The Way We Were

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Add photos of you on your wedding day, as a baby, in the outfit you thought looked really 'cool', or as a schoolkid. Memories of childhood and schooldays, associated smells and sounds - anything that takes you back.

Members: 12
Latest Activity: May 9

Train Crash - 27th August 1950

We lived in a village called Penmaenmawr on the North Wales coast and our house was the first in a crescent overlooking the bowling green and next to the railway station. The Irish Mail train, rushing back from Holyhead full of holidaymakers, crashed into a slow moving engine and closed van killing six people in the sleeping compartment and injuring many others. Our street, being the nearest to the station, was filled all night with people drinking hot tea and milling in and out of the houses. Fire engines, ambulances and police cars were all outside the station and lined up on the hill above the point of the crash. The summer holidays had come to a sudden and tragic end.

The next morning my sister walked me up to the local shop and, I am told, on the way I picked up a box with a jigsaw inside it. The following day there was an article in the paper saying a little girl who had survived the crash was only worried about the jig saw puzzle she had lost as she was taken to the ambulance. I do not recall this incident, which could be because the puzzle was taken from me and sent to the hospital. It happened not long after the carnival photograph (above) was taken, so I was only four and more excited about my upcoming birthday! Looking at it as an adult, I find it amazing that, in the midst of all that mayhem and heartbreak one little girl was upset about losing her jigsaw and the other, who found it, was looking forward to her birthday party - both completely oblivious to the surrounding drama.

The crash was put down to human error. The signalman had made an error of judgement and allowed the slow train onto the track. The Irish Mail had made better than usual time and hurtled past the signal box, with its brakes on having seen the (now) red light, but still hitting the slower train at 70mph, causing the inevitable loss of life.

Discussion Forum

Green Shield Stamps 9 Replies

I can't find your comments about this Angela.....not sure where you raised it, maybe as a response to something else?? I do remember them. How exciting they were, especially, as you say, dreaming ov…

Started by Margaret Goodwin. Last reply by Graham Mitchell Apr 13.

Memories 3 Replies

For 'sniffles' the enamel bowl, head shrouded with a towel, breathing in the vapours... Mum boiled onions in water, threw in a handful of porridge, simmered, then served it up in a soup bowl...Ooops…

Started by B. Last reply by Margaret Goodwin Apr 12.

Living at the seaside 2 Replies

I remember feeling excited about the trainloads of visitors arriving with all their luggage at our little Welsh village. We had a promenade with what we called chalets - which were the concrete equiv…

Started by Margaret Goodwin. Last reply by Margaret Goodwin Jan 8.

Oh Dear....... 1 Reply

I inadvertently switched off the "Start New Discussion" link!!! You should always assume that I have done something incompetent if anything disappears or gets switched off. I am a bit of an air-head.…

Started by Margaret Goodwin. Last reply by Cowboy Nov. 15, 2009.

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Comment by Cowboy on April 13, 2010 at 5:41pm: June - my parents thought the world had come to an end when I watched THE STONES. I believe they are the worlds biggest money earners on tour - today
Let's start a group - how about - THE ELECTRICT ZIMMERS !!! - Hank

Comment by june thomas on April 13, 2010 at 4:19pm: I too noticed the lovely gloves and realised I still had a pair... Thats if they are not moth eaten!! I did show them to my grandchildren who thought they were COOL!!! and I might even wear them at their weddings if they ever decide to get married! I laughed at your Beatles suggestion... My father used to turn the TV off if they were on and thought Cliff Richards was so vulgar that I wasn't allowed to watch him. I wonder what he would make of todays society!!!!

Comment by Margaret Goodwin on April 13, 2010 at 4:07pm: I recognise that carpet Hank!!!! You look like a very smart couple - I'm pleased to see that Sheila is wearing gloves! In those days they were considered 'de rigeur'.......can't imagine youngsters falling into line like that nowadays, can you? We were much more deferential and always tried to do what was expected of us, when we were young. What happened? I think it was the Beatles.

Comment by Cowboy on April 12, 2010 at 11:41pm: This picture was taken in 1960. The lady was named Sheila and she was a blind date [a friend of a friend] We were invited to the Dorchester Hotel in Park Lane and it was a great evening. I used to go to a tailor in the east end and we would discuss the trends of the day and jackets were very influenced by the American drape cut. I had turn-up cuffs added on the sleeves and they were very smart. The trousers were the same colour but a lighter shade and I believe they had a small pattern running through. I notice ties were narrow so I guess kipper ties followed later. They were big and wide and rather ugly.

Comment by John E Pallister on April 12, 2010 at 8:04pm: Margaret,
Sorry, but all mine got destroyed in a fire, still think posative, It'll save all the cringing at the photos as I remember....wasn't very photogenic.

Cheers

John

Comment by Cowboy on April 12, 2010 at 6:09pm: Margaret I will brush aside all those cobwebs to see what I can find - no they are not all in sepia. I have one when I was dining at the Dorchester. It makes a change from McDonalds !!! --- Hank

Comment by Margaret Goodwin on April 12, 2010 at 5:54pm: Please add photographs of your youthful selves.....there must be some beauties out there. We'd love to see you 'back in the day' in your flares, doing your National Service, Girl Guiding, Boy Scouting, getting married.....anything respectable.

Comment by Cowboy on February 18, 2010 at 4:10pm: John I shouldn't upset her for a week before the haircut - those clippers can be lethal --- Hank

Comment by John E Pallister on February 18, 2010 at 4:02pm: Hank,
It would be a post-hippi-dream style, cut the way only she can do it.....whatever befits her mood at the time.....he he

Comment by Cowboy on February 18, 2010 at 2:05am: Yes John but what style do you request. --- Hank

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