Hi, I'm Juliette Maxam.

Hi, I'm Juliette Maxam.

And I'm Lucy Wright. And this is Life on Rails.

And I'm Lucy Wright. And this is Life on Rails.

We're part of the PR team at Greater Anglia and present this podcast that dives behind the scenes of one of the largest trained companies in the UK.

We're part of the PR team at Greater Anglia and present this podcast that dives behind the scenes of one of the largest trained companies in the UK.

We're talking to all types of people from facilities managers to heads of communication, as well as some special Greater Anglia celebrities.

We're talking to all types of people from facilities managers to heads of communication, as well as some special Greater Anglia celebrities.

In this episode, we speak to astronomer, broadcaster and author, Mark Thompson.

In this episode, we speak to astronomer, broadcaster and author, Mark Thompson.

That image was of a beautiful velvet black background. And I saw Saturn with the rings and to see that for real myself, it was just the most amazing image.

That image was of a beautiful velvet black background. And I saw Saturn with the rings and to see that for real myself, it was just the most amazing image.

Our resident fares guru, Ken Strong.

Our resident fares guru, Ken Strong.

So what you can do is buy this ticket and you can travel as much as you like within the area of validity of the ticket. Hop on and hop off as you wish.

So what you can do is buy this ticket and you can travel as much as you like within the area of validity of the ticket. Hop on and hop off as you wish.

The managing director of Greater Anglia, Jamie Burles.

The managing director of Greater Anglia, Jamie Burles.

It is full on but the bottom line is I do enjoy it because what we do makes a real difference.

It is full on but the bottom line is I do enjoy it because what we do makes a real difference.

And Mark Ellis, head of facilities management at Greater Anglia.

And Mark Ellis, head of facilities management at Greater Anglia.

It makes economical use of electricity on that station, which is why we've managed to save so many kilowatt hours and a massive impact on a carbon footprint.

It makes economical use of electricity on that station, which is why we've managed to save so many kilowatt hours and a massive impact on a carbon footprint.

To kick things off though, we are going to speak to Kate Snowden, head of communications for Anglia at Network Rail. We work really closely with Kate, so it's a real pleasure to have her on the podcast. Thank you for joining me, Kate.

To kick things off though, we are going to speak to Kate Snowden, head of communications for Anglia at Network Rail. We work really closely with Kate, so it's a real pleasure to have her on the podcast. Thank you for joining me, Kate.

Oh, thanks Lucy. It's a real pleasure to be here.

Oh, thanks Lucy. It's a real pleasure to be here.

So today I'd like to focus on engineering work. So could you just start us off, give me an example of some of the engineering work projects and explain why they're important.

So today I'd like to focus on engineering work. So could you just start us off, give me an example of some of the engineering work projects and explain why they're important.

It's really interesting about engineering works because they can actually be anything from some simple maintenance, which we do every single day of the year. And that's around making sure that all our track, all our signaling is working and functioning as safely and as effectively as it can be. And if you think about your car or your house, you need to make sure that you do your cleaning, you need to make sure you do your oil change, that sort of thing. You need to pump up your tires, that kind of stuff. So exactly the same with the railway, we need to make sure everything's working, so that goes on all the time. And we have people out working every single day and night of the year doing that. But then we have much bigger projects in which we're actually doing big pieces of renewing the tracks, or in some cases we're even actually building new tracks. So I think if we talk about renewals, probably hear a lot about this, and this is the sort of stuff that we're doing over several weeks of the year. And that will be, for example, let's say we need to renew the track. So just like, say the tires in your car, the track gets worn out from having Greater Anglia trains running over it all the time. And so it needs to be replaced to make sure that there aren't any defects, means that there aren't any faults, and that would mean that your train might get delayed. The metal tracks that you see, it's also about replacing the sleepers, it's about replacing the, what we call the ballast, which are the big stones that make sure that everything sits in place. So it's quite a big deal. And I've been to see some of these taking place and it's amazing because they've ripped up the entire track. There's absolutely nothing there. You're standing around watching them sort of rip it up, and then amazingly Monday morning, it's all back down and there's a train running over it and it's really remarkable. In an ideal world, what you do is you just close the railway for a few weeks and you can get it all done. But of course, then we wouldn't be able to get people to where they need to be. So it's quite often, it's about doing it in piecemeal and you need to close down the railway, say midnight, one o'clock in the morning, get all your equipment on track, do what you need to do and then get it all off again. So that's why a weekend and especially a bank holiday weekend where you get a little bit longer to do it. It's why you can get so much more done, more bang for your buck, as such.

It's really interesting about engineering works because they can actually be anything from some simple maintenance, which we do every single day of the year. And that's around making sure that all our track, all our signaling is working and functioning as safely and as effectively as it can be. And if you think about your car or your house, you need to make sure that you do your cleaning, you need to make sure you do your oil change, that sort of thing. You need to pump up your tires, that kind of stuff. So exactly the same with the railway, we need to make sure everything's working, so that goes on all the time. And we have people out working every single day and night of the year doing that. But then we have much bigger projects in which we're actually doing big pieces of renewing the tracks, or in some cases we're even actually building new tracks. So I think if we talk about renewals, probably hear a lot about this, and this is the sort of stuff that we're doing over several weeks of the year. And that will be, for example, let's say we need to renew the track. So just like, say the tires in your car, the track gets worn out from having Greater Anglia trains running over it all the time. And so it needs to be replaced to make sure that there aren't any defects, means that there aren't any faults, and that would mean that your train might get delayed. The metal tracks that you see, it's also about replacing the sleepers, it's about replacing the, what we call the ballast, which are the big stones that make sure that everything sits in place. So it's quite a big deal. And I've been to see some of these taking place and it's amazing because they've ripped up the entire track. There's absolutely nothing there. You're standing around watching them sort of rip it up, and then amazingly Monday morning, it's all back down and there's a train running over it and it's really remarkable. In an ideal world, what you do is you just close the railway for a few weeks and you can get it all done. But of course, then we wouldn't be able to get people to where they need to be. So it's quite often, it's about doing it in piecemeal and you need to close down the railway, say midnight, one o'clock in the morning, get all your equipment on track, do what you need to do and then get it all off again. So that's why a weekend and especially a bank holiday weekend where you get a little bit longer to do it. It's why you can get so much more done, more bang for your buck, as such.

How do you decide when to do the engineering work? A lot of people have asked, why didn't you do this during the pandemic, when we were in lockdown? Why didn't you just get it all done then? Why is it always shut over Easter? You know, we get those kind of questions. So what would your answer be to that?

How do you decide when to do the engineering work? A lot of people have asked, why didn't you do this during the pandemic, when we were in lockdown? Why didn't you just get it all done then? Why is it always shut over Easter? You know, we get those kind of questions. So what would your answer be to that?

