1929's Minutes Minutia: a daily puzzler?

[Jingling Geordie]

Watto all,

I have temporary access to a bound set of draft minutes of a variety of LNER committees and ithe Board. The document was produced by the C.G.M.O. I wondered if you'd be interested in a daily quiz based on these minutes?

So to test the water-guage, today's puzzle from the the draft minutes of a Board Meeting held on January 4th 1929 chaired by William Whitelaw.

Item 936: The Chief General Manager reported the results of a competition. There had been 458 entrants, of which 314 had won prizes. The cost of the prizes was £1503.

The Scottish Area was top dog winning prizes to the total of £551, Southern area was second with £502 and the North Eastern area trailed in at £450.

The question is in two parts, the first I know the answer to, the second I dont.


1) What was the competion?
2) What were the prizes and how were they distributed.

I will give the answer to part 1 tomorrow, perhaps you can give the answers to it and part 2.

421

[hq1hitchin]

Q1 - Best kept station competition?
Q2 - A short holiday in a LNER hotel? (A wild guess)

[Jingling Geordie]

Part 1-Best Kept Staion-Correct.

Part 2- A stay in an LNER Hotel, I dont know but it's unlikely,

Has anybody got any other ideas?

Footnote

The Board resolved that "the competition be continued for the present year (1929) and that a further expenditure not exceeding £1500 in respect of prizes be and is hereby approved"

421

[manna]

G'Day Gents

Runner up prize--Two weeks in Slough+a trip on the GWR?? LOL
manna

[Autocar Publicity]

Hmmm. What would £5 (the approx mean prize) buy you back in 1929? And what would appeal to station staff and not cost the LNER too much?

Gardening tools, bulbs/seeds? I thought the idea behind best kept station awards was to foster team spirit and pride in one's workplace, so if the prize was too individual or not capable of being split between (presumably a varying number of) station staff, the competition would defeat its purpose. So some sort of group prize, or something that could be shared?

[61070]

I too would go for a supply of bedding plants, seeds, or the like. "Jolly good show chaps! Keep up the good work now."

[Jingling Geordie]

I wonder if it was no more than a fancy plaque stating that your station had won an award for being a "best kept station"?

421