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www.ilkestonlife.com ILKESTON LIFE December 2021 19

his Christmas as always family all either worked on the
TI’ll be on the Santa Special, railways or dedicated their lives
all due to a chance childhood to tinkering about with anything
encounter on a long deserted that belched smoke and steam. My
grandfather was near retirement by
railway station. the time I spent my summers there,
I’m always amazed how small but living in the remote station
events in childhood can have such house surrounded by a perfect-
a profound effect on the way we ly preserved turn of the century
turn out in later life. Insignificant railway station complete with
chance encounters that drift into platforms, booking hall, ticket
our lives like dandelion seeds desks and ladies waiting room all
on the breeze, one of which will next to a still active main line, was
occasionally snag in our mind effectively living inside the worlds
then slowly grow and entwine its biggest Hornby train set. Even
roots deep into our subconscious when the thundering vibrations
and from there form part of our from the 04.00am goods train
personality in adult life. out of Nottingham brought down
As a small kid in the late 50’s and the ceiling of my grand parents By
early 60’s I used to spend the long bedroom, it was an event scarcely
worth mentioning and did nothing
endless days of the summer holi- to dampen their enthusiasm for From Santa Special to HS2 Paul
days with my grandparents in the Harvey
tint village of Upper Broughton on living inside a giant train set, so
the Nottinghamshire Leicestershire authentic that even the sand filled surely have been made before that could be better spent on friends children in order to board
border. But as the solidly built fire buckets still hung from their lunch on the very first day. sorting out the NHS or giving the Santa Special down at the
home of former station masters orderly row of pegs outside the the elderly more care and dignity Great Central Railway. Of course
was set at the top of a winding booking hall. All of which to a The only comparable folly that in later life, the politicians seem as the kids are now into their late
comes to mind is the Millennium
lane about a mile and a half from seven year old seemed not just fas- unaware that during the mass teens and early twenties the appeal
its nearest neighbour, it could cinating but perfectly normal too. dome, a building so pointless that hibernation of the pandemic things for them is starting to wear a little
hardly be described as being ‘in’ once completed the government have moved on at a breathtaking thin, while Santa, along with his
had to run a national competition
the village. The insanity of HS2 to help decide what should go pace, both technologically and the elves and Mick the travelling ma-
Even into my teens and visiting attitude of society in general. The gician, despite greeting me like a
Dusk at the embankment my great uncle Ernest he proudly inside it. pandemic forced even the most long lost friend are each year eye-
Look at any English community invited me to inspect a rather over- Fish and chips in the devout Luddites to finally adopt ing me with increased suspicion.
with a rail link and you see how sized and strange shaped extension Ferrari technology like Zoom in place So I suppose that list together
the housing spreads like a tentacle to his small bungalow in Ripley. of face-to-face meetings. Now with others that have momentarily
to first reach then embrace the As I struggled to find the right Of course we’re told that Britain and with the grim reaper in the slipped my mind does indicate
local station, except that Upper words to describe the odd white has to be competitive; France has form of global warming breathing that…yep…I’m as steam train
Broughton never bothered to wooden structure that enveloped its TVG, Spain has the 200mph down our necks, the public will bonkers as the rest of my fruitcake
make the effort. Instead the house the front door along with most of Talgo and of course Japan has the no longer turn a blind eye to a family. Toot-toot.
along with the rest of the station the frontage, he beamed proudly, bullet train but those countries all carbonfest of unnecessary travel, Wishing you all a wonderful
remained an isolated and perfectly gave me a knowing smile and in have something else, something be that by road, rail or air.
preserved moment in time, exactly almost reverential tones quietly that we do not, and that is a vast Christmas and a happy, safe and
as it was when the last passenger confided, ‘Bennerley signal box is expanse of land that otherwise Steam train bonkers just healthy 2022.
