1000 It is a sunny Sunday morning, quite humid and I can feel the sweat on my forehead as I walk to get a paper prior to starting out for my latest 50@fifty - a day trip to the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineer’s Museum at Arborfield Garrison near Reading, taking in Silchester Roman town on the way back.
1025 For a Sunday, Andover station is quite crowded. I found out about the REME museum by accident while surfing the web – it caught my eye as an interesting place to visit – I don’t think I would have thought about going there normally but as I am trying to visit every shire county in England I thought, ‘Why not?’
1045 Unhelpfully, someone has dumped a load of luggage in the train cycle rack. The journey takes me to Basingstoke and then a short trip to Mortimer. I’ve often passed through Mortimer on the train but never stopped there.
1130 Consult the map I’ve brought and strike out through the level lanes of East Berkshire. It’s satisfying as a cyclist when you pass through places with ‘hill’ in the name and barely notice!
1230 Things go a bit awry when I fail to anticipate that the Swallowfield by-pass has been built since my map was printed and all the surrounding through roads are changed so I end up going out of my way – I must remember on the way back!. .
1330 Arrive at the museum: in an old guard-house disconcertingly right at the entrance to what looks like a heavily-defended regimental HQ. The sole member of staff whom I judge to be an ex-serviceman explains the layout and I’m left free to wander around. The first thing you are greeted with is a life-sized automaton provost sergeant barking orders at you, telling you how terrible life will be if you disobey and demanding that you ’inspect the prisoners!’. At this point I found myself standing to attention! The staff member says that school parties either burst into tears at this point or love it.
1330 Arrive at the museum: in an old guard-house disconcertingly right at the entrance to what looks like a heavily-defended regimental HQ. The sole member of staff whom I judge to be an ex-serviceman explains the layout and I’m left free to wander around. The first thing you are greeted with is a life-sized automaton provost sergeant barking orders at you, telling you how terrible life will be if you disobey and demanding that you ’inspect the prisoners!’. At this point I found myself standing to attention! The staff member says that school parties either burst into tears at this point or love it.
1530 Done the museum which was interesting when it got into the meat of what REME had achieved. Nerdy fact: Did you know that one REME’s first operations was El Alamein where they repaired 1100 of the 1400 tanks that were disabled in the battle? I found the vehicle displays the most interesting especially the vehicles that demonstrate the simple, ‘cobbled together’, adaptations of conventional army vehicles to solve problems.
Problem: Do you need to manufacture spares out on the battlefield?
Answer, stick a metalworking lathe in the back of an army truck!
Problem: Is your tank stalled in 9 foot of water when coming out of a landing craft? Answer: use another tank with the turret replaced with a waterproof box to allow it to wade in and pull it out!
1530 I’ve time to visit Silchester Roman town on the way back, passing a treasure hunter sweeping for coins in a newly ploughed field. Meet a combine harvester and a tractor on a single track road leaving me to tuck right in to avoid being harvested myself! It must have been working very close by because I find myself cycling through air perfumed with the sweet smell of cut hay.
1600 Silchester Roman amphitheatre is impressive though I’m not sure how much is original – it has clearly been conserved. To fulfil a promise I made to my sister, I try my hand at locating a geocache. After a few abortive attempts I come to the coordinates given. Behold – there is a hollow tree! What is the clue? ‘You may need to reach in to find it’ AH...HAH! In anticipation I put my hand into the most obvious hole in the trunk, ready to withdraw it quickly if I disturb any sort of lunatic creature’s nest, AND.....nothing! Rather less gingerly, I feel around the other holes in the tree, pulling away ivy - I even stick my head in. Could I find it? Could I heck. After wasting 30 minutes I conclude that the whole geocaching business is either a massive hoax or on a different intellectual plane. Well, I’ve kept my promise - my train home won’t keep.
1530 I’ve time to visit Silchester Roman town on the way back, passing a treasure hunter sweeping for coins in a newly ploughed field. Meet a combine harvester and a tractor on a single track road leaving me to tuck right in to avoid being harvested myself! It must have been working very close by because I find myself cycling through air perfumed with the sweet smell of cut hay.
1600 Silchester Roman amphitheatre is impressive though I’m not sure how much is original – it has clearly been conserved. To fulfil a promise I made to my sister, I try my hand at locating a geocache. After a few abortive attempts I come to the coordinates given. Behold – there is a hollow tree! What is the clue? ‘You may need to reach in to find it’ AH...HAH! In anticipation I put my hand into the most obvious hole in the trunk, ready to withdraw it quickly if I disturb any sort of lunatic creature’s nest, AND.....nothing! Rather less gingerly, I feel around the other holes in the tree, pulling away ivy - I even stick my head in. Could I find it? Could I heck. After wasting 30 minutes I conclude that the whole geocaching business is either a massive hoax or on a different intellectual plane. Well, I’ve kept my promise - my train home won’t keep.
No comments:
Post a Comment