That's a really good question. A lot of what we need to get done is decided by our engineering asset teams. And what they're doing is that they are constantly looking at how is the asset performing. And by that, what I mean is let's say you've got a piece of track, you know how old it is, you know how worn out it is, because you're regularly sort of checking on it and testing it. And you know at what point it will need to be renewed in order to keep performing at the standard that you need it to do. So we will know that we need to renew a piece of track, we'll know that we need to build a new structure or refurbish our structures at certain points. And obviously there is some leeway in that, but you're going to plan it at the most optimal point to make sure that you're not going to get a detrimental performance to train services. We are looking at things like... If we need to do that, when's going to be the least disruptive time. So we will discuss that with the train operators and look at where we think would cause the least disruption. And then it's case of yes, of agreeing that and getting that sorted. Quite often, that's planned at least two years in advance, and then there are several iterations of going back and forth and working that out over that period. But it's absolutely, definitely now down three months before the work actually gets started, but most of it is decided way, way in advance of that. The other thing that we do is that we look ahead to try and see if there are any external events that might have an impact. So obviously COVID's been really difficult with things like that, because a lot of stuff hasn't been happening. So things like the London marathon, we work with organizations, big football clubs. So I recently attended a meeting with Tottenham Hotspur where obviously with their stadium, they're now hosting more than just football. They're putting on boxing events and music events. And so we are looking at on the days in which they're doing stuff, is there an opportunity where we can keep the railway running as much as possible so that people can get to those events as well? It's not always possible. And our time scales don't always match with theirs, but we're trying to get there as much as possible. Your point about COVID, why didn't you get anything done? I think that goes back to almost the invisibility of the railway because we were working as hard as we have ever been during COVID and every single night and every single weekend we were working to deliver a huge amount of work to improve the railway. And actually that's (inaudible) out in terms of now people are coming back to the railway. But the thing about the railway is it's never actually... It's never, ever done. You are always going to have to do more because we're talking about several thousand miles of track and equipment here and it will always need more doing to it and it will always need maintenance.

That's a really good question. A lot of what we need to get done is decided by our engineering asset teams. And what they're doing is that they are constantly looking at how is the asset performing. And by that, what I mean is let's say you've got a piece of track, you know how old it is, you know how worn out it is, because you're regularly sort of checking on it and testing it. And you know at what point it will need to be renewed in order to keep performing at the standard that you need it to do. So we will know that we need to renew a piece of track, we'll know that we need to build a new structure or refurbish our structures at certain points. And obviously there is some leeway in that, but you're going to plan it at the most optimal point to make sure that you're not going to get a detrimental performance to train services. We are looking at things like... If we need to do that, when's going to be the least disruptive time. So we will discuss that with the train operators and look at where we think would cause the least disruption. And then it's case of yes, of agreeing that and getting that sorted. Quite often, that's planned at least two years in advance, and then there are several iterations of going back and forth and working that out over that period. But it's absolutely, definitely now down three months before the work actually gets started, but most of it is decided way, way in advance of that. The other thing that we do is that we look ahead to try and see if there are any external events that might have an impact. So obviously COVID's been really difficult with things like that, because a lot of stuff hasn't been happening. So things like the London marathon, we work with organizations, big football clubs. So I recently attended a meeting with Tottenham Hotspur where obviously with their stadium, they're now hosting more than just football. They're putting on boxing events and music events. And so we are looking at on the days in which they're doing stuff, is there an opportunity where we can keep the railway running as much as possible so that people can get to those events as well? It's not always possible. And our time scales don't always match with theirs, but we're trying to get there as much as possible. Your point about COVID, why didn't you get anything done? I think that goes back to almost the invisibility of the railway because we were working as hard as we have ever been during COVID and every single night and every single weekend we were working to deliver a huge amount of work to improve the railway. And actually that's (inaudible) out in terms of now people are coming back to the railway. But the thing about the railway is it's never actually... It's never, ever done. You are always going to have to do more because we're talking about several thousand miles of track and equipment here and it will always need more doing to it and it will always need maintenance.

Yes, ongoing. But on that note, I think it's really important to thank everybody because so many people don't have bank holidays with their family and their children. They miss out on that. And they're working through the night, so it's really important that we do appreciate their work. And like you said, the punctuality is great and we are so proud. We're so, so pleased with it. So people can always see what engineering work is coming up, just look at our website and look at the service alterations tab. And it's just also worth reminding people that whenever there is engineering work, we will put on a rail replacement bus service so people can complete their journeys. We will always get you where you need to be. It just might take a little bit longer. So thank you so much for bearing with us. Kate, thank you so much for coming on our podcast. It's been really good to speak to you today.

Yes, ongoing. But on that note, I think it's really important to thank everybody because so many people don't have bank holidays with their family and their children. They miss out on that. And they're working through the night, so it's really important that we do appreciate their work. And like you said, the punctuality is great and we are so proud. We're so, so pleased with it. So people can always see what engineering work is coming up, just look at our website and look at the service alterations tab. And it's just also worth reminding people that whenever there is engineering work, we will put on a rail replacement bus service so people can complete their journeys. We will always get you where you need to be. It just might take a little bit longer. So thank you so much for bearing with us. Kate, thank you so much for coming on our podcast. It's been really good to speak to you today.

Thank you so much. And hopefully I've helped explain a few myth busters. And of course, if anyone's got any questions, we'd be happy to help answer anything via (inaudible) , if anyone's got any specific questions on what we are up to.

Thank you so much. And hopefully I've helped explain a few myth busters. And of course, if anyone's got any questions, we'd be happy to help answer anything via (inaudible) , if anyone's got any specific questions on what we are up to.

It's now time for greener Anglia. And today I'm meeting with Mark Ellis, head of facilities management at Greater Anglia. Mark is responsible for many projects at Greater Anglia, which benefit the environment. How are you Mark? Thanks for joining us.

It's now time for greener Anglia. And today I'm meeting with Mark Ellis, head of facilities management at Greater Anglia. Mark is responsible for many projects at Greater Anglia, which benefit the environment. How are you Mark? Thanks for joining us.

Yeah, I'm good. Thank you very much. Nice to be here.

Yeah, I'm good. Thank you very much. Nice to be here.

Can you briefly tell me what being head of facilities management means and what you actually do?

Can you briefly tell me what being head of facilities management means and what you actually do?

Yeah, I have the overall responsibility for making sure that all of Greater Anglia stations are maintained by a mix of internal staff and outsource contractors. So we make the stations safe for all our passengers, we keep them lit, we keep the seating in good condition. Anything that makes the station safe for passengers to occupy.

