Cadeby and Rev E R "Teddy" Boston now on flickr (were on fotopic)

[DaveF]

Hi All,

My father knew Teddy Boston from the late 40's, and I first met him as a child. We often visited him at Cadeby Rectory and various Traction Engine rallies and helped drive the engines.

All of course in the days before Health and Safety - just common sense was needed then!

Doubtless some of you here on RM Web knew him or knew of him.

The collection is at:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/davidwf2009/albums/72157626574368116
Edited to give an up to date location for my photos.
Please note that the road vehicle images are not yet fully captioned, I still have to sort out Dad's Road vehicle catalogue.

Samples below as usual:










David

Edited July 13, 2016 by DaveF

[wychcan]

David,

I, along with members of the Trent valley MRS. where invitied to Teddy's one evening many years ago, to operate his model railway that was located in the 'garden shed' (shown in one of your photos). The railway was operated to a timetable, along with the proper bells for each section signal box, (you where supposed to know these, but ofcourse we didn't, so had to have a lesson in signal box operation from Teddy!) Finished off the evening with cups of tea in the house, where every self and every flat space was filled with model trains!

What a great evening it was.........

Nigel

[DaveF]

Nigel,

 

I well remember the model railway - the fotopic site has a few photos of it, including one of Dad's Midland locos on a visit. It was very hard work operating it, especially as sometimes there were only 3 of us there!

 

Did you see the Southwold Railway layout, it used to be in the house but I also remember it in the "garden shed"?

 

They were happy days...

 

David

[Guest Phil]

Thanks for posting Dave.

 

My father knew Teddy and his wife and visited Cadeby a few times, but sadly I was too young.

 

I hope this doesn't sound too disrespectful but Teddy and his wife visited us in Wales in the mid 1970s in a mini. You'll release this significance of this only if you knew the stature of him and his wife.

 

Lovely people

[roythebus]

Not to forget the railway library in the loo!

 

The Rev. Ted was the only vicar I've heard swear. In about 1971, Bill Gardiner and I had to tow a 1927 Foden from Crich to London with a tram body on the back, using the TMS Scammel as tow truck.

 

Bill decided to call in at Cadey on the way; on arrival Ted told bill not to park on the grass as it was rather soft. Bill promptly did, and the Scammell ended up with on wheel in a grave! I can't print Ted's word to describe Bill, but a resemblance to female genitalia was used!!

 

We managed to get the Scammell out of the grave without too much problem. we had a cup of tea and carried on south, but that's a longer story.

 

Ted was booked to give a lecture at the MRC, but sadly he died the week before. Ted was a fascinating gentleman.

[APOLLO]

Just found this nice video.

 

http://player.bfi.org.uk/film/watch-steam-museum-at-cadeby-vicarage-1973/

 

Brit15

[Dava]

I too have happy memories of visiting Cadeby from 1983 till early 2000's when the museum closed. Before Christmas Saturdays had a special atmosphere with Santa for the children. Always enjoyed it but never met the great man there. However there's a special event on 13-14 August at Quorn station.

 

http://www.gcrailway.co.uk/special-events/cadeby-memorial-weekend-sat-14-sun-14-august/

 

Dava

[DaveF]

Just found this nice video.

 

http://player.bfi.org.uk/film/watch-steam-museum-at-cadeby-vicarage-1973/

 

Brit15

 

 

I enjoyed watching that, it brought back some good memories.

 

 

My Cadeby photos are now at:  https://www.flickr.com/photos/davidwf2009/albums/72157626574368116

 

Edit - they used to be on fotopic - remember that?  The above link is to their present site on flickr

 

David

Edited July 12, 2016 by DaveF

[Bomag]

I enjoyed watching that, it brought back some good memories.

 

 

My Cadeby photos are now at:  https://www.flickr.com/photos/davidwf2009/albums/72157626574368116

 

Edit - they used to be on fotopic - remember that?  The above link is to their present site on flickr

 

David

 

I (just) remember Teddy walking round  a sopping wet Shildon yard in 1975 wearing open toed sandals.

