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eightonedee
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« on: January 30, 2025, 09:37:12 » |
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Unusually, our local Reach group paper (the Reading Chronicle) has been useful today, drawing to my attention an anniversary today with Railway connections.
Churchill's funeral took place 60 years ago today. His coffin was taken by train (hauled by a Bulleid pacific bearing his name) to its burial at Bladon in Oxfordshire. I can still recall standing (as an 8 year old) by the railway near the New Hill railway bridge in Purley and watching the train go past. Are there any other forum members with similar memories?
Edited to correct spelling of Bladon - thanks Chris
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« Last Edit: January 30, 2025, 13:48:07 by eightonedee »
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broadgage
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« Reply #1 on: January 30, 2025, 10:53:43 » |
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I remember hearing of the death of Sir Winston Churchill on the radio, and then watching the funeral on TV at a relatives home.
I presume that the funeral train passed through my local station, New Malden, but do not recall watching it.
ANOTHER event the recollection of which that makes me feel very old.
I recall a now late relative saying that "without Winston, we would all be speaking german now" They used to send Christmas cards with the wording "if you are reading this in English, give thanks to a soldier"
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A proper intercity train has a minimum of 8 coaches, gangwayed throughout, with first at one end, and a full sized buffet car between first and standard.
It has space for cycles, surfboards,luggage etc.
A 5 car DMU▸ is not a proper inter-city train. The 5+5 and 9 car DMUs are almost as bad.
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ChrisB
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« Reply #2 on: January 30, 2025, 11:45:26 » |
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Yes, I watched the whole thing on TV with my parents.
H's buried in Bladon churchyard, taken there from Hanborough station in a hurse.
Bladon was the local estate church to his birthplace at Blenheim.
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chuffed
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« Reply #3 on: January 30, 2025, 15:41:43 » |
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Love the typo spelling of hurse. I look forward to reading about hurse drawn horses.....for clarification the spelling of hurse is hearse.
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Chris from Nailsea
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« Reply #4 on: January 30, 2025, 17:09:03 » |
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Edited to correct spelling of Bladon - thanks Chris
Not me.  |
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William Huskisson MP▸ was the first person to be killed by a train while crossing the tracks, in 1830. Many more have died in the same way since then. Don't take a chance: stop, look, listen.
"Level crossings are safe, unless they are used in an unsafe manner." Discuss.
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ChrisB
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« Reply #5 on: January 30, 2025, 18:33:49 » |
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Love the typo spelling of hurse. I look forward to reading about hurse drawn horses.....for clarification the spelling of hurse is hearse. That was my mistake....oops!  |
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GBM
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« Reply #6 on: January 31, 2025, 10:56:59 » |
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I recall reading (an extract?) about one of the loco drivers account that day.
Very poignant.
I also watched most of the day on TV.
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Personal opinion only. Writings not representative of any union, collective, management or employer. (Think that absolves me...........)  |
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Western Pathfinder
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« Reply #7 on: January 31, 2025, 12:45:20 » |
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If memory serves me well the return funeral train was hauled by Class 52
D1015 Western Champion.
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GBM
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« Reply #8 on: January 31, 2025, 15:27:44 » |
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If memory serves me well the return funeral train was hauled by Class 52
D1015 Western Champion.
Oh, I didn't watch that part  |
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Personal opinion only. Writings not representative of any union, collective, management or employer. (Think that absolves me...........) |
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johnneyw
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« Reply #10 on: January 31, 2025, 18:05:58 » |
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Astonishing what something like this can spark. While I don't really remember the funeral on TV....apart from perhaps a brief few moments on our old B&W set....I do now recall my parents explaining to us a little about who and what it was for.
I don't think that memory had resurfaced since then.
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Chris from Nailsea
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« Reply #11 on: January 31, 2025, 18:15:33 » |
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I do remember watching coverage from the BBC» on a black and white television set, in a flat high on a multi-storey residential building in Plymouth, with other family members. However, being only 6 years old at the time, I don't think I really understood the historic context.  |
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William Huskisson MP▸ was the first person to be killed by a train while crossing the tracks, in 1830. Many more have died in the same way since then. Don't take a chance: stop, look, listen.
"Level crossings are safe, unless they are used in an unsafe manner." Discuss.
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