Something for the weekend sir?

The weather is heading  back to situation normal, the cricket team managed to pluck defeat from the jaws of victory, the eastern world it is explodin'. Here at DD we see it as our mission to bring a little cheer into miserable existence so here is our latest offering.

 

We are delighted to announce that our latest Celebrity Interview is with none other than GCERC's Agent 00Mick.  Our very own Rail Guru, Mick has extensive rail experience garnered during his career as one of Her Majesty's Secret Servants. His activities took him to the ends of the earth and he has often needed to call on his mastery of disguise to get out of tight corners.

 

 Mick's finest hour was when he uncovered the Soviet  Bloc's response to BR's Intercity 125 HSTs. This photo also confirmed that the Soviet 3rd Shock Army was secretly training to throw coal if cornered.   He was able to smuggle a microdot back to M concealed in an Eccles Cake that was being deported from East Germany as inedible. Intelligence sources confirm that without this information we would still be having to work with a creaking and antiquated rail infrastructure here in the UK

Understandably for a man in his position Mick has to be very security concious so our interview took place in a sealed coach on the Merseyrail loop. As this takes only 8 minutes we wasted no time in getting down to business.

DD  -  Mick. Thanks for your time. How many miles have you done by train?

Too many to recall, as my bad back, bruised ar**e and scarred shins will testify.

What is the most memorable location that you have been to by train?

Pyongyang, North Korea. Our guide told us they had no steam locomotives as they were an ultra- modern country. So the black steamy thing we passed on their side of the Chinese border must have been a mobile tea-stand.

 

Which place was really the pits?

Toss up between Baotao, Inner Mongolia, where the pollution was so bad you could open the window in the morning and cut yourself a slice of air, and London.
  

What was it like behind the Iron Curtain?

Like a bleached out colour film. Did they never have any paint?

Tell us about your spells in the slammer there?

Which of the four? Actually three were in the same place for straying too near the East-West German border to get a good shot or should that be to get shot? The police and I got quite friendly by the third occasion. The fourth was for entering Poland without a valid visa but a random selection of sterling notes tugged from the wallet soon got my release

 

 

 

Did you ever meet Rosa Klebb?

Met her, I've sh***ed her! 

 

I still carry her photo in my wallet

 

 

Very nice. That must have been a long time ago. What makes you want to go back?

I've not been to Eastern Europe since 1984. I want to see if they have invented paint yet and to meet up with Rosa again.

We know that you don't like spam for brekker. What do you order?

A nice Bury black pudding with bacon and a fried egg

Martinis - shaken or stirred?

What do you think I am - some poncey Southerner?

If you could bring anybody as your guest on GCERC who would it be and why?

Rosa Klebb, I want to see if it was as good as I recall.

Walther PPK or Beretta 418?

Are they types of steam locomotive?

Our budget doesn't run to 8 tracks so name three for your desert island.

 Knocking on Heavens Door - Bob D and Tom Petty at BD's 50th birthday concert.Seems an appropriate track given my age.

Shipbuilding - Elvis Costello, reminds me of Birkenhead [should have been Tread the Dirt Down but that might upset someone].

 

(In a very quiet voice) The theme from Thomas the Tank Engine

Do you expect to live long enough to see Liverpool FC win the Premier League? 

No because my Evertonian partner and her family would kill me before it happened.

Mick, thank you for sharing. I am sure that everybody on GCERC is looking forward to hearing more about your adventures. Your years of experience will  be invaluable.

 

This shot shows Mick at the unveiling of the very first B Class ever to run on the DHR

 

 

 

For those of you sad enough to be missing the trip you can see more of Mick's photos of his rail travels here http://mickpope.zenfolio.com/f63169718