Yeah, I have the overall responsibility for making sure that all of Greater Anglia stations are maintained by a mix of internal staff and outsource contractors. So we make the stations safe for all our passengers, we keep them lit, we keep the seating in good condition. Anything that makes the station safe for passengers to occupy.

So you are also responsible for all of the cleaning and collecting the rubbish, all of that sort of thing?

So you are also responsible for all of the cleaning and collecting the rubbish, all of that sort of thing?

Yes. Cleaning and waste and also maintenance of all the assets that sit on a station like lighting and seating, et cetera, et cetera.

Yes. Cleaning and waste and also maintenance of all the assets that sit on a station like lighting and seating, et cetera, et cetera.

So over the years you've made quite a few changes that have made it greener from waste management, recycling and so on and installing LED lights. But I'm particularly interested over the last couple of years, Greater Anglia has saved the equivalent of over a thousand tons of carbon dioxide at our stations with these wireless energy management systems, WEMS, and that's the equivalent carbon footprint of heating 370 homes in the UK, which is pretty impressive, I think. So what are these wireless energy management systems and how do they work?

So over the years you've made quite a few changes that have made it greener from waste management, recycling and so on and installing LED lights. But I'm particularly interested over the last couple of years, Greater Anglia has saved the equivalent of over a thousand tons of carbon dioxide at our stations with these wireless energy management systems, WEMS, and that's the equivalent carbon footprint of heating 370 homes in the UK, which is pretty impressive, I think. So what are these wireless energy management systems and how do they work?

So the system is basically designed... Is almost like a control panel that takes signals from a series of wireless temperature sensors that are positioned in various parts of the station, so you can have them in passenger waiting rooms, you can have them in ticket offices, ticket halls, you can have them in staff mess rooms and back of house areas. And what happens is that you set the system up to heat an area or call an area to a certain temperature. And what happens is that those wireless sensors will send a signal to the main box in the station telling that box what the temperature is in that room. And then that enables it to either switch on the heating or switch on the calling or turn each of those off, for example. And so what it does, it maintains a steady temperature throughout the day so you don't get fluctuations of high temperatures in one room and really cold temperatures in another. So it really balances the ambient temperature. So what that does then is it makes economical use of electricity on that station, which is why we've managed to save so many kilowatt hours and a massive impact on a carbon footprint.

So the system is basically designed... Is almost like a control panel that takes signals from a series of wireless temperature sensors that are positioned in various parts of the station, so you can have them in passenger waiting rooms, you can have them in ticket offices, ticket halls, you can have them in staff mess rooms and back of house areas. And what happens is that you set the system up to heat an area or call an area to a certain temperature. And what happens is that those wireless sensors will send a signal to the main box in the station telling that box what the temperature is in that room. And then that enables it to either switch on the heating or switch on the calling or turn each of those off, for example. And so what it does, it maintains a steady temperature throughout the day so you don't get fluctuations of high temperatures in one room and really cold temperatures in another. So it really balances the ambient temperature. So what that does then is it makes economical use of electricity on that station, which is why we've managed to save so many kilowatt hours and a massive impact on a carbon footprint.

And so for instance, my nearest station is Colchester, where would I see this WEMS or what rooms would they be in?

And so for instance, my nearest station is Colchester, where would I see this WEMS or what rooms would they be in?

So it's pretty low key really. So if you went into a supervisor's office on a platform where you'd see what looks like a little white box on a wall, which looks very similar to an electrical distribution box you'd have in your home, and there'd be a black antenna coming out of that, that is then picking up signals from these temperature sensors. Now, these temperature sensors, if you went into a waiting room, you'd see a little white box, probably twice the size of a box of matches for a better description, and that'll be mounted on the wall somewhere that is working away, measuring the temperature, sending signals to that main control unit to control the heating.

So it's pretty low key really. So if you went into a supervisor's office on a platform where you'd see what looks like a little white box on a wall, which looks very similar to an electrical distribution box you'd have in your home, and there'd be a black antenna coming out of that, that is then picking up signals from these temperature sensors. Now, these temperature sensors, if you went into a waiting room, you'd see a little white box, probably twice the size of a box of matches for a better description, and that'll be mounted on the wall somewhere that is working away, measuring the temperature, sending signals to that main control unit to control the heating.

So I guess they're great for the environment and in this day and age, when heating costs are just phenomenal, must be saving a little bit of money, which must be good for the railway too.

So I guess they're great for the environment and in this day and age, when heating costs are just phenomenal, must be saving a little bit of money, which must be good for the railway too.

It is and the other thing with the energy prices going up is it means that the system pays for itself much quicker than first calculated. And the company that installed this system for us are absolutely inundated now with inquiries from various companies, looking to put this equipment in, obviously due to the energy saving desire.

It is and the other thing with the energy prices going up is it means that the system pays for itself much quicker than first calculated. And the company that installed this system for us are absolutely inundated now with inquiries from various companies, looking to put this equipment in, obviously due to the energy saving desire.

Sounds brilliant. Anything else you are working on that's going to benefit the environment?

Sounds brilliant. Anything else you are working on that's going to benefit the environment?

We are looking at 10 particular stations at a high consuming to look at thermal efficiency to see if we can do things to those stations, to better insulate, better draft proof, to save even more energy on what we were saving already.

We are looking at 10 particular stations at a high consuming to look at thermal efficiency to see if we can do things to those stations, to better insulate, better draft proof, to save even more energy on what we were saving already.

It sounds good. It's just really great to hear of all the different things that Greater Anglia is doing to make rail travelers sustainable as possible. So thanks very much, Mark, that's been really interesting and look forward to hearing about more schemes in the future.

It sounds good. It's just really great to hear of all the different things that Greater Anglia is doing to make rail travelers sustainable as possible. So thanks very much, Mark, that's been really interesting and look forward to hearing about more schemes in the future.

Sure, no problem. Thank you very much.

Sure, no problem. Thank you very much.

Time now for fares guru with podcast regular Ken Strong. Today, we'll be talking about Ranger and Rover tickets. Hi, Ken. Welcome back.

Time now for fares guru with podcast regular Ken Strong. Today, we'll be talking about Ranger and Rover tickets. Hi, Ken. Welcome back.

Hello Lucy. Thank you for having me back.

Hello Lucy. Thank you for having me back.

So the good weather's finally here, we're seeing more and more people returning to rail and we have got Ranger and Rover tickets on offer. They're a really good way for people to explore several destinations like along the same line or in the same area saying, can you just tell me a bit about the types of Rangers and Rovers we have on offer, please?

