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The honourable slipper boy - Part 1

Mikkel

Entry posted by Mikkel

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This blog sometimes tells some pretty tall tales, but this one is based on a true story. I recently came across a fascinating account of a court procedure at Old Bailey, involving an incident on the Great Western at the turn of the century. I decided to re-enact the incident, with Farthing as the setting and a little, ahem, modeller’s license. Dennis, will you take it from here?

 

 

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My name is Dennis Watts, that’s me on the right. I’m a slipper boy with The Great Western Railway Company. I scotch trucks. They pay me 10s. a week. Here is my story.

 

 

 

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This is my uncle Henry Watts, he's a checker in the goods depot. It’s the afternoon of May 28, 1902. Pay attention to that box on the porter’s trolley. My uncle is consigning it to the daily Penzance truck.

 

 

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After loading, the Penzance truck is shunted to no. 1 line with other trucks for dispersal. Most of the trucks will go out in the next few hours, but the Penzance one is left overnight for attachment to the 4:55 goods.

 

 

 

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That night, I walked home from a late shift after the lamps were out. I passed the Penzance truck sitting alone in the dark, and saw some people there.

 

 

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I recognized two horse drivers, Woods and Lawson. There were also two other slipper boys, Fraser and Marsh. I could tell they were up to no good.

 

 

 

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I walked up to them and saw that they had opened a box of silks from the Penzance truck. They were tucking the goods down their trousers. They asked if I wanted to buy some cheaply for selling on, but I refused.

 

 

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Being an honest sort of person I was very uncomfortable with the situation. They were all a bit threatening and I was afraid. What would they do to me?

 

 

 

To be continued....

 

Part 2 is here: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/blog/75/entry-17072-the-honourable-slipper-boy-part-2/

 

 

Edited by Mikkel

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  • RMweb Gold
Mikkel
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Thanks Adrian, well the original court proceedings are even more farcial. At one point the main suspect claims that he only found the stolen goods because his horse came across it lying around on the ground!

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scanman

Hi Mikkel - a bit late coming to the party - but fascinated as ever! Those wagons look brilliant in the oxide livery!

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  • RMweb Gold
Mikkel
  • RMweb Gold

Hi Ian, glad you like red oxide, there are as many interpretations of the red shade as there are modellers, I think. I like the faded slightly dusty look, although a very interesting theory by Buckjumper of this parish is that the red actually faded to grey (which might explain some of the uncertainty about when the GWR changed the goods colour).

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