Back to the UK

As arranged Matt met us at our flat bright and early Monday morning. We gave him the keys, he returned our deposit and we were off on foot, luggage in tow to walk about 1.5k to Gare du Nord to catch the Eurostar back to London. We could have caught a cab to the station, but that’s one of the things we haven’t mastered in Paris and of course we don’t have ready access to a phone.

 It was about 8.15 when we set off, this is the earliest we’d been out and we met a very different Paris. Paris waking up in the half-light was new to us, there were people bustling along to meet the day, tourist free except for us, but we just seemed to fit in as we were also going somewhere with a purpose. Young mum’s with kids trailing behind burst out of doors and into the street, the kids seemed kitted up for school and we watched a group enter a building that we assumed was a school, it sort of had that look about it but it did not resemble the schools that we know. It certainly was not apartments though. People riding bikes and young and older Parisians hurried past, people sat at tables outside cafés drinking small cups of espresso, now that’s a real heart starter!

We had a few stops to catch our breath or rearrange our loads on the way, or just to get our bearings and we arrived at the station in about half an hour, bought a baguette and a coffee (or as Michael calls it, mud!) for breakfast and just relaxed a bit until our train was taking passengers into the departure lounge. We had filled out our British entry cards already and with tickets and passports at the ready we filed through, first the French Border check, then a few steps further on, the British Border Patrol and through to the waiting area until the gates were opened to go down to the train.

We found our carriage quickly and secured our luggage then to our seats and stowed the hand luggage and coats etc. in the overhead racks and settled down for the journey. The train took us back out through the area of Paris that is all big square, ugly, modern, apartment blocks. Some are very shabby looking and bare no relation to the Paris we had experienced and fallen in love with. In amongst this but set much further back from the tracks, on a hill above the other buildings we saw a beautiful, white church that I am sure I recognised as Sacré Coeur at Montmatre, we didn’t get out to Monmatre so to catch a glimpse of its famous church was a bonus and a fitting farewell to Paris.

As we raced through the countryside we had glimpses of villages and some blue skies, most of the snow was gone but we could see frozen patches in streams and ditches along the way, I just soaked in the scenery and dozed a bit or caught up on my blog entries.

We arrived in London’s St Pancras station a bit over two hours after leaving Paris. Our first stop once we’d disembarked was the Money Changers to trade our Euros for pounds sterling. Next we found an information desk to find out how to get to Yorkshire, our next stop. We were directed across the road to Kings Cross station and were able to buy tickets there for the East Coast Company train to Shipley via Leeds, we had about 10 minutes to get to the train. As we were unsure of when we would return I asked for one way tickets, the cost was 177 pounds for the two of us. The bloke asked if we were intending to return within the month, I said yes but was unsure of the date. “You’ll need return tickets then, 179 pounds.”  “Yes sir that sounds like a deal!” I’m going to have to check these things out more carefully, only two pounds extra for the return journey!!!!

We hurried down to the platform and found out where we could sit. Past the first class carriages and anywhere after coach H, anywhere that is, that doesn’t have a reserved ticket on the seat! We stowed our bags and found two seats together and were off.  Once the train started, Michael took himself off to the dining car to get us a drink and some sandwiches, ah a cuppa, amazing how good a cuppa can make you feel!

 The scenery was very English, semi-detached houses and terraces, mostly red brick but some stone coloured. The rural areas were green and the fields were separated by low hedges, there were black faced sheep and sturdy ponies. Villages and bigger towns all sported tall church towers that seemed to protect the surrounding homes. The train was mostly moving too fast for photos, but when we pulled into stations I was able to get a few shots.

the view from the train as we pulled into a station

and as we pulled out!

 Our train terminated at Leeds and we had to change for Shipley, we moved quickly as the next train was due to leave in the next 8 or 9 minutes. Shipley was the first stop, about 15 minutes later we were standing on the platform at Shipley. From the train, Michael had already pointed out Crag Road and now we stood and just took in the sight, out came the camera!

Michael's first footfall on Yorkshire soil in 53 years

Looking for the way off the station, there were no lifts in the old days.

 To get off the platform 4, we had to go up in a lift, across a footbridge, down in lift that deposited us on platform 3 and the ticket office, where we went in for some information.

View over the tracks and station from the footbridge between the lifts.

 We needed to find a place to stay for the night as our accommodation for this leg of the trip is at a National Trust property at Calverley Old Hall about 4 miles from Shipley and we are booked from the next day. We were directed to the Ibis Hotel a short walk away on the other side of platforms 1&2. We had to follow the same lift/footbridge/lift process to get to the other side of these two platforms. The Ibis hotel is almost visible from the station across the canal, which brought back memories for Michael.

One of the first things we spotted when we left the station precinct was a Salvation Army Citadel.

Our first glimpse of the Leeds to Liverpool Canal which runs through Shipley.

The canal on the other side of the road, it is frozen over. Our hotel backs onto the canal along near the barges.

His old school Salts High School, was further along close to the banks of the canal. Our hotel room looks over the frozen canal where barges are moored. There is a pub, The Noble Comb, next to our hotel and that is where we headed for tea and a thirst quenching pint!

The veiw from our 2nd floor hotel room across the canal to where some barges are moored.

Another view from our room to the garden and path that separate the hotel from the canal.

 We had spent all day on one train or another and were just coming to terms with the fact that that very morning we had been in Paris and now here we were in Shipley West Yorkshire, the town where life started for the Ambler Clan!