hi all,

(Gosh it's been so long since I posted I could barely remember my
password, or rather which one it was. My A3 name was spot on though.)

Anyone else in the group there at Preston/Blackpool/Liverpool Exchange
on the last night of regular steam on BR ?
(please don't go on about the VoR anyone)
That was a mad, unforgettable time in those last few days.

Does anyone have any press cuttings from the non-rail media ?

But to the present;

1)For any that know me - I've had a computer crash, so have lost all
email addresses - hence lack of correspondence.

2)I'm coming over to the UK for a fortnight. Weekend of 13th is tied
up, but wonder if any uk.rail meets planned ? Best for me would be last
weekend, on 19/20 time. If it were in Liverpool, and anyone has tickets
for the LFC vs Sunderland game (away end) even better.

Any special rail events one should not miss in next two weeks ?

I'll hire a car, so could be fairly flexible.

cheers, Kester

Yes, I was on the Preston-Blackpool train - as you say unforgettable. The 
train was the 20.50 from Preston with 45212, the Blackpool portion of the 
1705 ex Euston. It was of course absolutely packed and I couldn't get near a 
window! The very last duty for steam was later that night when 45212 was 
used to shunt and provide  heating for some sleeping cars. I spent that 
night on Preston station, much of it on the footplate of 45212 with the 
friendly crew. In fact I had spent several  nights on Preston station during 
those mad, sad, last days. I watched the specials on the 4th, and then 
returned home to Kent, going north for the last time to see the '15 guinea 
special' on the 15th. That, we all thought, was that. I still find it 
amazing that nearly 40 years later we can still see steam on Shap, Ais Gill, 
or roaring through the suburbs into London. I was only 17 at that time, and 
had only been interested in railways for a couple of years, but I certainly 
have some happy memories of those days. Somewhere in the loft I do have 
newspaper cuttings about the last days of BR steam. Were you also on the 
Blackpool or Liverpool train?

Patrick  wrote in message 
news:1123091736.741422.188730@g43g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...

> hi all,
>
> (Gosh it's been so long since I posted I could barely remember my
> password, or rather which one it was. My A3 name was spot on though.)
>
> Anyone else in the group there at Preston/Blackpool/Liverpool Exchange
> on the last night of regular steam on BR ?
> (please don't go on about the VoR anyone)
> That was a mad, unforgettable time in those last few days.
>
> Does anyone have any press cuttings from the non-rail media ?
>
> But to the present;
>
> 1)For any that know me - I've had a computer crash, so have lost all
> email addresses - hence lack of correspondence.
>
> 2)I'm coming over to the UK for a fortnight. Weekend of 13th is tied
> up, but wonder if any uk.rail meets planned ? Best for me would be last
> weekend, on 19/20 time. If it were in Liverpool, and anyone has tickets
> for the LFC vs Sunderland game (away end) even better.
>
> Any special rail events one should not miss in next two weeks ?
>
> I'll hire a car, so could be fairly flexible.
>
> cheers, Kester
> 

I had been on the Blackpool train the week before.

I was 16, and had bought an all-line LMR railrover, valid from the
previous Monday (I think) so it ran out on the Sunday. The experience
on the Blackpool train made me realise I simply had to get back up for
the end, but there was no way I could afford another railrover, so I
went home (near Sharnbrook), got some more provisions/clothes/bath, and
headed north again on the Sunday to buy a North-western rover (or some
such name) to do me for the final week.

After sleeping (or trying to) on the Carlisle - Skipton and back night
trains for a couple of nights (this was the longest possible night run
valid on the rover ticket) I was so knacked on the Friday (Aug 2) that
I had to take a B&B that night - missing a steam turn on the Liverpool
train.

On Aug 3 I tried to photograph the Blackpool train standing on the site
of the old Preston shed - with the tower of Preston Cathedral in the
background. But the light was too poor for anything but a photograhic
mess.

Then I went back to the station - joined in the merryment, with coffin
for the death of steam - and caught the Liverpool train. I think I was
in the first vestibule.

At Liverpool about seven of us were on the footplate when the loco left
light to return. Most jumped off at Bank Hall. Myself and another guy
stayed on to Lostock Hall, and then we walked back to Preston station
at about 01.00 time.

Can't remember seeing 45212 at that time. I had to head south to start
a cylcing trip with friends, so I caught one of the overnight sleepers
heading south (Amazing to think that I did not need to look up the TT
for this. I just knew if I turned up at Preston there would be trains
to Euston throughout the early hours - how times change). So I missed
the specials on Aug 4 and 11.

I remember seeing scores of serious-looking RCTS types (or some such)
at Euston going north on a special. I kind of felt; "Ha ha, you've
missed the real thing, lads !"

I kind of wish I hadn't missed the specials, but I would not have
missed the Aug 3 night for anything.

Funny thing, 5 years later I was on the footplate again with the driver
of the  Liverpool train - but neither of us recognised each other. We
were doing OLE tests for the PReston - Carlisle electrification.

Kester

wrote in message 
news:1123145136.841249.51360@g49g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
....

