"You're all but forgotten a mote in my heart, thus ends the Webb House Course" 15/09/1991 to 29/09/1991
We attended a Wolfsbane Gig at the Astoria London and while waiting for the band to come out of the building after the gig, I fell asleep on the steps outside. I must have been very tired. Blaze Bayley (lead singer) came out & asked "what's wrong with him?" & one of my mates said "he's a bit drunk" then apparently Blaze told us about a secret Gig, for fan-club members only, in the band's hometown of Tamworth, on Thursday 26th September. As we were both HMS (Howling Mad Shitheads) fan-club members it would be rude not to make an appearance!
Sunday 15th September 1991
A special was running today from Paddington to take people down to Plymouth to attend Laira TMD Open Day, fortunately for us the train would be hauled by a pair of our beloved Class 33 "Crompton's", unfortunately for us this was the era of "Departmental" loco's so the pair were restricted to 60mph max! A long run was guaranteed, however it was a painfully slow one...
33064) London Paddington - Plymouth 0750 Paddington - Plymouth Relief 244m 13ch
33042) (Via Swindon, Hullavington & Taunton)
We had several beers in the Dolphin, the best Real Ale pub in the area at the time, then of course the pub will have closed at 3pm in those days with it being a Sunday. We followed this with a footie match in a local park which overlooks Plymouth station, purely to pass the time before the return run.
33042) Plymouth - London Paddington 1810 Plymouth - Paddington Relief 245m 14ch
33064) (Via Weston-Super-Mare, Hullavington & Swindon)
Monday 16th September 1991
47492 London Paddington - Reading 0005 Paddington - Penzance 35m 73ch
I was travelling up to Webb House, the BR Training Centre in Crewe, for a 4 day Train Planning Course. It doesn't look like I'd have got much sleep as it was about a 35minute walk from Reading station to our house & v.v!
47843 Reading - Birmingham New St 1S52 0600 Paddington - Edinburgh 94m 55ch
87030 Birmingham New St - Crewe 0735 Euston - Carlisle 52m 55ch
Webb House was a wonderful institution, not only that but it had an unbelievable Belgian Beer bar when most pubs at the time were tied houses & only served "traditional" brown beers like Bitter.
Monday evening was spent in said Bar, I was rooming with Barry from the South Eastern office at Waterloo who also liked a pint or two.
Tuesday night saw us in a local pub for Quiz night, quite a few teams made up from those on courses at Webb House.
On Wednesday night I took a long walk into Crewe town centre, on my own, in a quest to find anywhere selling Mild (very elusive down South). I tried a couple of real ale pubs then came across a pub that DID sell Mild opposite the Police station.
I was sat in the back room surrounded by members of the force, 22:30 came and went but nobody called last orders, no-one seemed to be leaving the back room either. Oh dear it's a lock in!
I staggered back to the digs at Webb House arriving back at approximately 0300!
I missed both Breakfast and the start of the course in the morning, when I did make an appearance some brainstorming had been going on with white boards covered in headlines like "Poodle in Quarantine" or "Poodle missing presumed lost in Cheshire".
Thursday night I again ventured out alone but returned at a more reasonable time, no sign of Barry in our room, a bit odd as the bar downstairs would be closed by now. Barry turned up some hours later, it turned out a Signalman's course had finished that evening & they all passed so they'd bought most of the stock from the Bar before it closed & I'd missed an all night free drinking session!
Friday 20th September 1991
87007 Crewe - Birmingham New Street 1O12 0815 Glasgow - Poole 52m 55ch
47820 Birmingham New Street - Basingstoke 1O12 0815 Glasgow - Poole 110m 16ch
33101 Basingstoke - London Waterloo 1O38 1422 Exeter St.Davids - Waterloo 47m 61ch
Beers in London then "the Gen" came through that a pair of 33's would be starting out of Salisbury tomorrow, no chance of me getting home tonight then, so out to Woking for more Beers and food then the 2355 to Salisbury for a bit of sleep in the stock for the 0546.
47716 London Waterloo - Woking 1V22 2040 Waterloo - Salisbury 24m 27ch
205029 Woking - Salisbury 2L77 2355 Waterloo - Salisbury 59m 16ch
Saturday 21st September 1991
33103) Salisbury - London Waterloo 1L02 0546 Salisbury - Waterloo 83m 43ch
33202)
As 33202 was still uncleared for 1000miles this working was massive for me & a few others.
