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"Miserable looking dirty black freight locos" Oh yes, we had our fair share of them, dragging coal away from the Cannock Chase collieries, and I think Bescot had one piece of rag that was shared around the engine cleaners when HMQ or the divisional manager were about. There were also some...

It seems to me that being a supporter of a railway company is quite akin to being a supporter of a football team. You have your likes and dislikes, probably formed in childhood, and nobody will cause you to deviate from them. While understanding that the GWR did adhere to good engineering and...

I never saw a Bowen-Cooke duck eight lose it, even with a train of Cannock nutty slack!

A wartime Fordson 7V on the left, and a late thirties Leyland, possibly a Cub, on the right. The centre vehicle is another Leyland, I think, but possibly 1920s. There are experts on fire appliance coachwork, but regrettably not me. Trying to decipher the number plate on the right hand machine...

About time for a bit of lunacy, I think.

Spot on!

Not by a cadre of those whose only intent seems to be bordering upon revenge. I do not make excuses, I merely ask for the application of reason. Because it was not applied in the historical time does not mean it should not apply now.

The difficulties that I am finding when looking back at the histories of many important people of the past is precisely that it was the past. “They did things differently there.” Casting aspersions upon the actions of past leaders of men won’t bring them back for a good thrashing, and choosing...

Thank you for this interesting piece about a fairly chunky section of your life, especially when you’re 9! If my maths is right, there are about twelve years between us, and I have to say that I would offer to you my further thanks for having lived those twelve years instead of me. At nine in...

Understood, but I am allergic to the dander that certain types of dog shake loose, and have found over the years that miniature schnauzers cause me no trouble. Apparently poodles shouldn’t either, but they aren’t really for me.

Just thinking about dog inflation. Your Rex, at five bob, seems a bit of a bargain compared with the current going rate for slightly more pedigree animals, some of which are now into four figures of £. If the same rate of inflation had been applied to petrol you’d now be looking at ten grand to...

I’ve been thinking about that trip, there was a WW2 connection in that HMS Warspite had beached herself in a storm when being towed to the breaker’s, and wound up somewhere near St. Michael’s Mount. A sad end to a remarkable career, 1915 to 1950.

Thanks for this. Brings back memories of a trip from Staffs to Marazion about 1953, six up in my Dad’s Citroën Traction Avant. Fortunately my brother and I were only 5 so there was just about room, but it was a hot day coming back and the old Citroën (BEA 192 West Brom Jan 1940) boiled most of...

That Prefect did well!

'Strewth!

50 mile return trip to the office at least, much further if visiting for meetings, my main account was about 260 miles return, would do that in the day leaving home about 5.30am, getting back about 7.00pm. My last company car was offered to me to buy at just over 4 years old, 103,000 on the clock.

My average miles up to ‘08 when I retired were about 25,000 and in the mid 70s about 30,000, but it was then a new car every two years. My 2 1/2 year old Mercédès has just turned over 8,000!

Between my father, father in law and me, we had two Wolseley 18/85S, an Austin 1800 Mk1, a Morris 1800 Mk 3, and two Austin Maxis. No trouble ever experienced with gearboxes, and with the exception of my f-i-l’s Wolseley, they all towed caravans. My pa’s cars were always looked after with very...

Eric, while your point concerning the negative effects of the horsepower tax is relevant to the failure of the British car industry to promote exports to the USA, my view is that it is only part of the story. That system was replaced on 1/1/1948 by a flat annual tax rate of £12/10shillings...

Earlier on, in the Austin Atlantic discussion, Bob said what about the Metropolitan? I suppose it would appeal to the hairdresser’s brigade, but not to me. It seems that the design was presented to various of the British manufacturers and Austin got the job of building it. The later iteration...