Dennis Last signalman (Kings Cross and elsewhere at the south of the ECML)

[mattl2002]

I am wondering if anybody on here knew my father during his career?

He was born in St Neots (both his grandfather and uncle were signalmen at Little Paxton and Letchworth respectively) joined BR in 1951 and was a rest day relief signalman covering various manual boxes (Three Counties, Biggleswade, Sandy, Everton, Tempsford, St Neots, Offord, Huntingdon no 1 & no 2, Abbots Ripton and Connington). With the abolition of the manual boxes in the 70s he covered the gate boxes for a while before moving to Kings Cross PSB in 1978 (when we moved home to Hertford), where he remained until 1990, which was followed by a short stint as Station Supervisor at Stevenage and then back to KX as Area Operating Inspector until he took early retirement upon privatisation in 1993. But then Railtrack tempted him and a few others back the following year as a consultant to document his years of experience.

He is still with us and has just turned 89 but has not been at all well recently, having had some falls and stints in hospital, and is now very frail and confused sadly, He has recently moved into a care home in Hertford as my mother was struggling to cope. Geoff Brooks (?) still goes to see him. This is him and others at KX in around 1978-79, he's the one with the tea pot! Some may know who the others are?

[Mickey]

Sorry to hear about your father. As far as your father working s/boxes north of Hitchin is concerned he probably knew Roy Revell a relief signalman who mainly worked boxes around the Stevenage and Hitchin areas during the 1960s and into the first half of the 1970s and who also worked several boxes north of Hitchin as well during in the 1960s and the first half of the 1970s because I recall Roy mentioning to me back in the early 1970s that he also worked Arlesey and Sandy although Roy sadly passed away some 8 or 9 years ago because Roy's son announced his fathers death on the forum.

With regards to the photograph the fellow sitting to the immediate left of you father 'maybe' Alan 'peddler' Palmer who after Welwyn Garden City box closed in September 1976 transferred to the 1971 Kings Cross power box (now abolished) and remained at the power box until he retired in 1989 although I maybe wrong about who the fellow is in the photograph?.

[mattl2002]

Thanks for replying Micky, I'm trying to remember some names that he used to mention as working at KX PSB, the ones that come to mind include Ted Hopkins, Ken-Jean Marie (who had been born in St Lucia), Brian Barr, Alan Layton (who passed away probably 30 years ago now), Dave Tilbury (whom I know passed away a few years back as Dad mentioned it). I told him about this forum last summer when he was still able to comprehend things and hold a conversation and read out some of the names on here, most of whom he didn't seem to recall unfortunately.

[Mickey]

I knew of Brian Barr although he didn't know me back in the early 1970s, Brian was a regular signalman at New Barnet North Box at that time. Dave Tilbury was a relief signalman from the London area who I knew and met several times when I was a telegraph lad at Welwyn Garden City in the early 1970s. Another signalman who mite be featured in the picture but I don't know for certain is the the fella on the extreme left who's standing because he mite be Dave Wotton?. I never met Dave who was a Hitchin relief signalman but I recall that he was around during the early/mid 1970s around the Hitchin & Stevenage areas and he did go to Kings Cross PSB after the last of the boxes closed south of Hitchin around 1975/76. Dave retired from Kings Cross PSB back in the early 2000s because at that time I was a signalman at Camden Road on the north London line and Camden Road box 'fringed' with Kings Cross PSB on the Kings Cross Incline between both boxes. Dave Wotton was possibly one of the last signalmen at Kings Cross PSB at the time of his retirement in the early 2000s who had worked a number of boxes on the main line who was still at Kings Cross back then because I heard that by then Kings Cross PSB (the early 2000s) was mostly staffed by 'people who had been recently recruited off the street' and it was rumoured at the time that Kings Cross had a large turnover of 'new people' passing through the box regularly. Dave's father Jack Wotton by the way was a onetime signalman at Welwyn North back in LNER days during the 1930s & 1940s and was still a signalman into the early 1960s I believe?.

A couple of forum members who come on here probably know who those signalmen are in the picture because they were around the Kings Cross area during the late 1960s and 1970s.

[StevieG]

Geoff Brook 'phoned me this afternoon mattl2002, to advise me how Dennis was during Geoff's visiting him this afternoon.
I was one of the shift supervisory staff in KX Box from 1978 - 'March 1989' (though had been seconded to other tasks for most of the last 18 months).

In the photo, left-to-right, we see -
- (back row) : - signalmen Dave Wootton, Ray Hales (a fellow supervisor), Steve Bennett, Dave Ridley (probably then also supervisory) ;
- (front row) : - signalmen 'Nobby' Clark, Dennis, Alan Palmer, Albert Coe.

