Old men forget..

[rockershovel]

Interesting thought on the Peterborough North thread, about how unreliable memory actually is, and (probably) how it is affected by events and perceptions

 

I travelled a good deal by train in the 1960s, my late mother never learnt to drive. I was quite an active trainspotters from about 1965 to 1972 and travelled sporadically by train until about 1986, then commuted by ECML until 1992. This was a thoroughly unsatisfactory period, the tribulations of the much-delayed electrification, old coaching stock and unreliable locos, and it permanently soured my view of train travel and if we tend to model what we remember fondly, it certainly won't be THAT.

 

The NVR runs a few hundred yards behind my house, I used to pass the sidings at the Fletton Loop daily; we also had a cottage in Whitby when the children were small, and visited the NVMR regularly.

 

One outcome of this appears to be that my visual image of the railway appears to be stuck in the late 1960s, overlaid with incomplete images of blue and grey HST and blue locos.

 

This surprises me, because when I first became interested in modelling again, I developed a visual image based on the North African metre and SG lines I'd known in the 1970s and subsequently, and the American 3ft gauge I'd seen in my travels. However I always KNEW this was and us, an artefact of my imagination - I never saw working US steam, or any N African steam, for example, and I always shipped pipe using 40ft flatcars, not the DRGW improvisations.

 

Does anyone else have visual images or memories, which don't really bear scrutiny?

[bertiedog]

 

 

Does anyone else have visual images or memories, which don't really bear scrutiny?

Yes, that's life for you, memory is appalling at times, it seems clear in the mind but check back with photos and films and reality dawns on you, the memory has played tricks. With railways the year, the time, the exact place can be lost easily, or a false memory exist. I saw a film of the RHDR in the 1950's, and I was there that day, and met Captain Howey, but I remember him in loco driving clothes, but in the film he is dressed in formal clothes, I guess the memory altered due to seeing him in driving gear so often.

[petethemole]

I have images in my mind of a 4F shunting Ampthill goods yard and a Mickey running through on the up fast, from an elevated position at the south end of the station. The overbridge and footbridge were to the north and nothing at the south of the station. The station closed when I was 10 and I couldn't have got away with climbing a signal ladder; the station staff barely tolerated us as it was. So how did I get these memories?

[Lady_Ava_Hay]

Forget what?

 

Who said that?

 

Where am I?

 

Lastly but not leastly and very useful on forgotten anniversaries etc:-

 

I married you did I? And when was that?

 

Just remember (pun) to not use all these TOO often or you may find yourself in secure old folks accommodation.

[jonny777]

I "remember" standing in my primary school playground which bordered the (then) goods only line to Billingborough, Lincs and watching a B1 pass on a sugar beet train in autumn 1960.

 

For some reason I have always known this was a B1 even though they were not permitted on this line as far as I am aware. I saw Ivatt 4MTs on a regular basis working the line to Spalding in the late 1950s, so I should have known if it was one of those.

 

The usual motive power for the pick-up goods was either an 04 in quiet spells, or a class 10 if there were more wagons, so the appearance of a steam loco at that time would have been a great rarity in itself; but why a B1?

[trisonic]

What is really, really sad is that my “memories” of the ’60’s are better than the ones of last week.

 

Therefore it makes a joke of the possibility eternal life - what is the point if we can’t remember anything at all?

 

On that note I’m going to make the coffee (possibly).

 

 

Best, Pete.

[rockershovel]

Swift's Struldbruggs answer that question ...

[Brit70053]

A Picture postcard amongst my late Father In Law's possessions, which depicted a 3 rail, possibly O Gauge model railway featuring a streamlined Duchess with a Union Flag secured over the smoke box and the card emblazoned with the legend "Greetings from Elliot's Model Railway Exhibitions (Blackpool)"(sic).

 

Despite this very obvious pointer to the location, my mind screamed "Scarborough" incorrectly, but insistently recalling a 'permanent' (until it disappeared)'OO' gauge layout which was open to the public on payment of a small admission fee. This was located in a building on the sea front at the East Coast Resort during the 1960s.

