The LNER Encyclopedia

This was a unplanned visit to the box in the summer of 1970 on a sunny and warm Saturday afternoon i seem to remember. I approached the box by walking up a steep gravel track that lead up from a tarmac road and ended outside of Woolmer Green signal box it's self. I hung around outside where the signalman's car was parked near the bottom of the staircase of the box (i was only 13 years old at the time) for a short period of time when the signalman appeared in the open doorway and said "Hey!. Come up here!." I walked towards the staircase and climbed the signal box stairs to the top and walked inside. There was a destinct smell of floor polish and a nice atmosphere surrounding the inside of the box. I can't remember how many levers were in the lever frame but i would guess that there was no more than about 20 all told. The signalman asked me to do him a favour and go down to the local shops and buy him some 'razor blades' and gave me the money to do so for him. I took the money and left the box and went back down the s/box staircase and down the gravel track until i reached the tarmac road and then walked to the near by village shops to buy the signalman his razor blades. When i returned to the box the signalman let me stay in the box for about half an hour of so before i left (i don't recall him asking me to leave although he may have done?) but i do remember him asking me what i was going to do when i left school?. When i said i wanted to be a signalman he said "What do you want to be a signalman for?. Signalling is finished all the boxes are closing there's no future anymore in signalling!." I remembering saying to him that Holloway north up s/box had closed the previous summer (August '69) and he said "Well there you are then!." Anyway, i said goodbye to him and left the box and made my way back home. It was only about 2 years later when i was a telegraph lad in Welwyn Garden City s/box that i found out that the signalman who i was talking to in Woolmer Green s/box that Saturday afternoon in August 1970 was a relief signalman who went by the name of P.J. Cleverley who i believe was a Hitchin relief signalman. After Mr.Cleverley telling me NOT to become a signalman all those years ago 40 years later here i am sitting in a signal box writing this posting... Micky G.N.R/L.N.E.R.

G'Day Gents

Never had a lot to do with Woolmer Green, got stopped at the signals a few times ( slow to main), but never had to go to the box, to carry out rule 55. Me, I was at the time glad to see the colour lights introduced, but sad to see all the boxes dissapear and the semaphores, which gave so much character, and today is sadly lacking.
At least the signalman at Woolmer Green had a job he would have been a failure as a clairvoyant??
manna