So the good weather's finally here, we're seeing more and more people returning to rail and we have got Ranger and Rover tickets on offer. They're a really good way for people to explore several destinations like along the same line or in the same area saying, can you just tell me a bit about the types of Rangers and Rovers we have on offer, please?

We have Rangers and Rovers in quite a few areas, generally in our rural Norfolk and Suffolk areas, rather than in the more commuter- land towards London. We have ones that cover the entire sort of rural area and ones that cover specific lines.

We have Rangers and Rovers in quite a few areas, generally in our rural Norfolk and Suffolk areas, rather than in the more commuter- land towards London. We have ones that cover the entire sort of rural area and ones that cover specific lines.

Okay, so what are the benefits of Rangers and Rovers?

Okay, so what are the benefits of Rangers and Rovers?

Well, a Ranger, let me explain first the difference between a Ranger and a Rover. A Ranger is a one day ticket and a Rover is for longer than a day and that's standard across the country actually. So what you can do is buy this ticket and it's valid after the morning peak on a weekday or anytime at weekends, and you can travel as much as you like within the area of validity of the ticket. Hop on and hop off as you wish.

Well, a Ranger, let me explain first the difference between a Ranger and a Rover. A Ranger is a one day ticket and a Rover is for longer than a day and that's standard across the country actually. So what you can do is buy this ticket and it's valid after the morning peak on a weekday or anytime at weekends, and you can travel as much as you like within the area of validity of the ticket. Hop on and hop off as you wish.

And can you save money? Are they cheaper than say day tickets?

And can you save money? Are they cheaper than say day tickets?

If you're just making one out and back journey, then it's obviously cheaper just to buy a day return ticket. But if you are making two or three separate journeys and going to visit two or three separate different places, then it's better value to buy the Ranger ticket because they don't cost much more than the basic day return anyway.

If you're just making one out and back journey, then it's obviously cheaper just to buy a day return ticket. But if you are making two or three separate journeys and going to visit two or three separate different places, then it's better value to buy the Ranger ticket because they don't cost much more than the basic day return anyway.

And some of them have a special deal, don't they? I think there's one on the Wherry lines for...

And some of them have a special deal, don't they? I think there's one on the Wherry lines for...

There's one on the Wherry lines, which is very good. It takes you from Norwich to Yarmouth and Lowestoft, and the branch line through Berney Arms as well. You visit Lowestoft and Yarmouth, if you're starting at Norwich, also stop off at the Broads if you like at one of the small stations on route and have a look around. And it's a very good value ticket. It's only 11.50 for the day, and there are rail card discounts on that. And what's also very good about that one and the Bittern line one on the Sheringham and Cromer line as well is that there are senior versions that I don't require a rail card. So if you are over 60, you just pay the reduced rate of 7. 55 automatically.

There's one on the Wherry lines, which is very good. It takes you from Norwich to Yarmouth and Lowestoft, and the branch line through Berney Arms as well. You visit Lowestoft and Yarmouth, if you're starting at Norwich, also stop off at the Broads if you like at one of the small stations on route and have a look around. And it's a very good value ticket. It's only 11.50 for the day, and there are rail card discounts on that. And what's also very good about that one and the Bittern line one on the Sheringham and Cromer line as well is that there are senior versions that I don't require a rail card. So if you are over 60, you just pay the reduced rate of 7. 55 automatically.

That's a great tip. So if somebody was planning a little holiday in the region, what would you recommend that they do?

That's a great tip. So if somebody was planning a little holiday in the region, what would you recommend that they do?

What you can do is you can base yourself in one of the main towns in the area, say Norwich or Ipswich or Cambridge and travel there by one of our very good value advance or off peak tickets from London or wherever you're starting from. And then buy either the day Ranger or the three and seven Rover, which you can use in any three days in a week and travel around the whole of the Norfolk and Suffolk area and parts of Cambridge that it covers, basically most places north of Cambridge and Ipswich, right up to the Norfolk coast, the Suffolk coast and between Cambridge and Ely and across (inaudible) as well. And so you can visit some of the interesting places that there are in that area, in this area, there's (inaudible) very nice time to visit. And there's Norwich of course. There's Ipswich with this (inaudible) area. There's the Suffolk line and the Norfolk coast, there's Cromer and Sheringham, which are nice places to visit. There's the Norfolk Broads. There's the Breckland area around Bedford. There's all sorts of places that you can visit and you can do as few or as many as you want in a day subject to the time that you have.

What you can do is you can base yourself in one of the main towns in the area, say Norwich or Ipswich or Cambridge and travel there by one of our very good value advance or off peak tickets from London or wherever you're starting from. And then buy either the day Ranger or the three and seven Rover, which you can use in any three days in a week and travel around the whole of the Norfolk and Suffolk area and parts of Cambridge that it covers, basically most places north of Cambridge and Ipswich, right up to the Norfolk coast, the Suffolk coast and between Cambridge and Ely and across (inaudible) as well. And so you can visit some of the interesting places that there are in that area, in this area, there's (inaudible) very nice time to visit. And there's Norwich of course. There's Ipswich with this (inaudible) area. There's the Suffolk line and the Norfolk coast, there's Cromer and Sheringham, which are nice places to visit. There's the Norfolk Broads. There's the Breckland area around Bedford. There's all sorts of places that you can visit and you can do as few or as many as you want in a day subject to the time that you have.

And you can just hop on and off the trains as many times as you like?

And you can just hop on and off the trains as many times as you like?

You can hop off and on, off and on the trains. These tickets start at generally 8: 45 in the morning. There are a few concessions to allow slightly earlier travel than that, where there's a train just before the 8: 45 deadline and anytime at weekends. So as long as you don't travel in the early morning, rush hour, which is if you're making a holiday of it, you're unlikely to be doing anyway, then it's absolutely fine. You can go anytime and there's no evening restrictions on it at all.

You can hop off and on, off and on the trains. These tickets start at generally 8: 45 in the morning. There are a few concessions to allow slightly earlier travel than that, where there's a train just before the 8: 45 deadline and anytime at weekends. So as long as you don't travel in the early morning, rush hour, which is if you're making a holiday of it, you're unlikely to be doing anyway, then it's absolutely fine. You can go anytime and there's no evening restrictions on it at all.

Brilliant. That's great. Thank you so much, Ken.

Brilliant. That's great. Thank you so much, Ken.

Thank you, Lucy.

Thank you, Lucy.

It's now time for me to meet a member of staff. And today we're here with Jamie Burles, managing director of Greater Anglia. Hi Jamie, how are you?

It's now time for me to meet a member of staff. And today we're here with Jamie Burles, managing director of Greater Anglia. Hi Jamie, how are you?

I'm okay, Juliette, how are you?

I'm okay, Juliette, how are you?

I'm good, thank you. So you are our managing director, very important role. What's it like to be managing director of a large train company?

