17 till 27 August 2012 – Visit to London UK

22 August 2012 – Gallions Reach DLR station

22 August 2012 – Gallions Reach DLR station
Platform 1 for trains to Beckton

22 August 2012 – Gallions Reach DLR station
Platform 2 for trains to Canning Town and beyond

22 August 2012 – Gallions Reach DLR station
Platform 2 for west-bound trains

22 August 2012 – Gallions Reach DLR station
Waiting for my train !

To see more Light Rail UK pictures :

http://www.flickr.com/photos/12445197@N05/sets/72157626592461661/

More UK pictures to follow
Harjinder Singh
Man in Blue

November visit to UK 14/11 till 21/11; many pictures of trains !

17/11 – New DLR connection from Stratford International to Canning Town
Abbey Road, new station on old Silverlink alignment

17/11 – New DLR connection from Stratford International to Canning Town
Abbey Road station, train leaving in the direction of Canning Town

17/11 – New DLR connection from Stratford International to Canning Town
Abbey Road station, Canning Town train

17/11 – New DLR connection from Stratford International to Canning Town
Abbey Road station, looking towards Stratford

To see more UK public transport pictures go to :

http://www.flickr.com/photos/12445197@N05/sets/72157611244941713/

More UK pictures to follow
Harjinder Singh
Man in Blue

In the UK 19 November 2011

DLR, Star Lane to Stratford International 

Saturday 19 November 2011. Today no conferences or meetings. Got up at about 6 am and did my morning ‘path’ (reading) and worked till about 10.30 on my emails, blog and flickr photo account. I then took a bus to Hounslow West and from there for one stop to Hounslow Central.

I walked to the Hounslow High Street via Montague Road as I wanted to buy a 2012 diary and a new A to Z. I went to the Hounslow W H Smith as I thought I knew my way in that place and would be quick in and out. It was not to be, the shop had changed completely, neither the diaries nor the maps were anywhere near where they used to be. I was almost ready to give up (there was also no staff to help me) when I spotted the diaries and a sign pointing to the books and maps.

The next hurdle was the check out. Only one till was open and there was a long queue, but luckily while I was waiting two more tills opened. The (Asian) staff member who served me was efficient and friendly, but I do not think that being friendly is part of the company policy.

I then went by 235 bus to Isleworth, by South West trains to Clapham Junction and by Overground to Stratford (change at Willesden Junction).

On Thursday I took pictures of the Stratford High Street, Star Lane, Abbey Road and Canning Town stations on the new DLR line, now I took pictures of Stratford station platform 1 and 2, of Stratford International and West Ham station (DLR, Jubilee and C2C, there was no service on the District/Hammersmith and City lines). I met a fellow railway enthusiast and we travelled together from Stratford International to West Ham and Fenchurch Street.

From there I walked to Bank, Central Line to Ealing Common, First Great Western to Hayes & Harlington and U4 to Amrik Singh’s house.

In the evening I was in the Gurdwara from 4.45 till 6.15 pm. First I listened to a kirtan jatha of young ladies, which seems to be improving every time I hear them. They were in the 4 pm till 5 pm slot, followed by rahras and then kirtan by the Bhai Lehna Singh jatha. I am writing this on Sunday morning, tomorrow afternoon it is back to Sint-Truiden again.

DLR, Star Lane to Woolwich Arsenal or Beckton

In the UK 16 & 17 November 2011

The new Slough bus station

On the 16th of November I went to Slough to meet with Zafar Ali and his team of the Slough Equality Council (SEC) and STAIS, the translation and interpretation service. I have worked for both outfits, mostly as a freelancer, but also for a while as a part-time employee.

I went to see my friends and colleagues, but also to see if there might be some work for me to do when I go back to the UK in 2012. The message was clear : if we get government funding there will be work, if there is no funding there might not even be SEC and STAIS. This is the result of the present penny-pinching outfit. Even more than previous governments they want cohesion, integration and all that, but it should not cost any money !

In the afternoon I went to Southall, walked around, took some pictures and then attended Gurdwara for rahras and kirtan. The jatha of Lehna Singh again did a great job !

17 November I went to Ealing and did some shopping, and continued to Stratford to travel on and take pictures of the new Dockland Light Rail route from Stratford International via Stratford to Canning Town. I skipped Stratford International as a train to Canning Town was ready for departure when I came to the station. I got off and took pictures off Stratford High Street, Abbey Road, Star Lane and Canning Town stations.

In the afternoon I first met with Vikram Singh (Sikhs in Holland) with whom I had a wonderful conversation, then listened to more from Bhai Lehna Singh, and while having my langar talked to a naujawan who asked me some very good challenging questions.

The fashion of 1699, the machine of the 21st century

After Gurdwara I went to Pritpal Singh’s house and from there we went to the Sikh Channel studios to do an interview with that fellow also known as ‘the man in blue’. It was broadcast from about 22.15 till 23.00 and I think that it went quite well.

Pritpal Singh with the Harjinder Singh Amritsar Wala