 

Having looked at the photos again it looks like my father is driving the traction engine in J023! It may also be our Austin 7 in J024 - what dates were these taken?

[Joseph_Pestell]

The ultimate railway enthusiast vicar.

 

Before Cadeby, he was a curate at Wisbech where he spent a lot of his time on the Wisbech and Upwell Tramway. Reportedly arrived rather disshevelled once to take a funeral having come direct from the footplate of a tram engine.

[St Enodoc]

I enjoyed watching that, it brought back some good memories.

 

 

My Cadeby photos are now at:  https://www.flickr.com/photos/davidwf2009/albums/72157626574368116

 

Edit - they used to be on fotopic - remember that?  The above link is to their present site on flickr

 

David

Wonderful photos David - thanks for sharing them.

 

Anyone who would like to know more about Teddy Boston could do no better than to read his memoir "Font to Footplate", Line One Publishing, ISBN 0 907036 23 6.

[DaveF]

I (just) remember Teddy walking round  a sopping wet Shildon yard in 1975 wearing open toed sandals.

 

Having looked at the photos again it looks like my father is driving the traction engine in J023! It may also be our Austin 7 in J024 - what dates were these taken?

 

 

I think 1964, an earlier photo shows Dad's Triumph Vitesse which had the B suffix, a slightly later one shows his Jaguar Mk IX which he was driving in 1965.

 

As with all Dad's slides there is a catalogue but at the moment the road vehicle one is at Mum's flat and I keep forgetting to collect it when I see her (which is everyday!).

 

As for Teddy's sandals, Dad and I took him to the Worth Valley one very wet day, he was wearing his sandals then too.

 

 

David

Edited July 13, 2016 by DaveF

[ejstubbs]

It is a lasting regret for me that, in all the years we lived in Derby, I never managed to persuade my Dad to take me to Cadeby.  I believe Teddy Boston did used to have informal open days at the rectory, but of course in those days it was that bit harder to get information about such things than it is today, when we have so much useful online material available at our fingertips.

 

According to this web page, at least as of 2014, the model railway from the rectory was safely relocated to a garden shed in Nuneaton.

 

To DaveF: Thanks for posting these pictures, it's actually good to see what I missed out on!

[Nearholmer]

My one visit was part of a very informal visit indeed, in that about fifteen of us arrived, unannounced, on a Sunday, in a minibus, as part of a railway-visiting tour from way down South. One chap was sent to the door to attempt to negotiate an on-the-spot invitation ........ Serious cheek, really!

 

Well, The Reverend was out, at a traction engine rally, but Mrs B promptly invited us all in, showed us around, shed,railway, and the indoor collection, and made us all tea. This took a while, and at some point The Rev returned, and gave us lots of his time until, iIRC, he had to go to evening service.

 

Such an astonishingly hospitable couple; so tolerant of others.

 

Kevin

[DaveF]

Seeing this thread come back to life has reminded me that I have a couple of Dad's photos of Teddy's 00 gauge railway taken while they were at Cambridge University together, around 1948.  I assume the layout was at Cambridge not Teddy's parents' house.

 

I don't know if any other photos exist of this layout.  These are the only two I can find in Dad's albums.

 

Teddy Boston's layout at Cambridge 3 0-6-0 Panniers in Windmill cutting circa 1948 JVol3136

 

 

Teddy Boston's layout at Cambridge Saint 4-6-0 and 0-6-0PT and County 4-4-0 circa 1948 JVol3137

 

David

[w124bob]

Bit of thread bounce but, I grew up just down the road and would cycle over as 12 year old passing Mallory park race circuit. I probably visited around 20 times over 3 or 4 years, in '78 I started my railway career at Coalville and would pass Cadeby everyday, calling now and again if a bit of smoke was drifting over the A47. I got a secondhand copy of the book "From Font to Footplate" recently for just a few £'s from charity shop, a good read if you can find a copy.