Roy B

Hi there folks, It knows we’re here! I think this is the most foreboding building I have ever encountered, a windowless giant with a face of despair. The way it leans over adds to the chilling atmosphere. To get a sense of size the archway on the lower left hand side has a blocked up gated entrance. The gate is twice the height of us. Inside is a portal to the underworld, a sight never to be forgotten. It breathes, it is alive! You’ll no doubt be thinking what is it, and where is it? Welcome to the area known as Thieves Clough on Marsden Moor. We’ve come to have a look inside the former Redbrook Engine House which is situated midway between Diggle (Greater Manchester) and Marsden (West Yorkshire). Redbrook Engine House and Thieves Clough Bridge (see later info) arrowed It lies directly above the Standedge Tunnels and contains two of the eight ventilation shafts which serve the tunnels. The Standedge Tunnels from Diggle To Marsden showing the present day numbered shafts in use Continues below:

Cheers Bas. Here's a celebration of Stanton's transport for you: Two Stanton-owned Thornycroft lorries (registrations ARB 459 and ARB 467) loading coal at the Landsales Depot. Coal was brought here by rail from collieries owned by the Stanton Ironworks Company and transferred to road transport for local distribution. The Depot was situated on the west side of Crompton Street between the level crossing with the ex-Midland Railway Stanton Old Works branch line and the main canteen. This view is looking north-west with Old Works in the background - December 1935. 1945 - Road repairs near Southwell. A Stanton Ironworks Company tipper lorry is unloading tarred spoil, while a steamroller is visible in the background. The spoil was a byproduct of the iron making process where it was crushed and mixed with tar to produce tarmacadam for road surfacing.(Copyright Picture The Past) Stanton Iron Works Company Lorry Loaded with Concrete Pipes, Low's Lane, Stanton Works, C.late 1940's. (Copyright NEMPR) A Stanton Ironworks Company AEC 15 Matador unloading concrete pipes on an unknown country lane. (Copyright Picture The Past) A gleaming Atki heads this neat and tidy line up in the Stanton garage. (Photographer unknown) Stanton & Staveley concrete pipe mover. The artic is privately owned, and has been in preservation for a number of years. Now kept in the Chesterfield area, the Leyland Buffalo 2 tractor unit had started life in 1980 working out of the Stanton & Staveley concrete pipes division. On its withdrawal from service, the unit was transferred to Stanton's Staveley site near Chesterfield for use as a yard shunter, before being secured for preservation by its current owner in 1998. (Photographer unknown) Cheers Ian. Yes, any street furniture worldwide, such as manhole and drain covers were manufactured at the works. Funnily enough I saw a couple on Blackpool prom today. Here's one from your neck of the woods: Did you know that there is a band who took their name from the famous manhole cover? Stanton Warriors are a British DJ and production duo who run a successful record label. Their musical style is a mix of Breakbeat, UK garage and House. A version of their third album was released as a deluxe edition in a manhole cover tin pack!

Continued from above: The pics in the gallery are of the line into the ‘Old’ Works. There is very little left of this site apart from the Training and Exhibition buildings and the stockyard. The ‘New’ Works has more infrastructure left but to do both sites in one day would be pushing it for time. I aim to do a repeat visit in the future. The branch to the left is the Midland connection to the Stanton complex. The line on the extreme left is the Stanton Old Works branch worked by train staff. The line to the right of it is the Stanton New Works branch worked by tablet, further up this line was Stanton New Works SB. On this line was one of the first automatic barrier level crossings in this area. The bridge carries the M1. In the far background is one of the blast furnaces. The third line from the left is the original No2 down goods line which joined the down main line at Ilkeston JCT, worked by permissive block. Behind the spoil heap can be seen one of the New Works furnaces. The waste tip was originally conical in shape, but some of it was used in the building of the M1.The other lines to the right are designated down & up main. The train is a southbound Peak hauled passenger train on the up fast. To the right of this is the down & up goods line. The next box to the north was Trowell Junction. 20 148 & 20 185 leave Stanton Works and join the Erewash Valley Mainline at Stanton Gate The line as it looks today Now let’s start our explore. We join the Erewash Canal towpath at Stanton Gate. The ‘New Works’ used to be alongside this waterway. After passing under the M1 we come to the disused line into the ‘Old Works’ above us. The plan here is to avoid falling into the canal as we climb up onto the bridge. We are then greeted with a marvellous sight as in the pic above. It’s very rare to still have some track left in situ. If we walk away from the site the line itself goes under the M1, and beyond here it is possible to see where it joins the main line. For obvious reasons we’ll turn around and head back over the canal bridge. This next section of line passes by some industrial units and at one time a haulage company used to park their trailers over the track. This mean’t a diversion through some thick stemmed brambles resembling barbed wire which would wrap themselves around the human body as soon as you looked at them. Thankfully a new security fence alongside the units has negated the need for the detour. A few discarded rail chairs can be found alongside the track here. We soon come to the remains of an even earlier line from the Victorian era. Only a very short section is visible along with some discarded sleepers in the undergrowth off to one side of our line. After continuing for a short distance our track is blocked by an embankment that has built up over the years. This was the location of the site emergency access road which crossed here. The track would have had some form of crossing here. After climbing over the embankment the rail can still be seen in the road surface. Another climb up and over the opposite bank brings us to the Training and Exhibition Centre. The building has suffered the ravages of time over the years and is not in the best of condition. Part of it was used as a theatre and its location is easily found by the angle of the sloping floor. Leaving here we return to the line and head for the site of the stockyard. The single track now becomes two as we come to a set of points manufactured by L WYNN-WILLIAMS at Darlington. This stretch of the line looks as though it was only closed yesterday. Fully ballasted and free of overgrowth. The entrance to the former stockyard is still gated. Just mind the barbed wire on the top. Inside the yard the two tracks tend to disappear and reappear frequently. In places they’re covered by gravel and revert to single track in places. A severely twisted rail is visible halfway in. There are rows upon row of rectangular concrete bases from where pipes were stored. In addition to these are the gantry bases for the overhead travelling cranes. These have been cut off at ground level. A couple of pics in the gallery show how it was when in use. A number of buried open tanks are dotted around. All have some form of ominous looking substance in. If you get too nosey and fall in they’re sheer sided so good luck in getting back out. There is one with razor wire around it containing a rank smelling green liquid sludge. At the far side of the yard it’s the end of the line. There are still a set of buffer stops buried in the undergrowth. Remains of the internal road network are visible here with lampposts and a roundabout. Leaving the yard through some woodland we come out alongside the remaining short stretch of the Nutbrook Canal. It was constructed in 1796 with 13 locks over a total length of four and a half miles, and was used for transporting coal from Stanton, and also to serve the needs of the ironworks. This was diverted and filled in when the ‘New Works’ were built. At the far end of the canal we come to Ilkeston Road where a right turn takes us over a bridge followed by another right turn down onto the trackbed of the long gone Stanton and Shipley branch of the Midland Railway. This has been turned into cycle route 67 and goes to Sandiacre and Long Eaton. Halfway along here are the bridge abutments remaining from the Stanton Mineral Railway which crossed over into the site. A few buildings from the works remain along here being used as trade/industrial outlets. An old engine shed can be seen which was used for shunting and loading wagons. We eventually end our journey back at the Erewash Canal at bridge 15 known as Junction Lock.This being the location where the Nutbrook joined. Head to the gallery for the pics of this tour. Next time: We’re heading up onto the wild and windswept moors. What dark secret lies within the remote old windowless building with the sickly lean? Join me to find out….if you dare!

