Anticipation

Anticipation clings to the air as the engine, wreathed in puthering smoke and steam, pulls steadily closer to the station. The gathered crowd jostles for position, each individual determined to find the best position available. Voices chatter excitedly, a thrum of excitement carrying along the packed platform. You strain your ears to hear the familiar huff and clank of the metallic beast’s approach.

Soon it will arrive. Soon it will disgorge its passengers.

And then the festivities can truly begin.

This post is for the WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge. This week’s theme is anticipation.

The photos were taken in York two years ago, when we visited their Christmas Market. As my train obsessed nephew was with us, we couldn’t not pop over to see the steam train (the Christmas White Rose) that was just about to arrive in the station.

I wasn’t sure whether or not to include the second picture. I like the blur on the people, I feel it gives a real sense of just how busy it was. Unfortunately the train itself is also a little unclear, and I’d have liked it to be perfectly in focus. Eventually, I just told my inner critic to shut up and included it anyway. It was very hard to take a good handheld picture that day – everyone was pushing and shoving, wanting to get onto the engine’s footplate and talk to the driver. One woman even pushed my nephew out of the way so she could get on before him!

This might be my last post before Christmas, so I hope everyone has a great time, whatever and however they might be celebrating. As today is actually the Winter Solstice, happy Solstice everyone!