I wouldn’t exactly call myself a train-spotter but we do live right by the famous Brunel railway-line and we often have special trains passing through. During the summer months the Torbay Express chuffs down from Bristol to Kingswear (I had to ask Chris) every Sunday morning and back in the afternoon.

Last Sunday Chris and I cycled over to Cockwood Harbour in the afternoon. The tide was in for once (I know – it comes in twice a day, just not when I’m there!), the swans were in, the sun came out and it was beautiful. We sat awhile and I took some shots on my mobile phone camera. A little boy out cycling had stopped and sat on the wall to enjoy the scene – another kindred spirit. Chris observed that the long black rowing boat like a gondola, that has a hole in it, still floats even though it is filled with water, because the boat itself is buoyant enough to hold that capacity; but according to Chris, the boat would sink if anyone was in it. Well, I thought that was interesting (not really being much of a boat-woman either).

On the way home we saw people forgathering at various spots near the railway-line.

“They must be waiting for the Torbay Express,” Chris said.

“When is it due to come by here?” I asked.

“It usually passes our house at about five-thirty so it could be along soon – it must be around that time now. We could wait a few minutes if you like,” Chris answered.

He had a feeling I would like, and he was right. I climbed the wooden fence that runs beside the cycle-track for what I thought might be a good view of the returning train. Another couple, who were walkers, also stopped to watch the train go past. We waited and waited… five minutes passed, ten minutes passed.

“Are you sure it’s coming?” I asked Chris.

“Well, everybody else seems to think so, including the couple up ahead. Let’s wait a few more minutes – we’ve waited this long already…”

So we carried on waiting and waiting. I moved farther along the fence for a better view; sometimes I stood, with one foot either side on the second rail of the fence, other times I sat on the top rail and kept changing positions because the rail was narrow, hard and had splinters. The walkers had had enough, walked down to where we were, and stopped to talk.

“Do you think it’s coming?” I asked, hoping they would be train timetable experts.

“We thought you might know,” the man laughed.

We all chatted while we waited and eventually the couple decided they had had enough. Nobody, apart from me, was game to sit on the splintery fence.

At five to six my bottom had just about had it.

“Shall we go on home now?” I queried.

“We might as well stay till six – we’ve waited this long,” Chris encouraged. (I never knew he was such an avid train-spotter.)

I twisted and turned my aching bottom – this way and that – on the fence; I stood on the bars, I sat, stood and sat, twisted and sat; and all the time I had to keep refreshing my mobile phone camera because the screen gets tired and goes blank every so often when it is not being used. We heard the whistle blow in the distance, I was ready, the camera was ready… the train appeared on the track ahead… I waited for the perfect moment and pressed the focus trigger… Nothing! I pressed again. Nothing! The screen was blank. I pressed the “back” button and the screen came to life… I pressed again and got it!

I shall include my photograph of The Torbay Express with some of the shots taken of the swans in harbour a little earlier. As you can see, I am much more of a cyclist than a train-spotter!