Continued from above: During its long existence the works produced huge quantities of a variety of products, including pig iron, lighting columns, tunnel castings, (used in projects such as the London Underground and the Mersey Tunnel), pipes and street furniture, as well as bitumen, roadstone, chemicals and munition casings. A section of the cast iron lining, with an internal diameter of 44 feet, for the Mersey Tunnel. This was a major contract for the Stanton Ironworks Company and involved the supply of a total of 111,862 flanged tunnel segments. (Pic credit to Picture the Past) The works gradually declined, the business being run from 1985 by the French Saint-Gobain Group. A report said that ‘the death-knell’ for the foundry sounded when Britain joined the Common Market. The last casting was an emotional event. The final set of iron pipes were produced on May 24, 2007, when 185 workers left the site for the final time. The huge Stanton site has been partially given over to a business park and the rest of the site is earmarked for redevelopment which is subject to local opposition. Another rival business was merged with Stanton in 1960. This was the Staveley Coal and Iron Company. This company was registered in 1863 and exploited local ironstone quarried from land owned by the Duke of Devonshire on the outskirts of the village. It developed into coal mining, owning several collieries, and also into chemical production, first from those available from coal tar distillation, later to cover a wide and diverse range. Part of the plant at Staveley was a sulphuric acid manufacturing unit. It was during the years of World War 1 that the company developed its chemical operations beyond coal-tar chemicals and began production of sulphuric and nitric acids. During the war they also made picric acid, TNT and guncotton. Following the end of hostilities the company laid plans to develop a range of chlorinated organics and to this end purchased salt-bearing land near Sandbach, Cheshire. The salt was produced by a new company formed specifically for the purpose and named the British Soda Company. The salt being needed to feed a new installation of mercury cells at the Staveley works. The first cells at Staveley came into operation in 1922. In 1926 they went into partnership with the Krebs Company of Paris and Berlin to develop a new cell. This was marketed worldwide as the Krebs-Staveley cell. This installation lasted into the late 1950s when the cellroom at Staveley was replaced with German-made mercury cells. Another salt-related product was sodium chlorate. Staveley Coal and Iron Company were the first company in Britain to manufacture this chemical with the plant becoming operational in 1938. In 1950, the Staveley Iron and Chemical Company were named by Imperial Chemical Industries as one of their main competitors in caustic soda production. Following the merger the two companies became known as Stanton and Staveley Ltd. Sections of the Staveley site were sold off after becoming part of British Steel as they divested themselves of non-core activities. By 2007 most of the former works at Staveley had been shut down and cleared. The only plant that remained was a p-aminophenol plant that produced the active ingredients for paracetamol production. The site ceased production in June 2012, ending over 100 years of chemical production at Staveley. The site has since been demolished. The location of the former works is due to be redeveloped as an infrastructure depot for phase 2B of the planned HS2 high speed railway due to open in 2033. Staveley Works: 41804 an ex-Midland 0-6-0T. The Staveley Iron & Steel (and Chemical) Works was unusual in hiring locomotives for internal shunting work from the Main Line Railways, in this case the Midland/LMSR/BR-London Midland Region. This resulted in four of the Midland 1F 0-6-0T’s of 1878 lasting several years after the rest of the class. They were allocated to Barrow Hill Depot at Staveley, working at Staveley Works. How on earth the little boy on the bicycle came to be there is a mystery. (Pic credit to Ben Brooksbank). There are many recollections (some humorous) from former employees. Each of the following is from different people throughout the site: “I saw men who’d had the steel taken out of them,” said Peter. “They looked yellow, grey and sallow. ‘Gough’, I thought, ‘you’ve come here to die.” “We learnt to swim in the canal, in an area we called ‘ot watters’, due to the hot waste water pouring from the furnaces.” “My father and grandfather worked there. I was born in 1957 and it was not unusual in the 50’s and 60’s for children to accompany their dads onto the site either on foot or on a bike to pick up their dad's weekly wages - I heard my dad say his payroll number so many times that I can still quote it 50 years later "25 82 Bower". In the 60’s I often went onto the old 100ton/day sulphuric acid plant where my dad worked and was allowed to press the fire alarm test button! Dad's work colleagues occasionally gave me an old sixpenny bit (2.5p) when I visited. “My Uncle worked at Stanton, I think all of his life. He lived at Hallam fields at School house lane and it was right inside the factory. He was a Steam Crane Driver and much of the time was spent lifting pig iron with a massive electro magnet and dropping it into wagons. He took myself and my elder brother with him one day, we would have been about 11 or 12, and he had to drive down the railway to lift a wagon which had come of the tracks. I still remember the noise, the heat, the steam and the rattle of the chains. It was one of the most exciting things we had done.” “All men and boys working on the furnaces worked the long turn, alternate weeks in those days, i.e. Saturday night, Sunday day and Sunday night, thirty-six hours straight” A rather clean Black 5 steam locomotive No.44835 is seen here facing Stanton Ironworks at Quarry Hill Road Frame. The various components of Stanton Works visible in the background are as follows: New Works blast furnaces (far left), the Coke Oven Plant (centre) with the main gasholder to the rear, and the Ore Preparation Plant (right). Just visible behind the latter is one of the two blast furnaces at Old Works. The Ore Prep was constructed at huge expense and brought into use in 1959; as ironmaking (as opposed to iron melting) ceased at Stanton in 1974, it had a life of just 15 years. The ground level BR Type 15 ground frame seen here was provided to control the sidings serving the Plant. After the ex-GNR Stanton branch closed as a through route in 1968, access to the Ore Prep was via a specially constructed chord line off the MR Stanton & Shipley line to this point for the remaining 6 years of its existence. All the track seen here had been lifted by the end of 1976. (Pic credit to Fred Castor). “The running off of the molten metal was a sight not to miss. As it drew near we felt its heat and its fiery breath seemed bent on scorching us up. The atmosphere seemed to burn.” “One chap we had was nick-named “Milk Bottle”. His job was shovelling scrap into the skip which took it up to the top of the furnace. One day he misjudged his step and fell into the skip as it began travelling up to the furnace. He was just about to be tipped into it when they heard him screaming and stopped the track. His hair had turned white with fright.” “At twenty to six each morning I’d catch the first tram to the works. On icy mornings the trams couldn’t grip the tracks up the steep slope on Bath Street. The drivers had to lay sack cloths down so as to get some grip. As well as that the drivers would leave a tram running while they nipped into a shop for their tobacco, only to then run and catch up with the tram further up.” “It was the smell and sound of the place which I grew to love. When I used to walk through to get to work you had all the smells and the sounds of steam hissing, valves clanking, the sound of the locos and the wagons all crashing together and the roar of the furnaces. Fantastic.” Notice Re Dead Employees: It has come to the notice of the management that employees have been dying on the job and either refusing or neglecting to fall over. This practice must cease and any employee found dead on the job will be immediately dropped from the payroll. In future if a foreman notices that an employee has not made any movement for a period of two hours it will be his duty to investigate as it is almost impossible to distinguish between death and the natural movement of some of the employees. Foremen are cautioned to make careful investigation. Holding a pay packet in front of the suspected person is considered to be an authentic test but there have been some cases where the natural instinct has been so deeply embedded that the hand of the employee has made spasmodic clutches even after rigor mortis has set in. “What they called the salt house was where they extracted the sulphate of ammonia from the coke oven gas. The first time I went into the salt house I had to run out. I couldn’t breathe and couldn’t see because my eyes were streaming with the effect of the ammonia in the air. There was no safety equipment, no breathing tackle; they just sent you straight in there. Ronnie came out after me and rubbed my eyes a bit with a dirty old rag, wiped my face and sent me back in. You had to get used to it, simple as that.” “One day a chemist came along to take a sample of the benzole. Someone must have created a spark which ignited the vapours coming off this puddle of benzole on the floor. Instead of going ‘whoosh’ and bursting into flames it simply burned on the surface. I ran up the stairs to get help from my mate but the flames were following me at the same speed and the soles of my boots were just beginning to catch light. I found him round the corner leaning against the wall casually having a fag. He calmly says, “ey-up Jack how you goin’ on? Your boots are ablaze” The flames extinguished themselves luckily.” An Andrew Barclay 0-4-0 crane tank locomotive ('Stanton No.33') loading spun iron pipes into a six-wheeled Stanton Ironworks Company lorry at the loading stage adjoining the 18-foot Spun Pipe Plant. The lorry, carrying Stanton fleet number 22, and registered BRB 549 is a Thornycroft Stag, a model that was in production from 1933 to 1938. In the background another Stanton lorry can be seen, registration ENU 720, and most probably a Thornycroft Handy. The gantry for the overhead travelling crane serving the 12-foot and 18-foot Spun Plants is on the horizon. ( Pic credit to Picture the Past). There was a tragic side to life at Stanton though: Henry Smith, a bricklayer, had ascended to the top of a furnace so that he could repair a wall that had partially fallen in. He had to stand on top of the gas conductor which gave way under his feet. He fell into a mass of molten metal fifteen feet below. After two and a half hours the heat of the furnace had been reduced sufficiently to recover the body. All that remained were two or three feet of the shrivelled trunk of a man who when alive stood over six feet high. The legs, arms, and head were nearly all consumed. Bernard Jackson, a labourer, was helping to load some pipes into a railway truck. They were being lifted from a stack by a crane. The pipe needed to be repositioned in the truck and as it was raised it slipped. It went over the top of the wagon like a shot out of a gun. Henry was standing on the buffer of the wagon and caught the full force of the pipe in the stomach pinning him against the next truck. It had lifted his bowels right up inside him and in deep shock he said, “Oh dear, I shall fall in two.” He died the next day. Joseph Hann, a labourer, and two others were engulfed in ten tons of molten metal. The incident occurred when a locomotive had shunted four ladles to a railway junction. They were left there whilst the loco went back to collect another four. It was common practice to leave them on the junction as it was controlled by a green signal and the other track lights would automatically be at red. A driver approaching on the other line was dazzled by the sun and couldn’t see what colour the signal was at. When he realised the junction was blocked he applied the brakes but the loco skidded. It collided with one of the ladles turning it over on to the three deceased. A witness to the accident was the son of one of the men killed. He was fishing on the Erewash Canal and had been speaking to his father across the canal moments before. He heard a strange scraping noise and looked across to see one man on the ground burning. He never saw his father again. Here’s a blast from the past! Stanton No.24 busy at work. ( Pic credit to Phantasrail). Continues below:

Continued from above: We go across country now to Stanton Gate near Ilkeston in Derbyshire. The area was home to the Stanton Ironworks. It was one of the biggest and most important local employers continuing a long-standing tradition of iron working in this area. The site was split into the ‘Old’ and ‘New’ works. The area we'll be looking at is the lower of the two works on the map above. This was just part of the huge combined site There has been evidence of iron working and quarrying here since Roman times. The origins of the Stanton Ironworks are thought to date back to 1846 when Chesterfield man, Benjamin Smith, and his son Josiah brought three blast-furnaces into production alongside the banks of the now disused Nutbrook Canal. By the mid-19th century there were several blast furnaces and the production rose from around 500 tons of pig iron per month to 7,000 at the end of the century. The works produced 20,000 tons of iron castings per year, rising to 2.5 million by 1905. The Stanton Ironworks acquired a number of smaller ironstone quarrying and ironworks companies. These included the Wellingborough Iron Company in 1932. During the 1914-1918 war Stanton produced large numbers of shell casings, whilst during the Second World War both shell and bomb casings, gun barrels, and concrete air-raid shelter components were produced. With its experience in high quality concrete products, Stanton was also involved with the production of experimental concrete torpedo casings. During the Second World War, the Stanton Gate Foundry (known to later generations as the Erewash Foundry) was once seen as the most important bomb-making factory of the war producing 873,500 bomb casings. Steel pipe manufacturing began at Stanton after World War I, and later concrete pipes were produced. Stanton was the first in the UK to develop the 'spun pipe' process. Up to 12,500 people were employed during the period when the works were part of the British Steel Corporation, of which 7,000 worked at the Stanton works. Continues below:

Continued from above: There’s not a lot more to report on the meeting so let’s have a look back at the tremendous story of: THE AHERN RATS! Pete 3rd from the left with Richy to his right, and not hard to see big bad Bobby Richard Ahern didn’t look the aggressive sort, but the Jeckyll and Hyde character underwent a dramatic personality change as soon as he got behind the wheel - as some of his most hardened victims would verify! As the green flag dropped, Richy reverted to very basic tactics to remove the opposition, and, if that mean’t he had to clear the safety fence to do so, then Richy would do so! Richy always looked back on his Banger days with great affection, stating these were the best days. As a boy of merely fourteen, he badgered his father into upping his age to sixteen to allow him onto the P.R.I circuits to race with his elder brother Pat. The Ahern Rats as they were fondly known began their trail of destruction in the late sixties with the team compromising some of the most hardened wreckers Banger racing has ever produced, from Peter Scott, right up to the awesome Bobby Burns, who possessed some surprisingly evil traits. Richy might have been young at the time, but was always at the centre of the action, following the others example, quickly learning the ferocity of the sport. The PRI National Banger League Team Championship that was formed in 1971 saw the antagonistic Aherns battle their way to the top by the end of the season. During their daunting domination of bloodthirsty team races, they only ever lost two in five seasons of racing! Richy’s first big win, at the age of fifteen, was at the Brands Hatch Festival of Speed, but there were plenty more to follow. One of the most amusing recollections from that era was when an all-out war was declared against the dreaded Aherns in 1973 - by Peter Miles and John Dill - who bought out The Mafia at a certain Rayleigh Banger meeting for the Aherns Day Massacre! Miles, of no less infamy than the Aherns, recruited another set of drivers to do battle with 'The Rats'. Carrying anti -'rat' slogans, and painted in identical Ahern green and white colours, one of the greatest ever Banger meetings was held. ''A great gimmick'' recalled Richy, ''they were truly great times''. Along with his other team members, Richy was banned as regularly as clockwork for their indiscriminate team racing tactics - whilst on the other hand they were the biggest crowd puller of the era, a team the crowd loved to hate! As 1973 progressed, the team began to drift apart. Bobby Burns, after incurring life bans with the RAC in 71 for failing to wear seat belts at Brands Hatch etc. bought an F1 stock car and was soon reproducing the more robust tactics of the fifties, that had long been needed in the big F1’s. Pat had also retired and as the season drew to a close Richy and Peter Scott were the sole survivors of the original line up. They soon found themselves with their own fair share of trouble without the backup of the rest! Sadly for Banger racing though, Richy soon followed the path of the others, retiring from PRI, when the introduction of ''too many rules'' took the fun out of it, and moved on to Stock Saloons and F1’s. So, what then of Bobby Burns? Burnsy in 149 Bobby was once interviewed by a reporter, who was intrigued by his callous methods of destruction. ''When you want to stop another car, what do you go for? '', asked the reporter. The Rat’s nonchalant reply left the reporter stunned for several seconds before he disappeared quickly...''I go straight for the driver'' said Bobby, ''without the driver, the car goes nowhere''- End of interview! Bobby had driving in his blood, for on his seventeenth birthday he took and passed his driving test. That year, he went to Rayleigh to watch a friend racing a Banger. He was quite absorbed by the meeting, but he was particularly impressed by a certain Pat Ahern who disposed of Bobby’s friend in no uncertain manner! ''I didn’t have any sympathy for my friend who’d taken a rough ride, all I could think was that’s the way to drive!'' His first car was a ZA MG Magnette, but it took him a year to figure out the cars he were using were useless. It wasn’t until a friend’s brother was killed and Bobby was given his car, - a MK1 Zodiac - that he realised why he hadn’t been successful, for the difference in this car was incredible. He won three races at Rayleigh at his first meeting with this car and that was just the beginning. Bobby recalled the incidents that led to him joining the Ahern Rats. ''At that time, there were two teams who both painted their cars white but with different colour writing - The Aherns and the Stratford Mob - and both were out for each other’s blood. My car was also painted white with red writing and before I knew where I was, the Aherns, Pat in particular, were giving me no end of trouble. I started retaliating on Pat and we both ended up getting banned from Rayleigh'' When the two finally got on speaking terms, Bobby was invited to join the team which at first he declined. He soon changed his mind when he was told he would only be allowed to race at Rayleigh if he was in a team. He joined the Rats, and what a combination it soon proved to be! ''It was the best thing I ever did, brilliant times'' All the drivers became firm friends, but it was Pat who taught Bobby his first, last, and most important lesson in Bangers, on which he based his whole driving style from then on. He was leading a race in which Pat was lying second, so mistakenly thought that’s how it would stay to the flag, but suddenly found himself upside down and out of the race, courtesy of Pat! When he got back to the pits, he asked Pat why he had taken him out. ''On the other side of you was a tenner to be won - you had to go'' Bobby then soon realised what Banger racing should always be about then and now - friends in the pits - enemy’s on the track! The atmosphere in the Ahern crew was one of high spirits, the following of friends, family, and mechanics made every meeting a special occasion with a party to go home to at the end of every one. Bobby particularly loved West Ham where he was renowned for his ability to manoeuvre cars at speed on the shale surface, indeed he became one of the star attractions everywhere. Nevertheless his actions soon ended with a series of bans, the first being at Brands Hatch in 1971 for taking out Roy Syme head on. The impact (both running at about 60mph on collision) could have caused a fatality at the time, and Bobby was duly banned for life even as a spectator. The life ban was extended to all RAC circuits when he tried to run down Peter Miles at Lydden Hill as he sprinted away from his car. When the RAC committee asked Bobby what would have happened if he had caught Miles, he replied simply, ''I suppose I would have killed him'' Two years on, and Bobby was banned again, this time at Harringay, and again for another attack on Miles as he was getting out of his car. A further argument with a promoter prevented him from attending there even as a spectator. Not many drivers can lay claim to landing in the dock of the Old Bailey through Banger Racing. Indeed, most people would wish to forget such an experience but Bobby was different (as you have now probably guessed!), and looked back on those times as somewhat amusing. The fight, which brought Peter Scott, Bobby, Pat and Richy to the Old Bailey, started in the pits at Harringay. It was ultimately dismissed through lack of evidence. By the time Bobby had finished being banned from virtually everywhere (only having Crayford to race at which he didn’t like) there seemed no point in continuing. In a sense, his destructive methods had led to his own destruction, but who was he to care? Nobody could ever deny that Bob could drive. He was one of the greatest Banger pilots the sport would ever see. Many thanks to Martin Farrington for a great story from a fantastic era. I miss Richy and Bobby greatly and talking to Peter brought back some truly wonderful memories. Pics from Swaffham in the gallery. Continues below:

