Discussing today's trip last week on another tour, staff and punters alike had expressed some trepidation. There have been lots of stories about how Network Rail have been slow or uncooperative about tour timings recently, but few tours had suffered the the number and scale of cock-ups which this one had endured before it even turned a wheel. However, the important thing was that it was happening - and despite feeling a bit post-viral I even managed to feel pretty enthusiastic as I trudged through Birmingham before 5am! Despite the lift being awash with discarded chips, and some very dubious goings on in the telephone boxes, I was looking forward to the day ahead. Found my way to the correct platform thanks to an announcement - rare at this time of the day at all, and particularly for charter trains at New Street! Bang on time, 37038 and 37601 thundered out of the tunnel and I found my usual seat in the pleasantly warm carriage, alongside the usual suspects.

The early start meant a couple of hours of darkness so time was spent catching up with news, welcoming another familiar face from previous tours, and enjoying an excellent breakfast. Once the sun rose, it did so in some style with clear blue skies as we sped north along the West Coast Main Line. As we passed Crewe, noted that the Deltic tour operated by Pathfinder clearly hadn't left before us as booked. We later heard the train had departed around 40 late, and was behind us. Despite this, we still ended up looped as booked. The train was still some way back as we reached Carlisle, where our paths would part temporarily as the other tour headed for Kilmarnock, and the freight-only line via Mauchline Junction - track I need which caused a twinge of regret. However, the day had become pretty sociable and entertaining, so I settled in for the trip via the Edinburgh Suburban line into Waverley. Spent the short break here finding lunch, getting some photographs and noticing how cold and wintry it was!

On departure from Waverley, noted that the weather was getting pretty grim as we headed west. Out via Haymarket and onto the former branch to Bathgate. Now a double track mainline, we made pretty swift progress, passing on to the new line proper at Bathgate via a surprisingly tight curve which took the line south of the town centre. New stations on route were in varying states of completion - but overall things appeared to be shaping up for the official opening. Three Class 334s - the unit which will work the line - sat in the new Depot facility at Bathgate, from where they have been working test trains over the line. We should have passed the Deltic tour somewhere on the line, but in fact didn't see it until Bellgrove - meaning of course that we'd traversed the line completely before the other tour. This wasn't lost, and some good natured texting went on between the tour trains. Noted later that Internet chatter had tried to make a bigger deal out of this than was necessary - a shame, as two well-loaded charters can only be a good thing in these times?

Out train made rather sluggish progress through a very wet Glasgow now, using the City Union line, and passing high above streets I was walking just a couple of weeks back. Spotted some key locations, and confess I experienced a pang of regret that we weren't getting the originally planned break here, or that I wasn't around for longer. Soon found ourselves at Shields Junction where we reversed, rather than heading into Central Station. From here, 47804 led - doing pretty well with a heavy train over the Shotts route in wet and slippery conditions. Back into Edinburgh for a very short break before retracing our steps towards England. The route back was dogged with odd timing issues - a fair number of loops, then a diversion via Bolton and Manchester Piccadilly. The biggest issue though, was the refusal of calls at Wolverhampton and Birmingham New Street on the return trip, despite pick-ups being made. A Tame Bridge Parkway stop had been inserted - initially in the return, but eventually both ways - but this meant a range of options for me to get back to my hotel, depending on our timings. In the end, feeling tired and having eaten and drunk more than was strictly sensible, decided to bail at Crewe for a fairly sensible connection to Birmingham. Tame Bridge was possible, but meant either a mad dash or a very long wait - neither of which I felt up to at all!

So, I headed back into New Street feeling pretty rough on a unit full of screaming Saturday night revellers, at the end of a very long day indeed. Not quite how I'd planned this trip, but overall the day had turned out pretty well. New line done, old friends caught up with - and a lot of mileage with a decent trio of engines. Certainly not sorry to see my bed though!

