Accrington Railways - Robert Kenyon

expressing alarm at the possibility of the loss of the railway through East Lancashire. Hyndburn’s Town Clerk, Nigel McGregor, had raised this issue with the North Lancashire Development Association and the two MPs for the area. He was requested to write to BR expressing deep concern and alarm at these rumours of railway cut-backs, all of which would have a detrimental effect on the townships forming the Borough of Hyndburn. However, Councillor Bert Taylor said he understood that BR had no thoughts about closing the line and the threat which was also hanging over the Blackburn to Bolton section. Mrs Grant was simply reflecting the anxieties which were currently being expressed by the local railwaymen. There was an ambitious ‘Mini-Cruise to Denmark’ during the month, which included rail to and from Harwich, a berth in a cabin for four and a coach tour including Esbjerg and Ribe, where afternoon tea would be taken. This would depart on a Friday and return on a Sunday and there would be no reductions for children in the £28 fare. June The busy month began on Thursday the 2 nd , with a ‘combined’ rail and road tour of Derbyshire, departing town at 08:31 and then transferring to a coach at Manchester Victoria. The road trip would include Buxton, Bakewell, Haddon Hall and Chatsworth, and would be back for a train to deposit passengers back in Accrington at 21:06. The fares were £4:00 and £2:50p. This excursion would be repeated every Thursday up until September 29 th . Spring Bank Holiday ‘Seaside Specials’ ran to Blackpool on Saturday the 4 th , Monday the 6 th and Tuesday the 7 th , with Morecambe the destination on Sunday the 5 th . Fares were £1:60p, £1:55p from Rishton and children half price on all these trains. The special 2nd Class ‘Jubilee Capital Fares’ were available at £7:00 per adult and half fare for a child, to go to London to join in with the Queen’s Silver Jubilee celebrations. These were available on weekdays between the 6 th until the 18 th , and valid on the 07:45, 08:31 or the 09:15 during the week, and on Saturdays on the 07:20, 08:31 or the 09:15. Return from Euston was on the 18:05 on the same day, with the exception of the 6 th , 7 th , 11 th and 18 th , when return was by any train. There was a strict limit to the number of tickets available at this price. The Policy & Resources Committee met again, when the Town Clerk reported that having written to BR as instructed, he had subsequently received a reply from the Divisional Manager in Preston referring him to the imminent publication of a Government White Paper on the future role of the British Railways. Although he could not anticipate the contents of this document, it was giving rise to a general concern. Therefore, he could not make any speculative comment but still wished to draw the attention to the fact that BR had no plans to withdraw either of the Preston to Colne or the Blackburn to Manchester services, or indeed any other of the local services at this moment in time. The Town Clerk reported on consultations which he had held with the North East Lancs Development Association. He now submitted a copy of a letter from the Association to the Divisional Manager in Preston, also on additional facts obtained by Councillor Bert Taylor from the Transport User’s Consultative Committee, of which he was a member. It was resolved the Town Clerk would keep this matter under review, and to submit a report to this Committee following publication of the said White Paper. The former locomotive shed yard and coaling sidings on Charter Street, was approved for a new housing development by the Housing Services Committee of the Council, despite strong opposition from Councillor Phyllis Hargreaves. She contended that the site was totally unsuitable as it was bounded on one side by the railway and on all others by heavy industry, that it was a good twenty minutes’ walk from town and not near to a post office or any essential facilities. Borough Engineer Mr Jack Hayden, was in agreement that this was not a good site, but as the Council was obliged to build 250 new homes every year, it did not have enough alternative land otherwise available to fill this quota. Borough Planning Officer, David Sutcliffe said, “With good design work and planning the site could be successfully developed”. Tickets were also limited on the ‘Roman Wall’ rail/road excursion on Friday the 10 th , with a fare of £4:10p and £2:20p respectively. This would include a train to Carlisle Citadel, transfer to a coach to visit Brampton and Gilsland, with various stops for sightseeing. As with several of this type of excursion, it would operate every Friday up to September the 9 th . The rail/road/steamer trips to the Lake District began on Wednesday the 22 nd , and would be repeated every Wednesday up to September the 21 st , at £4:50p and £2:90p per child. It was a Royal occasion when the Queen visited Preston on the 20 th , and a special fare was introduced of £1:32p from Huncoat, £1:29p from Accrington and Church and £1:14p from Rishton for

333