A Sunday treat

Its made from batter, and is traditionally eaten with roast beef. I am, of course, talking about Yorkshire Pudding.

Forget healthy eating. As said already, it is made from batter to which one applies drippings from the beef as it cooks. The most tasty things to eat are rarely good for you, but who cares. I don't know if there is an equivalent anywhere else, but I do know that nationals from other countries generally get an instant liking for it.

In Yorshire, it is sometimes eaten as a first course, but most have it with the beef, roast potatoes and vegetables of choice. And they say that English food is boring!!

In the photo, it is easy to spot the Yorkshires. They are the golden, gravy soaked bits on the right side of the plate. Don't tell me that it does not make you feel hungry. I would never believe you, and neither would millions of other Brits..

The big red bus

Without a doubt, this is the most famous bus anywhere in the world. AEC RT's and RM's were specifically designed for use in London, the RM probably being the most recognisable. The bodies were made at the AEC Park Royal coachworks, and were pretty much all aluminium, making them light and nimble. Drivers were particularly pleased with the fully automatic gearbox. There were/are other manufacturers of double decker buses, Daimler, Leyland, Bristol to name others, but the London Transport Routemaster is probably top of the tree.

The Daimler CVG6 was the bus of choice where I was born, and I do have a special place for it. The chassis was made in Coventry, the body I most liked was the Metro Cammel Orion (lightweight like the AEC RM), and it was powered by the ubiquitous Gardner 5LW/6LW coupled with a four speed pre-selector gearbox.

The Rocket

The year is 1829 and the Rainhill Trials  had been won by George Stephenson’s Rocket. It was the very first steam locomotive to use a multi-tube boiler configuration, the standard by which all steam locomotives would be made regardless of location.

Note also the angle of the cylinders. They were originally inclined at 35 degrees which reduced the swaying motion brought about by vertical placement. Eventually, they were moved to a horizontal position which virtually eliminated any tendency to sway. This was another feature which became the standard for nearly all that followed.