This trip caught me rather unawares! It had been a busy week, and occasionally a challenging one. I was readjusting to normality after almost a week away in Glasgow, and I had local things to tackle too. News about next week's trip was troubling too, and it looked to be shaping up as a long and somewhat awkward day. So, it was good then, not to have to drag myself half way across the country for the start of this trip. Few tours start on my doorstep these days, and it was simply a case of hopping on to the first train to Weston. Having met the local assembly who had travelled on the first running of this trip last year, we boarded the unit which got us to Weston in good time. Staff there seemed a little fractious about the tour picking up, and claimed they "hadn't been told" which sounded pretty unlikely. Over to platform 1 to watch 37038 and 37601 round the corner making a hell of a noise. Soon settled into a comfortable Mk II and heading north for York.

The route took us via Worcester and Droitwich, then avoided Birmingham New Street using the Camp Hill line. Despite not picking up at this metropolis, the train was very full indeed which was great to see. There was no new track on the outward journey at all for me, so I enjoyed a very sociable trip instead - catching up with veterans and locals alike. The pair of engines performed faultlessly throughout, and despite a few minor delays we cruised into York around 17 minutes early. Here a fair number of daytrippers departed, whilst a fair few additional passenger joined for the minitour to Saltburn. I last did this track on a 'lost weekend' following Pathfinder's cancelled 'Cleveland Cleric' tour back in 2008, and had never done it on a 'proper train', so the run to Northallerton, then via the rather forlorn and empty remains of Thornaby Yard to Middlesbrough was interesting.

Saltburn remains a fine little Victorian resort town, carefully laid out and mostly very well kept. Walked down to the end of town to get a picture of the cliffs and the North Sea beyond. The weather had turned out dry, cold and beautifully bright which seemed to suit the place well. As we waited for the stock to return after our short break, we got chatting to a local couple, curious about our train. They had lived in Saltburn for much of their lives, before moving to nearby Skelton. They described rough winters and an ever present wind here, but clearly loved the place very much - and were pleased to hear my thoughts on it too. Our stock was soon back in the small station, and we boarded for the run back to York behind 47500. This engine, recently renumbered to it's original identity after a spell as 47770 has only lately begun to work for West Coast, so it was good to have an opportunity to travel with it. The return route used the underpass near Northallerton which crosses Boroughbridge Level Crossing. I seemed to need this short section of line, so was pleased to be routed this way, when other tours have gone directly onto the mainline here.

With a little under an hour at York, there was time to get some shots of the run around planned for our locos - first 47500 came off, and then the pair of 37s ran to the front, with 37601 now leading for the journey home. Back onto the train to find that somewhere in the process of reconnecting the train heat, things had gone wrong in our coach. With the alternator also not working, we were likely to have a dark trip back! No great problem though, and the lack of artificial light gave us some spectacular views of a stunning sunset as we sped south. Another very sociable trip with the chance to catch up with people which I don't seem to get on other tours. As we got back onto fairly local turf, I started to ponder the connection at Weston into the last train home. As long as we were allowed off Bristol before the unit things would be fine. However we were a few minutes down and this was all down to Bristol Signalling Panel - who have a track record of being fairly unhelpful to railtours arriving back in the evening. Sure enough, as we arrived the unit to Exeter via Weston was still at the platform. However, in typical style it was despatched first and we were doomed to follow our connection all the way home - but not to catch it! Brief but frankly unrealistic hopes it may have been sidelined at Bedminster or Yatton Down Loop proved fruitless, so the last chance was that it would be held at Weston to let us pass - in fact a brief rumour made the rounds that this would be the case. In the end this didn't happen, so we sent one of the ladies of our group to talk to station staff as they were likely to be far more persuasive! First Great Western staff were deeply unhelpful and wanted nothing to do with the handful of passengers stranded at Weston - despite simply having to let us board a following HST which is designated set-down only at Weston and stations to Taunton! They viewed the issue as one for West Coast, so after some persuasion and discussion with control it was agreed the tour would make additional stops at Highbridge and Bridgwater.

