RattleBag and Rhubarb

Ring, Clang, or Thud: The Wheel Tapping Stress Test

In a recent post, I wrote about the old railway workers known as wheeltappers – those men with long-handled hammers who walked beside trains, listening for flaws. That search led me on a delightful detour into the world of vintage railway films. These tappers show up again and again. Night Mail (1936) tells the story of the mail train and…

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RattleBag and Rhubarb, Books, City and Country

Unreal City: The London of The Lonely Londoners

This is not really a book review, although I did re-read, and enjoy The Lonely Londoners as part of the #1956club. It is rather an excuse to pull out some quotations, share some research and images, and post a quite remarkable documentary. Along the way my journey took me deep into the North Kensington of the novel – a part…

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