Hi there folks, A pic to show how much snow we’ve had in Blackpool so far! Unlike some areas of the country the Fylde Coast only saw a light dusting. Flexity 015 departs from the Cabin heading to Fleetwood, with the Tower just visible in the background. We start this time with a look back at a meeting from Swaffham last September, and then we’re off to Derbyshire to the area of the former Stanton Ironworks. We’ll be following the disused Old Iron Works branch line which runs from the main line at Stanton Gate into the site. Swaffham – Sunday 27th September 2020 Not a great deal to report on in the way of results as they didn’t give any! It was a 21 race event with an all in format for all races. All cars had three races each. We had the following formulae in attendance: Outlaw F2 Ninja Karts Streetstox Junior Rods Outlaw V8 Stock Cars Rookie Rods Rookie Bangers Heritage F1 There was a varied selection of F2 styles. An ex John Hogg (92) car, and WRC#2, constructed in 2016 being familiar shapes. Three F1’s turned up which were 247, 422 and 501. These were put in with the handful of V8’s. 501 cleaned up in all their races. One highlight for me was meeting up again with a former member of the notorious Ahern Rats Banger team – Peter Scott (98). ‘Flying Scott’ is approaching his 75th birthday, and this was his 54th year of racing having started in 1966. Pete at Wimbledon in his SCOTA/FISCA/F80 days. Behind is Charlie Hodges who passed away last month at the age of 78. The following is Charlie’s obituary that was published in the Worcester News: Charlie was born in Ashperton, near Ledbury, on March 26 1942 and was an only child. His dad worked as a lengthsman on the railways and was a keen gardener who rode a Raleigh motor bike, which Charlie ended up with, keeping it running and taking it to shows to display. Christina (Tina) Dodd, who knew Charlie for more than 30 years, takes up the story. “His wife Margaret, who he married in 1966, was a childhood sweetheart. Her Nan lived next door to his parents. “They virtually grew up together because although Margaret’s parents lived in Worcester, she frequently went to her Nan’s. “He told the tale that the tin bath was used to bath the pair of them as children! “He went to Ledbury Grammar school but left at around 14/16 years of age and did a car mechanic apprenticeship in Hereford. He used to cycle the 14 miles to get there.” “Charlie said that once when he was riding his motorcycle around the lanes of Herefordshire he mis-judged a gap in the hedge, the gate was closed, he hit it, and that was how he lost his teeth!” “At some point, Charlie came and worked at a garage right by the river bridge in Worcester, where the Premier Inn is now.” “That was run by Mr and Mrs Hobson, who were very good towards him. When they finished with the garage, they gave a great deal of their equipment to Charlie so he could start his own garage business in Powells Row, St John’s.” “This was around 1974, and was called Malvern Road Motors. The only reason he finished there was because he rented the accommodation and Sainsbury’s bought the site to build the supermarket.” “Charlie developed an interest through the garage and like-minded men of building stock cars. He raced them all over the country and had shelves of trophies he won over the years.” “He used to race locally at Grimley and only had to stop competing when he was in his early 70s because he couldn’t get insurance anymore.” “He had a passion for anything to do with steam. Both his father and father-in-law worked on the railways. His father-in-law was the signal box operator at Henwick Road.” “He travelled up and down the country on steam trains, loved the York railway museum and could tell you about every steam track and train in the UK.” “He was a member of the Worcestershire Locomotive Society and he used to exhibit a Lister standing engine at local steam rallies, which he had restored to working order.” “Charlie was famous within the fruit and vegetable growing societies in Worcestershire as he competed every year in all the village fayres or traditional produce competitions.” “His house is full of certificates and trophies he won over the years. Chrysanthemums and dahlias were his favourite flowers and he was also very active in the local flower societies.” “Sadly Margaret died in 2001 from a stroke. Instead of having presents for his 70th birthday he decided to ask for donations for The Stroke Association and that was the beginning of his fundraising which became his drive in his later years.” “He was commended every year for the thousands of pounds he raised. He regularly organised fish and chip suppers at Rushwick village hall with live music.” “Charlie was a genuine, down to earth type of person – apart from his mechanical and gardening interests he also loved home-made wine, and 60s pop group The Shadows”. “He didn’t want much from life and led it in a very simple way. He was happy pottering in his garden. He would do anything for anyone. Very kind-hearted, and generous with his time to a fault.” Charlie had a stroke himself in March 2020. He recovered well and continued to live at home but unexpectedly suffered a cerebral bleed on January 9 and died on January 28. When social restrictions allow, there will be an event at Rushwick village hall to celebrate Charlie’s life, and Tina said, “and of course there will be a fish and chip supper!” R.I.P Charlie Continues below:

Continued from above: The last part of our tour takes us back onto the stretch of canal that passes through the Weavers’ Triangle. This area was once in the heart of Burnley’s textile industry. The name was first used in the 1970’s, and refers to the roughly triangular shape of the region. The canal not only provided transport for the cotton, but also water for the steam engines that powered the machinery. It gave Burnley access to Liverpool and a supply of cotton from both the Mississippi Basin and Egypt, and coal to power the engines. There used to be many 19th century industrial buildings including weaving sheds, spinning mills, foundries and houses. The almost terminal decline of the English cotton industry in the decades that followed World War II brought great difficulties to the local economy. During successive attempts to regenerate the town, many of the mills were demolished. However, a few in the triangle area were protected and today stand as monuments to the past. Of particular interest is Slater Terrace - an unusual row of eleven houses above a canal-side warehouse. As we walk along the towpath we come to a toll collection office dating from 1800. Alongside this is the Burnley Wharf built in 1801 with its covered loading bays intact. A crane still exists on the wharf side which was used for loading and unloading the barges. It was manufactured by R and J Rankin at the Union Foundry in Liverpool. They produced a wide range of products, including cranes, small bridges, structural ironwork, smut cleaners, wheat cleaners and portable engines. Two curved metal plates survive on the edge of the towpath at the adjacent bridge. They mark the spot where gates were installed to protect the wharf if the canal breached. The power of rushing water would have pushed the gates closed, preventing the wharf from flooding and allowing work there to continue. On the other side of the bridge is a gap in the towpath with a slope entering the canal. This is a horse gap. If a horse fell into the water it would swim along until it reached the slope, where it would be walked out safely. We next come to the derelict Celtique Mill. On the corner of the building right down at canal level a bricked up loading chute is still visible. Passing by the demolished sites of former mills we arrive at the aforementioned Slater Terrace warehouse. George Slater was born in 1807. He employed over 300 people and built and managed three mills in nearby Sandygate. The chimney of a boiler house from one of these mills remains. Some say his workers liked him as he ‘would let none go to the workhouse who had done him good service’. But what would happen if you hadn’t? Slater Terrace was an unusual row of two up two down houses built above a warehouse by Slater for his workers. They were slightly better quality than the typical housing of the time, although living in the heart of industrial Burnley would have been tough on the senses. Imagine living with the continuous din of industry, the strong, damp smells from the canal and the plumes of thick smoke creating a heavy smog hanging in the air. Despite their better quality it didn’t take long for the eleven cottages overlooking the canal to become crammed with workers and their families, including a cotton weaver, blacksmith, tailor, engineer and dressmaker. The 1861 census reveals that twelve members of two families shared four rooms in one of the dwellings. The terrace has been refurbished and is now a commercial development with office space etc. Nearby is another area where the past stands side by side with the future Leaving the canal behind we finish off by returning over the hills above Burnley giving great views of the town below. The ‘Straight Mile’, and Burnley FC’s Turf Moor stadium being very prominent. Turf Moor has been the home of the club since 1883. This unbroken service makes it the second-longest continuously used ground in English professional football. That completes our look around this fascinating town with its wealth of industrial and world leading historical achievements. Lots of pics in the gallery. Next time: It’s Swaffham for the Outlaw V8’s, F2’s and Heritage F1’s, plus four miles from Long Eaton is this disused line in the pic below. We’ll follow it from beginning to end. A bonus is the fact that the track is still in situ!

