It was interesting to watch, and listen to, former Brigg Town Cricket Club team-mate John Fitzgerald on a BBC programme last night. John is in charge of the port of Immingham which was visited by Michael Portillo as part of his charming railway journeys series based on the famous Bradshaw's Guide.
John told the former government minister about the importance of the port and of its great dependence on rail for import and export of materials.
In cricketing terms, John played a straight bat during his TV appearance - just as he did for Brigg Town in matches at The Rec and Sir John Nelthorpe School. He then appeared again as the programme presenter presided at the naming ceremony of a big new diesel - Immingham 100 - to mark the port's century in business.
These railway travel programmes go out Monday to Friday at 6.30pm on BBC2 and are very entertaining. You don't have to be a member of the "anorak brigade" to enjoy them, though it does help a bit.
Last night's programme took MP - the former MP - from Spalding to Lincoln, Market Rasen and then on to Grimsby and Immingham. It surprised me that he didn't get off at Barnetby - North Lincolnshire's largest railway junction, to have a look at the semaphore signals that continue to draw train enthusiasts to the village from all points.
If he had walked back towards Brigg from Barnetby station he could have visited Wrawby Junction signalbox - one of the largest survivors from the age of steam. It was built with a frame that contained 137 levers. From memory, that made Wrawby Jct the third largest manually-operated "box" in Britain.
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