The hawkhurst branch – an appreciation

The seed sown by the opening and success of the Stockton & Darlington Railway (S&DR) led to a rapid increase in the number of railways in Britain as other ventures were promoted, the Liverpool & Manch

When my mother announced that she was going to visit her sister in Saltford, a village on the eastern outskirts of Bristol, I jumped at the chance of accompanying her. This was in the spring of 1952,

ABOVE: On June 2, 1980, 20066 hauls a coal train from Markam Colliery formed of mineral wagons and hoppers at Barrow Hill, having just come off the line from Hall Lane Junction and Seymour Junction. C

There’s no escaping it. The issue with charter trains, and why they cost so much to run, is the lack of decent, suitable and accessible rolling stock. There is also a definite lack of really nice coac

Strolling across the beautiful Grosvenor Gardens in the late 1950s/early 1960s, one was greeted by the imposing sight of the statue of General Ferdinand Foch, the Supreme Commander of the Allied Force

This year marks the 625th anniversary of The Canterbury Tales author – and “father of English literature” – Geoffrey Chaucer’s death. He penned this classic, about a merry band of medieval pilgrims te