I'm good, thank you. So you are our managing director, very important role. What's it like to be managing director of a large train company?

Well, I guess it's certainly not boring, so that would be my first comment, Juliette. So on the one hand, it's pretty relentless because as you might imagine, we as GA we run trains every day of the year, except Christmas Day. So we have, I guess we really, we have one day off. So it is pretty much, it's a 24/ 7 operation. So yes, it is full on, but the bottom line is I do enjoy it because what we do as a train company and what all train companies do makes a real difference to the lives of the people who use our service.

Well, I guess it's certainly not boring, so that would be my first comment, Juliette. So on the one hand, it's pretty relentless because as you might imagine, we as GA we run trains every day of the year, except Christmas Day. So we have, I guess we really, we have one day off. So it is pretty much, it's a 24/ 7 operation. So yes, it is full on, but the bottom line is I do enjoy it because what we do as a train company and what all train companies do makes a real difference to the lives of the people who use our service.

So what do you actually do?

So what do you actually do?

My role is really, really varied, so I'm often focused on overseeing a lot of the performance, the punctuality improvement initiatives. Then I'm spending lots of time liaising with Network Rail, the infrastructure, the people who run the tracks, the signals, and so forth. Liaising with Network Rail to again, make sure that they're focusing on the right reliability improvements and the right investment initiatives because of course we are a collaboration, it's a partnership. We run the trains in the stations, they run the tracks, the signals and overhead lines. So another aspect is liaising with the government. So the government's very keen on ensuring that we're doing a good job. We're doing the right thing. We're spending money on the right things. We're making savings where we need to make savings. Another element is liaising with stakeholders. And then of course, as a lot of listeners will know, we're spending a lot of time focusing on the rollout of our brand new fleet of trains. So we're about halfway through now upgrading every single train that we operate right across our networks. And that's been a big, big focus for the organization because it is genuinely transforming the service that we offer to our customers, where we very shortly, we're going to have the newest train fleet in the entire country, which is brilliant for customers, but it's taken a heck of a lot of hard work to get to this point.

My role is really, really varied, so I'm often focused on overseeing a lot of the performance, the punctuality improvement initiatives. Then I'm spending lots of time liaising with Network Rail, the infrastructure, the people who run the tracks, the signals, and so forth. Liaising with Network Rail to again, make sure that they're focusing on the right reliability improvements and the right investment initiatives because of course we are a collaboration, it's a partnership. We run the trains in the stations, they run the tracks, the signals and overhead lines. So another aspect is liaising with the government. So the government's very keen on ensuring that we're doing a good job. We're doing the right thing. We're spending money on the right things. We're making savings where we need to make savings. Another element is liaising with stakeholders. And then of course, as a lot of listeners will know, we're spending a lot of time focusing on the rollout of our brand new fleet of trains. So we're about halfway through now upgrading every single train that we operate right across our networks. And that's been a big, big focus for the organization because it is genuinely transforming the service that we offer to our customers, where we very shortly, we're going to have the newest train fleet in the entire country, which is brilliant for customers, but it's taken a heck of a lot of hard work to get to this point.

Goodness me, it really is incredibly varied and it sounds like you have a lot of meetings. Is there a favorite part of a job? I mean, apart from dealing with the communications colleagues, obviously.

Goodness me, it really is incredibly varied and it sounds like you have a lot of meetings. Is there a favorite part of a job? I mean, apart from dealing with the communications colleagues, obviously.

Well, the favorite part of the job is when we get it right, so as you can probably imagine Juliette, we've been through all sorts of phases, haven't we? We can think back to things like beasts from the east, or flooding, or a particularly hot period where there may have been some disruption and so forth. So we've been through the full cycle of what can be thrown at the railway if you like, because it's a very complex operation and everything has to come together absolutely right for it to operate well. The most enjoyable part for me has been definitely despite the pandemic, because that's been awful for everybody, of course, but the last two and a half years, we've really seen a lot of improvement at GA. So we've seen the new trains coming in thick and fast, customers liking the new trains, the new trains getting more and more and more reliable. We've seen our colleagues at Network Rail grappling with the challenges that they've had to make the (inaudible) lines reliable, the track reliable and so forth. And they've done a fantastic job as well in the last two and a half years. So these stars have all aligned and that's produced record breaking reliability, record breaking punctuality. So we've been on every single line that we operate. We've been running far, far more trains on time. And that has been very, very satisfying from my perspective.

Well, the favorite part of the job is when we get it right, so as you can probably imagine Juliette, we've been through all sorts of phases, haven't we? We can think back to things like beasts from the east, or flooding, or a particularly hot period where there may have been some disruption and so forth. So we've been through the full cycle of what can be thrown at the railway if you like, because it's a very complex operation and everything has to come together absolutely right for it to operate well. The most enjoyable part for me has been definitely despite the pandemic, because that's been awful for everybody, of course, but the last two and a half years, we've really seen a lot of improvement at GA. So we've seen the new trains coming in thick and fast, customers liking the new trains, the new trains getting more and more and more reliable. We've seen our colleagues at Network Rail grappling with the challenges that they've had to make the (inaudible) lines reliable, the track reliable and so forth. And they've done a fantastic job as well in the last two and a half years. So these stars have all aligned and that's produced record breaking reliability, record breaking punctuality. So we've been on every single line that we operate. We've been running far, far more trains on time. And that has been very, very satisfying from my perspective.

That sounds fantastic. And I remember you setting up performance and punctuality summits with Network Rail and challenging everybody to do what we could to start making sure that our trains run on time and our punctuality is astonishing. You can't really say, oh, the trains are always late because it's wrong, isn't it?

That sounds fantastic. And I remember you setting up performance and punctuality summits with Network Rail and challenging everybody to do what we could to start making sure that our trains run on time and our punctuality is astonishing. You can't really say, oh, the trains are always late because it's wrong, isn't it?

Yeah, we were just in the last sort of four weeks, we were just a smidge under 95%. What that means is the vast, vast majority of the time, whether you're traveling in peak times, between, let's say seven and nine in the morning, or you're traveling at off peak times, just nearly every train is on time. And a lot of hard work's gone into that.

Yeah, we were just in the last sort of four weeks, we were just a smidge under 95%. What that means is the vast, vast majority of the time, whether you're traveling in peak times, between, let's say seven and nine in the morning, or you're traveling at off peak times, just nearly every train is on time. And a lot of hard work's gone into that.

So we are not complacent though, we are always looking to see how we can improve more and sometimes people are critical and you being that the man at the top, come into criticism, how do you deal with that negative feedback?

So we are not complacent though, we are always looking to see how we can improve more and sometimes people are critical and you being that the man at the top, come into criticism, how do you deal with that negative feedback?