Continued from above: In designing the scheme, and in the sequence of operations, due consideration was given· to enable both canal and highway traffic to be maintained throughout. The whole of the temporary works gave satisfactory service, and 2,689 barges were successfully passed through during the eight months such works were in commission. A traffic census taken for the week ending November 7th, 1926, showed that about 20,000 vehicles passed under the aqueduct during that period. The scene at completion and in 2020. The background has changed from those early days. The old hotel has gone to be replaced by a roundabout. In November 1967 maintenance work was being carried out on the canal above. Silt and rubbish that had collected over the years needed to be cleared. This required partial draining through a valve in a pipe buried in the stone wall. However, the valve was blocked and sprang a leak creating a water-fall into Yorkshire Street. Continues below:

Continued from above: Close to the park is the Yorkshire Street aqueduct, originally known as the Culvert. It carries the Leeds and Liverpool Canal over the main road. The original aqueduct, no small engineering feat in the early days of canal construction, was completed in 1797. The canal, however, did not prove an unmixed blessing to Burnley. The diversion from the route originally intended resulted in the canal almost encircling the town, and undoubtedly restricted wider development in several directions owing to lack of communicating roads under or over the waterway. The old Culvert comprised a masonry horse-shoe arch. The distance through the arch was 70 ft., the headroom was only 14 ft., and the maximum width available, for all highway and pedestrian traffic was 22 ft. 6 in. For almost a century this was the limit of the highway facilities, until in 1890 a scheme for improvement was decided upon, and the Corporation were subsequently authorised by the Canal Company to construct two subways, one on each side of the original opening, 88 ft., long and 9 ft. 6 in. diameter, to be used as footpaths, leaving the centre opening for vehicular traffic. The subways were completed in the year 1896, and the Corporation were from that time made responsible for the maintenance of the whole structure. However, the growing volume and speed of road traffic, and the construction of a tramway through the central archway, rendered the altered structure quite inadequate. Moreover, serious leaks from the canal into the roadway below caused the maintenance costs to rise and created public inconvenience. Finally, a fracture at the east end of the central arch in 1924 induced the Corporation seriously to consider the construction of a new aqueduct and an improvement scheme was the result. The Council decided, after considering several alternative schemes, to construct, in view of present and future requirements, a composite steel and reinforced concrete aqueduct having a highway with an uninterrupted width of 70 ft. This required the construction of a temporary waterway, and a temporary tramway. The existing archway was used as a staging during construction, and also for the protection of the public below. However the demolition proved more difficult than anticipated. The highway was lowered 15 inches to allow statutory head room for double deck tramcars. Continues below:

Continued from above: The pit was also linked underground to Bank Hall Colliery a half mile away. The underground link The colliery was sunk next to the Brooks and Pickup fireclay works less than a half mile from Towneley railway station which served Towneley Hall. Brooks and Pickup began coal production from the main shaft, the Alice Pit in late February 1869. For 75 years coal was extracted from the Arley, Dandy, King and Yard mines. In 1923 the colliery was owned by Brooks Collieries and employed 770 men working the colliery which included the Towneley Drift. In 1933 the Towneley Coal & Fireclay Company employed 672 men, 480 of them underground. The colliery produced fireclay as well as coal used for household and manufacturing use, coking, and for producing gas. Wagons lined up at the colliery wash-screens The colliery was nationalised in 1947 after which the National Coal Board worked the Yard, Dandy and Lower Mountain mines. Its satellite pits were abandoned in 1949. The colliery closed on 6 March 1949. Its shafts were used for pumping until 1971 when Bank Hall Colliery closed. Little remains of the colliery today. A residential development occupies a small part of the site, and the rest comprises steep, mossy hillocks and woodland. This woodland is as good a place as any to see if we can find any remains. There is part of the original access road that leads away from the A671 onto a well-made track. It is very overgrown on each side so it’s a slow process in trying to find a sign of anything. After about 20mins a piece of rail sticking upright came into view, and a pile of old bricks from an earlier building. Nearby was a short brick built tunnel which had a stream flowing through it. An old track-bed went across the top. A flight of stone steps partially hidden in the undergrowth appeared close-by which led to an old coke oven. This was in good condition inside with a well-constructed curve to the brickwork. Apart from this I couldn’t find anything else other than an arched tunnel that had been filled in. Still, at least something remained. Returning to the main road we’ll cross over and walk through Towneley Hall’s parkland. Just inside the grounds there is evidence of past industry alongside a fast-flowing stream which is culverted underneath the A671. I definitely need to have a walk through that culvert at a future date. There are the remains of a stone footbridge which used to cross the stream here. Between here and the hall is Foldys Cross. This was constructed in 1520 under the direction of a local chaplain. It was originally sited in the centre of Burnley in the church yard. Debate surrounds its purpose however as it has a flight of steps surrounding it which indicates it was used as a market cross. The market traders would stand on and around the steps. After it was demolished by a drunken mob in the late 1800’s it was rebuilt and brought to its present location in 1911. Next we come to Towneley Hall. What does an antiques collector, a renowned scientist, and the last man to be hanged, drawn and quartered in Britain have in common? They all lived at the historic Towneley Hall over the last 500 years. They were: Charles Towneley, whose collection of artefacts led to a gallery at the British Museum being named after him, Richard Towneley, who was a pioneer of meteorology, and co-founded the Greenwich Observatory, and Francis Towneley. He wasn’t so lucky. He was executed for high treason for his role in the Jacobite rebellion in 1745. His head was placed on a pike at London’s Temple Bar before eventually being stolen and returned to Towneley Hall, where it was hidden behind a secret panel in the chapel for over 200 years. The first hall was built in 1380 and was a large open barn-like medieval building, similar to the ones still seen at Smithills in Bolton, and Warton Old Rectory near Carnforth. Seventy years later the huge south wing with its very thick walls was constructed. When Queen Elizabeth I ruled England the Towneleys like so many land holding families in Lancashire fell foul of the government’s anti-Catholic laws. John and Mary Towneley were determined to continue to worship as Catholics, but this had been made illegal. John was known to have kept Catholic priests who performed Mass for the family. The couple were punished with heavy fines from the Protestant Inquisition Council. Despite the persecution, John refused to give up his faith and went to prison many times for his beliefs during the next thirty years. A family portrait in the hall lists the various places he was imprisoned which included Chester and York Castles, Blockhouses in Hull, Gatehouse in Manchester, and prisons in Oxford and Cambridge. In 1601 after his last gaol sentence he was fined over £5000 and was ordered not to venture beyond five miles of Towneley. Over the next few decades the family debt hugely increased. The first reason was their ambitious building program. Richard ‘The Builder’ Towneley had the Great Hall constructed, and eight years later the present North Wing was added. The second reason for the debt was because the family were frequently fined for the refusal to worship as a Protestant. On the eve of the Civil War their debts were huge - three times their annual income. Charles ‘The Cavalier’ Towneley stored arms and ammunition for King Charles I’s forces at the hall. In 1643 Charles was involved in defending Preston which was under siege from Parliamentarians. When the town surrendered he escaped, but his wife was taken prisoner. After hiding out near Towneley, he went on to fight at Marston Moor but died in the battle. For being on the losing side of the war, the family had a large portion of their estate seized at Cliviger, and Hapton, and put up for sale. Through the rest of the 1600s and into the 1700s successive generations of members of the Towneley family were involved in plots to overthrow whichever Protestant king was on the throne, and continued to worship as Catholics. In 1707 Ursula Towneley listed seven hiding places in the house (including priest holes). Five years later Richard Towneley cut down a woodland of oak trees at Parks Wood Fields to pay his expenses after his treason trial. It wasn’t until the early 1800s that all the anti-Catholic legislation was abolished. The last Towneley at the hall was Alice Mary, known as Lady O’ Hagan after her marriage at 25 years old to Thomas Baron O’ Hagan, aged 59. In their fourteen years together they had seven children. She was a patron of the local blind and deaf societies, helped fund a military hospital in South Africa, was a keen campaigner on votes for women, and set up mother and child welfare schemes. She was the driving force behind a new convent to “rescue young girls from bad surroundings and train them to be thorough domestic servants”. After the death of her husband, much of the Towneley estate had to be divided between the remaining extended family, and she only retained the hall and 62 acres around it. It became clear that the estate could not be self-sustaining anymore and in 1901 she sold the building and grounds to Burnley Corporation. The use of the grounds over the decades has been very varied. Parts of the park have been: small holdings, plant nurseries, tennis courts, bowling green, greyhound course, speedway track, golf course, playing fields and a bird sanctuary. A war memorial was erected in the grounds in 1926. It was designed and sculptured from Portland stone by Walter Gilbert, of Birmingham. Amongst his other works are the gates to Buckingham Palace. The unveiling ceremony was performed by the Earl of Derby, and the memorial was surrounded by a tremendous throng. It was not until three hours after proceedings began that the long queue of people laying wreaths finished filing past. After all was over the base of the memorial was more than knee-deep in wreaths. It is sculptured into three figures symbolic of the Navy, Army and Air Force. At each side at the base is a female figure. On the left, representing a mother bringing a wreath, and on the right, a wife or sister bringing garlands. We now leave the park through a superb archway which is all that remains of the gatehouse from 1797, and make our way to the Leeds and Liverpool Canal. We join it at the Burnley Embankment, known locally as the ‘Straight Mile’. When the canal was being built here, Robert Whitworth the Leeds and Liverpool Canal Company Engineer decided that an embankment, almost a mile long and up to sixty feet high, straight to the opposite hillside should be built. This negated the need for the canal taking a long detour following the contours around the valley, Although it was costly to construct, it meant the Calder Valley could be traversed by the canal without the need for two systems of locks which would only slow boats down and thus industrial production. The almost perfectly level embankment which necessitated an aqueduct over Yorkshire Street below (more on that later) was built between 1796 and 1801 (before the invention of the steam shovel). This innovation through the centre of town high above the rooftops is the result. It is regarded as one of the seven wonders of the British waterways. Halfway along here stands a crane. This was installed to lift heavy ‘stop planks’ into place. The stop planks would slot into gaps in the towpath and stop flood water should the embankment breach. At the rear of Sainsbury’s car park below this elevated section are the remains of two lime kilns. These were built by the canal company to produce lime for use in mortar, and the clay lining to the canal bottom. Limestone, coal and timber would have been loaded into the firing chambers above, and the resulting quicklime raked out and separated from the ashes under the arches. We leave the canal here and have a walk through Thompson Park. The idea for a park in the area came from James Witham Thompson. He is said to have spied the spot from an open top tram and thought it would be a good place for a public park. The park was conceived in 1920 when he left £50,000 in his will for the Council to build a public park. The Council obtained an option to purchase the site, adjacent to Burnley College, from local mine owner Sir J O S Thursby in 1920, and approved the purchase in October 1922. The land was the site of Sand Holme farm, a plantation, and allotments, with the area to the north-west of the River Brun formerly part of the grounds of Bank Hall, the home of General Scarlett, a hero of Balaklava in the Crimean War. Work on the park began in 1928 and the official opening took place on 16 July 1930. Construction workers were largely recruited from the unemployed. The River Brun runs through the park and a dam was formed to enable water to be diverted to the boating lake and children's paddling pool. The park also included a boathouse, a 75ft by 30ft conservatory, a tea-room pavilion, a rose garden, herbaceous garden, Italian garden, a lodge house, an ornamental bridge over the lake, and two further bridges over the river. Over 5000 trees and shrubs, plus about 7000 privets of different varieties, and 5000 rose trees were planted in the park, in addition to bedding and exotic plants in the conservatory. During the Second World War the park was used for growing vegetables, and the only bomb to fall on Burnley landed near the conservatory on 27 October 1940. In 1972 Bank Hall Open Air School, adjoining Thompson Park to the north, was demolished and the area incorporated into the park. The 1893 OS map shows glasshouses on this level area which had formerly been part of the grounds of Bank Hall. In the early 20th century Bank Hall became a Maternity and Children's Hospital and the site of the glasshouses was developed as the Open Air School. In 1998 improvements were made to the herbaceous garden, shrub beds, rose beds, and flower beds, and in the winter of 1999/2000 tree planting was carried out under the Forest of Burnley project. The Burnley & Pendle Miniature Railway Society constructed the Thompson Park Railway here in 2001. Its nick-name is the ‘Lollipop Line’. Land clearance and track bed construction commenced in the winter of 2000/2001. As part of the work, an area was levelled to allow for the placement of two forty-foot shipping containers to initially act as storage for tools and equipment; later to be used for the storage of rolling stock, and a workshop for maintenance. Using the skills of the small group of members, steaming bays, a loading ramp, and a turntable were constructed at an early stage. 2003 saw the completion of the outer loop. This required more manual labour to form the track bed through the wooded area and the installation of the bases for a 100ft, 5 section, girder bridge. On 17th January 2007, Cyclone Kyrill hit the shores of the United Kingdom bringing gusts of wind up to 80mph and heavy rain fall. Unfortunately, the railway did not escape the stormy weather unscathed. The newly opened outer loop took the brunt; with the girder bridge suffering substantial damage to two of its five sections. Overall, repairs took 3 weeks. Luckily because of the way the bridge was designed the plates that connected the sections together split, resulting in damage to only two of the five sections. Minor damage was also caused by the falling of a tree from the banking shortly after the bridge; however it was only a case of clearing the line and replacing any damaged sections of track. Continues below:

