Author Topic: Snow Hill Station 1960s  (Read 3319 times)

Peg Monkey

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Re: Snow Hill Station 1960s
« Reply #11 on: October 02, 2018, 11:07:18 AM »
Why Snow Hill Station for Me? - Because it was once part of the illustrious Great Western Railway Empire? Because of its association with the brilliant young engineer Izzy Brunel? Because the GWR had the best locos in the world? (according to GWR, anyway, but they would say that, wouldn't they?)?
No.
Snow Hill was on my way home from school - bus from top of Hockley Hill to top of Snow Hill - minutes later I'm on platfrom 7.
Now this is where I really put the cat amongst the pigeons....ruffle a few feathers....
Brunel - brilliant engineer? Got it well wrong with the broad gauge and atmospheric railway - right?
GWR Locos - brilliant? - Well they looked like antiques up against Mallard and the like and were damn awkward to maintain. Some cylinders were hidden underneath and only accessible to poor maintenance staff from a pit below, unlike other region's locos where the cylinders were on the sides and easy to get to.
.......heading for the airport as I write.......
Peg.
P.s. wots the name of the airline just gone bust?
It's far better to look back on a rejection rather than a lost opportunity.

Edmund Fifield

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Re: Snow Hill Station 1960s
« Reply #12 on: October 02, 2018, 11:18:27 AM »
Going somewhere exotic,enjoy yourself if you are,Airline was PRIMERA
Make every day a day to remember
Because this ain't no rehearsal
And you ain't coming back

Peg Monkey

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Re: Snow Hill Station 1960s
« Reply #13 on: October 02, 2018, 11:39:47 AM »
Going somewhere exotic,enjoy yourself if you are,Airline was PRIMERA
Thanks Ed, actually not long got back from Italian Riviera (far cry from Weston) by coach - 8 day holiday, 4 days travelling! Don't think we'd do it again.
Peg.
It's far better to look back on a rejection rather than a lost opportunity.

Edmund Fifield

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Re: Snow Hill Station 1960s
« Reply #14 on: October 02, 2018, 01:47:37 PM »
Been there Done that a few years ago to Italy a few times.Lovely country ( I'm part Ity by birth).Couldnt sit that long on a coach now though with my bad knees.
Make every day a day to remember
Because this ain't no rehearsal
And you ain't coming back

Peg Monkey

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Re: Snow Hill Station 1960s
« Reply #15 on: October 04, 2018, 08:05:06 PM »
Early 60s - Near my "camp-site" on Platform 7 was a large floor-standing glass display case featuring a veritable arsenal of rifles,  shot-guns and ammunition (may have included side arms as well - can't remember) it featured items manufactured by BSA (Birmingham Small Arms), the company was probably better known later for motorcycle manufacture and I think they also branched out into machine tools. It was a formidable range of weaponry and the display induded a sign: All these items are dumbies - I can't help thinking there is no way such a display would be seen these days for obvious reasons.
Also nearby was what I would describe as an industrial Dymo Tape Marking Machine, you selected your own characters and then punched them on to an alloy metal strip, producing, for example, a name tag - I used it many times, don't think I ever spelt my name right once! :(
Peg.
It's far better to look back on a rejection rather than a lost opportunity.

Scipio

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Re: Snow Hill Station 1960s
« Reply #16 on: October 04, 2018, 08:59:21 PM »
Early 60s - Near my "camp-site" on Platform 7 was a large floor-standing glass display case featuring a veritable arsenal of rifles,  shot-guns and ammunition (may have included side arms as well - can't remember) it featured items manufactured by BSA (Birmingham Small Arms), the company was probably better known later for motorcycle manufacture and I think they also branched out into machine tools. It was a formidable range of weaponry and the display induded a sign: All these items are dumbies - I can't help thinking there is no way such a display would be seen these days for obvious reasons.
Also nearby was what I would describe as an industrial Dymo Tape Marking Machine, you selected your own characters and then punched them on to an alloy metal strip, producing, for example, a name tag - I used it many times, don't think I ever spelt my name right once! :(
Peg.




