Penny Travels - Travelling the world, near and far, one step at a time.

Tube Stop Baby: Chesham

June 10, 2019 by Penny Leave a Comment

Chesham is the most far flung place you can get to on the London Underground. Located out in Zone 9, the station is actually in the County of Buckinghamshire and it is 25 miles fro Charing Cross. This makes it the furthest station from central London. Chesham is also 3.89 miles from the next station on the line, Chalfont and Latimer, which is the longest distance between adjacent stations on the whole of the Underground network.

The station building is Grade II listed building and it was originally opened in 1889 by the Metropolitan Railway as their temporary northern terminus. The plan had been to extend the line further across the Chilterns towards Tring, to join up with the mainline there. Before work started though an alternative route was chosen going via Aylesbury.

From Chesham you can get a direct Metropolitan Line train into central London every thirty minutes. Services weren’t always that regular though, and up until December 2010 in off-peak times Chesham was only served by a 4-car shuttle service from Chalfont and Latimer.

Today the station has one working platform, but you can see the remains of an old second platform that is now a pretty garden. This platform as closed in November 1970.

When you see the floral arrangements on it today it’s therefore no wonder that the waiting room at the station is full of certificates from the London Underground Station Gardens competition.

There’s also a plaque you can spot outside showing that in 1993 it was the Winning Garden in the Station Garden Competition.

Chesham is also one of the few stations where I’ve seen a Bicycle Store on the platform.

If you’re looking out for interesting details then make sure you spot the station’s 1993 First Class Heritage Award above the suggestions box in the ticket office.

The nearby signal box is also listed and a beautifully kept example of the period.

Tube Stop Baby Facts – Chesham

Date of visit: 16 March 2019

Underground Line(s): Metropolitan

Zone: 9

If you want to know more about our Tube Stop Baby Challenge then pop over here and have a read.

Tube Stop Baby: Chalfont and Latimer

June 3, 2019 by Penny Leave a Comment

Chalfont and Latimer just sounds posh as far as tube station names go. Posh and mysterious. That’s certainly what I always thought when I saw it on the list of stops when I was travelling on the Metropolitan Line in some of the lower numbered zones.

The station is actually located in Little Chalfont, and served “the Chalfonts” (that’s Chalfont St Peter, Chalfont St Giles and Little Chalfont) as well as the village of Latimer. Just the idea of a tube station serving a village still seems a bit weird to me. And a million miles from London!

Just like Chorleywood one station before it, Chalfont and Latimer is served by both the Metropolitan Line and Chiltern Railways. One different between the two stations though is that it is the station where Met Line services split to either go to Chesham or Amersham. There are a total of three platforms at the station, but only two of them are generally used.

As is the case at Chorleywood, Chalfont and Latimer was served by steam services up until the electrification off the line north of Rickmansworth in 1960.

If, like me, you’re a bit of a geek for anything vintage and technical then you might be interested to know that whilst at Chalfont and Latimer it is worth looking out for the K8 phone kiosk that sits on one of the platforms.

Housing London Underground telephony, it is painted a nice maroon colour to fit in with the colour scheme at the station. These 1960s phone boxes where obviously more commonly seen in the standard red livery on Britain’s streets, but nowadays they are somewhat rarer. I’m told there are a few more to look out for on the Underground so I will try my best to capture them too. If you want to know a bit more about the K8 Kiosk though this page gives you a good overview of the design that went into them and efforts to preserve them today.

Tube Stop Baby Facts – Chalfont and Latimer

Date of visit: 16 March 2019

Underground Line(s): Metropolitan

Zone: 8

If you want to know more about our Tube Stop Baby Challenge then pop over here and have a read.

Tube Stop Baby: Chorleywood

May 30, 2019 by Penny Leave a Comment

It feels like I’m always saying this, but I’m struggling to keep up with all the tube stops that we’re visiting right now. We’ve a fair number under our belt where I have photos on my phone and notes in my notebook, but making the time to combine those into a blog post seems to keep evading me. A few days with some extra childcare means I’m making a bit of an effort to resolve that. And the first step in doing so is to tell you all about Chorleywood station, which is the first one that we visited on a day of trying to tick off as much as of the outer parts of the Metropolitan Line as possible.

Located out in Hertfordshire, 20 miles from London, the approach to Chorleywood station honestly felt like we were driving through a village in the Yorkshire Moors! I’ve never felt less like I was arriving at a tube station in my life.

Chorleywood (or Chorley Wood as it was then known) was originally opened in 1889 as part of the extension to the Metropolitan Line. The station was formally served by steam hauled locomotives from Aylesbury to London, with an electric loco only being added at Riuckmansworth as they went South. The electrification of the line from Rickmansworth north only happened in 1960, with the steam locomotives finally withdrawn in 1961.

There are just two platforms at Chorleywood station, which both serve both London Underground and Chiltern Train services. The latter running into London Marylebone station.

