Accrington Railways - Robert Kenyon

journey. This train would depart from Preston at 09:12, arriving at Racecourse Station at 13:00 and returning at 18:35. Passengers could use connecting services to and from Preston. Hopes of saving the Parcels Department at Accrington Station and that in Blackburn had finally disappeared. Following a long meeting with the General Manager of the London Midland Region, Mr Bonham Carter, Arthur Davidson MP expressed his great disappointment that no reprieve had been secured. He had only received assurances that redundancies would be kept to a minimum. It now seemed that those employees who would be retained would be transferred to the Oldham office. There would be another ‘Mini-Weekend’ in London over Saturday and Sunday, the 17 th /18 th , and a repeat of the ‘Look & Book’ concept on Saturday, March 24 th , with Weymouth this time the target. Again the train would leave Nelson at midnight, and there would be breakfast at the Weymouth Pavilion and a coach tour of the area on arrival. Fares were £2:95p and £2:30p respectively. April There was a repeat of the Mini-Weekend in London over Saturday and Sunday the 7 th and 8 th , and yet another Mystery Trip on the 7 th , from which to choose. On the 13 th and 14 th , another special would start out overnight for Plymouth. Fares were adults £2:50p and children £1:50p, with the option of sleeping berths at £5 and £4:25p respectively. On Wednesday the 18 th , a special would run to London departing at 07:37 arriving in Euston at 11:42, returning at 18:15 and back for 22:36. Fares were £3:25p and £2 respectively. In a three-pronged attack the Association of Municipal Corporations, the Town Clerk’s Office and MP Arthur Davidson, were to bring pressure to bear on BR who were using an Act of Parliament passed in 1845 to avoid remedying inadequate fencing on some railway lines. The Act stated that fencing must be “cattle-proof”, which it was contended did not form an obstacle sufficient enough to deter children. Whilst the Town Clerk, Nigel MacGregor, was encouraging BR to do something about the fencing at the Grant Street subway, on Crossland Street and near to Pollard Street, the MP along with the Association was seeking new and more rigorous legislation. The dispute in Accrington had been spearheaded by Deputy Town Clerk, Mr David Mahoney, who said BR had limited what work they were prepared to undertake in order only to stop cattle and sheep from straying onto the lines, although where there was electrification they had been obliged to improve the perimeter fencing. The decision to press BR had come after the House of Lords had in 1971 awarded damages to the parents of a child who had been electrocuted. When Arthur Davidson had requested the Minister of Transport, Mr John Peyton, to increase the liability on the Board of BR with regard to the fencing off of railway lines, the response was met with “an outright refusal”. Over Easter there were specials to Blackpool on Good Friday the 20 th , and again on Easter Monday, fares were 40p and 20p, on Easter Sunday the trip was for half a day. The Good Friday excursion to Morecambe cost 66p and 33p respectively, whilst on Easter Monday the destination was Windermere at 85p and 43p. An unusual destination for a special on Saturday the 21 st , was to Dumbarton for the Loch Lomond Bear Park, and the fare of £2:70p for an adult and £1:90p for a child included a coach and admission to the Park. Packed lunches, booked in advance, were available on this excursion at 75p each, even though light refreshments were also available on the train. The month’s excursions ended on Saturday the 28 th , with a trip to Wolverhampton, Birmingham or Coventry, at £1:50p and £1 for a child. The timings were Accrington 07:39, arriving in Wolverhampton at 10:11, New Street at 10:24 and Coventry at 10:58. Return times were 18:30, 18:51 and 19:10 respectively, back in town for 21:42. A ‘Soccerail’ special took Burnley supporters to Preston on this same day for 35p return. May The month began with another Mystery Trip on Saturday the 5 th , at the usual fares, whilst the following day there was a half-day run to Blackpool. There was a ‘Clyde Cruise’ on offer at £3:50p per adult, £2:50p per child on Saturday the 19 th . On arrival at Gourock, it was all aboard the Caledonian Steamship to Dunoon, Rothesay and Tighnabruaich. Another Mystery Trip departed on Saturday the 26 th , this time with an overnight return, the distance reflected in the fares at adults £2:25p, children £1:50p. On Monday the 28 th , the excursion was for York at £1:20p and 60p respectively. Arising out of a fatal accident which had occurred on April 29 th , at a meeting of the General Purposes Committee, a Council member pointed out that various properties belonging to the railways were inadequately fenced throughout the Borough. Following a general discussion, it was resolved the

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