Yeah, and so Juliette, it's an absolute truth, isn't it? From time to time, there is negative feedback. So to be honest, negative feedback doesn't make me feel any worse, to be honest. Now let me, I guess let me explain, because the fact is that if we, as a company have done something wrong or it's our fault that there's some disruption, for example, if it is our fault and we've done something wrong, I'm already beating myself up about it and already working on trying to put it right for the future. And so the situation really is that for many of us in GA, we are, and I believe quite rightly we are our own biggest critics when things go wrong, because we're not here to let people down, that's not our job. Our job's not to let people down. So if on occasion that does happen, we are the first to beat ourselves up. And sometimes we can be quite harsh on ourselves, but I think that's ultimately, absolutely healthy because being harsh on ourselves has driven us to tackle the root causes of issues, tackle some of the things that people thought couldn't be solved, couldn't be made better. But taking the attitude of being very critical on yourselves, it's made us drive some very significant improvements over the past few years.

Yeah, and so Juliette, it's an absolute truth, isn't it? From time to time, there is negative feedback. So to be honest, negative feedback doesn't make me feel any worse, to be honest. Now let me, I guess let me explain, because the fact is that if we, as a company have done something wrong or it's our fault that there's some disruption, for example, if it is our fault and we've done something wrong, I'm already beating myself up about it and already working on trying to put it right for the future. And so the situation really is that for many of us in GA, we are, and I believe quite rightly we are our own biggest critics when things go wrong, because we're not here to let people down, that's not our job. Our job's not to let people down. So if on occasion that does happen, we are the first to beat ourselves up. And sometimes we can be quite harsh on ourselves, but I think that's ultimately, absolutely healthy because being harsh on ourselves has driven us to tackle the root causes of issues, tackle some of the things that people thought couldn't be solved, couldn't be made better. But taking the attitude of being very critical on yourselves, it's made us drive some very significant improvements over the past few years.

Brilliant. Do you use the trains yourself?

Brilliant. Do you use the trains yourself?

Yes, I use the trains all the time because I live in Cambridge. I've never driven to London. I wouldn't fancy that drive to London. So I'm using the trains all the time. You know, once I joined the industry, I would say that 85% of the travel I do is by train just because it really works for me, because it's much quicker, I can work on the train. And then even during my spare time, I use the train as well. So whether that's going down to London or it's going see my mom who lives in the northwest of England. So I've either got the choice of a nice trip up the west coast with (inaudible) to west coast, or I've got a four and a half hour slog in the car up to my mum's. So I choose to train just because it just makes much more sense to me. So no, I am a big train user, rest assured.

Yes, I use the trains all the time because I live in Cambridge. I've never driven to London. I wouldn't fancy that drive to London. So I'm using the trains all the time. You know, once I joined the industry, I would say that 85% of the travel I do is by train just because it really works for me, because it's much quicker, I can work on the train. And then even during my spare time, I use the train as well. So whether that's going down to London or it's going see my mom who lives in the northwest of England. So I've either got the choice of a nice trip up the west coast with (inaudible) to west coast, or I've got a four and a half hour slog in the car up to my mum's. So I choose to train just because it just makes much more sense to me. So no, I am a big train user, rest assured.

When you are on the train or you are at stations, you always seem to have time to talk both to members of staff and to customers.

When you are on the train or you are at stations, you always seem to have time to talk both to members of staff and to customers.

Yeah, absolutely. At a station or on a train, then I am identifiable, whether it's your lanyard around your neck, so people they do know who I work for and some people know me. So I think it's important to be open to, once again, to both good and negative feedback. And then when I pass through the stations, obviously with our staff, it's great to talk to our staff because they, nine out of ten of them want to engage, they want to give you feedback, they want to ask you questions about the future or what's going on. And I always find you get into good conversation and then you always invariably learn something that you didn't know, whether it's something specific about that station or it's something specific about what passengers are saying about something. I always think that you come away a bit sort of richer for having interacted. I don't want to sort of wander around sort of anonymously type thing, so I'd prefer to interact with the people. If they want to have a chat, if they want to chat to me, I'm happy to chat to them.

Yeah, absolutely. At a station or on a train, then I am identifiable, whether it's your lanyard around your neck, so people they do know who I work for and some people know me. So I think it's important to be open to, once again, to both good and negative feedback. And then when I pass through the stations, obviously with our staff, it's great to talk to our staff because they, nine out of ten of them want to engage, they want to give you feedback, they want to ask you questions about the future or what's going on. And I always find you get into good conversation and then you always invariably learn something that you didn't know, whether it's something specific about that station or it's something specific about what passengers are saying about something. I always think that you come away a bit sort of richer for having interacted. I don't want to sort of wander around sort of anonymously type thing, so I'd prefer to interact with the people. If they want to have a chat, if they want to chat to me, I'm happy to chat to them.

That's brilliant. It's been really great talking to you, Jamie. Thank you very much.

That's brilliant. It's been really great talking to you, Jamie. Thank you very much.

You're very welcome, Juliette.

You're very welcome, Juliette.

We're finishing off the episode with travel surgery and today our guest is Mark Thompson. Mark is an astronomer, broadcaster and author who explores the world of STEM. He's best known for his role as one of the presenting team on BBC Stargazing Live, but has done all sorts including attempting to break a Guinness World Record last year for the longest marathon lecture.

We're finishing off the episode with travel surgery and today our guest is Mark Thompson. Mark is an astronomer, broadcaster and author who explores the world of STEM. He's best known for his role as one of the presenting team on BBC Stargazing Live, but has done all sorts including attempting to break a Guinness World Record last year for the longest marathon lecture.

Hi Mark.

Hi Mark.

Hello there.

Hello there.

How are you?

How are you?

I'm absolutely fine. When you just mentioned my Guinness World Record attempt last year, it just brought all the emotions and the experiences back momentarily there. And it was quite a strange experience, thank you for reminding me of that really quite bizarre moment in my life.

I'm absolutely fine. When you just mentioned my Guinness World Record attempt last year, it just brought all the emotions and the experiences back momentarily there. And it was quite a strange experience, thank you for reminding me of that really quite bizarre moment in my life.

Yeah. It makes me feel tired just thinking about it, I have to say. But let's start with science and astronomy. How did you become interested in science and astronomy?

Yeah. It makes me feel tired just thinking about it, I have to say. But let's start with science and astronomy. How did you become interested in science and astronomy?