 

Regards,

 

John

 

Edit typos

[railsquid]

I knew Birmingham New Street quite well during the 1980s, and passed through there a year or two ago after a gap of decades, around the time the remodelling of the bits above the platforms was completed.

It was almost eery the way my mind kept overlaying memories of the way it was, especially when mildly disoriented by the main concourse which is full of coffee shops and bakeries and stuff, until I realised where the old buffer/Traveller's Fare (?) used to be.

 

Comfortingly the platforms were still as dingy as ever.

[Two_sugars]

Somebody  ordered his repeat prescription on Tuesday last week. . . THEN. . . forgot to pick it up from the chemist on Friday. .

 

He didn't remember about it till Sunday morning.

[runs as required]

Early memories of Plymouth during the blitz. Mum was a camp follower of dad in the RAF regiment - at the time based at RAF Mountbatten. The RAF base was destroyed by incendaries. Our digs in the city had one wing blown off, an Irish chambermaid enjoyed opening a door off the corridor to shew me the hearths up the chimneybreast hanging over the void.

 

I vividly remember looking up at a glass station roof to a corpse lying above with a blood stain running down the glass from it.

Real or imagined?

Nevertheless I am still able to draw it for you.

We used both the GW and the SR - the latter especially for the Turnchapel branch as an alternative to the ferry.

 

dh

[28XX]

I have a strong "memory" of sharing a petit pain and coffee breakfast with two French workmen on the terrace of our hotel in 1968. I'm sure this was before my parents rose, and that they found me there later on. I spoke to Dad about it recently and he denies the incident occurred. Which old man is wrong?

[Horsetan]

....Does anyone else have visual images or memories, which don't really bear scrutiny?

Yes, I thought there was a vote in 1975 to come out of the EEC....oh wait, hang on...

[bertiedog]

  I remember when very young, meeting the famous Variety comedian, Max Miller, who was in Rye, Sussex for a meal at The George Hotel, where he meet up with Grandfathers brother, Frank, who worked for Jack Hylton, who was arranging a theatre tour for Max Miller.

 

 Stories abound that Miller was never known to pay for a round of drinks, but that day he did and paid for the entire meal for us. I kept wondering why he said the jokes were cleaned up, due to children being there, as at a tender age I had not seen his famous stage act.

 

  I was told that it must be a false memory by a show business friend as Max never bought drinks etc., and it was at Rye, not his home town of Brighton. However in a talk about Miller on the radio it was revealed he did dine at Rye to be free of crowds of fans, and his meanness was wrong as he left all his money to St Dunstans home for the blind in Brighton, along with several properties in the town.

So the memory was correct, it did happen.

 

   With Jack Hylton, we spent a day there at his house in Sussex, great fun for us kids as we were let loose on his record collection, and I remember five old gentlemen who were there for the day, who drank a lot, and were telling hilarious stories about show business. They left late afternoon to travel to London by car to appear on stage that night.

 

   Later I realised who they all were, The very famous and much loved British Comedy stage act, The Crazy Gang, .. Bud Flanagan, Nervo and Knox, and Naughton and Gold, but no Chesney Allen as he had retired by then.

 

  But to show how memory can fade, the final show the Crazy Gang did at the Variety Theatre, the Victoria Palace was shown live on ITV in the 1960's, and I thought I remembered the show well from then.....but on Youtube, the Telecine recording of the show was put online, and it is entirely different in detail to what I thought I saw on TV. the gist is right, but not the details. I had forgotten the antics of "Monswer Eddie Grey" and his dog on stage entirely.

 

Stephen.

[kevinlms]

Somebody  ordered his repeat prescription on Tuesday last week. . . THEN. . . forgot to pick it up from the chemist on Friday. .

 

He didn't remember about it till Sunday morning.

