Hi there, pop-pickers! - let me take you on a trip down memory lane. It’s a spring weekend during the swinging sixties, and you’ve taken a walk with some friends to indulge in an afternoon of trainspotting in the Midlands. Along with the sandwiches wrapped in greaseproof paper that your Mum made this morning is your most prized possession – a transistor radio, so that you can all tune into Alan ‘Fluff’ Freeman playing Pick of The Pops on the BBC Light Programme – without being shouted at to ‘turn that damn racket down!’ Appropriate tunes blast out at full volume – The Loco-motion by Little Eva from across the pond, with John, Paul, Ringo and George giving us Ticket to Ride and Daytripper – it’s as if they knew! We stand at the lineside fence and wave at the train crews; the fireman often takes a break here on the up trains as the track is downhill all the way to Barchester. A game of cricket is taking place across the tracks in the nearby school playing fields. We wave at a fellow spotter, who suddenly takes a dive into the undergrowth. Oh no! He’s been bowled out – looks like the teacher’s on his way over to sort him out …
Photo: N.H. James
Down at the lineside a variety of trains pass by – ever familiar Black Fives, Standard 2’s and Jinty tanks that are steadily being usurped by the new green diesels of types 1 and 2 – not to mention the futuristic diesel multiple units that offer a driver’s eye view of the track ahead; how cool! There’s even an interloper from the LNER on a holiday express; now there’s a new one to be underlined in the much handled Ian Allan pocket book. Pick up freights trundle along, squeezed in between the fast mainline expresses. If we get lucky, there might even be a Jubilee on the up Master Cutler…
Home for tea and changing into your best suit before begging your Dad to give you a lift in the Humber so that you can attend the youth disco in town. Sitting with your mates on one side of the room, you gaze across the chasm of the dance floor to the girls sitting on the other side – waiting for the DJ to put on Nights in White Satin so that you can ask Julia McCloughlin for a dance. And all the time praying that the lights will be lowered so that the darkness will hide the latest outcrop of spots; not much chance of a snog in the corner if she cops an eyeful of that lot!
If any of this has reawakened a memory or two after forty odd years, then this new film from Grumpy Git Productions is for you. If not, then watch Heartbeat (currently weekdays on ITV3 and well worth watching). More recommended early trainspotting memories may be read at Iain Robinson’s Losing Track blog, in particular this piece which inspired the storyline behind Twist & Shunt.
Very enjoyable post and great video! Petra was singing along, not that she remembers those days of course. That Tornado is beautiful, and it was lovely to see the trains against a landscape yet to green up...gave it a strange, almost "Ladybird" illustration feel. Lovely. I enjoyed the black 5 most, as she was slightly grubby, although the Jubilee must have been an amazing sight.
ReplyDeleteDuring the last three years of steam in the North West I only saw one clean locomotive and that was the one that Dave and I cleaned at Edgeley M. P. depot! The shed staff seemed not to be able to see three or four spotty schoolboys furiously scrubbing away at a class 5...fresh rags kept appearing nearby, though.
Great post, and thanks for the kind comments, Martin.
I also like to see grubby and weathered stock for extra atmosphere. Some of the Mk1 coaches here look decidedly tatty, especially the 3 coach local set, and really look the part. Leander and Tornado look fantastic in ex-works condition, though - especially once the sun finally came out.
ReplyDeleteReading your previous post set the scene nicely, and I based the film on those long gone linesiding days (that I don't actually remember, let's be honest) - so those lovely cameo scenes that you created made a pleasing backdrop to the scenes and story.
Cleaning the Black 5 must have been a long job ... I baulk at washing the car!