The LNER Encyclopedia

I went there in 1979.

Darlington night life was a bit of a culture shock ....

That looks like a YTS Group. I was there in 1986.

I've still got my exam papers from there (somewhere)

Was an interesting experience with attendees pulled from all over the eastern region, was called something like 'Management training'

Nowadays I believe Network Rail has the Westwood Training Centre in Coventry although I have never been there myself no need to.

Apparently I heard that the Westwood Training Centre once had a nice big bar selling beers & spirits until it was pointed out that Network Rail has a anti-drink & drugs policy after which it was closed down or so I heard?.

Yes it has a bar or at least it did last time I was there. It’s now been taken over by the apprentices so not sure whether they are allowing it know. There’s also a health club and pool. The meals are not a patch on what they used to be , three course meals for lunch and dinner until they cut down the lunch menu. The breakfast are still good though. The building was built for Cable and Wireless.

I attended a residential course at Faverdale Hall in the late 1980's and LNER cutlery was in use in the dining room.

The few training sessions that I attended under B.R. between 1972-1980 were mostly held at the old Ilford training school on the Eastern Region on the east London & Essex border.

Talking about cutlery the old British Rail tea cup was a fairly popular item amongst a number of train crews at 'the cross' during the early/mid 1970s and could be 'borrowed' from the British Rail Buffet at the bottom of the old footbridge on no.10 platform (currently no.8 platform).