Before the Clean Air Act

[strang steel]

I have just discovered this photo of the GN side of Halifax taken around 55 years ago.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/thanoz/512 ... otostream/

The younger generation on this site may be shocked to discover just how much pollution many of us older members grew up with, at least until the Clean Air Acts were on the statute book.

Those who wish for the nostalgic days of the 1950s (me included, I may add) may wish to contemplate whether a full return to those conditions may not be the wisest of decisions.

[bricam5]

My most pungent memory of Halifax North Bridge was the sickly sweet stench from the Macintosh tofee factory
When I was at Bradord GN we had a turn working goods from Bradford to Gascoine Wood and returning via Halifax and shunting at North Bridge until relief.
You could not escape the smell it was overpowering. Put me of toffee and chocolate for years.

[kudu]

What a picture! Reminds me of the classic Feininger 1946 photo of Manhattan West Side.

It wasn't quite as smoky in Willesden in 1958 but still polluted enough to produce some classic sunsets behind the cooling towers. And polluted enough to produce a few smogs, too.

Where I live now I can still see three big power stations, all burning coal, while the wind turbines are sprouting. You can't pretend it makes sense.

Kudu

[Blink Bonny]

Ay (coff, coff) up!

Eeeeh, it takes me (choke, splutter) back. Them were the days! (wheeeeeeeeeeeze!)

[giner]

A very evocative photo, indeed. The mistake I always make when I see these photos is to go and look at the area as it is now, on Google Maps. You wonder if you've got the right location.

[harvester]

Correct location, looking towards Halifax North Bridge station (behind goods Shed) By 1958 the passenger service had gone along with the through route to Keighley and Bradford with the closure of Queensbury Tunnel. The toffee smell from Macintoshes was mainly at Halifax Town Station never noticed it at North Bridge

[manna]

G'Day Gents

The view from Alexandra Palace, during the late 50's and early 60's on a reasonably clear day was Hornsey station and Ferme Park yards, and nothing beyond, mainline express's smoke only became visible at Hornsey station, which was just over a mile distant. A view today, from the same spot will give a view of the North Downs in 'Kent' which must be at least 15 miles away, I was quite shocked when I saw that view a year or so ago, on the 'net'

I can also remember being kept in doors one Saturday and Sunday, because of a 'Yellow' fog that descended on Wood Green one winter and looking out of the upstairs windows of our house could only just see the house's opposite, 40 feet away

manna

[brsince78]

Try Port Talbot on a wet Wednesday afternoon in February......