Accrington Railways - Robert Kenyon

March As previously advertised on Thursday the 2 nd , the first of the ‘Mini Breaks in Europe ‘78’ departed, operated in conjunction with Sealink and DFDS Lines. This included train to and from Harwich, a bunk in a 4-berth cabin, one night’s stay in Amsterdam with dinner, bed and breakfast and reduce rate vouchers for a canal trip and city tour. The fare was £43:00 with no reductions for children and the arrival home was on Sunday the 5 th . The Daily Mail ‘Ideal Homes Exhibition’ was on from Tuesday the 2 nd to Saturday, April 1 st , and besides a ‘special’ which ran on Saturday the 11 th , excluding Wednesday and Thursday the 22 nd /23 rd , and Fridays the 10 th /17 th /31 st , a day return from Accrington including underground ticket and entry, would cost £9:30p and £4:90p. However, on the ‘special’ the fares were £5:60p and £3:35p respectively. The timings of this train were from Accrington at 07:49, Rishton 07:55, arriving Euston at 11:35 returning at 18:15 and back at 21:36 and 21:42 in Accrington. The Easter special trains included trips to Blackpool on Good Friday the 24 th , departing town at 10:53, arriving at 11:54, returning North Station at 20:30 to be back at 21:25, on Easter Sunday the timings were Accrington 10:48, Blackpool 11:54, returning 20:30 and back for 21:26, and on Easter Monday, departing town at 10:28, Rishton 10:33, arriving 12:09, returning 20:15 back in Rishton at 21:06 and Accrington at 21:12. Morecambe was the destination on Monday, departing at 10:31 (Rishton 10:37), arriving at 11:30, returning at 19:20, Rishton 20:19 and back at 20:24. The adult fares to both destinations were £1:89p from Accrington, and £1:82p from Rishton, with children at half fare. There was a ‘Rail Rambler’ to Windermere on Sunday the 26 th , departing town at 10:34 and calling at Oxenholme at 11:26, Kendal 11:34, Burneside 11:39, Staveley 11:48 and Windermere at 11:55. The return departed at 18:30 and was back in Accrington at 20:52. The fares were £1:70p and £1:00 for children. On the following day there were repeats of the trips to Chester and the North Wales resorts and York from both Rishton and Accrington, with the same ticket prices £2:50p and £1:60p for children. It was announced there were still some tickets available for the ‘Dutch Bulbfields’ tour which would take place over the weekend of April 21 st to the 23 rd , at £44:00 per person. April The ‘London Savers’ were again on offer traveling out on a nominated service and any train back. They would be available between April 8 th and May 6 th , at £8:00 2nd Class and £9:00 1st Class on Saturdays only. On Saturday the 15 th , there was a ‘Rail Rambler’ departing Accrington at 07:44 (Rishton 07:50) and calling at Hathersage at 10:39 (return 18:30), Grindleford 10:44 (18:25), Ambergate 10:49 (18:20), Whatstandwell 11:55 (18:14), Cromford 12:00 (18:08), Matlock Bath 12:03 (18:05), arriving at Matlock 12:07 returning at 18:01. There was a choice of walks from selected stations and the trip was back in Rishton at 22:02 and Accrington at 22:07. The fares were £1:70p and £1:10p for a child. At a meeting of the Land Committee, the Borough Planning Officer reported that planning permission had already been given for the construction of a Training Services Agency building, (a Skills Centre), on a triangle of land situated between Eagle Street, Scaitcliffe Street and the platform of the Colne to Preston Railway line. This land was owned by British Railways and in order to accommodate the buildings and car park with landscaping, a small area of Council-owned land would also be required. The Borough Planning Officer was authorised to dispose of this parcel of land by way of a lease concurrent to that to be granted by BR, on terms to be agreed by him. There were no reductions for children from the £44:00 fare on another trip to Holland, this time for a tour of the Dutch Bulbfields. It roughly followed the same itinerary for travel as in March, with the exception of a coach tour which would visit The Hague, Scheveningen and the Keukenhof National Bulbfields. It departed on Friday the 21 st , and following dinner on the return ferry crossing arrived home on Sunday the 23 rd . From April 22 nd , to September 30 th , the one night ‘Mini-Breaks’ in London were available again, on nominated train services. The 1st Class package included accommodation in a de luxe hotel at £26:50p, whereas the 2nd Class package was £19:00. Advanced booking was essential for these packages. On the 30 th , there was a ‘Sunday Circular’ special departing Accrington at 09:22, arriving in Grange-over-Sands at 11:10 and departing for Morecambe at 15:00. After a 15:26 arrival in Morecambe the return would leave at 19:00 to be back in town at 20:04.

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