train departed on the 31st of May that’. would take many hours to cover. like the rest
1948. The only reason I mention the odd Britain on the other hand is a tiny On a personal note I suppose in PHOTOS:
island on the edge of the Atlantic
Fifty years since I spent my traits of my family is that today, not much bigger that the average my case it was inevitable that the Jubilee Class 4-6-0 No: 45576
summers there I still see my thankfully, I heard the news that Banana republic. And that’s at the rogue gene would fail to skip a ‘Bombay’ leans into the curve at
dandelion moment as clearly as I our part of the East Midlands will root of our problem, like my dog generation, so how badly am I Upper Broughton Station on Satur-
day September 5th 1959 with the
did in the half-light of that warm not be getting HS2. In describing who’s game to take on all-comers affected by the railway mania that
summers evening. Hearing an my ever so slightly dysfunctional regardless of size, we think we’re afflicts every male member of the 10.30 am Bradford - St. Pancras
approaching train in the distance relations I hope it will give scale much bigger that we actually are. Harvey family? Well I’d say only express. The station had already
been closed for over ten years
I ran frantically to the top of the to the insanity of the project in the very slightly, although still in the
steep embankment just in time to first place, because as deliciously Building a high speed train in the loft is a beautiful half horse power when this photograph was taken.
see the Bradford London express eccentric and railway obsessive UK is the equivalent of getting the bench-top steam engine that one Photo: TG Hepburn, Rail Archive
rounding the curve, regulator fully as they all clearly were, not one Ferrari out to nip down to the local day I really must get around to Stephenson
open and ready for the Broughton of them would have supported a chip shop, but unlike HS2 there’s renovating. Then there’s that little Christmas eve 2007 Alex and Tom
gradient. Towering clouds of white scheme that was, and still is, set to at least one quantifiable benefit of trip up to the National Railway Walder enjoy our annual trip on
steam and smoke were flecked tear the heart out of communities the Ferrari, and that’s getting your Museum in York I like to make the Santa Special. Now in their
with bright embers and sparks right across England, let alone chips home before they go cold. every now and then. Oh… and late teens and early twenties the
that showered down like crackling precious historical sites, wildlife Wake up politicians, things I’m not ashamed to admit that experience is sadly ‘beginning to
fireworks in the last of the days habitats and Constablesque style every Christmas eve and to avoid wear a little thin’.
light. As the maroon carriages and landscapes, all to shave a paltry have moved on appearing like some aging solitary
the swirling fog thundered past, twenty minutes off the trip to Lon- Quite apart from wasting money pervert, I borrow two of our
shaded table lamps bathed the don. Twenty minutes that will then
crowded interior in a warm cosy be squandered on a cup of over-
light, revealing the dining car with priced coffee while waiting for the
sparkling cutlery and gleaming taxi queue to clear at St Pancras Nature and spirituality feature in Steven’s new book
white plates and what to me were or the now euphemistically named
the most glamorous people I’d East Midlands Parkway station, poet from Ilkeston is cele- new direction my poetry is going
ever seen. attractively sited in the shadow of A brating the publication of his and that they will travel with me,
Ratcliffe power station. enjoying the subjects I have cho-
World’s biggest train set new book of verse. sen to highlight, especially as our
I was hooked, in less than a min- Climate change – sorted Steven Michael Pape reflected on environment and saving the planet
his latest release by saying, “My
ute I had become a train fanatic before lunch past books have tended to focus is such a hot topic at the moment.
although in fairness I suppose it What has puzzled me for years is on society and its issues, but with Autumn Acquiesce, Under Blue
was only to be expected. The then how did politicians who can barely Skies, Ever-Changing, English
huge Harvey dynasty, of which I agree on what day it is all manage this one I’ve concentrated more Roses and Goodbye to Nature are
hasten to assure you I am the only to fall in line and agree to build on nature, spirituality, the chang- among the poems included.
remaining member, were to put it the damm thing in the first place. ing seasons and things that are all
politely, not just railway fanatics Whoever organised that should around us that we sometimes don’t Narcissus Poeticus is Steven’s
but railway zealots, all clearly and surely have replaced Alok Sharma appreciate. tenth collection, and is available
charmingly bonkers. as president of the recent COP 26 “I feel it is my most mature and to buy via Amazon or direct from
How fanatical were they? Well in where a positive commitment to structured collection to date and him, priced £6. He can be contact-
ed via Facebook.
one way or another the men of the the elusive 1.5 degree target would I hope that readers appreciate the