So, a quiet and uneventful day ends up with a surprise locomotive hauled trip to my home station. Once again Spitfire pulled a fine trip out of the hat which seemed to please everyone and certainly got plenty of seats filled. Credit too to WCRC for sorting out a silly situation with calm, logic and good old fashioned railwaymanship! Next week will be a much longer affair, but promises to be a good one...

What if you threw a party, but no-one came? Sadly this became an all too real experience for the promoter of tonight's gig at the Fleece. I should have suspected there was going to be a low turn-out when I appeared at the door a few minutes before the official door time clutching my pre-booked ticket. A chap broke off from the group discussing when to open and said "Ah! You're the bloke who bought a ticket!". We discussed Bristol's fickle scene, Glasgow and the frankly crappy weather today before he let me in to the venue. Nothing has changed here since my last visit - still the same dark, cavernous and sticky-tabled spot on the edge of the city centre. A great place to see bands on the ascent - or sadly sometimes turning the curve at the other side. A range of posters above the bar bears testament to the now-giant bands who have passed through the doors, and probably had nights not dissimilar to this one.

So, with a couple more punters through the door proceedings started with Boolfight from Paris. They appear to be a fairly established act, an album and a few EPs into their career, who ply a strange sort of synth-based indie-rock. They were certainly very loud, and got strangely louder as their brief set progressed, until I realised to my amusement that the bass was tickling my nostrils! Not an experience I've had before. To be honest, this wasn't for me. There was a slick, very European feel to the rather long and repetitive songs. However, these guys can certainly play technically well, and they deserve a huge amount of credit from throwing everything into their set despite the poor showing out front. I got the sense they're really sincere about their work, and while it wasn't my cup of tea I can see it would have gone down well with the strong following for more traditional 'rock' in Bristol, had people taken the chance on the band.

When I saw that Three Blind Wolves had been added to tonight's bill my first thoughts were of Ross Clark singing in a stream on Detour's recent 'Wee Jaunt'. If he could pull that off, then a big empty room in Bristol surely presented no problems? And it certainly didn't as Ross' massive stage personality shone through despite the strange situation and muddy sound. He gyrated and gurned his way through a set taken from their mini-album "The Sound of the Storm" and recent self-released single "Echo On The Night Train". Having heard some of this material on record, it was great to hear it's sometimes complicated twists and turns produced live, with sudden bursts of country turning effortlessly into full-on searing blasts of guitar. Alongside Ross' exertions, the band cut steady and proficient figures - and made a sound much bigger than the four people on stage should have been able to. The small audience, predominantly now made up of the other bands, seemed to have a good time too - and it would be fantastic to see this bunch interacting with a bigger and more responsive audience.

So to Kid Canaveral - a band whose membership seems to span Scotland in origins, effectively linking the Glasgow network to the coast at St.Andrews with all the potential for amazing musical collisions which that suggests. I confess that following eagerly snapping up their EPs as they arrived, I had a bit of difficulty with the recent album "Shouting at Wildlife", which I loved as a set of individual songs - but rarely seemed to sit through as an album. The great thing of course is that you can do this with Kid Canaveral - each song is a little universe of it's own, and I'd often find myself obsessing over particular tracks which I just couldn't help listening to over and over. Luckily for me, following a rip through single 'Good Morning', my current obsessive listen 'Left and Right' turned up which meant that at least one member of the tiny audience was beaming like an idiot for the rest of the set. I can't explain my love for this uncomplicated song - it just makes me grin like a twat! Next came a cover - but not just any cover - this was 'Missionary' by the mighty King Creosote. This brave choice was pulled off with the song's plaintive ache intact despite the change in tempo and sound. The short set concluded with a few more tracks from "Shouting at Wildlife", notably 'You Only Went Out to Get Drunk Last Night' where the benefit of having three accomplished vocalists in the band was evident. It obviously hadn't been a great night for the band - but they played a fine set, and sent me straight back to listen to the album on my journey home which is always a good sign. I just wish that Bristol could have been a bit more encouraging.