My wife told me to pick up her script from the doctors on Friday. On Saturday, the reception rang me to say that it was still there, 15 minutes before they shut. Unfortunately I was 20 minutes drive away at the time. She asked if she should take it home & bring it to the other branch for Sunday PM. I told her no, we are going out for the day!

So its still at the doctors. Hopefully my wife will pick it up today, as you simply can't get good help any more!

[brianusa]

Early memories of Plymouth during the blitz. Mum was a camp follower of dad in the RAF regiment - at the time based at RAF Mountbatten. The RAF base was destroyed by incendaries. Our digs in the city had one wing blown off, an Irish chambermaid enjoyed opening a door off the corridor to shew me the hearths up the chimneybreast hanging over the void.

 

I vividly remember looking up at a glass station roof to a corpse lying above with a blood stain running down the glass from it.

Real or imagined?

Nevertheless I am still able to draw it for you.

We used both the GW and the SR - the latter especially for the Turnchapel branch as an alternative to the ferry.

 

dh

I don't know if it was 'destroyed' as there were Sunderlands and Catalinas there at the end of the war along with the ASR boats. Sorry to learn of your experience but Plymouth was not a good place to be during the war; we all have our experiences. Happier experiences were the trains to Yealmpton and Turnchapel where we used to go to the beach.

 

Brian.

[The Stationmaster]

A Picture postcard amongst my late Father In Law's possessions, which depicted a 3 rail, possibly O Gauge model railway featuring a streamlined Duchess with a Union Flag secured over the smoke box and the card emblazoned with the legend "Greetings from Elliot's Model Railway Exhibitions (Blackpool)"(sic).

 

Despite this very obvious pointer to the location, my mind screamed "Scarborough" incorrectly, but insistently recalling a 'permanent' (until it disappeared)'OO' gauge layout which was open to the public on payment of a small admission fee. This was located in a building on the sea front at the East Coast Resort during the 1960s.

 

Regards,

 

John

 

Edit typos

 

Harold Elliott had an 0 gauge layout open to the public at Scarborough - I know because I saw it, complete with Sammy The Shunter (years before I went to Blackpool, where I never saw a model railway).

[Dunsignalling]

Somebody  ordered his repeat prescription on Tuesday last week. . . THEN. . . forgot to pick it up from the chemist on Friday. .

 

He didn't remember about it till Sunday morning.

I only pass the dispensary on foot on a Tuesday, so always pick up a week after ordering.

 

Habit (call it System, it sounds better) is a very good substitute for memory........

 

J.

[kevinlms]

My wife told me to pick up her script from the doctors on Friday. On Saturday, the reception rang me to say that it was still there, 15 minutes before they shut. Unfortunately I was 20 minutes drive away at the time. She asked if she should take it home & bring it to the other branch for Sunday PM. I told her no, we are going out for the day!

So its still at the doctors. Hopefully my wife will pick it up today, as you simply can't get good help any more!

An update for you all. My wife didn't pick it up today as she 'forgot'! I was working until after the chemist closed, so cannot be blamed - this time at least!

[runs as required]

I don't know if it was 'destroyed' as there were Sunderlands and Catalinas there at the end of the war along with the ASR boats. Sorry to learn of your experience but Plymouth was not a good place to be during the war; we all have our experiences. Happier experiences were the trains to Yealmpton and Turnchapel where we used to go to the beach.

Brian.

I suppose the restitution of RAF huts was easy enough.

I do remember that my dad after the RAF Mountbatten fires got bumped up to Sergeant and immediately posted to Southampton Water to guard the 'flying boats' there .

He became closely involved with the British Power Boat Company and their development of RAF air/sea rescue boats

 

The last years of the war 1942-5 he spent at nearby Marchwood Park working for East Grinstead Hospital trying to persuade badly burnt airmen to stay the course of their horrendous series of plastic surgery operations back into society.

They stayed very close together for the rest of their lives as the Guinea Pig Club. Some, well into their 90s still meet each year at E Grinstead.