We might not have spent much time in the surrounding area at Chorleywood, but the small bit that we did see really made me realise just how different all London Underground stations are. From one that feels like a country station like Chorleywood through to a zone 1 station that’s never quiet. I think the variety and the fact that all the stations are connected by a simple train ride is one of the reasons why I am so fascinated by the Underground. Getting to explore all of it as we’re doing with Tube Stop Baby feels like a privilege.

Tube Stop Baby Facts – Chorleywood

Date of visit: 16 March 2019

Underground Line(s): Metropolitan

Zone: 7

If you want to know more about our Tube Stop Baby Challenge then pop over here and have a read.

Riding an upcycled D-stock from Ridgmont to Bletchley – the Martson Vale Line

May 27, 2019 by Penny Leave a Comment

The idea of needing to recycle and upcycle is everywhere at the moment. And understandably so. What not everyone realises though is that it’s not just things at home that can be recycled. Have you ever thought about recycling a train? Those people at Vivarail have. That’s exactly what they’ve done with their new Class 230s. They’re upcycled D-stock trains that previously used to run on the London Underground.

Upcycled trains

It’s really a fascinating bit of engineering where they have been converted from electric trains that take power from a third rail into diesel two car units.

The Marston Vale line, a community rail partnership run by London Northwestern that goes between Bedford and Bletchley, has three of these two car units (one to go in each direction, and a spare). I’m pretty sure any London Underground fan wants to go and ride them, just as much as they do the Island Line vintage trains down on the Isle of Wight.

We decided to take a trip along part of the Marston Vale line with the kids, partly as as way of making a trip to Bletchley Park more attractive to my six year old, London Underground and train loving son. It did the trick. The idea of an upcycled D-stock, or as he put it a “recycled underground train” made it a very attractive option. We decided to start our journey at Ridgmont Station, which is conveniently located extremely close to the M1 at junction 13.

Ridgmont Station

I’d heard of Ridgmont before and wanted to go and suss the place out before a return trip with less children. It is an unstaffed station, but one with a small heritage centre and shop, as well as a well respected tea rooms. We will be back to do the place justice in the future.

The other thing that made me choose it as a place to start our journey was the convenient car park just across the tracks. It may not be large, but by the time we returned to our car we were the only ones parked there. And it was free too!

At the moment you can’t buy tickets at the station (the Heritage Centre don’t sell them, but the staff there are incredibly useful at answering any train related questions you might have) but we spotted a ticket machine under wraps on one of the platforms, so I’m guessing it’s coming soon. For now though you buy tickets on the train itself from the onboard staff. They can accept credit cards and railcards on board much as you can at any ticket office.

What’s a class 230 like?

The trains themselves look incredibly smart, and although their basic structure is recognisable from the District Line, the differences are remarkable.

Firstly, the ability to squeeze in a Diesel engine. I guess it makes you realise just how big all the electric motors originally were. The new livery looks incredibly smart though, and to those not in the know I don’t think you’d guess that you were on something up cycled.

Inside the train there are a few hints to what went before. The doors between the two units are obviously to anyone that has travelled on older underground trains. The sideways seating that is used in part of the train is also a bit of a giveaway. Elsewhere in the train though they’ve put in usual “airline” seating and even a few tables too. A far cry from what people used to put up with on the District Line.

Another nice addition is charging points. The tables and airline seats have proper three pin plugs, but the sideways seating has USB ports at the base of the arm rests. Perfect for commuters who needy to give their phone a quick burst of charge.

The other thing they’ve squeezed in is an on-train toilet. Even though I have to admit that it did seem to smell a bit on the train we were on!

The outside of them all has been very artistically decorated with images of Bletchley Park, not just the Manor House, but also the Bombe computer too. How they’ve managed it though is quite impressive. The D-stock feels a whole lot more spacious than it ever used to and you really do feel like you are travelling on more than just a two car unit.

Bletchley Park

The real purpose behind our trip was to get to Bletchley so that we could do a family trip to Bletchley Park. This amazing slice of WW2 history is located just a short walk away from Bletchley Station and is well worth a visit. Bletchley played a pivotal, very secret, role in the war and it’s only over the last 20 or so years that the full truth has come out as to what went on there. The museum itself is incredible. Full of fascinating information and making full use of modern day technology to tell the story of Bletchley Park. We feel like we only scratched the surface after a couple of hours there and we will definitely be back for a return visit. Especially since your ticket is valid for a whole 12 months. If you’re an English Heritage member you can even get 20% off the admission price. Once we’ve been back expect to see a much more detailed account of our visit here on Penny Travels.

Once our visit was over though it was back on the train to Ridgmont. It seems the Marston Vale line is actually far busier than I expected it to be, with many people using it as part of their regular commute to and from work. As a visitor though it felt well worth the trip to see just how it is possible to upcycle a train and surely it’s somewhere you just have to visit if you’re a proper London Underground fan.

Colourscape at Waddesdon Manor

May 22, 2019 by Penny Leave a Comment

We never need much of an excuse to visit Waddesdon Manor. This wonderful National Trust property belonged to the Rothchild family and is an amazing chateau style building packed with history and fantastic architecture. The gardens look beautiful throughout the year and to keep the children happy there is an amazing hillside playground that suits all ages. What I wasn’t expecting during a visit last year was the amazing, unique spectacle that is Colourscape.

