Burning Bradshaws

This morning we were cuddled up in bed when the subject of Robbie's large collection of railway books arose. He has shelves of them close to his side of the bed so that his bedtime reading is close at hand. Robbie mainly reads railway books, railway magazines, and other assorted magazines. His favourite non railway magazine is Stuff, full of information about every gadget imaginable. He doesn't read fiction at all - except the Guardian, but you already know my opinion on that!

He often looks at his Quail Maps in bed. I don't really see the attraction, it is interesting to see the precise details of local lines, but I really don't think I could become engrossed in a a Quail Map for hours! Anyway getting back to this morning, I made the mistake of suggesting that we could get rid of some of his out of date maps and timetables. He almost leapt out of bed to stand between me and his precious books. He yelled, "you can't do that, it would be like burning Bradshaw’s".

I knew that I was in for a long explanation. Robbie painstakingly explained that Bradshaw’s was an independently produced timetable covering all the railway companies in pre nationalisation days. Not surprisingly he took rather more than one sentence to explain that! He went on to say that his huge tomes were more modern but absolutely indispensable. They are apparently an essential work of reference and must be kept forever. I was far from convinced, but if he needs a security blanket who am I to deprive him of it!
It crossed my mind that if Hercule Poirot managed to catch a serial killer using the ABC Railway Guide, who knows what Robbie could achieve with his National Railway Timetables!
A similar principle apparently applies to Quail maps and therefore we are compelled to keep the past version as well as the present ones. Oh well, it will soon be standing room only in our bedroom, but if it makes him happy I will live with it. Come to think of it, it sounds just like his journey home on Central Trains, when they decide to actually provide the service as advertised it is always full and standing!

Discussion of Quail Maps led Robbie somehow to Exeter and a landmark called Red Cow level crossing on the approach to the station. I'm not sure of the relevance but my knowledge of agriculture was sufficient for me to tell him that it was almost certainly named after the Devon Red breed of cattle. Life with Robbie is certainly an education!