Continued from above: We’ve arrived now in Burnley. The town is located near countryside to the south and east, with the smaller towns of Padiham and Nelson to the west and north respectively. It has a reputation as a regional centre of excellence for the manufacturing and aerospace industries. The town began to develop in the early medieval period as a number of farming hamlets surrounded by manor houses and royal forests, and has held a market for more than 700 years. During the Industrial Revolution it became one of Lancashire's most prominent mill towns; at its peak it was one of the world's largest producers of cotton cloth, and a major centre of engineering. The name Burnley is believed to have been derived from Brun Lea, meaning "meadow by the River Brun". In its early days, Burnley was a small farming community, gaining a corn mill in 1290, a market in 1294, and a fulling mill in 1296. Little survives of early Burnley apart from the first Market Cross, erected in 1295, which now stands in the grounds of the old grammar school. In the second half of the 18th century, the manufacture of cotton began to replace wool. Burnley's earliest known factories – dating from the mid-century – stood on the banks of the River Calder, close to where it is joined by the River Brun, and relied on water power to drive the spinning machines. The first turnpike road through the area was begun in 1754, linking the town to Blackburn and Colne eventually leading to the area of Brun Lea developing into a town, and by the mid-19th century, there were daily stagecoach journeys to Blackburn, Skipton and Manchester, the latter taking just over two hours. The 18th century also saw the rapid development of coal mining on the Burnley Coalfield: the drift mines and shallow bell-pits of earlier centuries were replaced by deeper shafts, meeting industrial as well as domestic demand in Nelson, Colne & Padiham, and by 1800 there were over a dozen pits in the modern-day centre of the town alone. The arrival of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal in 1796 made possible transportation of goods in bulk, bringing a huge boost to the area's economy and the town of Burnley was born. Dozens of new mills were constructed, along with many foundries and ironworks that supplied the cotton mills and coal mines with machinery, and cast and wrought iron for construction. The town became renowned for its mill-engines, and the Burnley Loom was recognised as one of the best in the world. A permanent military presence was established in the town with the completion of Burnley Barracks in 1820. Disaster struck in 1824, when its only local bank (known as Holgate's) collapsed, forcing the closure of some of the largest mills. This was followed by a summer drought, which caused serious problems for many of the others, leading to high levels of unemployment and possibly contributing to the national financial crisis of 1825. By 1830 there were 32 steam engines in cotton mills throughout the rapidly expanding town, an example of which, originally installed at Harle Syke Mill, is on display in the Science Museum in London. In 1848 the East Lancashire Railway Company's extension from Accrington linked the town to the nation's emerging railway network for the first time. This was another significant boost to the local economy and, by 1851 the town's population had reached almost 21,000. The Cotton Famine of 1861–1865, caused by the American Civil War, was again disastrous for the town. However, the resumption of trade led to a quick recovery and, by 1866, the town was the largest producer of cotton cloth in the world. By the 1880’s the town was manufacturing more looms than anywhere in the country. The start of the 20th century saw Burnley's textile industry at the height of its prosperity. By 1901 there were 700,000 spindles and 62,000 looms at work in the textile industry. Other industries at that time included: brass and iron foundries, rope works, calico printing works, tanneries, paper mills, collieries, corn mills and granaries. By 1910, there were approximately 99,000 power looms in the town, and it reached its peak population of over 100,000 in 1911. By 1920, the Burnley and District Weavers', Winders' and Beamers' Association had more than 20,000 members. However, the First World War heralded the beginning of the collapse of the English textiles industry and the start of a steady decline in the town's population. Following the Second World War there was large-scale redevelopment in the town. Many buildings were demolished including the market hall, the cattle market, the Odeon cinema and thousands of mainly terraced houses. The town's largest coal mine, Bank Hall Colliery, closed in April 1971 resulting in the loss of 571 jobs. The area of the mine has been restored as a park. However, Burnley has retained a strong manufacturing sector, and has strong economic links with the cities of Manchester and Leeds, as well as neighbouring towns along the M65 corridor. In 2013, in recognition of its success, Burnley received an Enterprising Britain award from the UK Government, for being the "Most Enterprising Area in the UK". For the first time in more than fifty years, a direct train service now operated between the town's Manchester Road railway station and Manchester's Victoria station, via the newly restored Todmorden Curve, which opened in May 2015. Let’s have a walk around and see what we can find. Parking on the A671 close to Towneley Hall we’ll see if we can find any remains of the coke ovens that were part of the Towneley Colliery and Brickworks. Towneley Colliery was a coal mine in the Burnley Coalfield. An early picture of the colliery Sunk in the late 1860s, it was linked to the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway's Burnley to Todmorden line which became known as the Copy Pit route. The Copy Pit line The colliery had sidings on either side of the line. A half-mile long tramway linking it to the Leeds and Liverpool Canal went through four tunnels. Boggart Brig Pit beside the A671 Todmorden Road was also linked by a tramroad. An interesting incident related to Boggart involves a farmer whose land lay above the colliery. He watched in amazement as one of his duck ponds suddenly drained, so that one minute the ducks were merrily swimming around, and the next they were walking on the muddy bottom of the pond. The colliery fireman had to rush to the coalfield to tell the miners to stop coaling immediately. At this point the workings were some 40ft beneath the surface and the farmer routinely heard the miners every time they fired a shot. Continues below:

Hi there folks, Let’s first go back to Taunton for day two of the Speedweekend, and then we’ll head north to Burnley to see what treasures the town has to offer. Taunton -‘Under the Sun’-Sunday 20th September 2020 The second day was held in glorious conditions under a bright blue sky. 53 F2’s again with the first appearances of the weekend from Chris Mikulla (522), Stuart Deacon (228) and Julian Coombes (828). Heat 1: Jess Ward (86) took her second victory of the weekend. The clash of bumpers going in could be heard throughout the next four placemen with James Riggall (527) finishing ahead of Ben Borthwick (418), and James Rygor (783) doing likewise to Dan Fallows (581). Result: 86, 527, 418, 783, 581, 325, 522 and 542. Heat 2: NI visitor Brad McKinstry (747) won this one. Joe Marquand (689) lost out on a qualifying place with a last corner tangle with Matt Westaway (835). Result: NI747, 183, 24, 210, 35, 127, 578 and 835. Heat 3: Dave Sansom (352) repeated his heat victory from the previous day. Result: 352, 161, 251, 538, 979, 560, 115 and 184. Consolation: Just short of 30 cars on track and an early caution with a number of cars stopped around the exit of turn two and onto the back straight. After the restart a spectacular crash on the home straight ensued. Paul Dobson (224) rolled entering the straight with Ben Goddard (895) climbing up on top of the overturned car. The two cars then slid down the length of the straight pushed along by Phil Mann (53) who was hooked onto them. They ended up in a heap in turn one where Dobson emerged from his car unscathed and smiling. When the race got going again Marquand made up for his earlier disappointment by taking the victory after chasing down Julian Coombes (828). Result: 689, 828, 992, 890, 526, 920, 844, 746, 376 and 320. Final: 33 cars for this one, and amazingly no stoppages. The race was not short of action however with eighteen Star/Superstar graded drivers putting on a fine display of fierce hard hitting action. Rygor, Jon Palmer (24) and Aaron Vaight (184) all lost time trading some monster hits between themselves, and Riggall and Matt Stoneman (127) ended their races prematurely. As the race neared its conclusion Fallows and Charlie Guinchard (183) were the main threat to Sansom who had broken away early on. With a number of lapped cars including Palmer between them the Semtex Kid held on for the victory. He won the Graders Trophy with a £100 bonus put up by David Hamaar the official F2 grader. Sansom was encouraged not to go overboard in terms of paint and signwriting –a reference to his scruffy car which clearly performed much better than it looked. Three victories over the weekend on his first appearance since 2017 proved that. Result: 352, 581, 183, 578, 890, 560, N1747, 184, 783 and 251. JP and the Semtex Kid. Worth the admission money just for the banter in the pits. A promoters dream pair. GN: Another fine race to bring the curtain down on an excellent weekend for the formula. Fallows ended up leaving the race early on by careering backwards along the back straight. Mark Gibbs (578) held the lead until just a few laps to go but was eventually caught by a hard charging Luke Wrench (560). Result: 560, 578, 538, 127, 24, 210, 184, 251, 352 and 390. V8’s The V8’s were two cars short on the Saturday total with a couple including Glenn Pursey (170) having a long night changing diffs. Heat 1: Stephen Young (176) took the victory in this one. Result: 176, 438, 8, 288, 328, 402, 69 and 167. Heat 2: Another win for Young. An excellent battle between Jon Brown (288), Guy Jolly (222) and Catherine Harris (8) saw the trio swapping places over a number of laps. Result: 176, 384, 131, 288, 222, 8, 525, 170 and 167. Heat 3: Jolly was involved in another tremendous battle for third place with Kev Stuchbury (131) and Carl Boswell (384). All three of them entered the last bend together but the 131 car won the drag race to the line. However, this was not for the victory as Craig Kellett (438) had built up an unassailable lead which he successfully converted into the win. Result: 438, 328, 131, 384, 69, 525, 170 and 167. Final: Brown used the bumper to good effect to hit the front early on. A caution flew with a lap to go for Young who was stranded on turn three. A last lap shootout followed with Jolly just applying enough force to send Brown wide on the last bend to claim the win. In the post-race interview Guy remarked that the V8 teams had enjoyed their first time visit and was sure that should the formula be able to secure further dates more drivers would venture south to enjoy the challenge the track provides. Result: 222, 288, 8, 131, 384, 69, 525, 438, 328 and 402. GN: Brown made no mistakes in this one which featured a battle between Harris and Amy Jagger (525) to bring the curtain down on the V8’s weekend. Result: 288, 384, 131, 176, 438, 222, 525, 8, 170 and 167. The compact Smeatharpe track was well suited to the large V8’s and even saw three wide down the straight at one point! National Ministox Heat 1: Jack Witts (180) carried on where he left off the night before with another dominating win. Result: 180, 186, 414, 67, 77, 51, 120, 335, 28 and 171. Heat 2: Kasey Jones (186) held on for the win in this one despite a late race caution. Result: 186, 20, 77, 120, 51, 28, 27, 64, 223 and 414. Heat 3: White top Fred Hunter-Johnson (20) was victorious, driving excellently to withstand the quicker cars behind. Result: 20, 186, 180, 925, 27, 67, 290, 51, 211 and 335. Heat 4: A repeat of heat 3 with Fred keeping Wittsy at bay. Result: 20, 180, 414, 27, 211, 64, 171, 335, 345 and 67. Golden Helmet: The race of the weekend for the young drivers. The start saw both 180 and 186 spin with 180 re-joining in front of the leader Hunter-Johnson. Luke Syrett-Barsby (27) caught the leader up and the pair engaged in a superb battle until a yellow flag period. At the restart 180 had climbed his way into 4th. This became 2nd before a further caution for Jamie Hanson (611) who had hit the turn one plating hard. The last lap shootout saw Witts and Charlie Tomblin (290) pass the 20 car. Tomblin tried a last bender on 180 but it wasn’t quite hard enough to dislodge the Euro Champ from taking the win. After the excitement of the race it was a shame to have post-race technical inspections suspend the full results. Result: 180, 120, X, X, X, X, X, 335, 67, 28 (925, 64, 414, 345, 186) The three classes put on a superb show over the two days. Hopefully there’ll be a repeat for the future. Pics in the gallery. Continues below:

Looking forward to it 👍

Cheers for the thanks folks 👍 Volvo Trucks UK put this on their Facebook page last weekend: A special Sunday evening shoutout to Mick Sworder - pilot of this 2014 Volvo FH16 750, supplied by Stuarts Truck & Bus.. It's primarily used to pull a low loader moving plant and vehicles, or anything else Mick can find to to fit on the trailer! A regular sight on roads near the firm's base near Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, Mick loves how it drives, and appreciates every one of its 750 horses when maximum pulling power is required. The business is a true family affair too; Mick spends his days behind the wheel, whilst his Dad takes care of all storage needs in the yard, where they have two big warehouses and parking on concrete for up to 300 trucks. A stunning head-turner

Continued from above: Onto our last destination of the day now. We’re heading in the opposite direction back along the N&SJR to the village of Overstrand. As we pass back through Cromer tunnel the line turned south-east and followed the little-used extension line to North Walsham. The first place we come to is Overstrand, situated in ‘Poppyland’, so named for the poppies that grew in the fields and along the lineside. The village is on a cliff-top and was first established in the ninth century, long before it appeared in the Doomsday Book of 1086. It is recorded as Oxstrand and shows that King William gave the village to the captain of the cross-bowmen of his victorious army. Its name means ‘over or above the shore’. Cromer lighthouse was built in 1832 on the Overstrand hills. During the late 1800’s a writer for the Daily Telegraph wrote a series of articles about the village and surrounding area. They attracted the attention of the wealthy and famous. With the coming of the railway in 1906 they were joined by authors, poets and actors who came to enjoy the pleasures of the village. Many of them built houses there and it became known as the ‘village of millionaires’. Most of these houses are still standing together with the sites of some that have fallen into the sea, or have been destroyed by fire. These are just some of the properties with interesting links to their past occupants: Overstrand Hall was designed and built by Edward Lutyens in 1901. He designed and built over thirty major English country houses, and created over one hundred gardens. He designed the Cenotaph in Whitehall, and many other memorials and cemeteries for the Great War. The hall was used as a military hospital during WW1. Overstrand Cottage dates from 1750 and was purchased by rider John Maunsell Richardson. He won every steeplechase in England twice including the Grand National in 1873/4. The Grange has been owned by some influential people. It was built in 1903 for the manager of London’s Garrick Theatre before being subsequently purchased by Sir William Player the tobacco magnate. He in turn sold it to Sir Jesse Boots founder of the pharmaceutical company. Pear Tree Cottage was occupied in the summer leading up to WW1 by Clementine Churchill wife of Sir Winston Churchill. His mother Lady Randolph Churchill brought Winston and his brother Jack to Cromer in August and September 1885 to spend the summer. Lady Churchill became a frequent visitor to Overstrand for many years prior to the start of the war. In 1914 with war imminent Winston’s wife persuaded him to take a short badly needed break with her and their two sons at the cottage. On Sunday 26th July 1914 after speaking with Prince Louis of Battenberg he decided that events demanded his presence in London. He left Overstrand for the last time, and a few days later on the night of the 4th August Great Britain was at war with Germany. The White Horse public house is the oldest in the village and dates from 1725. Sea Marge House built in 1900 for Sir Edgar Speyer (born of German parents), the chairman and founder of the London Underground. One rumour was that Sea Marge was being used as a signalling point for German submarines. Sir Edgar was stripped of his knighthood and British nationality on the grounds of disloyalty to the king and unlawful communications with the enemy. Soon after, he was deported. Meadow Cottage was visited many times by Sir Harold Macmillan ( British Prime Minister 1957-1963) whose uncle owned the property. Beckhythe Manor built in 1904 for an Oxford University professor who was a leading light in the suffragette movement. Pump Cottage was the residence of Henry Royce (of Rolls Royce) for a time. Cliffside constructed in 1888 for Edward Boardman, a Norwich architect who converted Norwich Castle into a museum. It also became the home of Louis Meyer Van Moppen, a diamond merchant. Beck Hythe Fishing Station - Fourteen large boats, and several smaller boats were kept there, the catch was cod, herring and crabs. The Danish Pavilion was a remarkable property which had been exhibited in Paris at the International Exhibition of 1900. It was constructed mainly of compressed paper and timber and re-erected in the village. Unfortunately it was severely damaged by fire in 1951. A lot of the above have been turned into flats/ apartments/ hotels etc, or demolished. I bet the village was a lively place to live in those early years especially if you lived at the seaward end of the High Street. During the late 1930’s the cliffs succumbed to erosion and the properties and road collapsed into the sea. A new road bypassing the village was built owing to the whole of the Coast Road becoming unstable. A cliff fall severed the road in 1968, followed by a massive fall in 1994. Before the arrival of the railway and the building of two coal wharfs at Overstrand station coal and slate was transported from the north of England to Overstrand by sea. The sailing vessels were secured by a Kedge anchor, measuring 10ft long and 5ft wide, whilst their cargo was brought ashore. One of these anchors was left on West Beach, just beyond the rocks, and was visible at low tide until a few years ago, but has since become buried in the sand. A visit to Overstrand isn’t complete without a walk to see the disused station which had a direct service to London. The arrow shows the pedestrian access tunnel which is still complete today A circular walk from the village takes you over the abandoned trackbed to Woodbine Cottage where another track can be followed back past the station. It was opened in 1906, and was heavily used by holiday makers in the summer months. The station was on an embankment and entry to the centre island platforms was via a white tiled sloping subway with a frosted glass roof. A signal box and passing loop were located here. The station was host to a LNER camping coach in 1938 and 1939. Two coaches were also positioned here by the Eastern Region of British Railways in 1952. Closure along with the rest of the line came in 1953. It is now a private residence/farm. Amazingly everything is just as it was at closure. This view was taken from the same path as the scene below The same railings still in situ I think the owners appreciate the history of their property. That completes our tour around this very picturesque part of the country. Head to the gallery for more pics. Next time: We head to the south-west for “Under The Sun” - day two of the Taunton Speedweekend, then back up north for a tour around a Lancashire town with a fascinating industrial heritage.

Continued from above: East Runton Viaduct Before we get to the viaduct here’s a grim tale from the past! James Leak was a resident of East Runton around the early part of the 19th century. Leak was the local blacksmith, and renowned bare knuckle fighter. He lived in one of six thatched cottages that once stood on the cliff top near Runton gap. His blacksmith’s forge was at West Runton. In 1827 Leak had a big problem. The story goes that he had developed a gangrenous toe and was in fear of it spreading and causing his death. In his desperation, Leak came up with his own solution to his problem. He went to his forge in West Runton, rested his foot on his anvil and with one mighty blow removed the infected toe with a hammer and chisel. He then cauterized the stump with a red hot poker from out of his forge. This desperate surgery had been as a consequence of Leak being unable to afford surgeon’s fees. He made a full recovery and his home surgery seems to have had little effect on the man as he continued his prize-fighting and lived to the age of 82. They don’t breed em’ like that anymore! There are two viaducts here and both were built by the MGNR in 1902. Constructing the now disused viaduct The red arrow shows the location of the disused viaduct The disused one enabled a Cromer by-pass route for the N&SJR and led on to Sheringham. Closure of this came in 1952. They are unique with one on the skew. A brilliant feat of engineering and a real work of art. To get onto the viaduct is a climb up the embankment onto the trackbed. It is overgrown up here but only with woodland and mercifully no brambles. There is plenty of ballast on the surface, and the blue brick is in good condition. The active line between Cromer and Sheringham can be seen on the lower viaduct. At ground level the view of one viaduct through the arch of the other is unmatched in its perfection. It is a fantastic credit to the workmanship of the builders. Continues below:

Continued from above: Let’s see what remains in the area today. Cromer High Station All that’s left of this is the access road to the station from Mill Road. An old railway sleeper and a piece of rail standing upright mark the entrance. Nature is slowly taking over and has reduced its width considerably. Originally this would have led past the turntable. A brick retaining wall still stands at the top of the slope. All traces of the station have been swept away by a new housing estate. Before the houses were built the local youths used to thrash old cars up and down the trackbed and through the tunnel. On Station Road itself the embankment and the bridge brickwork for the GER line into the station are easily seen. Next to the top of the embankment are the remains of an old cattle dock. Cromer Tunnel Built in 1893, this has been hiding away for decades unknown by many of the locals. It’s not a long tunnel by any means at only 61 yards in length. A light is required if you want to take photo’s but to walk through is no problem as it is semi-daylight throughout. The main obstacle is getting to it. It’s in a fairly deep cutting with nettles and thorns on one side of the embankment, and thick razor sharp brambles on the other. The A149 overbridge runs close to it and just by a sign for Northrepps is a narrow gap which I used to get down to the track level. It is a beautiful blue brick construction complete with a full run of cable carriers still in situ. The ballast has been scooped over and piled up to one side. Midway through the tunnel is a WWII spigot mortar base. The local home guard set up a position here in the event of any attempted invasion. I hope the mortar operator was a good shot as it would not be a good idea to miss and hit the brick work. I bet it would have made their ears ring firing from that in this confined space. We’ll head west now to the disused East Runton Viaduct. It would be a treat if we could walk along the trackbed from the tunnel but it’s extremely overgrown and would need a machete to hack through it. Continues below:

Continued from above: Let’s have a look back at the local railway network now. It is a bit complicated at first owing to the layout and number of stations, junctions etc. A few attached maps, and reading it a few times may help hopefully. The GER and NSJR both converge to the south at North Walsham The East Norfolk Railway obtained an Act of Parliament in 1872 to build a line from Norwich to Cromer which opened as far as North Walsham on the 20th October 1874. Initially it comprised a single track line that was extended to Cromer in 1877. In 1882 the ENR was incorporated into the Great Eastern Railway who had operated the line from its opening. This map shows the stations This one the junctions In 1906 a new line was opened from Cromer Junction which was south of the GER terminus at Cromer High station. This line made a connection to the Norfolk and Suffolk Joint Railway at Roughton Road Junction. Passing there a train came shortly to Newstead Lane Junction where a left fork took a GER train around to Runton West Junction, and to Sheringham on the Midland and Great Northern line. A right fork took the N&SJR to Runton East Junction and into the M&GN terminus at Cromer Beach. Cromer once operated up to four railway stations at various times over the years, that of Cromer Beach, Cromer Links Halt, Cromer High and, latterly, Roughton Road – all within an apparent complicated rail system which became simplified when closures took their full effect. Now the town has just two – Cromer (former Cromer Beach) and Roughton Road which opened in 1985, near the site of the former Cromer High station. Roughton Road came into existence following the town’s growth as home for a growing number of Norwich commuters. This particular expansion was, of course, in complete contrast to the 1950’s and 60’s closures which followed the fall in traffic caused by Cromer’s decline in popularity as a holiday destination after World War II. At that time, there were also closures of many other Norfolk railway lines. The knock-on effect of this was that an inevitable early decision was made to concentrate all Cromer passenger traffic towards, and from, a single station. This was to be the former, and centralised Cromer Beach station, built in 1887 for the M&GNJR. This station was simply renamed ‘Cromer’. However, there is a hidden gem which will surprise those who believe that the county of Norfolk is completely flat. Cromer, in fact, has a tunnel, which normally would not be necessary if there were no hills to tackle. That tunnel still exists, neglected and almost forgotten, and is the only standard gauge railway tunnel in Norfolk. It was built to carry a single track by the Norfolk and Suffolk Joint Railway to take their Cromer Beach to Mundesley line underneath the Great Eastern’s Cromer High to Norwich line. The location of the tunnel Continues below:

Hi there folks, We start with a visit to Taunton last September for day one of their first Speedweekend of the year. This eagerly awaited weekend saw the track debut of the National Ministox and the V8 Stock Cars. Next, as we battle the pandemic we’ll have a brief look at how the railways dealt with diseases. We’ll then head east for a look at a couple of abandoned relics from the Norfolk and Suffolk Railway. Taunton began with a Friday night practice session. An empty stadium saw a handful of cars making laps around the Smeatharpe concrete oval. A very exciting sight was the appearance of the Semtex Kid (Dave Sansom 352) back in action. He is one of the true action men of the sport. He parked up next to Jon Palmer (24), and the pair of them lit the track up with exuberance. At one stage JP logged some laps in the 352 car. When they were on track together Jon put the bumper in on Dave just to remind him how it felt. However, the track marshal had a word to remind them that practice is supposed to be non-contact. Making his Taunton debut with an immaculate car was Dan Roots (776), whilst Aaron Vaight (184) had taken an early dart from Ormskirk to arrive in good time. Stunning! It was a very pleasant and relaxed evening at this delightful circuit in the Blackdown Hills, and it set the scene nicely for the following two days. I’ll cover the Saturday night meeting this time, and day two in our next get together. Taunton-Saturday 19th September 2020 The 53 F2’s for this meeting made it the highest tarmac attendance of the season which enabled a full 3 heat, consolation format. The first eight qualified for the Final. A significant amount of first timers to Smeatharpe gave added interest. Chris Masters (177) was out in an ex Chris Bradbury car which had raced to seven successive Final wins here back in 2013. Gary Kitching (746) made the journey from Grange-over-Sands, and Paul Dobson (224) likewise from Hetton-le-Hole, Tyne and Wear. Add Martin Bentley (982), Johnny ‘Egg’ Whittaker (533) and the above mentioned Dan Roots, and all was set for a great weekend. The 17-car V8 entry was a little less than expected, but there was a great anticipation as to how the tight confines of the track would suit the bigger cars. Several had travelled a long way to be there, and generous sponsorship had been raised to help reward those who had clocked up the motorway miles. The 25-car National Ministox entry were racing for their European Championship which is usually contested for in the Netherlands. As some of the drivers had travelled huge distances this weekend there would have been a few who felt like they were in a foreign country by the time they had arrived this far south and west! No such confusion for local girl Leah Sealy (475) though as she only had a short journey from Taunton. F2 Heat 1: Dave Sansom takes the win in his first race back after withstanding a last bender from Charlie Guinchard (183) Result: 352, NI747, 183, 184, 992, 890, 210 and 325. Heat 2: Jess Ward (86) continued her winning ways here with the victory in this race. A mid-race battle developed between Ant Riley (282) and Matt Hatch (320) resulting in some fierce hits. Results: 86, 560, 418, 538, 542, 115, 736 and 539. Heat 3: An easy win for Matt Stoneman. Result: 127, 24, 776, 161, 527, 581, 689 and 35. Consolation: Half the large field in this were either white or yellow graded and by half way James Rygor (783) had hit the front. However, with just a handful of laps left his rear suspension developed a problem and he was left to nurse it home for an eventual 5th place finish. With the demise of Rygor this left a three-way battle for the lead between Craig Driscoll (251), Matt Westaway (835) and Paul Moss (979). After many heavy bumper clashes Driscoll managed to scramble over the line first. Result: 251, 979, 835, 482, 783, 982, 460, 820, 746 and 920. Final: Before the 33 car field took the green flag James Rygor left the track with his mechanical trouble obviously not sorted. The first lap saw the blues and reds go thundering into turn three. Martin Bentley was at the front of the pack and ended up hitting the plating extremely hard. His car carried on scraping along the fence until it came to a stop on the back straight. The red flags were waved and Martin was given medical treatment before climbing out of his badly damaged car. Shortly after the first restart Charlie Fisher (35) ended up on top of Matt Weston’s (460) car which brought out the yellow flags. Another caution period occurred soon after with Steven Gilbert (542) spun out on the exit of turn two. He was hit by the 979 and 820 cars before he managed to drive to safety. The lead was now taken up by NI747 after a storming drive from the back. Soon after his throttle linkage broke resulting in a reduced speed. Aaron Vaight took advantage to jump into first spot closely followed by Luke Wrench (560) and 183. McKinstry managed to salvage a 4th place. Only eleven cars finished. Result: 184, 560, 183, NI747, 418, 352, 24, 210, 86 and 920. GN: The largest field of the night with 34 cars. Notwithstanding a mid-race caution period Tristan Claydon (210) took his first Taunton victory in this one with 184 finishing in eighth place from the lap handicap. Result: 210, 538, 161, 542, 24, 352, 560, 184, 578 and 581. The V8’s ran to a two from three format. Heat 1: Jon Brown (288) used the bumper with 2 to go to spin the early leader Stephen Young (176) to claim the first victory for the formula. This dropped Young back behind Catherine Harris (8) who he spun out on the next lap. The 8 car was unable to re-join before the flag fell. Result: 288, 438, 176, 402, 525, 170 and 350. Heat 2: Another win for Jon in this one. Result: 288, 8, 131, 222, 328, 384 and 170. Heat 3: National Points Champ Kevin Stuchbury (131) took the win. Result: 131, 69, 22, 438, 384, 525, 402, 167 and 507. Final: The V8’s under the lights were spectacular. Michael Boswell (328) pulled away from the field to build up a commanding lead. 131 and 288 were coming through though and with one to go were within range. Brown tried a spirited last bender but just failed to connect. Boswell known more for his shale form took the first ever V8 Final win here at Smeatharpe. Result: 328, 288, 131, 222, 8, 438, 384, 69, 402 and 176. GN: The second win for 131 after passing long-time leader Craig Kellett (438). Result: 131, 438, 288, 222, 176, 384, 328, 69, 525 and 170. The National Ministox contested four qualifying heats ahead of their European Championship. Each driver raced three times. Heat 1: Kasey Jones (186) had the honour of taking the first win here for the formula. Result: 186, 20, 180, 414, 28, 290, 77, 475, 211 and 27. Heat 2: After a caution for Elexie Bartram (293) who had a hard hit into the turn one plating it was local racer Leah Sealy (475) who took the win. Result: 475, 186, 77, 67, 290, 335, 120, 20, 64 and 51. Heat 3: Fred Hunter-Johnson (20) racing from the white grade made Jack Witts (180) work for his win in this race. After passing the 20 car Witts had to resist a determined challenge from the white top as he tried to retake the place. Result: 180, 20, 414, 77, 67, 64, 120, 335, 925 and 51. Heat 4: Jones takes his second victory of the evening. Result: 186, 180, 27, 211, 475, 424, 290, 120, 171 and 64. European Championship: A closed grid formation with positions within the grades determined by the points scored throughout the meeting. The 20 car was on pole, 186 on the third row and 180 five rows further back. Witts lost no time in making his way through the pack to grab the lead by halfway. He picked his way carefully through the back markers for the remainder of the race to regain the title he last held in 2017. 475 crossed the line in 2nd place but unfortunately failed post-race scrutineering. Result: 180, 77, 28, 67, 20, 64, 211, 27, 120 and 171. Pics in the gallery. Infectious diseases and the railway Ninety years ago building work was underway on the Great Western Railway’s new carriage and vehicle disinfecting plant. Built at Swindon Works next to 24 Shop this was a brick building containing an 85 feet long airtight cylinder into which the vehicle was pushed, and the airtight door closed and sealed. The massive airtight door and sealing ring were machined in the millwrights’ G shop at Swindon. Once sealed, the plant could create a vacuum of 28 inches with steam pipes raising the temperature to 120 degrees Fahrenheit. This was thought to kill all vermin, weevils, cockroaches etc after six hours. If a coach was thought to have come into contact with an infectious disease, formaldehyde gas was pumped into the cylinder when the vacuum had been dispersed. The plant was known as the ‘Bug House’ to Swindon’s workers. The inspiration was believed to have been a German carriage disinfecting plant built before the Great War used to disinfect carriages which had been into Russian territory. Station instructions required that coaches to be disinfected had to be placed in an isolated part of a yard or sidings. Windows had to be closed and paper had to be pasted over keyholes and other apertures. The coach would either be dealt with on the spot by a ‘competent person’, or be sent to Swindon with a label stating whether it was ‘verminous’ or ‘contagious’ to go through the new plant. In extreme cases compartments were stripped and the trimmings were burned. PPE for front line workers at Southall during the 1962 Smallpox epidemic were cigarettes and alcohol! Most of the 10/-, £1 and £5 notes taken that day were sent to the Bank of England for destruction. Many thanks to Mike Peart, the author of the above. Copyright to FNRM. The picture shows how a shunter’s truck was positioned between the vehicle and the propelling engine. ( Photographer unknown) Off we go now to Nelson’s County. However, you will need to answer a few questions before entering. They’re very particular who they let in. Checkpoints will be manned by Mat Newson, Roger Warnes, Old King Cole and Carrot Cruncher. If you get in we’ll meet up in Cromer where we’ll have a look at how the development of a North Norfolk rail network increased the town’s popularity. Intriguingly, what remains from those far off days of the late 1800’s? Cromer used to be known as Crowemere and was a small inland village before coming to prominence as a seaside town in Victorian times. It became a resort well known for Cromer crabs, the golf course, the pier and the lighthouse. The pier is an enduring example of Victorian architecture, having withstood many storms, tidal surges and even an attempt to blow it up by the Government in WW2 to prevent it being used as a landing strip for enemy invaders! The town was also home to Henry Blogg, the lifeboat’s legendary coxswain. Henry became a national hero and was awarded many honours, including three Gold and four Silver Medals from the RNLI, the George Cross for war service and the British Empire Medal. He remains the most decorated person in RNLI history. He carried out 387 rescues, and helped to save 873 lives over his 38 years as coxswain. He had served an outstanding 53 years on the lifeboats before retiring at the age of 74. Imagine you are looking out to sea from the cliff tops of Cromer. You might think that the view of the North Sea, with its crashing waves stretching to the horizon, has been the same for hundreds of years. You would, however be mistaken, for as mentioned above Cromer was actually inland for most of its history. Six hundred years ago you would have been looking at the lost village of Shipden, north Norfolk's own little lost Atlantis. Underneath the waves a quarter of a mile to the north east of Cromer’s pier lie the submerged ruins of a once thriving place. A medieval community once thrived where waves now crash on the North Sea shore. It had a population of 117 residents, a harbour, a collection of manor houses and two churches. The relentless incursions of the sea eventually swallowed up the village. This rising sea had a dramatic effect on the east coast. In 1336 part of Shipden's graveyard fell into the sea, with the church following in 1400. By the 14th Century most of Shipden had been lost to the sea's murky clutches, and most of the townsfolk moved further inland to Cromer. The loss of homes and livelihood was surely a tragedy for the villagers, forced to watch their previous lives vanish into the watery deep. It was however convenient for opportunistic, poor and desperate men; it is said that they would sleep on the shore, waiting until low tide when they could dive down and pillage anything worth taking from old Shipden. Fast forward to the 1800s and the church spire of Shipden is still visible during low tides. The tower stood 20ft high above the sea bed, making it a prominent feature of the coast, and nicknamed 'Church Rock'. By this time Cromer had become well known to the Victorians as a great place to escape the big smoke of the city and enjoy the seaside. A paddle steamer would take the holiday makers from Great Yarmouth to Cromer Pier. It was anchored off shore and rowing boats would ferry the passengers to the beach. However, the day did not go to plan for the tourists on August 8, 1888. The steamer 'Victoria' ran aground on the church tower so ropes were attached to the boat to try and pry it into safer waters. The boat, however, was firmly wedged in place. The steamer was a write-off and from that point on 'Church Rock' was seen as a dangerous nuisance by sailors and fishermen. The decision was made to blow up the tower with dynamite and so it too was devoured by the deep. Now nothing is visible of the lost Atlantis of Shipden and there is no sign of any evidence that it ever existed when you look out from the shoreline. Despite this, divers have been down to the ruins where it is so dark that the walls of the once proud homes are barely visible. The buildings that villagers used to live in are now the perfect habitat for crabs and lobsters that have taken up residency in the old ruins. This is not the end of the story of Shipden or Church Rock, for it has now become the stuff of legend and superstition. It is said that on dark, stormy nights when the sea looks like black ink, and the waves are so high you can feel spray from the cliffs edge, you can still hear the sound of the bells ringing out across the vast sea. Fishermen believe that the bells' tolls are a warning not to venture out to sea. Continues below:

Superb pics 👍

Cheers Carl Q.1 Q.2 Q.3 Have i passed the test? 😃 Cheers Bas. Happy New Year to all in the Netherlands.