33202) London Waterloo - Yeovil Jn 1V09 0915 Waterloo - Exeter St.Davids 122m 48ch
33103)
33103 had a technical issue here so was shut down & towed through to Exeter.
33202 (33103 DIT) Yeovil Jn - Exeter St.Davids 1V09 0915 Waterloo - Ex St.D 49m 45ch
The Fitter at Exeter sorted 33103 while we were in the pub, top work that man.
33103) Exeter St.Davids - London Waterloo 1O58 1422 Exeter - Waterloo 172m 12ch
33202)
Unit London Waterloo - Wimbledon
LUL 5518 Wimbledon - Parsons Green (with the floor up to listen to the motors!) for an evening in the White Horse, Parsons Green, then one of the best pubs for guest beers in London.
47842 Waterloo - Woking 2355 Waterloo - Salisbury 24m 27ch
Still no sign of going home - slept at Duffield & Pinkers house in Woking.
Sunday 22nd September 1991
The memorable "Daytrip to Honiton Beach" (see separate Blog) followed the next day behind 33114 !
33114 Basingstoke - Honiton 1V08 0815 Basingstoke - Paignton 106m 79ch
We terminated here due to overunning engineering works, a long wait for passengers to arrive from Exeter on hastily arranged coaches.
33114 Honiton - London Waterloo 1O35 0928 Exeter St.Davids - London Waterloo 154m 60ch
33114 London Waterloo - Exeter St.Davids 2V17 1655 London Waterloo - Exeter St.Davids 172m 12ch
33114 Exeter St.Davids - Salisbury 2O05 2035 Exeter St.Davids - Basingstoke 88m 49ch
The loco hadn't been fuelled overnight & due to all the extra mileage involved after running round at Honiton this morning it ran short of Fuel approaching Salisbury on the 2035 so we had a DEMU replacement forward to Basingstoke for a free taxi home, as the delay meant we missed the last connection.
DEMU Salisbury - Basingstoke 2O05 2035 Exeter St.Davids - Basingstoke 35m 62ch
Taxi Basingstoke - Reading
Home at last 8 days after leaving for my course in Crewe!
Monday 23rd September 1991
A normal day at work in the BR South Western Train planning office at London Waterloo.
Just the move back to Reading to report & an evening in the Butler.
47547 London Paddington - Reading 1F46 1720 Paddington - Banbury 35m 73ch
Tuesday 24th September 1991
A note here just to mention that 33's had no booked passenger work at this time (except 33102 & 33114 which WERE in the loco pool for the Waterloo to Exeter services).
47526 Reading - London Padington xxxx 0610 Oxford - Paddington 35m 73ch
Out of work in time to get to Woking as there was a Crompton on the 1422
33026 Woking - London Waterloo 1O38 1422 Exeter St.Davids - Waterloo 24m 27ch
Followed by Beers down "the cut" alongside Waterloo station, probably in the Red Lion.
The 2215 produced a pair, I wonder if Dale was on late turn on Loco Control?
33108) London Waterloo - Basingstoke 1L15 2215 Waterloo - Salisbury 47m 61ch
33025)
For the last DEMU to Reading West then walk home.
Nothing to report on the 25th so just a normal day at work.
Thursday 26th September 1991
The day me & Rich Pinker had been waiting for - the Wolfsbane Fan Club members gig in Tamworth.
87020 London Euston - Tamworth xxxx 1750 Euston - Liverpool 110m 12ch
We were staying at the well known 45 & 47 Basher Chris Fudge's parents house, Chris was there to greet us when we dropped off our bags.
We walked to the venue, the Civic Hall. The doors were closed & no-one was home!?
A clip round the ear for Mr P, who still insisted Blaze had said the Gig was tonight, whilst mulling over our options we noticed that Hamlets, the pub next door to the venue, were holding a Beer Festival which handily started tonight!
We had a couple of pints, should we collect our bags & head back into London? Then someone heard of our plight & had info that the Wolfsbane Gig was actually on FRIDAY night!
A couple more Beers and a plan was hatched. Stay in the Beer Festival & Enjoy! then both ring in Sick in the morning, luckily we worked at separate locations so we might just get away with it.
Friday 27th September 1991
The household at Fudge's were well amused over breakfast with our tale of turning up on the wrong day, Chris's Mum told us there was no problem us staying over for another night so we could attend the Gig.
She worked at Tamworth Castle visitor centre so to kill a couple of hours before the Beer festival reopened at 12 o'clock we walked to the Castle & got the full tour with Mrs Fudge (for free of course!)