It’s hard to explain exactly what Colourscape is, but I’ll try my best. Really though it is one of those things that you just have to experience for yourself.

What is Colourscape?

In short, Colourscape is 56 interlinked colourful chambers that visitors walk through. It’s a bit like being inside a maze of tents, but please don’t let that clumsy description put you off. The you arrived you take off your shoes and are also asked to wear a coloured cloak like garment.

As you walk through the entrance and into the first the colourful chambers your senses start to get confused. the colour of the chamber combined with the light effects m can that everything starts to take on different colours. Some of the cloak colours mean that some visitors start to bland in with the chamber they’re stood in, whilst others look like they’re wearing different colours.

Walking from chamber to chamber you start to feel a little disorientated. Have you been through this bit before? What colour is this? Being barefoot you can feel the ground under the “tent” floor beneath your feet and it reminded me of holidays. The overall feeling is somewhat magical.

In one chamber (the only one with natural light) there are a group of musicians, and their music is piped through the whole Colourscape structure, making your visit one for all the senses.

What age is Colourscape for?

In our group we had my then five year old son, my teenage step-daughter, right up to my mum in her mid-seventies. All of us absolutely loved it. I saw toddlers going around transfixed by the colours and how everything looked different. Colourscape really is for the whole family.

Over a year later we still talk about this particular visit to Waddesdon and just how magical it was. I’m delighted to see that Colourscape is returning to Waddesdon this year (25 May – 2 June 2019) and urge you to go and visit this amazing colourful world for yourself.

Colourscape – the facts

Colourscape is at Waddesdon Manor from 25 May to 2 June 2019. More details can be found here. Please note that the charge for Colourscape is on top of the standard Waddesdon entry fee (which is waived if you are a National Trust member). It is £5 for adults and £3 for children.

Travelling with a baby – Airbnb with a baby

May 20, 2019 by Penny Leave a Comment

In our time together Bonn and I have travelled rather a lot. Especially around the UK. Jumping in the car, on a train or on a plane became almost second nature to us both. We could pack in a matter of minutes, always managed to find our way around somewhere new and knew exactly where to look to find a hotel that would meet our needs. Now that Tube Stop Baby has joined us and we’re travelling with a baby a few things have changed. We certainly don’t travel as light, but the other thing we’re reconsidering is where we stay.

Hotels always used to work for the two of us. Clean and simple and with all the amenities we needed. With a baby though all being in the same room isn’t always ideal. Nor is trying to calm a baby at 2am when they’re having one of those “I don’t know what’s wrong, but I’m going to cry and anyway and resist all your efforts to soothe me with milk” moments. I’m always petrified that we’re going to end up waking the people in the next room.

Last year saw us pop our Airbnb cherry with our honeymoon when we stayed in a friend’s barn conversion up in the Peak District. I always knew the accommodation itself would be lovely, but what we were impressed by was the whole process of booking through Airbnb. The way that they vet you before renting out a property to you and the whole process of checking in via the site too. It was straightforward and hassle free.

When looking for somewhere to stay in Cornwall recently we initially went for a hotel, but soon found that all the ones nearby were either full or above our work budget. One of us wondered about seeing if we could find something on Airbnb and I’m so glad we did. What we ended up with was just perfect and helped to change what could have been a relatively dull work trip into what felt like a special little holiday.

We ended up booking a small one bedroom private “lodge” that was only a five minute drive away from where Bonn needed to be for work. Far closer than any of the hotels we’d been looking at. For less than the cost of a hotel we ended up with our own private bedroom, living room, kitchen and bathroom. The extra bonus was the stunning views and private patio area outside looking out over the valley.

Quite simply put – it was utterly gorgeous!

On a practical level it also worked perfectly for the three of us. We took TSB’s travel cot with us and there was plenty of room in our bedroom to put it up and still have plenty of room to walk around. The living room had enough floor space for me to put down a play mat and her to roll around to her heart’s content. Not something that most hotel rooms have space for.

We also had the space to prepare meals for ourselves to fit in with her schedule and to prepare food for her too. In the evening we could put her to bed and actually sit in comfort watching TV whilst she was in bed, rather than having to quietly sneak around a dark hotel room whilst trying not to disturb her.

Yes, the property only had a shower, but we just bathed her in the kitchen sink instead. Surely that’s a right of passage for babies anyway?

Really it just worked out perfectly and made us realise that whilst she’s young like this our hotel staying days may be behind us. Airbnb just gave us flexibility and comfort for travelling with a baby that most hotels simply can’t do – especially if you’re looking at the budget end of the hotel market. I’m also yet to find a Premier Inn that offers you a private terrace with gorgeous views!

We’ve already got a weekend away booked in an Airbnb property for later in the year, but we’re now using the site to book future work trips away too.

Disclaimer: We have paid for all our Airbnb trips in full and have received nothing for writing this post. We just wanted to share our honest experiences. I have included an invite link in this post that would make money should anyone join Airbnb and make a booking through it.