Date: Wed, 18 Sep 2002 20:27:38 +1000 (EST) |
We went to the library to try and book flights and stuff, but discovered that the library computers couldn't cope with modern javascript (old version of internet explorer!) and neither Ryanair nor TT-line in Australia for my father's 50th birthday and christmas were bookable there. Wanted to look in the crypt at the Minster, but there was an S11 service about to start, and we didn't really want to see that, so we went off to the Jorvik Center instead. It was quite expensive, but included a ride through a re-constructed viking village in fancy cable-car things. The village was reconstructed on the site of the original village (after years of painstaking digging by archeologists), and as many things as possible were left in their original places. They even had a toilet, meat, cooking seeds, etc - with real smells. Some were a little icky. After the cable-car tour we walked through looking at some of the finds from the site, including some original coin stamps. We had our very own coin made with replicas of those stamps - bashed with a hammer in front of us! The 2 minute silence for S11 was held while we were there, a viking horn was blown to mark the start and finish of the 2 minutes. The shop had lots of viking things, and a postcard with scratch-and-smell of some nice apples and a not-so-nice toilet. We walked to the Railway Museum - which was free and very good. I started with the newer trains and the very large section on the 'Royal Train' - with coaches from the very first train that Queen Victoria used through to the coaches used by Lizzie II until 1977. A lot of trains from 50 or so years ago looked more comfortable than those we have today. Nowhere near as many people would have fitted on board though. I went from there to a presentation on how steam engines worked - with a real steam engine with the side cut away so you could see the inside of the boiler and the pistons. It was interesting seeing how hard the work was keeping one of them going, not to mention the care required to stop it blowing up or cold air being pulled through a hole in the fire and killing your steam. Meanwhile Kate had gone to a presentation on the turntable, showing how it was used to turn engines, as well as put them away to 'sleep' in the big shed. We checked out Stephenson's Rocket (a replica anyway) and information on accidents in the past, and new safety policies that have been built in response - signals being in the danger position by default - the 'block' system for controlling trains - automated control systems. On the way out, we saw a sign that said "Platform 9 3/4" - it hanging over the main walkway, with other signs for the other platforms on either side. We wonder if it came before or after the books. Kate watched Monsters Inc. while I read. |
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