Back to Hamlets for an all afternoon & early evening session, Duncan one the the main Bar staff was fully aware of our situation re the Gig, he asked if we needed somewhere to stay tonight, obviously we told him thanks but we're sorted.
We took a fish & chip shop tea back to Fudges house, Chris had gone on the Bash for the weekend so his Mum only had 1 front door key, so she told us to lock her in & enjoy the Gig! (She would use the French doors into the garden if there was a Fire or other Emergency!)
The Gig itself was fantastic, not surprising really as Wolfsbane were and STILL are one of the best live acts you could ever see (& with an all original line up, their touring again in 2025 if any of you readers want to get involved!).
Saturday 28th September 1991
By now we were in Tamworth for a third day in a row, surely you'd think we'd be heading South? Not a bit of it, Mr P decided we'd spend all day in Hamlet's & have a massive Beer session (for the 3rd day in a row). Sounds like a plan to me. What if there were Crompton's working in/out of Waterloo? Sod it we're not bothered today!
As it was far busier in the pub today we decided to move upstairs where we could enjoy our beers in slightly quieter surroundings, then as the afternoon wore on more & more tables around us became busy with drinkers.
Around 5pm, with all tables in use, a couple approached us and asked if they could share our table, obviously not a problem. It soon became apparent to the lady at our table that Mr P was not with it - "What's wrong with him?" she asked. "We're on the 3rd day of a massive bender & he's somewhat drunk" I replied. "I know a way to get him back on an even keel" she said & gave him some advice on the matter, off he went to see if it would help.
Suffice it to say it worked & Mr P re-joined the festivities. Conversation came round to why we were in Tamworth in the first place, when we told them the story of the Wolfsbane Gig, they announced they were the management team of the band James!
We took this with a massive pinch of salt, however as the evening moved on we were joined by others & tables were dragged together to accommodate everyone - low & behold we spent the evening sitting with all 7 members of said band James, plus their friends!
The band James in 1990
As for a place to doss tonight, we didn't want to put upon the Fudge's again so we took Duncan up on his offer to stay at his place, we helped with clearing tables & bottling up the fridges after Hamlets closed then Duncan gave us a lift to his house. Unfortunately his wife wasn't on board with 2 strangers spending the night in her house, after a heated marital argument we eventually got our heads down!
Sunday 29th September 1991
Duncan was up early and gave us a lift to Tamworth railway station on his way to play Sunday league football, we managed to ring someone for the Gen, to be told 33208 would be working the 1255 Waterloo - Exeter, we couldn't get to London in time but I chose to go via Exeter for it, Rich used his existing ticket to go via London & follow it down to Exeter on the 1455 with the expected class 50.
I had to lend him some money as the cashpoint at the station was OOU.
I took a rail replacement coach to Birmingham New Street then probably a HST down to Exeter , where I then must have suffered a class 50 to Axminster as nothing was recorded.
33208 Axminster - Exeter St.Davids 1V13 1255 London Waterloo - Exeter St.Davids 27m 51ch
Only to find out that a class 47 had failed on the 1026 Salisbury - Waterloo, this was rescued by 33002 & that was working the 1455 to Exeter - ie Richard's planned train!
33002 & 47296 arriving at Waterloo on the 1020 from Salisbury, the 33 rescued the service at Surbiton. (Flickr photo used with courtesy of Jon Piesing)
Someone was playing trains today, instead of the booked class 50's we had 33002 / 33208 / 37098 / 47258 / 47296 & 47307 all out on various services up & down the Mule (the railway nickname for the Waterloo - Exeter route)!
37098 Exeter St.Davids - Exeter Central 2O03 1722 Exeter St.Davids - London Waterloo 00m 62ch
33002 Exeter Central - Exeter St.Davids 1V15 1455 London Waterloo - Exeter St.Davids 00m 62ch
33002 arrived at Exeter St.Davids on the 1455 from Waterloo. (Flickr photo used with courtesy of Jon Piesing)The leap to/from Central was to kill time before pub opening & to congratulate Rich on his luck dropping onto 33002 on a ticket bought with my money - jammy bugger!
A few pints to celebrate the news that 33002 & 33208 would be working back in a pair on the 2035 & almost certainly a Chinese takeaway to eat on the train.
33002) Exeter St.Davids - Basingstoke 2O05 2035 Exeter St.Davids - Basingstoke 124m 31ch
33208)
A fantastic way to end the trip!
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