It started for me as a child and I remember as a 10 year old, only a few years ago now, probably a few more than I care to mention. My dad took me along to my local astronomy society, the Norwich Astronomy Society when it was based on the edge of the University of East Anglia playing field. And I saw Saturn through a telescope and I've seen better images since then, myself, but that image was of a beautiful velvet black background. And I saw Saturn with the rings and to see that for real, myself, it was just the most amazing image. And that is absolutely what kind of captured my imagination and got me absolutely hooked on astronomy.

It started for me as a child and I remember as a 10 year old, only a few years ago now, probably a few more than I care to mention. My dad took me along to my local astronomy society, the Norwich Astronomy Society when it was based on the edge of the University of East Anglia playing field. And I saw Saturn through a telescope and I've seen better images since then, myself, but that image was of a beautiful velvet black background. And I saw Saturn with the rings and to see that for real, myself, it was just the most amazing image. And that is absolutely what kind of captured my imagination and got me absolutely hooked on astronomy.

It does sound absolutely incredible. I can't imagine it because I have to say I've only ever seen Saturn in photographs, never through a telescope. But are we lucky in east Anglia because obviously it's not really built up, is it? And there's not huge cities everywhere. Is it a good place for stargazing?

It does sound absolutely incredible. I can't imagine it because I have to say I've only ever seen Saturn in photographs, never through a telescope. But are we lucky in east Anglia because obviously it's not really built up, is it? And there's not huge cities everywhere. Is it a good place for stargazing?

There's a number of different factors. First of all, you've got the clear skies help and you can't really... We can't control that, the weather is what the weather is. Although, different parts of the world have different types of weather. So of course you could always move to a desert and get guaranteed clear skies for most of the year. But east Anglia is a superb place, it's flat mostly, which helps enormously because the flatter an area is then you don't get hills and huge built up areas, which actually obscure the horizon, so you can't see things lower down. So east Anglia is great for that. But also it's not a highly industrialized area as well because it's generally a fairly rural part of the country. When we get clear skies, it's not full of pollution and sort of almost smog that you get in the big cities. And so when we get clear skies, they are really clear. So yeah, it's a wonderful part of the world to explore, not just the countryside, but also the universe above your heads.

There's a number of different factors. First of all, you've got the clear skies help and you can't really... We can't control that, the weather is what the weather is. Although, different parts of the world have different types of weather. So of course you could always move to a desert and get guaranteed clear skies for most of the year. But east Anglia is a superb place, it's flat mostly, which helps enormously because the flatter an area is then you don't get hills and huge built up areas, which actually obscure the horizon, so you can't see things lower down. So east Anglia is great for that. But also it's not a highly industrialized area as well because it's generally a fairly rural part of the country. When we get clear skies, it's not full of pollution and sort of almost smog that you get in the big cities. And so when we get clear skies, they are really clear. So yeah, it's a wonderful part of the world to explore, not just the countryside, but also the universe above your heads.

Because actually I'm sure there's been some news stories recently in the local press about people even seeing the Northern lights from the Norfolk coast. Have you seen them?

Because actually I'm sure there's been some news stories recently in the local press about people even seeing the Northern lights from the Norfolk coast. Have you seen them?

Absolutely. And I've seen it loads. I've moved around Norfolk a few... Where I live, I've moved around to live in a few parts of the county and I've seen it from parts of Norfolk and the north Norfolk coast, but also from where I am now, near Sithney, Helston, I've seen it.

Absolutely. And I've seen it loads. I've moved around Norfolk a few... Where I live, I've moved around to live in a few parts of the county and I've seen it from parts of Norfolk and the north Norfolk coast, but also from where I am now, near Sithney, Helston, I've seen it.

Wow, I'm going to have to get out at night. I'd love to see those. You've just had a sellout of your spectacular science show and you've done BBC Stargazing Live and you've been on the One Show. Do you think people like you and Brian Cox have made science more interesting, more popular to children in the public in general?

Wow, I'm going to have to get out at night. I'd love to see those. You've just had a sellout of your spectacular science show and you've done BBC Stargazing Live and you've been on the One Show. Do you think people like you and Brian Cox have made science more interesting, more popular to children in the public in general?

Well, of course I've worked with Brian on Stargazing Live, so I like to think I make it more enjoyable and accessible than Brian, but yeah...

Well, of course I've worked with Brian on Stargazing Live, so I like to think I make it more enjoyable and accessible than Brian, but yeah...

I'm sure you do.

I'm sure you do.

I think so. I think science has had to change, rather scientists and people who work in science outreach have had to change because science isn't just about locking yourself up in your laboratory or your observatory and doing your work.

I think so. I think science has had to change, rather scientists and people who work in science outreach have had to change because science isn't just about locking yourself up in your laboratory or your observatory and doing your work.

Now, Mark, I'd like to talk to you about slightly different area of your work. I'd like to talk about your sleeping campaign. So can you just tell us, I know it's so interesting, can you just tell us a bit about it, why you're doing it and why sleep is just so important to human beings?

Now, Mark, I'd like to talk to you about slightly different area of your work. I'd like to talk about your sleeping campaign. So can you just tell us, I know it's so interesting, can you just tell us a bit about it, why you're doing it and why sleep is just so important to human beings?

Yeah. Oh, do you know what Lucy, I could go on for hours about... I could bore you to sleep. Not actually, I'm sure you wouldn't sleep. So many years ago I gave a 24 hour lecture to raise money for Marie Curie. And at the time I wondered what the Guinness World Record was for the longest lecture, learned it was over five days and very swiftly put out of my mind as an absurd, ridiculous, crazy thing to do. The 24 hour lecture went well. I felt shattered at the end of it, absolutely exhausted, but I recovered. And then I was talking to colleagues at the Norwich Science Festival and they talked me into having an attempt at the Guinness World Record. So in September last year I attempted, to still wait to find out if I was successful or not to break the record, which meant talking for over 139 hours, 42 minutes and 56 seconds, the current record. I went on for 140 hours. I had three hours sleep across the whole event. But because of that experience, I had become absolutely fascinated with sleep and the effect of not having enough sleep. Now I experienced hallucinations. There were telescopes on the stage that I was convinced were alive. I heard people talk, I heard voices and of course, none of this was there. So I became acutely aware of the importance of sleep. You know, if you're constantly failing to get a good night's sleep that increases your chance of cancer, diabetes, heart disease, dementia, obesity to name but a few. And all we have to do is just make sure we get a good night's sleep every night. And that increases our health and our wellbeing substantially. So I'm starting up this campaign called Get Sleeping to try and encourage people to improve their relationship with sleep.