Continued from above: In front of us is the memorial cairn to the crew. There were no survivors. Late in the evening of 22nd October 1944, the southern fells of Lakeland were cloaked in an impenetrable blanket of thick, dark cloud. The autumn chill and the still darkness hiding the crags and ridges were familiar conditions to the residents of Little Langdale, several of whom were doubtless huddled around the fire. They certainly would have heard the deep rumble of the four Rolls Royce engines, throttled back to try and save every drop of precious fuel, as the fully armed Royal Canadian Air Force Handley Page Halifax Bomber circled high above them. Halifax LL505, nicknamed ‘S for Sugar’, had flown out of the RAF base at Topcliffe, near Thirsk in North Yorkshire on a night navigation training flight. The crew; seven Canadians and one Scot, took off from Topcliffe at 14.05hrs and the flight plan would have seen them navigate to various turning points in the UK before returning to land back at base on completion of the training. Unfamiliar with this foreign landscape and its brooding weather conditions, the crew of eight young men were filled with a sense of foreboding. By 18.56hrs the crew had encountered very thick cloud whilst over the north-west of England and they became hopelessly lost, circling slowly and continually, waiting and hoping for just a fleeting break in the cloud which would give navigator Francis Bell a chance of getting a fix on their position. At 33, Bell was by several years the oldest member of the crew and a highly experienced navigator; but conditions were stacked against him. Pilot John Johnson, aged 27, knew his plane well, and knew that time wasn’t on their side. They’d been lost and circling too long, fuel was critically low, and the time for a terribly difficult decision, fraught with risk, was now upon him. The other six members of the crew, all in their late teens and early twenties, could do nothing more than wait, hope, and trust in their pilot and navigator. They made a series of radio transmissions including a "Darky" message beginning at 18.56hrs that were picked up on the ground. Upon receiving the "Darky" Topcliffe Flying Control transmitted instructions including a bearing to fly and locate Topcliffe, and a height to remain above to clear high ground. Johnston gently eased the aircraft into a cautious descent. He needed to drop below the cloud base for just long enough for Bell to get a positional fix; there was simply no other way, and no time left, to get their bearings and a route out of trouble. The engines slowed, the blinding cloud whistled around the cockpit windows, and hearts pounded as their eyes strained for that crucial glimpse of the landscape below. Half an hour later the crew were still struggling and were informed to climb to a safe height of 4,000ft and to orbit the area they were flying over. Topcliffe Flying Control made a request to Church Fenton airfield that a Mosquito be scrambled to assist the Halifax crew. A first 307 Squadron Mosquito ("A-165") flown by P/O Jerzy Nowakowski and F/O Emil Sluszkiewicz was despatched at 19.50hrs. The Mosquito would have probably been equipped with the latest night-fighting direction finding equipment, and with the Halifax presumably being the only one in the area the Mosquito crew were homed to it with the aim of guiding the Halifax crew to make a safe landing. The Mosquito crew were successful in locating the Halifax but literally as they located it they witnessed it crash. All the eight men on-board ever knew was a terrible split second of crashing, exploding metal and flames as they thundered into the ridge. The crew were from 1659 Heavy Conversion Unit Topcliffe: Pilot - F/O John Armstrong Johnston RCAF (C/29783), aged 27, of Carp, Ontario, Canada. Buried Blacon Cemetery, Chester. Navigator - F/O Francis Aubrey Bell RCAF (J/39888), aged 33, of Hampton, New Brunswick, Canada. Buried Blacon Cemetery, Chester. Bomb Aimer - P/O Robert Newton Whitley RCAF (J/38243), aged 20, of Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. Buried Blacon Cemetery, Chester. Flight Engineer - Sgt William Brisbane Ferguson RAFVR (1826294), aged 19, of Caldercruix. Buried New Monkland Cemetery, Lanarkshire, Scotland. Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Calvin George Whittingstall RCAF (R/198207), aged 20, of Mount Dennis, Ontario, Canada. Buried Blacon Cemetery, Chester. Air Gunner - Sgt Donald Fraser Titt RCAF (R/271259), aged 19, of Rockwood, Ontario, Canada. Buried Blacon Cemetery, Chester. Air Gunner - Sgt George Riddoch RCAF (R/259938), aged 20, of Sarnia, Ontario, Canada. Buried Blacon Cemetery, Chester. Flight Engineer - Sgt Harvey Ellsworth Pyche RCAF (R/225354), aged 21, of New Glasgow, Nova Scotia, Canada. Buried Blacon Cemetery, Chester. The first Mosquito landed at Church Fenton at 21.10hrs. A second Mosquito (“N-113”) took off at 22.05hrs and landed back at Church Fenton at 22.50hrs. What appears to have happened is that by descending to get a visual fix on the ground the Halifax was flying too low in the heart of the Lake District. The aircraft hit the sloping grass and rock strewn fellside near to the top of Great Carrs while flying in roughly from the west. There have been suggestions that the aircraft clipped the edge and went over the top in the force of the crash. Wreckage undoubtedly will have continued over the edge into the valley. There are signs of an intense fire on the rocks below. However, the massive undercarriage legs are up where the aircraft hit, but the wings are down in the boulder field below. With the legs being located inside the wings it seems improbable that they would fall off but more likely they were removed by the RAF to lighten the load of the wings so they could move them. A small part of the wreckage must have either caught fire near the crash site, or was set on fire after the crash by the RAF team that were sent to clear the site because a large area shows signs of an intense fire. The site was inaccessible to large vehicles which were commonly used to clear larger pieces of wrecked aircraft. The belief is that the larger items, such as the wings, were then pushed off the top of the mountain over the steep rockface into the valley below so as to stop continual reports of sightings by passing planes. In addition to both wings all four engines, all four propeller bosses, the aircraft's centre section, rear fuselage and mid upper turret fuselage are all known to have been strewn across the valley. The cockpit area, the gun turrets, ammunition and large tail section are not in either location. When people became interested in preserving historic aircraft a number of groups removed sections of the aircraft from the valley. Part of the tail was used by the group that created the Halifax at the Yorkshire Air Museum but they must surely have used other parts. A large upper fuselage section with the mid upper turret hole is on display at Newark Air Museum. Two of the Merlin engines were removed from the site by an Odiham based Chinnock helicopter to be placed in museums. One is now at the Ruskin Museum in nearby Coniston along with a propeller boss and gear, and the other engine is believed to be at a museum elsewhere; Newark is suggested as is the RAF Museum Hendon. The Ruskin Museum engine was originally on display in the village churchyard. The Yorkshire Air Museum has one of the engines but is almost certainly not on display due to their apparent no-crash-relics display policy. An MOD licence to excavate / recover items from the site was granted on a number of occasions. Today the wreckage on the boulders is still moving slowly with the rocks damaging the larger wing sections. It’s now a case of threading our way back down the crag to the boulder field to see what remains. I’ve been twice and had thick fog on the first occasion, and a snowstorm the second time even though it was clear at ground level with a good forecast. It’s an eerie place for sure when the mist’s down. I managed to locate one of the engines, part of a wing structure and a load of smaller pieces scattered around. I’ll have to go back on a good weather day as there are parts wedged in amongst the rocks which are not good to climb around unless bone dry. Pics in the gallery. Next time: “Under The Lights” – Day one of the Taunton Speed Weekend last September, which included the first ever visit by the National Ministox, & V8 Stock Cars to the Smeatharpe venue. We then head to Nelson’s County to have a look at an abandoned railway tunnel built 133 years ago, followed by a viaduct built 119 years ago. We’ll finish off with a look at the history of a village dating back to 800AD, which had wealth and prosperity brought to it by this railway. .

Continued from above: Let’s head onwards to the crash site now which is by the red mark on the above map. The end of the valley is a huge boulder field which has been created by years of harsh winter freeze/thaw cycles. The rock from the crags above has been shattered and split, and fallen into the valley below. It is leg and ankle breaking territory if you make the wrong move. The first pieces of wreckage will come into view here, but we’ll climb to the ridge high above first as this was the point of impact. Picking our way carefully upwards we emerge at the top with long distance views if the clag isn’t down. After the tough climb up you’ll be needing a breather so have a rest whilst I tell you what happened on that fateful night. Continues below:

Continued from above: Leaving these quarries behind it’s now a fair walk along an unmade track until we turn left and head up the valley of the Greenburn Beck. Here in this remote location we find the remains of the Greenburn Mine. The mine is regarded as an outlier of the Coniston Copper Mines and was known for parts of the 19th century as New Coniston Mine and Great Coniston Mine. The site was first mined for copper in the later 1600’s. It was worked intensively from 1845 until around 1861, and then less successfully by a succession of companies until 1885. Further extraction was carried out between 1906 and 1917 and there was intermittent activity on the site between 1924 and 1942, although a minimal amount of work was done. Most of the buildings were constructed before 1861 in the period of the mine’s most intensive use and some are fairly well preserved. Despite the ruinous condition of the buildings, the copper mines remain a relatively well-preserved extensive and impressive mining landscape containing the remains of a wide range of upstanding and buried mining components dating from the 17th to the 20th centuries. These include levels, shafts, trials, water management systems for powering machinery, remains of transportation systems for moving ore, remains of buildings associated with ore processing, spoil heaps, dressing waste, the remains of a range of associated buildings, numerous trackways and the existence of a tramway. The remains of a number of pieces of equipment for processing the ore also survive in situ and the complex as a whole is widely regarded as one of the best preserved copper mines in the Lake District. One of the waterwheel pits The main processing area of the mine lies next to the Greenburn Beck, at an altitude of 260m above sea level, mid-way along the valley, which marks the northern edge of the Tilberthwaite Fells. Five mineral veins were found here all containing copper ore and were mined at different dates to varying degrees. Part of the beck’s course was diverted to create Greenburn Reservoir to provide a water supply for the mines. The reservoir is now disused and the dam has been breached. Entry into the mines themselves is potentially dangerous. Certain structures around the processing area are also unstable and are particularly risky in wet weather, while other remains are situated in boggy or precipitous locations that are not easy to reach on foot. Continues below: