| In August 1960, my
family took a weeks holiday at Goodrington, in South Devon. My parents
agreed that my girlfriend Janet could be included in our
holiday arrangements. But my parents also decided that certain special
arrangements would be necessary concerning sleeping accommodation. So
they booked two apartments, with myself and my brother Carl in the
smaller apartment, and mother, father, sister Betty, and Janet in the
larger one. So at least at night time, respectability could be seen to
be observed. (What happened in the daytime though, was another matter).
Travel arrangements were similar, Janet would travel with my parents and sister by car on Saturday 20th August, and my brother and myself would follow by train the following day, Sunday (4941 Llangedwyn Hall the whole way from Birmingham Snow Hill to Newton Abbot). The holiday went well. The weather was good, and I managed to combine the pastimes of Trainspotting and Courting. At the end of the week, the plan was for myself and Janet to travel back by rail on the Saturday, using the 2.25pm Paignton to Sheffield, a Saturdays only service which called to pick up at Torquay and Teignmouth, with the next booked set down pont at Barnt Green at 7.18pm. And the plan was that Janet's father would be waiting at Barnt Green to pick us up. |
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| Saturday 27th August
1960 was hot and humid, and by the time we had joined the train
at Paignton, there were signs that the weather might break. There were
very few passengers, and we went to the last coach and settled down in
the rear compartment. 6831 Bearley Grange was working as far as Bristol
St Phillips Marsh, where a Midland engine would take over. Initially
things went reasonably well. We were checked at Newton Abbot, and so we
were 10 minutes late leaving Teignmouth. Then more checks at Exeter and Taunton, but
that was to be expected on a Summer Saturday afternoon.
But by Taunton, the skies had blackened, and the rain began to fall. A flash of lightning, then another. By Cogload Junction the flashes were continuous, one after the other, each one seeming louder. At Bridgewater I ceased trainspotting to concentrate on other attractions. But we had a long stop at Flax Bourton, and got to St Phillips Marsh at 5.35pm. The storm was still raging, and the water over the rails. A Black 5 could just be seen backing down, and we were away again at 5.50pm. More checks at Ashley Hill, but then we began to make better progress. And although the storm was still raging, there were signs that it was beginning to ease. Some hopes! Beyond Yate we came a stand. After a while the guard went through the train advising that Wickwar tunnel was flooded, and that we could have a long wait. In fact, we were on the move again after about 30 minutes. But from this point it was clear that we were in a queue of trains, since we were continually checked. A 7 minute stop for Water at Gloucester Yard, slow running all the way from Cheltenham to Bromsgrove. A shove up the Lickey, and we finally made it to Barnt Green at 8.46pm, 88 minutes late. And the storm was still raging, though the thunder and lightning were clearly by now a good distance away. I shall never forget the journey on the 2.25pm Paignton to Sheffield on Saturday 27th August 1960. |
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