Looking back I'm proud I snapped up my pre-booked ticket the moment this gig was announced. Of course there was never any doubt I'd be out to see a band which had bothered to make the trek down from my beloved Scotland to play here - few do, and I can now see why. I had the opportunity to thank the equally bewildered promoter before I left tonight - and like he said, it's important that bands keep getting the opportunity to play here despite nights like this. I'd love to have offered a word of encouragement to the bands too, for bothering to come down - but they were busy and I was running for the train back home. If you read this, thanks folks - I had fun and I'm just sorry people missed a chance to have a wet Tuesday night in Bristol brightened up immeasurably.

Even in my youth I don't think I managed to go to four gigs in a row. This thought dawned on me today, as I lingered over a coffee and felt like I was properly on holiday for the first time in years! However, if there has been one aim this week, it's been to capture as much of the energy, diversity and quality as I possibly can from the complex and confusing music scene here. I've been an admirer from afar from more years than I care to remember, but of course way back in the 1990s it was near impossible to be exposed to the diversity of music which the internet and decent connections allows now. So, despite my advancing years and dwindling stamina, I'm pretty excited about music again.

So, tonight was Pivo Pivo's 10th Birthday celebration. This cellar venue near Central Station has hosted an incredible range of talented folks over the past few years, and it's hard to believe that it's a decade since the venue opened. Tonight started gently though with widely-tipped singer-songwriter Alex Cornish. There's no doubt that he's a talented guy with an ear for a radio friendly tune - which his recent BBC Radio 2 session is testament to. But for me it's all just a little too easy, and lacks an edge. A Dire Straits cover is a step too far, and appears to be done with no sense of irony. It's interesting to compare this to the young acoustic acts who played at the 13th Note a couple of days back - and to realise that they really want to be heard. Having said that, Alex closed his set with a song which featured a rather fine violin loop. I'm a sucker for violins, but I can't forgive 'Brothers In Arms' even for that.It just wasn't for me.

Next up was Andrew Jones performing without a band tonight, but for the first time with a female co-vocalist. She was nervous it was plain to see, but her crystal clear and pure voice worked beautifully alongside Andrew. Whilst not a million miles from Alex Cornish, the sense of purpose and self-belief was much more evident, and we got a witty and charming set, the highlight of which was 'It Happened Another Way' - a cautionary tale of bookshop literary romance which I'm sure many will relate to, the current writer included!

And so to White Heath. I've tried and failed to describe this band before - and I'm not sure I'll succeed now. They shamble on stage, a collection of rather slight, somewhat geeky young men of the sort you'd expect to ply Oasis covers at a sixth-form disco. And then all hell breaks loose... Eschewing a traditional rhythm section, trombone and a single bass drum are used to startling effect. Over this piano, guitar and violin are laid, building an epic - almost filmic - sound, which occasionally hints at eastern and oriental influences. As a second song, without pause the band roar into 'Election Day' from their debut EP, the vocals turning into a pained, plaintive howl while the trombone tries to take the song into Eastern Europe or the Middle East. '7:38am' and 'Leviathan' follow with Sean Watson promising "some pop music next". We're not disappointed, as the band romp through the comparatively sunny 'GG' before returning to their apocalyptic roar with 'Blue'. The crowd can't respond favourably enough, and the band are clearly touched by the response. Now signed to the legendary Electric Honey imprint (who have previously championed Belle and Sebastian, Snow Patrol and Biffo Clyro among others) critical acclaim and widespread exposure can't be far off for this remarkable and truly original band. I'm so pleased I was able to see them.

As I stumbled back to my adopted home for the week via a guilty visit to the Blue Lagoon, I reflected that I'd been somewhat spoiled for music this week. However, all being well, the run of fine Scottish music won't stop just yet with Kid Canaveral due a visit to home turf next week! It's been a varied, enjoyable and tiring week - and I only wish it could continue!