Saturday 28 September 2024

Rob gave his long anticipated talk on his youthful reminiscences of steam in the outhampton area. Rob’s talk was illustrated by his own photos and maps and photos from the Southern Counties Railway Society. Hampshire apparently according to various advertising hoardings is “The Strong Country” and while that may be open to doubt Southampton was clearly a very important railway hub both for passenger traffic and for freight for the extensive dock system and local factories.
Rob showed us photos of Swaythling Station where, as a boy, he would train-spot from the footbridge and remembered the dog who would wait on the bridge coiled for action ready to see off the trains as they passed under the bridge. There were also photos of a very young Rob (such a nice looking boy) and of Ernie the Milkman who actually didn’t look all that fast to me. Rob remembered being able to see the docks and the big Ocean going liners from his bedroom window as well as the smaller craft going to the Channel Islands.
We saw photos of Dibbles Wharf and Chapel Tramway, the Meadow End Light Railway and the Netley Military Hospital. There were also photos of US Army personnel working in the area and of the D Day Tapestry (an embroidery surely?) but, as Rob noted, no depiction in either of the many black servicemen who had served in the area.
Rob recalled that there had been several named trains that ran through the area such as the Bournemouth Belle and the Pines Express but these and so many others of the trains and places in Rob’s photos now swept away, long gone and consigned to history.
As he finished Rob was thanked for his most fascinating talk and we packed up and headed off home. Chris