> After sleeping (or trying to) on the Carlisle - Skipton and back night
> trains for a couple of nights (this was the longest possible night run
> valid on the rover ticket) I was so knacked on the Friday (Aug 2) that
> I had to take a B&B that night - missing a steam turn on the Liverpool
> train.
>
> On Aug 3 I tried to photograph the Blackpool train standing on the site
> of the old Preston shed - with the tower of Preston Cathedral in the
> background. But the light was too poor for anything but a photograhic
> mess.

....

You must have been very tired indeed.  Only in your dreams does Preston have 
a cathedral.  :-)
-- 
David Biddulph

"David Biddulph"  wrote:


> wrote in message 
>news:1123145136.841249.51360@g49g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
>...
>> After sleeping (or trying to) on the Carlisle - Skipton and back night
>> trains for a couple of nights (this was the longest possible night run
>> valid on the rover ticket) I was so knacked on the Friday (Aug 2) that
>> I had to take a B&B that night - missing a steam turn on the Liverpool
>> train.
>>
>> On Aug 3 I tried to photograph the Blackpool train standing on the site
>> of the old Preston shed - with the tower of Preston Cathedral in the
>> background. But the light was too poor for anything but a photograhic
>> mess.
>...
>
>You must have been very tired indeed.  Only in your dreams does Preston have 
>a cathedral.  :-)



The dreams would not have to be very vivid for someone to imagine that
St Walburge's Church was in fact a cathedral.  

Among English churches, the height of its spire is, at 309 feet,
second only to the spire of Salisbury Cathedral.

After the end of the 20.55 on May 4th 1968 some of us became orphans
and rode the 20.50, but on the last night -it had to be the last train
- so 5318 it was to Exchange.

Then Sunday morning found us dashing all over the North West in
Grandad's old Connie and Tosh's Corsair complete with over the roof
"tennis" through Burnley town centre. A week later it was my dad's Land
Rover boggling under Ribblehead Viaduct on the 11th.  - Long haired
hooligans!! -  and quite proud to be labelled as fifty plus hoolies by
some of today's health and safety manacled zombies too!

So today I celebrated by commuting by rail over the Pennines to my
Yorkshire place of work, along rails where two of the last specials
wended their way to Copy Pit and then on via Sheffield to Chesterfield
to acquire yet another TBird so that I don't have to wait for the next
steam special and hang out of the window to get the wind in yer hair
experience.

Driving home alongside the silent and dead Woodhead route was also a
reminder that its not just working steam that is gone, but variety,
character, and a deal of human presence.

Roll on the super standard to Porthmadog - there's a way to celebrate
becoming 55!

Tony Polson wrote:

> "David Biddulph"  wrote:
>>
>>You must have been very tired indeed.  Only in your dreams does Preston have 
>>a cathedral.  :-)
> 
> 
> 
> The dreams would not have to be very vivid for someone to imagine that
> St Walburge's Church was in fact a cathedral.  
> 
> Among English churches, the height of its spire is, at 309 feet,
> second only to the spire of Salisbury Cathedral.
> 
> 


A minor point but Norwich Cathedral is second to Salisbury with a 
height of 315ft

"Matt Squirrell"  wrote

> A minor point but Norwich Cathedral is second to Salisbury with a
> height of 315ft


http://www.zyra.org.uk/stump2.htm has the following:

"It includes spires/towers/domes and just about anything else!"

1. Salisbury Cathedral - 404ft
2. St Paul's Cathedral - 366ft
3. Liverpool Anglican Cathedral - 330ft
4. Norwich Cathedral - 315ft
5. St. Walburges, Preston - 309ft
6. Coventry Cathedral - 299ft
7. Louth Parish Church - 295ft
8. St. Mary Redcliffe, Bristol - 292ft
9. Liverpool Catholic Cathedral - 290ft
10. Westminster Cathedral - 284ft
11. St. Wulfram's, Grantham - 282ft
12. St. Elphin's, Warrington - 281ft
13. Chichester Cathedral - 277ft
14. Boston Stump - 272ft
15. Lincoln Cathedral - 270ft

That must mean that Louth is the town with the highest church spire in
the UK without a rail service, eh ? (If we count the Central Line to St
Paul's)

Do Louthonians know this ? Is it emblazoned on Louth tourist literature
?

Or perhaps they keep it quiet, fearing the epithet "loudlouths".

He he!

Kester (who, hoping to go to Cleethorpes on this next trip, will now
try to visit Louth as well.)

ps may I ask again, are there any decent rail events going on in next
two weeks in UK ?

Matt Squirrell  wrote:


>Tony Polson wrote:
>> "David Biddulph"  wrote:
>>>
>>>You must have been very tired indeed.  Only in your dreams does Preston have 
>>>a cathedral.  :-)
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> The dreams would not have to be very vivid for someone to imagine that
>> St Walburge's Church was in fact a cathedral.  
>> 
>> Among English churches, the height of its spire is, at 309 feet,
>> second only to the spire of Salisbury Cathedral.
>> 
>> 
>
>A minor point but Norwich Cathedral is second to Salisbury with a 
>height of 315ft



Oh dear.  My reference - a web site - was clearly incorrect.  I also
found a web site claiming it was the third highest spire in England!