I don't know whether you'll remember this but there used to be a display cabinet outside of Snow Hill with rifles and pistols in there
I'm sure there was a shop there also , it could well have been G Bates well before they moved to the shops in the 60's opposite  The Gaumont at the base of the Post and Mail that was
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Peg Monkey

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Re: Snow Hill Station 1960s
« Reply #17 on: October 16, 2018, 05:37:17 PM »


I don't know whether you'll remember this but there used to be a display cabinet outside of Snow Hill with rifles and pistols in there
I'm sure there was a shop there also , it could well have been G Bates well before they moved to the shops in the 60's opposite  The Gaumont at the base of the Post and Mail that was


Scipio - I believe I remember the shop it moved over by the Birmingham Mail Offices, by Lloyd House (which was initially the HQ of British Steel before West Midlands Police), many bus stops were relocated there.
Back on topic - when the 7.00pm Glasgow Bound Pullman arrived I would always look longingly at the diners enjoying fillet steak, poached salmon, whatever, partly because I imagined it to be magical to have a meal on a luxury train - but not just that, by that time I was ravenous and would shortly be heading for the 64 and home but it would still be well over half an hour before I got sat down at home for something to eat.
Peg.
It's far better to look back on a rejection rather than a lost opportunity.

Edmund Fifield

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Re: Snow Hill Station 1960s
« Reply #18 on: October 16, 2018, 07:40:27 PM »
Peg,Don't ever remember the Glasgow trains ever coming and going from Snow Hill.Always from New Street.From Glasgow Arr 5.00 ,Dep for Glasgow 10.00 pm.Still got my books with the jottings in about Arr & Dep at New Street.
Make every day a day to remember
Because this ain't no rehearsal
And you ain't coming back

Peg Monkey

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Re: Snow Hill Station 1960s
« Reply #19 on: October 16, 2018, 08:04:20 PM »
Peg,Don't ever remember the Glasgow trains ever coming and going from Snow Hill.Always from New Street.From Glasgow Arr 5.00 ,Dep for Glasgow 10.00 pm.Still got my books with the jottings in about Arr & Dep at New Street.
Hi Ed, the train was heading north, always assumed it was the main-liner to Glasgow (must confess didn't check the destination board) if not there, I wonder where? - any other anoraks, sorry, enthusiasts out there that might know?
Peg.
P.S. Ed - still studying your old train spotting books?....mmmmm. That reminds me I've got some old copies of Pylon Spotting Weekly somewhere, I'll try the attic first......Only joking Ed, quite right, we have to get our facts right.
It's far better to look back on a rejection rather than a lost opportunity.

Edmund Fifield

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Re: Snow Hill Station 1960s
« Reply #20 on: October 16, 2018, 08:21:22 PM »
Peg.From what ican remember G W R only went North as far as Chester & Machynthleth in Wales.As far as the old Ian Allen spotters  books go,some 5-6 years ago I sold some old coins and tokens to a collector.And showed him the old Combined&other railway books I'd kept from the 50s.He drove me mad,phoning me every week to sell to him.He said there was a great interest in old railway shed books by collectors,worth a lot of money,and he offered a good price for them.But I still kept them.Nostalgia comes to mind.
Make every day a day to remember
Because this ain't no rehearsal
And you ain't coming back

Peg Monkey

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Re: Snow Hill Station 1960s
« Reply #21 on: October 17, 2018, 02:58:59 PM »
Peg.From what ican remember G W R only went North as far as Chester & Machynthleth in Wales.As far as the old Ian Allen spotters  books go,some 5-6 years ago I sold some old coins and tokens to a collector.And showed him the old Combined&other railway books I'd kept from the 50s.He drove me mad,phoning me every week to sell to him.He said there was a great interest in old railway shed books by collectors,worth a lot of money,and he offered a good price for them.But I still kept them.Nostalgia comes to mind.
Chester? It seemed a really posh train for Chester - but you may well be right.
Peg.
P.S. Might be a good move if we both keep clear of Chester for a while.........!

It's far better to look back on a rejection rather than a lost opportunity.


 

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