Brookmans Park - Down side siding.

[Mickey]

Deleted

[StevieG]

Re 'Loppy Lud' ; I can find a very few results on Goggle for this name, but nothing that appears at a glance to be of likely relevant. Instead, I just wonder if the name was "Lobby Lud" : There is quite a bit about this name on t'internet, including Wickedpedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lobby_Lud), which mentions that this was the name of a fictional character used in promoting some newspaper sales by being pre-advised as 'being' (someone masquerading as) in/on a particular place/date, and could be approached by readers recognising him with the like of 'You are Lobby Lud of the xxxx xxxxx and I claim my £5'. Also mentioned is the sometime known 'Lobby Lud express' - specials sometime-run for Londoners to the said resorts.

Interesting that Alec 'knew' true London inner-area boxes, something of which I was not aware.
Reminds me of another reliefman that I knew from the late '60s, and a very interesting, true gentleman he was : Les Pawson, who amazingly signed all the boxes from King's Cross, including the Hertford 'Loop', at least as far as Knebworth - the furthest north where I spent a pleasant half day with him [which unexpectedly included some useful informal and thorough testing on the Highway Code just ahead of my imminent first driving test (never forgotten the different meanings of long and short broken lane markings, ever since) ].. So, amongst the then sea of mechanical boxes and Absolute Block working, Les's boxes included the 1954/5 Potters Bar power box and its Track Circuit Block working (a bit unusual), and King's Cross 1932 miniature lever box itself (very unusual for a reliefman who ranged so far and wide); possibly a unique combination among the ex-GNR route signalmen. Les, after retiring, along with his nice wife, ended up owning and running the local Post office/general store / taxi service & small repairs business in the tiny Dorset village of Lydlinch - last seen there in I think the late '70s.

Back to 'MF' (Marshmoor in single-needle telegraph calling-ese), and Alec Temple.

In referring to 'the seventies', do you mean the 1970s or Alec perhaps being in his seventies ?
I hadn't said so, but I did actually meet Alec at Marshmoor once, around 1969 I'd guess ; when visiting and finding him there instead of whom I was expecting, I think.
Alec was quite senior by then [see the website previously mentioned by Micky (http://www.brookmans.com/history/pictures/ch2.shtml) for two 1967 photos : One in this chapter ("Transport") ; another in the "Marshmoor" chapter.]. I must have uncharacteristically decided to brave it and went up and introduced myself. I think I spent awhile in polite conversation, but didn't quite feel fully welcome, so didn't stay beyond probably half an hour : Win some, lose some.

[hyperion]

Ooo, eck, StevieG, what an agenda !

Alec Temple's name I never saw written, of course, in fact we had to be careful when we uttered it ! As I said, I heard a story one time that it was to do with a racehorse of that name which Alec characteristically came to grief over one way or another - although I'd never see him as a betting man. Your definition re the London train trips seems to be most logical explaination. From my other many and diverse interests I know that Lud was one of the ancient - as in REALLY ancient - kings of England mentioned by Geoffrey of Monmouth and it's said to be where London found its name. However, I feel most sure that Alec-Lopp(bb)y worked London boxes 'cos he used to join the 'waiting room' room fraternity waiting for an up train and I recall him talking/shouting about 'Holloway' and I also feel quite sure he was Special A or B which, of course was just short of management grades. When Alec was there, that great snarly voice used to drown the rest and he always seemed to be in trouble of some kind - usually of his own making. I would have put him at 50+ then, or so my memory tells me, and that means he would retire around 1972ish. Perhaps by then he stayed nearer home and staff office accommodated him ?
Well, if he could see this discussion re his comings and goings now ! But I reckon if he's still about he must be all of 105, so perhaps we can't ask him !

Now big, steady old Les Pawson, bless me, I used to pay him his wages out at Potters Bar 1950s. My old memory tells me he was one of the Bar's regular signalmen but perhaps he was just there a lot along of the Burnets and the Coes.


And the Brookmans Park Newsletter, it must be post 1986 according to the photo of the opening of Welham Green station but it seems to be so much older; 'London John' in the 'flesh', those RTs on the 303 - the only bus route to use that great trunk route, the Barnet By-pass - and Ireckon that's the only time I've seen Alec with a hat on !