[mattl2002]

Thanks Stevie! My brother has been to see Dad today and found this forum and your response and showed it to him.
Albert Coe is a name I recall, as is "Nobby" Clark. There was also a chap who lived around Canvey Island I seem to recall? And also one (Stuart?) who like Geoff lived in Watton-at-Stone. And possibly 2 brothers? And someone called Chris I think who lived in Colchester?
There was also a station announcer called Carmel whom I recall, she features on a website and Youtube video compiled by people at Camden Council where I got this photo from.
Dad had a cine camera and got someone to shoot some footage of him working the panels on a night shift soon after he started at KX PSB. I don't think it ever got transferred onto video so is probably lost, shame as it would be historical footage now that the box has closed.

[Mickey]

As previously posted by me during the early 1970s Dave Wotton was a I believe a Hitchin relief signalman and I recall hearing his name mentioned a few times back then in association with him working Langley (junction) box around 1973/74 and also possibly working Woolmer Green box as well prior to that box closing in October of 1973?. Alan 'pedlar' Palmer was a resident signalman at Welwyn Garden City possibly from sometime during the early/mid 1960s through until the box finally closed in September of 1976. Alan originated from the Peterborough area joining the LNER a few years prior to WW2 and then after 'war service' in the RAF he re-joined the railway and I recall him mentioning that he had worked the 1955 Potters Bar panel box as a resident signalman before transferring to Hatfield no.1 box for a few years and then moving to WGC. I believe Alan lived around the Welwyn North area when I knew him during the early 1970s and he always rode a 'pushbike' to and from home and WGC box hence the name Alan 'pedlar' Palmer when he was at the box. Albert Coe's name was mentioned a few times at Welwyn Garden City box during the early 1970s when I was a 'box lad' at the box usually by Harry Fitzgerald another resident signalman at the box while reminiscing about Albert because I believe he was at onetime a signalman at Hatfield no.3 box but possibly he transferred to Finsbury Park no.3 when Hatfield no.3 was finally closed in November of 1969.

[StevieG]

" .... There was also a chap who lived around Canvey Island I seem to recall? And also one (Stuart?) who like Geoff lived in Watton-at-Stone. And possibly 2 brothers? And someone called Chris I think who lived in Colchester?
There was also a station announcer called Carmel whom I recall, she features on a website and Youtube video compiled by people at Camden Council where I got this photo from. .... "

'Canvey Island' sounds like it would have either been Signalman Joe Thornton, or my colleague supervisor, Dave Orpin, who had also been a Regulator in the old KX box at the end of Plats. 4 & 5 (until 1971/2, Nos. 5 & 6), and has lived in France for at least 20 years.
'Stuart' must've been Stuart Simms, now in Cornwall for some years.
'2 brothers' sound like David & Henry ('Harry') Morrell.
'Chris' may have been Chris Waterman, who had been in 'GE' (from Liv. Street) lines boxes until appointed to KX, now resident in Lincolnshire.

Mickey,,,,, quite right about Albert, who I know was at Hatfield 3 in 1968, as was Keith Aldridge.

[Mickey]

Mickey,,,,, quite right about Albert, who I know was at Hatfield 3 in 1968, as was Keith Aldridge.

Stevie I posted this many years ago possibly about 12 or 13 years go anyway one day when I was working the current Upper Holloway panel box which mite have been around 1987/88(?) when I was a Camden Road rest day relief signalman covering the box at that time I actually recall ringing Kings Cross PSB one day and talking with Keith Aldridge because many years earlier before I had even come on the railway in 1972 I was 'hanging around' Hatfield station one summer Sunday afternoon in 1969 just watching the passing trains (not that many back then with many long gaps between trains) and the working of the signals a few months before Hatfield no.3 finally closed in November of that year and I distinctly recall seeing Keith occasionally coming to the open box window in no.3 that Sunday afternoon a open window near the door end of the box and then disappearing again anyway when I was speaking with Kings Cross PSB I realised that I was speaking with Keith Aldridge and I actually was asking him about a resident signalman named Gerry Ford who worked Welwyn North (box) because I first saw Gerry working that box in the summer of 1968 when I was again watching the trains and the working of the signals through Welwyn North (and on subsequently many other occasions through 1968 to 1971) and Gerry was a resident the signalman at the box lasting at the box until final closure in September of 1973 after which I think he may have quit the railway altogether although he wasn't that old maybe around 30 years old in 1973?. Anyway I was asking Keith about Gerry and Keith said that he didn't know him which surprised me slightly but he told me he would make some enquires about Gerry and we eventually ended the phone conversation and then I surprisingly heard a short time after the phone conversation with Keith that he had passed away!. I don't think Keith was that old possibly he was only in his mid/late 40s when passed away?.

With regards to Gerry Ford a onetime resident signalman at Welwyn North I did post his name on the LNER People topic page on this forum way back around 2010 or 2011.

[mattl2002]

Thanks Mickey and Stevie. I accompanied Dad to a hospital appointment last week and was able to have a chat with him about the photo and various other former colleagues from KX PSB. Yes it was indeed Stuart Simms who lived in Watton, and he said he now lived in Cornwall so that all tallies. And it was Chris Waterman from Colchester. He remembered Roy Revell as well.