 

Vic Hobbs, a badly burned navigator survivor with scarcely any fingers taught me to solder while constructing a whole wonderful scratch-built 4mm collection of 4-4-2 Tilbury tanks.

 

dh

 

Nobody has yet verified my glass roof vision - I would appreciate 'closure' as they term it these days.

[Mallard60022]

Until recently I used to wallow in the past and was probably annoying everyone I got into conversation with. Then, on the radio the other day, somebody said something like, "I love remembering the past, but I don't want to live in it....."

I am trying to do that now, that is to enjoy the past and its various memories but not to think that it was all so good and enjoyable. It wasn't.

However, as far as my interest in model railways goes, I am firmly stuck in the 1958 to 1967 period when I were a lad and was still spotting and I am also slightly twitchy about the 1969 to the mid 1980s where I enjoyed a different railway scene in the company (quite often) of my eldest lad with whom many shed bashes were carried out. (My existing small layout reflects that).

On a more serious note, Dementia really frightens me and more so Alzheimers. The thought of getting old and less able mentally and not being able to make a decision about my quality of life or otherwise, is something I have to work hard not to think about in the wee, small hours. Also getting almost totally unable to function physically but still being reasonably sharp of brain is equally daunting.

So, enough of this and now to get on with my life whilst I can and attempt to recreate Seaton Junction circa 1960. 

Phil

[Mallard60022]

I suppose the restitution of RAF huts was easy enough.

I do remember that my dad after the RAF Mountbatten fires got bumped up to Sergeant and immediately posted to Southampton Water to guard the 'flying boats' there .

He became closely involved with the British Power Boat Company and their development of RAF air/sea rescue boats

 

The last years of the war 1942-5 he spent at nearby Marchwood Park working for East Grinstead Hospital trying to persuade badly burnt airmen to stay the course of their horrendous series of plastic surgery operations back into society.

They stayed very close together for the rest of their lives as the Guinea Pig Club. Some, well into their 90s still meet each year at E Grinstead.

 

Vic Hobbs, a badly burned navigator survivor with scarcely any fingers taught me to solder while constructing a whole wonderful scratch-built 4mm collection of 4-4-2 Tilbury tanks.

 

dh

 

Nobody has yet verified my glass roof vision - I would appreciate 'closure' as they term it these days.

Ignore the latter part of my previous post........it is a load of bo**ocks. My situation is fine relative to the above and that of many people right now.

Phil

[runs as required]

Ignore the latter part of my previous post........it is a load of bo**ocks. My situation is fine relative to the above and that of many people right now.

Phil

You've got it al wrang (as I've learnt to say in these parts).

 

Its to do with perception - what is going on in your head. That is Reality for you.

 

Those guys felt a real bond between them because of being able to share and laugh about their experiences.

 

I agree, dementia is a terrible threat hanging over us, that is why we value posting in such threads as is this.

 

Just keep posting (and please stop shooting at cuckoos )

dh

 

Ed

No sorry it is Melmerby who shoots at brids - I'm going cuckoo

[brianusa]

Hey, if we've made it this far, there's nothing to worry about.  We've all probably exceeded our parents lifetime so there's no telling what the future may bring.  Look on the cheerful side, no dementia, no Alzheimer's, be one of the lucky ones ( there are millions)  who can feel sympathy for those who suffer.  Life's for the living, not for the worrying so enjoy your hobbies, your trains or whatever.

 

Brian.

[stewartingram]

I am certain I can remember seeing a silver A4 at Cambridge. I was walking round from platform 3 (the Bletchley bay) to platform 2 (the KGX bay) and there it stood at the buffers having just arrived.

Problem is I wasn't born until 1949, and it would have been about 1956 at the earliest. I just ​know ​it couldn't have happened, yet have a vivid memory of it....

 

I also do remember riding on trams through the Kingsway subway and along the embankment in London, yet they went in 1952!

 

 

Stewart