Accrington Railways - Robert Kenyon

an excursion to Stirling, there was a coach tour to the Trossachs, Blair Drummond, Aberfoyle, Loch Achray, Callander & Doune. A Blackpool trip ran on the 18 th , and yet another Mystery Trip with fares at £2:15p and £1:35p respectively. Ever popular, Blackpool was revisited by specials, two on Sunday the 21 st , both starting in Nelson, whilst from Monday through to Friday the following week there was a special every day starting from Accrington. Over the holiday weeks, besides the long distance specials there was a ‘Sunday Saver’ to London on the 21 st , whereas on Wednesday the 25 th , the London excursion included a coach trip to Syon Park for lunch, then on to Runnymede and a sail to Windsor with a picnic tea for the all-inclusive fare of £7:25p/£5:55p. On Sunday the 28 th , the popular trip to Chester was repeated going on to the resorts along the North Wales Coast. It was possible to partake in the ‘Mini-Holiday’ to London up until August 22 nd , on any day except Friday, but again the minimum booking was for two adults at £8:50p each and £5:50p per child sharing. Sunday the 28 th , saw another run to Blackpool and between Monday and Friday the 29 th and August 2 nd , there was one every day. The Sunday trains were priced at £1:01p and 51p for a child, whilst the weekday runs were only 78p and 38p respectively. Southport was not left out and was the destination of specials on Monday the 24 th , Friday the 26 th , Tuesday the 30 th and Friday August 2 nd . The fares were 65p and 33p for a child, whilst on the specials to Morecambe on Tuesday the 23 rd and Thursday, August 1 st , despite the disparity in distance the same prices applied. During the second of the Wakes Weeks there was another visit to Woburn via Bletchley on Monday the 29 th , a Mystery Trip on the following day and on Wednesday the 31 st , a train to Oxford for Blenheim Palace with a coach tour, entrance, a river cruise and high tea included for £4:25p and £3:25p per child. August On Thursday the 1 st , the ‘Holiday Express’ excursion to London with the option of an onward tour and cruise was off again. Fares were for London only £3:40p and £2, and with the extra tours £7:25p and £5:55p respectively. Aberystwyth was the destination of the special which ran on Sunday the 11 th , with a fare of £1:75p and £1 for a child with a ‘limited’ number of tickets available for the Vale of Rheidol narrow gauge railway to Devil’s Bridge, at 50p and 25p extra. Also on the 11 th , there was a special event at Carnforth called ‘Locomotion’, in conjunction with the Steam Museum there. A special was run departing at 10:50, arriving at 12:20 and then continuing on to Morecambe at 14:20, arriving in the resort at 14:32 and returning at 19:00 back for 20:18. This excursion would be repeated two weeks later. Mystery excursions were still proving ever popular with another off on Saturday the 17 th , to be followed by a second on Bank Holiday Monday the 26 th . Blackpool was revisited on Sunday the 18 th . Bargain day returns at £3 for an adult £1:50p for a child, to both Glasgow and Edinburgh, were on offer on any Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday, between the 19 th of August, and September 25 th . The Mini-Weekend in London was available again over the weekend of the 24 th and 25 th , at £8:50p and £5:50p for a child. Day trips to the Continent ran overnight on Fridays, to Paris until September 6 th , with in addition Brussels as an alternative until September the 20 th . Arriving at Brussels Midi at 07:05, the fare was £11:15p and tickets could also be obtained to Ostend, Bruges or Ghent. Passengers had to be in possession of valid passports and identity cards. Paris passengers could, for a supplement of £3:85p, enjoy a morning coach tour of the City with lunch included. Passengers on both these excursions were entitled to a ‘full’ duty free allowance. The month concluded and a half-day trip to Blackpool on Sunday the 25 th , for 50p an adult and 25p a child, with another visit to York on Monday the 26 th , departing at 09:12 arriving at 11:03 returning at 18:00 and back at 19:50. Fares were £1:30p and 65p for a child. The Land Committee met and the Town Clerk reported that prior to the Local Government Re organisation, an enquiry had been received from British Railways as to whether or not the local authority would be interested in obtaining the section of land consisting of the Accrington to Stubbins Junction Railway Line, which lay within the Borough of Hyndburn and which had formed part of the line connecting Accrington with Manchester, via Ramsbottom and Bury. He pointed out that the Borough Engineer, along with the Planning Officer, had done an examination of this land and whilst it would incur some responsibility for the bridges, it had been concluded that this land would be a useful acquisition and that it should be obtained for a nominal sum. It was resolved that the appropriate Officers of the Council would open negotiations with BR for the purchase of the redundant track-bed.

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