Class separation and on-train catering

[rockershovel]

I remember a girlfriend telling me how easy it was to spot the posh boys during the first couple of days at Uni. They'd be wearing carefully distressed and patched jeans, Ben Sherman shirts and desert boots, whereas the rest of us would have an uncomfortably new sports jacket, bri-nylon shirt and cotton-polyester trousers, with some highly-polished shoes to finish.

This wasn’t a problem at Camborne in the 70s! A sizeable part of the intake were Australians, Saffers and others from lesser post-Imperial spots like Zambia or Nigeria. Desert wellies were common on new-chums, until they got fed up with having wet feet from the Cornish “liquid sunshine” in November. The African contingent would be in their uniform of suits, white shirts and ties and polished black shoes.

 

U.K. students tended towards what is now referred to as “smart casual”, because that’s how engineers in “heavy” disciplines tend to dress, and you soon picked that up. I returned from my first “long vac job” in Canada with short-sleeved check shirt, chinos and loafers and felt that I was quite the thing!

Edited November 28, 2018 by rockershovel

[Welchester]

I've seen something similar on the Portsmouth to Caen ferry. Rather than paying for a cabin (quite comfy-looking but pricey) or the reclining seat (cheaper but not all that easy to sleep in), the experienced voyagers set to marking out territories in the lounges, under stairways, beneath tables, behind plant pots etc. I walked around the ship in the small hours (see comment on reclining seat, above) and every corner had been claimed as part of someone's empire: some of them amazingly elaborate.

 

Jim

 

The discerning traveller sails from Portsmouth to Saint Malo. The longer crossing gives you a better chance of a decent night's sleep.

[Bernard Lamb]

This is similar in principle to a friend who regularly uses the Fishguard-Rosslare overnight ferry; he can afford a cabin but is pathologically mean (one of the reasons he can afford a cabin, of course), and makes his own bed in the children's soft play area out of the cubes and shapes, sleeping peacefully, comfortably, and undisturbed well away from the great unwashed.

 

Guilty to most of that.

I once had a trip along the coast of Alaska and Canada using local ferry boats.  

You could sleep on deck under an awning, sun loungers available but bring your own sleeping bag. They even provided overhead heaters.

I was told by the locals that this was the best way to experience local life and to learn about the places visited and to pick up tis about travelling to other out of the way places.

At breakfast and dinner you could share the dinning facilities with tourists who had paid a small fortune for a cabin.

A bonus was seeing various species of whales at close quarters. You just had to sit up when a the call went out.

Bernard

[Oldddudders]

The discerning traveller sails from Portsmouth to Saint Malo. The longer crossing gives you a better chance of a decent night's sleep.

Maybe, but it takes twice as long to get from St Malo to chez moi as it does from Caen!

[EddieK]

In August 1978 my late father and I journeyed from Kings Cross to Edinburgh on the new-fangled HST. We travelled on the "Flying Scotsman" service no less, so the only intermediate stop was at Newcastle. And we went First Class. 

To fit in with the First Class ambience, I wore my school blazer and dad was also smartly dressed. In those days the HSTs had two catering vehicles, a buffet for second class and a restaurant/kitchen. The latter was "Unclassified" so it was First Class seating etc but not necessarily exclusive to First Class passengers. From memory, on the down journey we were asked to move from our seats into the Restaurant for lunch, but a week later on the return trip we were served at our seats. Again from memory, there was an announcement of a second sitting for lunch, presumably to let the second class passengers into the restaurant.

[Wickham Green]

A few years ago I was on an HST set back to London from St Austell and had booked myself First Class for a long journey. Having perused the Travelling Chef menu I was about to order my choice - somewhere after Plymouth - when there was a loud bang. I looked around and saw nothing untoward and none of the passengers - including a well known politician - seemed concerned ...... but the Conductor appeared and cordoned off the end of the coach where a window had shattered ( someone said gunshot ... but  !!?! ). Eventually we stopped at Newton Abbott where the remains of the window were removed - and THEN the Conductor conceded that only the outer skin had been damaged and the train was safe to proceed. The Restaurant Car staff could now get through to take our orders - but the remaining choice was somewhat limited by that time !

[rockershovel]

In August 1978 my late father and I journeyed from Kings Cross to Edinburgh on the new-fangled HST. We travelled on the "Flying Scotsman" service no less, so the only intermediate stop was at Newcastle. And we went First Class. 

To fit in with the First Class ambience, I wore my school blazer and dad was also smartly dressed. In those days the HSTs had two catering vehicles, a buffet for second class and a restaurant/kitchen. The latter was "Unclassified" so it was First Class seating etc but not necessarily exclusive to First Class passengers. From memory, on the down journey we were asked to move from our seats into the Restaurant for lunch, but a week later on the return trip we were served at our seats. Again from memory, there was an announcement of a second sitting for lunch, presumably to let the second class passengers into the restaurant.

I’d quite forgotten about the buffet and restaurant catering on early HST125 but now you mention it, some of the early ECML sets were like that.

[rockershovel]

A few years ago I was on an HST set back to London from St Austell and had booked myself First Class for a long journey. Having perused the Travelling Chef menu I was about to order my choice - somewhere after Plymouth - when there was a loud bang. I looked around and saw nothing untoward and none of the passengers - including a well known politician - seemed concerned ...... but the Conductor appeared and cordoned off the end of the coach where a window had shattered ( someone said gunshot ... but  !!?! ). Eventually we stopped at Newton Abbott where the remains of the window were removed - and THEN the Conductor conceded that only the outer skin had been damaged and the train was safe to proceed. The Restaurant Car staff could now get through to take our orders - but the remaining choice was somewhat limited by that time !

It would be no mean trick to hit the window on a moving HST!

[Catkins]

It would be no mean trick to hit the window on a moving HST!

I've been sat next to a window on a HST that got stoned just outside of Gloucester - it was at the 'triangle' where the Cheltenham line curves round to Gloucester.

Again, it was only the outer pane that suffered, but the HST then had to run at a reduced (100mph max.) speed.

[Wickham Green]

It would be no mean trick to hit the window on a moving HST!

Maybe I should have said 'somewhere just after Plymouth' ........ still in the suburbs if I remember rightly so somewhat below 125mph !