;-)

Well, even if it is not a cathedral (I thought Preston was a city, but
we had better not get onto that one again), I would not like to be
de-spired from its top, or anywhere near it.

Makes one wonder whence cometh the dosho for the church if Preston
was/is a mere Borough. It is, from memory, a pretty impressive spire.

Kester

ps My matey in Cleethorpes says Louth is a nice place with a great
Wednesday market and chippy.

> I thought Preston was a city, but
> we had better not get onto that one again

----------------------------------

Preston is now a city, having been elevated to
that status quite recently.

See: http://www.preston.gov.uk/


Regards,

DigitisED  (Eddie Bellass)

Mythical Merseyside, in the Occupied Territories
of Old Lancashire, United Kingdom.

Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free and checked
by a leading anti-virus system - updated continuously.

Kesterj@mail.interware.hu wrote:


>Well, even if it is not a cathedral (I thought Preston was a city, but
>we had better not get onto that one again), I would not like to be
>de-spired from its top, or anywhere near it.
>
>Makes one wonder whence cometh the dosho for the church if Preston
>was/is a mere Borough. It is, from memory, a pretty impressive spire.



Preston was a very affluent town in the 19th century, due mainly to
the cotton trade.  

From various sources:

By 1850 Preston had 64 cotton mills.

Preston's population grew from 12,000 in 1800 to 70,000 in 1850 and
hit 100,000 by 1880.  About three quarters of the population depended
on the cotton industry.

Preston now has city status, but still no cathedral.  St Walburge's is
a Catholic Church and is Listed Grade I.  The parish church is St
John's which is located on Fishergate, Preston's main thoroughfare.

On Fri, 05 Aug 2005 14:39:27 +0100, Tony Polson  wrote:



>Preston now has city status, but still no cathedral.  St Walburge's is
>a Catholic Church and is Listed Grade I.  The parish church is St
>John's which is located on Fishergate, Preston's main thoroughfare.
>

Now called The Minster

The Bishop of Blackburn, Alan Chesters, said: "In order to recognise
the new city status of Preston we need a minster for the people of
Preston to engage in civic life. 

http://archive.thisislancashire.co.uk/2002/9/27/593828.html

On 5 Aug 2005 06:18:23 -0700, Kesterj@mail.interware.hu wrote in
, seen in
uk.railway:

[...]

> ps My matey in Cleethorpes says Louth is a nice place with a great
> Wednesday market and chippy.


He's right about the chippy - 50p for a chip butty. ;-)

-- 
Ross, Lincoln, UK

We're *not* afraid
http://www.werenotafraid.com

Alan Smith  wrote:


>On Fri, 05 Aug 2005 14:39:27 +0100, Tony Polson  wrote:
>
>
>>Preston now has city status, but still no cathedral.  St Walburge's is
>>a Catholic Church and is Listed Grade I.  The parish church is St
>>John's which is located on Fishergate, Preston's main thoroughfare.
>>
>Now called The Minster
>
>The Bishop of Blackburn, Alan Chesters, said: "In order to recognise
>the new city status of Preston we need a minster for the people of
>Preston to engage in civic life. 
>
>http://archive.thisislancashire.co.uk/2002/9/27/593828.html



Interesting, thanks!  

Preston has changed a lot since I lived there (late 80s/early 90s).

On 5 Aug 2005 06:18:23 -0700, Kesterj@mail.interware.hu wrote:


> Well, even if it is not a cathedral (I thought Preston was a city, but
> we had better not get onto that one again)


Preston is indeed a city, but it is not city status that makes a church
a cathedral, but rather being the place where a bishop is based. The
word "cathedral" signifies that the church contains the bishop's throne,
which is itself called a "cathedra", from the Greek word for chair.

-- 
http://gallery120232.fotopic.net/p15036439.html
(13 001 at Tinsley, 3 Apr 1980)

Ross wrote:

> On 5 Aug 2005 06:18:23 -0700, Kesterj@mail.interware.hu wrote in
> , seen in
> uk.railway:
>
> [...]
> > ps My matey in Cleethorpes says Louth is a nice place with a great
> > Wednesday market and chippy.
>
> He's right about the chippy - 50p for a chip butty. ;-)
>
> --
> Ross, Lincoln, UK
>
> We're *not* afraid
> http://www.werenotafraid.com


Ross, are you around ? Send me an email and we'll link up.

Kester

In article ,
   Tony Polson  wrote:

> >A minor point but Norwich Cathedral is second to Salisbury with a 
> >height of 315ft


> Oh dear.  My reference - a web site - was clearly incorrect.  I also
> found a web site claiming it was the third highest spire in England!


This would fit the table shown earlier; neither St Paul's in London nor
Liverpool cathedral have spires.

-- 
David Wild using RISC OS on broadband