[hyperion]

Another attempt to get a picture of Hawkshead Siding site.

[hyperion]

SWell, well it worked and now I have the dimensions I'll try one or two more although this one rather distant. You might make out where the foreground footpath widens and this is where the siding was with access from Hawksead Lane at far end of the path.

[hyperion]

This one of cruelly overexposed 313053 approaching Brookmans Park on the down slow, shows how the path is much wider and this is where the siding must have come off the down slow with access from Hawkshead Road at the top, go right here and it takes you into the back door of the Vet College, very handy for those who work there and come by train. Whether there was access to the railway in sidings days I don't know ?

[StevieG]

This one of cruelly overexposed 313053 approaching Brookmans Park on the down slow, shows how the path is much wider and this is where the siding must have come off the down slow with access from Hawkshead Road at the top, go right here and it takes you into the back door of the Vet College, very handy for those who work there and come by train. Whether there was access to the railway in sidings days I don't know ?

...Doesn't look much over-exposed to me Hyperion. Thanks!

[Eightpot]

:

And the Brookmans Park Newsletter, it must be post 1986 according to the photo of the opening of Welham Green station but it seems to be so much older; 'London John' in the 'flesh', those RTs on the 303 - the only bus route to use that great trunk route, the Barnet By-pass - and Ireckon that's the only time I've seen Alec with a hat on !

The Barnet bypass is the present day A1, best part of a mile west of the railway at Brookmans Park.

The 303 'bus route ran from New Barnet station to Hitchin (IIRC) via what is now the A1000 (Barnet to Hatfield) but used to be the original A1 until it was renumbered about the early 1950s. There was also the 303A which branched off at Little Heath (just north of Potters Bar) and ran via the railway part of BP and Welham Green, rejoining the A1000 at the junction near the Rookery Cafe.

[hyperion]

Yes, as in 'Great North Road' postings, video from hq1Hitchin.

[grandadbob]

Good evening all- As a complete newcomer to this site I apologise for butting in on this discussion. However I was born in WGC & at that time my father was a bookmaker. I can tell you that there was a well known racehorse in the 1950's called Loppylugs because of his lop ears & he won the 1956 Cambridgeshire Handicap which may clear up the mystery.
Aside from that I used to trainspot on the embankment by the 20th Mile Bridge when visiting grandparents in the fifties but mainly at Huntingdon (North & East until it closed) which was where we had moved to.

Am really please to have found this site & am amazed at the wealth of knowledge & information

Regards Bob

[hyperion]

Never apologise, Grandad, welcoma aboard, butting in's the only way, I reckons, to join in. Anyway looks as though this thread's petered out. But yes you can learn no end of stuff. As I've said here somewhere I've been walking that old 'linepath' for some 60 years now (and I'm not yet a grandad !) and never knew there was a siding by Hawkshead. I took that diversion last week just to have a look.

Nice to meet you, I'm an old Potters Barbarian meself but located a little further north now. I'm off on a bit of a trip tomorrow, ending at Shildon Soho Shed next Thursday, so won't be butting in for a little while.

Cheers

37

[zippyfitz]

Hello I am Harry FitzGerald's son and would be keen to make contact with any one that has any information about him working for LNER as a signal man. Looking forward to hearing from anyone who can help.

[Mickey]

Deleted

[jetglo]

There is a photo of the Hudswell Clarke Saddle Tank 'London John' accessible here:

www.brookmans.com/history/pictures/ch2.shtml
and some others of interest within that website photo gallery.

[sah1r]

I Lived at Brookmans Park for over 40 years and dont remember a siding on the down side. the Photo shows the line path and access road to the land at the side of the Royal Vet College from the Road bridge. This line path run down to the station and was a public Footpath. as I remember there was style that you could cross the line just south of the station to gain access the footpath the other side that ran at the bottom of the Gardens of the houses in The Gardens. Where I used to live. At one time the land on that side of the track was owned by the old LCC later GLC and it was planned that the would bring trains out with kids from London for day trips. But to my knowledge this never happend. No sideing was built. The only siding that was available was the one at Marshmore at Welham Green the next village.