29-30 May 1988 - Woking 150 rail event - the biggest on BR during the year. This time the 150th anniversary of the London & South Western Railway (LSWR) is commemorated, with eight ex-SR steam locomotives in attendance.
29 May 1989 - London St Pancras former Midland Grand Hotel third floor gutted by fire; the largely unused Grade II-listed structure is up for reopening as a luxury hotel. Note: This finally took place - as the Marriott St Pancras Renaissance - on 14 March 2011 with a re-opening ceremony on 5 May that year - the latter to accord with the exact 138th anniversary of the original hotel opening in 1873; the long delay had been due to awaiting revamping of the station as London St Pancras International to accept Channel Tunnel Eurostar trains - in place of London Waterloo International - from 14 November 2007. 29 May 1989 - Chiltern Line Gala Day features bargain £2 tickets for travel on the route plus various events centred on Aylesbury station, including locomotives and rolling stock exhibition. 29 May 1990 - Thameslink Blackfriars - Farringdon deviation opened including new - albeit partially finished - St Paul’s Thameslink station, which replaces nearby London Holborn Viaduct (closed 29 January); the existing route was closed from 12 May to enable completion of the new deviation - and also allowing the railway bridge over Ludgate Circus to be removed on the 13th, restoring the unimpeded views of St Paul’s Cathedral from a century earlier! |
30 May-7 June 1992 - ‘Ashford 150’ celebrations of 150 years of railways serving the town culminate with an open weekend at Chart Leacon depot (6/7th).
30-31 May 1993 - Southend air show is sponsored once again by NSE. 31 May 1987 - Isle of Wight Steam Railway Wootton terminus ceremonially reopened by Chris Green, who pledges support for restoration of railway to re-link with NSE line at Smallbrook Junction. -- May 1990 - ‘Solent and Wessex’ (three yachts) new route identity/logo introduced. 1 June-3 August 1992 - Networker 465209 Driving Motor vehicles (65708/58) displayed in the National Railway Museum, York as part of the ‘Today and Tomorrow’ exhibition. 4 June 1990 - Kettering - Corby passenger services withdrawn and the latter station closed again after just over three years experimental reopening; follows withdrawal of subsidy from Corby District Council after poor patronage of trains, the last of which ran on 2 June. Note: Services were again revived by East Midlands Trains on 23 February 2009 when Corby reopened for a second time; through trains to London St Pancras catered for - and fostered - much greater demand. |
A personal tribute by Mark Battle - Inspired from memories... |