Full Size Steaming Through Bromley

[Martin Shaw]

I happened upon this during my occasional and usually expensive perusing of book sellers websites, Three principal reasons, HC Casserley was early enough for his photographs to be of interest without pages of Standards and Bulleids, neither of this type appearing in these pages. This despite modern interpretations was one of the principal if possibly shortest main lines radiating from London and whilst the SR had modern trains it also had many antiques. I was born and brought up in the area and knew it well for the first 20 years of my life. A fourth reason, the Southern was best.

The book is very nicely put together, the full page spread suits the negatives well despite the odd focus issue and given the very limited geographical nature is varied and interesting. My personal joy was uplifted by a photo of a year old Schools class 938 St Olaves, named after the school I was forced to attend 30 years later. Superb locomotive, not so sure about the educational establishment. The captions contain copious note from Mike King about the rolling stock, it's more than engines.
Highly recommended especially to those who think the SR is just a tramway.
Martin

 

[fenman]

View attachment 233198


I happened upon this during my occasional and usually expensive perusing of book sellers websites, Three principal reasons, HC Casserley was early enough for his photographs to be of interest without pages of Standards and Bulleids, neither of this type appearing in these pages. This despite modern interpretations was one of the principal if possibly shortest main lines radiating from London and whilst the SR had modern trains it also had many antiques. I was born and brought up in the area and knew it well for the first 20 years of my life. A fourth reason, the Southern was best.

The book is very nicely put together, the full page spread suits the negatives well despite the odd focus issue and given the very limited geographical nature is varied and interesting. My personal joy was uplifted by a photo of a year old Schools class 938 St Olaves, named after the school I was forced to attend 30 years later. Superb locomotive, not so sure about the educational establishment. The captions contain copious note from Mike King about the rolling stock, it's more than engines.
Highly recommended especially to those who think the SR is just a tramway.
Martin

Martin,
I went to St Olaves as well only I was there 22 years after the photo was taken. There used to be a large scale model of the loco in one of the school buildings, I wonder if it still exists.
Peter.

 

[Bigjohn]

The school is now a high cllass hotel. I doubt if it is still where it was. Does not answer the question “where is it now?”
There used to be a model of a KING at Paddington’s Station that is no longer where it used to be.
John

 

[Martin Shaw]

When in 1965 I passed the 11 plus my parents were offered a place for me at St Olave's Grammar School, a Church of England Foundation School associated with Southwark Cathedral that was looking for a new home due to declining numbers in post war Bermondsey and the education committee of Kent County Council had enough land on a single plot for a proposed school, and were keen to have that institution in Kent at no real cost to itself. I suppose in actuality these discussion had been going on before considerations of setting up Greater London and when it opened at Easter 1967 it was firmly in the borough of Bromley. I was in the penultimate intake to attend the Tooley Street site in the September of 1965 and lasted at the school until 1971. In hindsight I had a tolerably broad education without many qualifications, and a deep mistrust of authority which has been increasingly useful.

When the SR decided to name their new locomotives after ancient seats of learning the schools that agreed to the proposal were given an O gauge model, probably coarse scale, of the class suitably inscribed and in a glass case. I think it would have been made or at least sub contracted by Bassett Lowke, certainly the most likely prospect. Apparently the headmaster of Uppingham school disliked advertising about the school and complained so Bradfield was chosen instead. The model in its case survived the move to Orpington and was certainly there until I left. I still hanker after a decent model of 30938 with Lemaitre chimney.

When BR withdrew the locomotives each school was gifted one of the nameplates which as far as I know was never displayed at Tooley Street, some years later I discovered it in a cupboard, repainted it and had it mounted in the entrance hall of the school. Quite possibly the most useful thing I did in my 6 years there.

As far as I am aware the school still has these items, or perhaps more properly I should say I am unaware of them having been disposed of but I wouldn't imagine they are on display, what posssible relevance would they have to todays school boys?

My wife has gifted me a trip to stay in the hotel, the idea of sleeping in the room where I once laboured under Mr Newmarsh's attempts to teach me Latin is somewhat bizarre.

All slightly off topic, but hey ho quite a lot of memories have been stirred
Martin

 

[simond]

My Almer Mater, Birkenhead is a fairly minor public school in the run of things, so whether for that reason, or that we were nowhere near the Southern, I do not know, but we were not honoured by a locomotive named after us, as far as I am aware.

the poor individual charged with teaching me Latin recalled my name upon leaving, as I toured the school saying my goodbyes with a pal.

“Dobson, isn’t it?”
“Yes sir, you taught me Latin in the first year”.
“A great pleasure”,

and turning to my pal,
“Noble?”
“Yes sir, you didn’t have me for anything”.
“An even greater pleasure”

they don’t make ‘em like that any more…