Famous people at heritage railways

Repeats

 

Around 1968ish I was with a gang working on the Kent & East Sussex Railway near Bodiam when Malcolm Muggeridge (a Robertsbridge resident) walked past along the track bed and said "Good afternoon, lads" or words to that effect. By rights we ought to have told him off for trespassing, but didn't. For the benefit of younger readers, MM was a well-known TV pundit of the period - had a conversion from being a leading light of the satire boom to a staunch defender of traditional ways - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malcolm_Muggeridge

 

I also believe he was a bit of a hero to one A.A. Mole of 13 Wisteria Walk Ashby-de-la-Zouch

 

When 257 Squadron was first restored from a Barry wreck on the anniversary of the 50th anniversary of the Battle of Britain, most of the few from 257 squadron were there at Swanage for the ceremony.
They may not have been famous, but they were bloody important gentlemen.
A certain Bert Hooker was there as well.

 

Prescott went to university?? I take it he wasn't studying the English language!

 

Probably pugilism...

 

That's one way to describe a University of Oxford* course in Economics & politics.

* - well, Ruskin College; I'm not sure whether @Jamessquared would regard that as "properly" University of Oxford...

 

To be fair he only did what his boss asked him and go and connect with the electorate...

 

...and use some punchy lines that would make an impact.

 

I believe it is an affiliate institution, which gives the students access to a lot of University facilities, but stops short of the requirement to formally matriculate, nor the requirement to keep terms. (I might be completely wrong ...)

Tom

 

Keith

 

A FB post today shows David Soul (who he?) at the SVR in 1982

Patrick

 

"I had Mr Hooker in my cab!" - shortly after 257 Squadron entered service. I offered him the regulator but all he wanted to do was fire a round trip. My young fireman hadn't a clue who he was so I enlightened him. At the same time, I suggested he keep quiet and learn from 'The Flashing Blade' which was one of Bert's nicknames I understand.
During the early 1990s, I invited TMS commentator Brian Johnston aboard my cab accompanied by his daughter Joanna. The Johnston family had a holiday place in Swanage for many years and Brian visited the railway virtually every time. He, and his widow Pauline, are both buried in Swanage's Godlingston Cemetary.

 

Could you also enlighten those of us who have not encountered Bert Hooker's name before as to who he was? I guess he was a railwayman of some description...

 

Bert Hooker was based at three depots during his career - New Cross Gate, Nine Elms and, finally, Slade Green [where his Father started his footplate career!]. Bert was something of a remarkable railwayman who chose to remain a driver - a job in which he seems to have been truly happy. He mastered the footplate crafts of both firing and driving but always said that firing was the greater of the two arts. This was witnessed by what he and his driver, Jack Swain, achieved during the 1948 interchange trials which, to many, is the stuff of railway legend. The SR team of Messrs Swain and Hooker were charged with the daunting tasks that involved Bulleid West Country locos from Euston to Carlisle, Marylebone to Manchester (over the old Great Central line) and between Perth and Inverness over the Highland Main Line.
Further information can be gleaned from his book - Bert Hooker : Legendary Railwayman [OPC 1994].
Also, Robert Hardy gave this address at Bert's funeral: https://www.lococarriage.org.uk/bert_hooker.html

 

I worked with Scarlett in the catering department at the Bluebell and she is still one of my very best friends. Yes Tom Hardy caused quite a commotion at the Railway when he was filming!!

Whilst working on the Golden Arrow we had a few famous faces dine on board - Dame Kelly Holmes and Helen Worth of Coronation Street fame are a couple that stick in my mind as being particularly pleasant. There was one occasion that Robert Smith from ‘The Cure’ hired the Golden Arrow for his wife’s birthday and he was a lovely man. He spent some time afterwards thanking us for a wonderful night and generally chatting away.

There have been numerous famous people also at the railway for a day out, Kelly Brook was one and I have seen Mark Williams named mentioned a couple of times. Mark lives in Lewes and was also a regular in the Pub I used to work in, he is also a great chap to talk to.

 

Does Robert Smith look like Robert Smith all the time?

(They are from Crawley so it makes sense he'd go to the Bluebell)

Katie Price spends a lot of her time train spotting, or rather her son who has medical conditions is huge railway fan.

He was in Starsky and Hutch in the 1970s.

 

Maybe someone can fill in the gaps of where and when as I can’t remember. However as young boys Princes William and Harry were seen riding on a preserved railway with their Nannies/bodyguards.

Also the Clinton family have visited a preserved railway whilst Bill Clinton was president. I believe they were in the UK on official business, and Chelsea Clinton was a big Thomas fan.

 

The current Japanese Emperor Naruhito visited the Ffestiniog in the 1980s. He was a student at Oxford during that period.

 

I’m sure I once saw Sean Blowers and family at Corfe Castle station once. Best know as John Hallam from London’s Burning. If not him, it was his double!