Accrington Railways - Robert Kenyon

September On Sunday the 1 st , a Ramblers’ Excursion ran to Grange-over-Sands and Ulverston at 75p an adult 38p for a child, then on to Barrow-in-Furness for £1 and 50p. Chester & North Wales was revisited on Tuesday the 10 th , whilst other Mystery Trips ran on Monday the 9 th and on Saturday the 14 th . Over the weekend of the 7 th and 8 th , a ‘Mini-Weekend’ was available in either Glasgow or Edinburgh. The options were one night’s bed & breakfast in a British Transport Hotel, with seats at the 20:00 performance of the Edinburgh Tattoo. Glasgow would feature again on excursions on Wednesdays, the 11 th and 18 th , and Saturdays, the 14 th and 21 st , which would include a coach tour to Aberfoyle, Loch Katrine, Callander, Doune and Stirling included in the fare of £5:25p and for a child £3:00p. The ‘Holiday Express’ to London and/or Windsor was repeated on Monday the 16 th , with the customary option of the coach tour and cruise. For those preferring the east coast to the west, there was the alternative of an excursion to York or Scarborough on Tuesday the 17 th , fares were to York £1:30p and for a child 65p and to Scarborough £2:15p and £1:35p respectively. Advertised as ‘The Magic of the Minstrels’ on Thursday the 19 th , a train departed at 12:20 (Rishton 12:27) arriving in Morecambe at 14:36, where for an extra £1:20p per adult and 60p for a child, they could have entry into Happy Mount Park, Marineland, and a first house performance of the Minstrels Show. Return was from Euston Road at 22:00, back in Rishton at 23:12 and Accrington at 23:20. The month ended with another Mystery Trip on Saturday the 28 th . The North West Branch of the Locomotive Club of Great Britain had arranged two specials calling at Bolton and Blackburn for local rail enthusiasts to visit Inverness, Wick and Thurso, with a coach tour to John O’Groats. This would start at 23:00 on Friday night the 27 th and return on Sunday the 29 th . The fares were £6 per adult and £4 per child. Later they would organise a similar trip to Fort William and Mallaig at £5:50p and £3:50p. A limited number of sleeping berths were available on these excursions at £4 extra. October Details of the arrangements would be revealed at the destination of the ‘Mystery Mixture’ which ran on Saturday the 12 th . A week later the destination was London for the Motor Show, at £3:50p & £2 for an accompanied child, with a return from Euston overnight. For 78p for an adult and half price for a child, the Blackpool Illuminations could be visited on the 26 th , departing at 13:20 arriving at North at 14:25, returning at 21:40 and back for 22:40. November On Saturday the 2 nd , another Mystery Mixture ran with the same arrangements, and the 2nd Class day returns to Glasgow and Edinburgh were again on offer every Saturday to December 14 th , at £3, with the option of 1st Class upgrade for an extra 50p. December There was a ‘Shopper’s Special’ to the Capital on Saturday the 7 th , at £3:40p/£2, the alternative being a trip to Sheffield for shopping and their Illuminations, with a fare of £1:25p and 63p. Hyndburn Council were contemplating placing a Compulsory Purchase Order on the 96 acres of land on the former Huncoat Colliery site and associated railway sidings, for which 75% of the cost could be recovered from Lancashire County Council. 1975 January The year was to have begun with a ‘Sunday Saver’ to London on the 5 th , departing at 08:19 arriving at 13:22, returning at 18:30 and back for 22:02. Fares were adults £2:50p and children £1:25p. ( Subsequently this trip was cancelled because not enough tickets were sold .) Much anger and dismay was expressed when it was announced that from the 26 th rail fares would be increased. Inter-City season tickets and local fares were set to rise by an average of 12½%, whilst single fares on longer distance journeys would go up by 15% . A one month season ticket to Manchester would go up from £14:60p to £16:40p, whilst the Preston - London Inter-City weekend return fare will rise to £12:45p from £11:05p and an ordinary day return to the Capital from £8:29p to £9:34p. February Once again the ‘Mini-Weekend’ in Torquay was operating, departing overnight on Friday the 14 th , at 23:38 to connect with the 00:29 from Preston. Arrival at the Devon resort would be at 06:30 with the return leaving Sunday at 16:40, which would give an arrival in Preston at 22:22. The package included breakfast on arrival, one night’s bed & breakfast and a coach tour to Paignton, Brixham, Kingswear and Dartmouth. The fares were for adults £10:55p, children 3 to 14 sharing £5:90p and under 3s £3:20p. March The ‘Mini-Holiday’ in London was repeated over the weekend of the 22 nd /23 rd , at £8:50p and £5:50p, including one night’s bed and breakfast in a Grand Met Hotel. Another Mystery Trip operated on

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