British Train Robbery - 8 August 1963 (merged posts)

[whole diary]

[Bmblbzzz]

Preparing for the 60th anniversary of the Great Train Robbery on 8th August 1963 ...

Should I warn Thames Valley Police to be on the lookout for a suspicious  character from Wiltshire hanging around Train Robber Bridge in Buckinghamshire ? 

Nah - but your could  bring this to their attention: http://www.passenger.chat/foss8.html

Then you could visit Tom Long's Post. The 18th century equivalent of a train robber!

[bobm]

Probably worth the annual reminder that very few in the railway refer to the 1963 event as “great”.

[Electric train]

Probably worth the annual reminder that very few in the railway refer to the 1963 event as “great”.

I agree nothing great or heroic about it, Jack Mills never fully recovered from his injuries

[stuving]

Two isolated incidents, or are mail train robberies a daily thing?

No, it's the same one incident as was reported two days before this mention in the Record.

[ChrisB]

I think Graham might have had a few when he started this thread....

[broadgage]

Probably worth the annual reminder that very few in the railway refer to the 1963 event as “great”.

I agree nothing great or heroic about it, Jack Mills never fully recovered from his injuries

To be charitable, "great" could be taken as an indication of the scale of the robbery, which was undoubtedly greater than almost all other robberies. And NOT meaning "great" as in any way admirable, heroic, or to be commended.
To avoid confusion, it would in my view be better not to use the word "great" when referring to this crime. "The train robbery" or if an indication of the scale of the theft is required "The huge train robbery"

[Bmblbzzz]

We still talk of the "the Great War", a name given over a hundred years ago when usage was slightly different to today. Which reminds us that this train robbery was closer in time, and quite possibly in terms of use of the word "great", to the end of WW1 than to today.

[grahame]

We still talk of the "the Great War", a name given over a hundred years ago when usage was slightly different to today. Which reminds us that this train robbery was closer in time, and quite possibly in terms of use of the word "great", to the end of WW1 than to today.

Indeed - the (online) dictionary gives two definitions

1.
of an extent, amount, or intensity considerably above average.
"the article was of great interest"

2.
of ability, quality, or eminence considerably above average.
"the great Italian conductor"

The First World War and the 1963 train robbery both fall into the first definition.

[broadgage]

We still talk of the "the Great War", a name given over a hundred years ago when usage was slightly different to today. Which reminds us that this train robbery was closer in time, and quite possibly in terms of use of the word "great", to the end of WW1 than to today.

And the "great storm" of 1987.
And the "great depression" of the 1930s.

Neither event was considered to be admirable.

[eXPassenger]

I always thought that 'great' referred to magnitude and not magnificence in this context.

[TonyK]

And the "great storm" of 1987.

These days, you are as likely to hear "They say it will be as bad as the Great Storm of a couple of weeks ago".

I'll have a half of what grahame's drinking.

[broadgage]

I see no harm in remembering the event, talking about it, and making and exhibiting models, provided that this be done in a suitably respectful way.
Not something to glorify or profit from.

[infoman]

I recall going to a model show exhibition at the UWE in North Bristol a few years ago and a guy had set up a stall with loads of info about the train robbery.

I have also been to two talks about the train robbery in the last couple of years by the same talker.