devonseasider

Contrasts at Hull (Dairycoates) MPD - 5th September 1964 V2 2-6-2 60961 EE type 3 D6740 0-6-0 diesel shunter 12122

By the end of 1966, 68095 had made its way south to Lancashire and was at the premises of Helical Springs Ltd. in Lytham, twixt Blackpool & Preston, where it was intended to establish a railway museum. I helped with some of the initial "muck-scraping" in those early days and took this photo' on a very murky day in December of that year.

A small selection all taken 27th August 1964 (when I was still nowt but a lad!). Caprotti 73136, Preston station 45526 Morecambe & Heysham, not far from "home" at Carnforth MPD 47002 pensioned off round the back of Lostock Hall MPD 75011 also at Lostock Hall MPD 70012 John of Gaunt, Preston station

Yes - wondered how long it would be before someone spotted it!

D1007 Western Talisman at Paddington, 14th October 1967.

Be careful - you may just find that your passport isn't valid when you get to the border checkpoint.

Simon - the pressure isn't for Barnstaple next July, it's for Thorncombe in November . . . .

Really looking forward to seeing your progress at Barnstaple shortly - *very* shortly - sorry to remind you! (I'm there as well with Tormouth Quay). After that, of course, people have another chance to see you in November at our show in the wilds of Thorncombe, assuming that they can find the way!

Pleased you liked it - I suppose I should have had the Fowler Dock Tank running then we could have kept this thread on topic! (insert smiley-face thingy here!) Still, the Well Tank is a kit-build even if it isn't K's, so we've not strayed too much I hope. re: Tormouth Quay - no thread or gallery I'm afraid, although a couple of other people have also suggested I should document it so perhaps "watch this space" as they say. To be honest, I've never really thought it to be all that good myself & I'm constantly amazed at the positive comments it gets and the fact that I get occasional invitations to take it to exhibitions. Next trip out is Barnstaple on 27th July if anyone would like to see it. I expect 10% of the door takings for that plug if Richard reads this . . . To get back on topic, I've got another couple of K's locos suitable for use on Tormouth Quay but they do still need a bit of work to get them to an acceptable standard. Would be nice to think I could have one ready for Barnstaple (there's another plug, another 10%!) but realistically I doubt it will happen. We're still living out of boxes following our recent house move, the layout doesn't have a permanent home as yet (in fact, it's still packed in the car after it's trip to Exeter) and as I've got to clear everything out of the temporary office / study / modelling room so it can be decorated & have new flooring fitted I can't see that much happening to it. We'll see.

Afraid they're not very good photos, but here's one of the K's family still in regular use on "Tormouth Quay". Obviously unfinished when the photos were taken a couple of years ago (and, if I'm honest, still unfinished to this day!) but looking the part running between the warehouses & the water's edge. I threw away everything below the running plate 9 or 10 years back & fitted Gibson frames, Romford wheels, Mashima flat can & Branchlines multibox. The motor drives the rear axle with beam compensation on the front 2 axles using MJT (I think) hornblocks. Ran very well up to the Taunton show last October, when it turned into a good representation of a 3-legged dog. For some reason a soldered joint on the chassis has fractured and a house move (& all the fun that goes with it!) means that I haven't had the opportunity to do anything about it. I remember the real 47161 from the days "when I were a lad". I was in Blackpool & it was shedded at Fleetwood, just a short bike ride away. On my fairly frequent visits I would find it pottering about the shed yard or shunting the fish quay except on the days when I had a camera in the saddle bag. On those occasions it would be tucked away in the back of the shed in a completely unphotographable (is that a word?) position. Then one day it wasn't there at all and it never came back. Never did get a photo of it! 47165 was another one-time Fleetwood inmate but it disappeared even earlier and managed a short existence elsewhere before its date with Gertie GasTorch.

Ray (and Richard) - I should be heading for Nailsea on Saturday so will happily relieve either or both of you (not at the same time, obviously!) while you go and do whatever you want to go and do.

And don't forget Thorncombe on 9th November. Should be something "official" on its way to you very soon.

Getting back to the original "did we really look like this?" theme, and the question of clothing (style, colour, etc.), I hope the following may be of interest. Like so many others have said, I was a "grammar school boy" with strictly enforced school uniform - blazer, cap, tie etc. - in rather fetching shades of grey & dull green. Woe betide anyone who chanced their luck ignoring any of the regulations. One classmate lost out bigtime in his encounter with "the stick" in the Head's study for daring to wear non-uniform socks. To be fair, things eased in the sixth form (and by the time I reached that dizzy height, Saturday morning school had also been consigned to Room 101). Let's face it, the late 50s/early 60s was a drab time. Most of life was lived in shades of black, grey, beige & brown although things were starting to change and did so quite dramatically over the next couple of years. A photo' from 26th September '64 of an excited youth having just copped his last "Brit" - un-named '47 - at Blackpool Central (Rigby Road) shed gives a good idea of what might be termed "normal" everyday clothing. Particularly worthy of note are the collar & tie, general dingy appearance and the sartorial elegance of the bike clips. Still, his mother must have been proud of him! Visible on the left is a small splash of colour in the form of a knitted bobble cap and tangerine & white striped scarf. The latter shows up more clearly in this view, along with duffle coat and cuban heels. The reason for the scarf & cap, of course, was the proximity of the shed to Bloomfield Road, home of the Seasiders, as shown here behind the 9F. The football, as ever, brought out a few "Jack the Lad" types, who were just starting to be aware of fashion, as seen here, but they were still few & far between. Just for the record, Blackpool beat Sunderland 3 - 1 that day to move to second spot in the first division. The rest of the season was not quite so good, although relegation didn't come for another couple of seasons! Also for the record, Blackpool Central closed only a very short time after these photos were taken - hard to believe!

. . . . and you haven't changed one little bit . . . . (insert smiley thing here)

Fashions of the day - 30th September 1961. Lousy quality picture, I know, but I was only 12 when I took it - and with my Dad's folding bellows camera at that! Still, an interesting subject especially considering that it was taken at Blackpool North (or Talbot Road, if you prefer) shed.

I think he's one of those players you love if he's in your team and you loathe if he's with the opposition.

Nice to meet you this afternoon. See you next Saturday.

Hi Mike. No, I won't be there, just thought I'd say "hello" G

Silver in the Stubble - The Spinners

Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf - Pinky & Perky (amongst others) Ducks & runs for cover . . . .

Say it with love - Moody Blues

Come and Stay with Me - Marianne Faithfull Graham

Another night of kamikaze football, another tangerine trip to Wembley! Can they burst Big Sam's bubble? More to the point, will I be able to get a ticket? Graham

Every River - Runrig Graham