Yeah. Oh, do you know what Lucy, I could go on for hours about... I could bore you to sleep. Not actually, I'm sure you wouldn't sleep. So many years ago I gave a 24 hour lecture to raise money for Marie Curie. And at the time I wondered what the Guinness World Record was for the longest lecture, learned it was over five days and very swiftly put out of my mind as an absurd, ridiculous, crazy thing to do. The 24 hour lecture went well. I felt shattered at the end of it, absolutely exhausted, but I recovered. And then I was talking to colleagues at the Norwich Science Festival and they talked me into having an attempt at the Guinness World Record. So in September last year I attempted, to still wait to find out if I was successful or not to break the record, which meant talking for over 139 hours, 42 minutes and 56 seconds, the current record. I went on for 140 hours. I had three hours sleep across the whole event. But because of that experience, I had become absolutely fascinated with sleep and the effect of not having enough sleep. Now I experienced hallucinations. There were telescopes on the stage that I was convinced were alive. I heard people talk, I heard voices and of course, none of this was there. So I became acutely aware of the importance of sleep. You know, if you're constantly failing to get a good night's sleep that increases your chance of cancer, diabetes, heart disease, dementia, obesity to name but a few. And all we have to do is just make sure we get a good night's sleep every night. And that increases our health and our wellbeing substantially. So I'm starting up this campaign called Get Sleeping to try and encourage people to improve their relationship with sleep.

After your lecture, how long did you sleep for when you got home?

After your lecture, how long did you sleep for when you got home?

I think I slept for about 24 hours or pretty much a day, but I was... I'll tell you what, I had the most... I remember yawning towards the end of the lecture and the yawns felt ecstatic. The yawns just felt so lovely filling my lungs with fresh oxygen. Oh, do you know what? I can remember feeling them. It felt so nice those yawns. But yeah, I slept for about 24 hours or so. And I was back to normal. I was napping throughout the following week, sort of every afternoon I have a sort of half hour nap and within about a week and a half, two weeks, I kind of felt back to normal and felt back to my normal wide awake self.

I think I slept for about 24 hours or pretty much a day, but I was... I'll tell you what, I had the most... I remember yawning towards the end of the lecture and the yawns felt ecstatic. The yawns just felt so lovely filling my lungs with fresh oxygen. Oh, do you know what? I can remember feeling them. It felt so nice those yawns. But yeah, I slept for about 24 hours or so. And I was back to normal. I was napping throughout the following week, sort of every afternoon I have a sort of half hour nap and within about a week and a half, two weeks, I kind of felt back to normal and felt back to my normal wide awake self.

Wow 24 hours.

Wow 24 hours.

Yeah. It was a lush sleep, I can tell you.

Yeah. It was a lush sleep, I can tell you.

I bet it was the feeling when you wake up, you just must feel so refreshed, so good, ready to face the day. So what do you do when you're not researching, working? What do you do in your downtime?

I bet it was the feeling when you wake up, you just must feel so refreshed, so good, ready to face the day. So what do you do when you're not researching, working? What do you do in your downtime?

I like getting outside. I do like looking at the night sky, so I love going out to remote places to enjoy a really proper dark, clear sky. I like walking, getting out there in nature. And I think that's probably just a nod to the fact that I'm so busy all the time, that it's just nice just to switch off a little bit.

I like getting outside. I do like looking at the night sky, so I love going out to remote places to enjoy a really proper dark, clear sky. I like walking, getting out there in nature. And I think that's probably just a nod to the fact that I'm so busy all the time, that it's just nice just to switch off a little bit.

Absolutely. Well, we've worked hard to pick out a good destination for you today.

Absolutely. Well, we've worked hard to pick out a good destination for you today.

Yes. I'm very curious. What have you been conjuring up?

Yes. I'm very curious. What have you been conjuring up?

What I'm going to suggest is that you take the train to Ely and you can either do that via (inaudible) Norwich and then Norwich to Ely, or you could get to Attleborough and get on that line and go across to Ely. And in Ely, there is of course the magnificent cathedral, which did you know that there was actually one of the canons who used to live there set up a solar observatory in the grounds, well in his garden, it was canon William Selwyn. And he set up this solar observatory and took pictures of the sun for every possible day, from 1863 to 1874. Seems to me that's a good place for you to go. And then there's lots of walks to do from Ely out into the Fens, which I thought you could go and check some of those walks out and see if you could go back later on when it was dark. Because I would imagine the Fens, the lowest point in England must be great stargazing country.

What I'm going to suggest is that you take the train to Ely and you can either do that via (inaudible) Norwich and then Norwich to Ely, or you could get to Attleborough and get on that line and go across to Ely. And in Ely, there is of course the magnificent cathedral, which did you know that there was actually one of the canons who used to live there set up a solar observatory in the grounds, well in his garden, it was canon William Selwyn. And he set up this solar observatory and took pictures of the sun for every possible day, from 1863 to 1874. Seems to me that's a good place for you to go. And then there's lots of walks to do from Ely out into the Fens, which I thought you could go and check some of those walks out and see if you could go back later on when it was dark. Because I would imagine the Fens, the lowest point in England must be great stargazing country.

That sounds wonderful. I want to hunt down this canon's garden and see if I can find where he used to observe the sun from. That sounds wonderful. I'm looking forward to that.

That sounds wonderful. I want to hunt down this canon's garden and see if I can find where he used to observe the sun from. That sounds wonderful. I'm looking forward to that.

If you look on the visit Ely website as well, there are loads of walks including this walk called the Hereward Way. So yeah, loads to do in Ely for you.

If you look on the visit Ely website as well, there are loads of walks including this walk called the Hereward Way. So yeah, loads to do in Ely for you.

Excellent. That sounds wonderful. I should look forward to that with great anticipation.

Excellent. That sounds wonderful. I should look forward to that with great anticipation.

Brilliant. Well, it's been really great talking to you, so thanks very much and enjoy your trip.

Brilliant. Well, it's been really great talking to you, so thanks very much and enjoy your trip.

I will. Lovely to talk to you both. Thank you very much, indeed.

I will. Lovely to talk to you both. Thank you very much, indeed.

And that's it for this episode of Life on Rails, we hope you've enjoyed learning more about Greater Anglia.

And that's it for this episode of Life on Rails, we hope you've enjoyed learning more about Greater Anglia.

Please do tweet us at Greater Anglia PR and leave a rating or review on your podcast platform.

Please do tweet us at Greater Anglia PR and leave a rating or review on your podcast platform.

Life on Rails releases every other month so be sure to check back soon for episode six.

Life on Rails releases every other month so be sure to check back soon for episode six.

And in the meantime, follow or subscribe to the podcast for free so you never miss an episode and visit our website at www. greateranglia. co. uk/ podcast for more information.

And in the meantime, follow or subscribe to the podcast for free so you never miss an episode and visit our website at www. greateranglia. co. uk/ podcast for more information.

Thanks for listening. Bye.

Thanks for listening. Bye.