What do you do when your other half gets hold of a Peugeot 207 CC? Exactly! You take the roof down, and head somewhere scenic.


We decided to head towards Yorkshire, to Settle, to be exact. With the impressive Ribblehead Viaduct just a few miles up the road, you can't really go more scenic. Because the car will be the star of a feature my boyfriend is writing for the next issue of Gr8 Life magazine, I was asked to provide the photography for it. I've never taken promotional pictures before, but I gave it my best shot (pun intended). Since Settle is also one of the end points of the famous Settle-Carlisle Railway, we decided to have a race. Could the car get to Carlisle before the train pulled into the station? And that without breaking the speed limit?

After grabbing a bite to eat in Settle, it was time to hit the road, or tracks, as it were. I've never been on the iconic railway before, nor was the car left in my care, so it was obvious I would be the one taking the train. However, that also gave me the chance to take in the views without having to keep my eyes on the road.

Unfortunately, even though I had every faith in the train, and was still in the lead when the train went through Appleby while the Peugeot had just cleared Shap, the train pulled into the station 15 minutes after the car pulled up. Leaving my boyfriend to wait for me on the platform and look smug, and a passenger on the train - who had noticed we were having a race - to comment "How the hell did that gentleman you were with in Settle get here before you did?" Good question, but I was assured that no speeding was involved.

Cruising through the Yorkshire Dales with the top down was fun, however it was also freezing as it is still March after all. That didn't stop the walkers at the Ribblehead Viaduct though, who warmed themselves back up with coffees and teas from the coffee van, and full English breakfasts from the mobile canteen. The train passengers got the views, but not the view of the viaduct - although that didn't stop them from getting up and trying to catch a glimpse.

There is something magical about travelling on a steam-powered train. Conny Kaufmann heads down to Llangollen in Wales to ride the Llangollen Railway and experience train travel of days gone past.



If you are in Wales and have a fable for vintage trains, the Llangollen Railway is not the only one you should check out. Several Light and Steam trains still operate across northern Wales.

These include the Bala Lake Railway, which runs between Bala and Llanuwchllyn; the Llanberis Lake Railway which runs alongside the lake between Llanberis and Penllyn and gives you access to the Snowdon Mountain railway as well; the Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway with its balconied coaches; the Talyllyn Railway - the world's first preserved railway - running between Tywyn and Nant Gwernol; the Vale of Rheidol Railway which runs from Aberystwyth to Devil's Bridge and the Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railways, which run from Blaenau Ffestiniog to Porthmadog (second to last stop Minffordd lets you experience Portmeirion village) and from Porthmadog to Caernarfon respectively.