September 2019 - The MrT Podcast Studio

Watercress People (3)

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 14:48 — 13.5MB)

Episode 21 – Life on the Watercress Line – Watercress People (3)

Welcome to Watercress People (3), where I have the opportunity to interview some of the many people who make the Watercress Line the experience it is.

Jim Russell – The Early Years

Jim joined the Watercress Line on 25th August 1973, soon after he left school. He travelled around on his first moped.

Jim and the others had many dreams for the line. He never imagined that it would turn into the thriving, living, railway seen today. He said that although the line never get to Winchester it has reached Alton.

One of the early jobs that Jim did was to paint the bicycle sheds. He thinks he did a good job, as they were only repainted recently.

Jim has always enjoyed his time with the line and there has been the excitement of completing major projects.

Colin Marsh – Travelling Ticket Inspector

Colin is a Watercress stalwart. He is often at Medstead and Four Marks station. His is also a Travelling Ticket Inspector.

Colin tells me that Revenue collection isn’t the major part of the role; there are relatively few fare dodgers! He says that most of the time he’s acting as an on-board host. He gives out lots of information to the travellers he meets on the trains.

David Mead – the Facebook Moderator

David tells me that there is a large Facebook community around the Watercress Line. He adds that many of the Mid-Hants members are part of it. Many of the members are good photographers and this provides an outlet.

There are no photographs to accompany this Podcast.

Find out more about the Watercress Line:

To visit the Watercress Line website please follow this link Watercress Line.

The Autumn Steam Gala 2019 will be held from the 18th to 20th October. Click here to find out more. Scroll to the posts below to find out about last year’s Gala.

Don’t forget Wizard Weekend on the 26th and 27th October. Click here to find out more.

About ‘Life on the Watercress Line’

The next episode of Life on the Watercress Line is in two weeks.

This podcast is available on Apple Podcasts/iTunes, Deezer, Spotify and Stitcher.

AKM Music has licensed Steam Railway for use as the theme and incidental music.

Joseph McDade has licensed Crossover – Lectro Tango for use as incidental music in this episode.

Spending a Penny (A)

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 21:25 — 19.6MB)

Season 2018 / 2019 – Talk 14 A – Spending a Penny

Spending a Penny (A) is the first part of the talk by Tim Davies.

The organisers of the Great Exhibition appoint George Jennings to provide the ‘necessary convenience’ for the Great Exhibition in Hyde Park. He installed ‘monkey closets’ used by over 827,000 visitors. The charge? One penny! Visitors got a clean seat, a towel, comb and shoe shine.

Tim tells us about the many euphemisms for ‘spending a penny’. Do they come from a taboo?

The Romans had very advanced baths and sanitation. They were 1500 years ahead of their time in Britain.

Tim then talks about Chamber Pots and how they were disguised as furniture.

For many years the rivers were sewers. The ‘Great Stink’ of 1858 mad Parliament take notice. The Thames, the lifeblood of London, was the biggest sewer of all.

The talk continues with a description of ‘Garderobes’. These draughty cold places were a feature of many castles.

The monasteries had their ‘necessary houses’. In Canterbury the facility was 145 feet long! Tim describes Jerichos, earth closets , miner’s ‘netty’ and the ‘Zimbabwe long drop’.

Tim then talks about the ‘Thunder Box’. No explorer left home without one! And then there were the ‘night soil men’ who dealt with disposal.

The first British water closet was invented in 1596 by Sir John Harington. He was a godson of Queen Elizabeth I. 182 years later Joseph Bramah perfected the technology. It was in use for over 100 years.

The talk then introduces George Jennings.

Please click on one of the images as you listen to the talk to open the gallery.

The Farnham U3A site is at Farnham U3A Home Page.

AKM Music has licensed Media Magazine for use as the title music.

Spending a Penny (B)

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 23:11 — 21.2MB)

Season 2018 / 2019 – Talk 14 B – Spending a Penny

Spending a Penny (B) is the second part of the talk by Tim Davies. In this part George Jennings marries his first wife Mary Ann Coates Gill in 1836. They had four children.

George Jennings established his company in Paris Street, Lambeth, in 1837. At this stage he worked virtually single handed.

Mary died in 1844. In 1850 he consulted on the sanitary needs for the Great Exhibition. His ‘necessary convenience’ at the Crystal Palace was used by over 827,00 people. The move to Sydenham required day and night working by his team.

In 1848 George Jennings married 16 year old Sophia Budd. They had 11 children.

The spring of 1865 saw a fire that destroyed his works. The insurance had lapsed! He built a new, larger works, nearby. The business thrived. George Jennings was keen to open public facilities but had to fight against the reactionary stance of many councils.

In 1872 he built a house in Nightingale Lane, Clapham, where he lived until he died 10 years later. The firm prospered and by 1887 employed over 1,000 people. The podcast takes you through the departments in Lambeth. It also talks about the South-Western Pottery and Terra-Cotta Works at Parkeston in Dorset.

We hear about the 0-4-0 saddle tank steam locomotive named ‘George Jennings’ that was still in use when the works closed in 1962.

Please click on one of the images as you listen to the talk to open the gallery.

The Farnham U3A site is at Farnham U3A Home Page.

AKM Music has licensed Media Magazine for use as the title music.

London Underground – Disused Stations

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 16:03 — 14.7MB)

Season 2019 / 2020 – Talk 1 C – Disused Stations

Please note: Disused Stations was missed from the talk on the London Underground as we ran out of time. A number of members said they would like to hear it so I have recorded this podcast. This material will be to the other parts of the talk when they are posted.

Tim Davies tells us about the London Underground’s Disused Stations in this short talk. He tells us that the first to close was King William Street. This was the original ‘City’ terminus of the City and South London Railway. King William Street station lasted 9 years and 3 months before closing in 1900.

A total of twenty three stations have closed over the years. Some have gone on to have interesting lives after closure.

Down Street

Down Street station on the Piccadilly line was close to two other stations. As a result of this, and because Mayfair is a wealthy area the station was very quiet.

During the Second World War the station housed the Railway Executive. Winston Churchill stayed here during the Blitz.

Aldwych

Another quiet station was Aldwych, it probably should never have been built. Artefacts from London Museums were stored on the Eastern platform during the war. Londoners sheltered from the bombs on the western platform.

Charing Cross

The Jubilee line has disused platforms at Charing Cross. The platforms are often used for filming – the sequence in Skyfall is an example.

Euston

At Euston there are tunnels to connect the two original Underground stations. Competing companies built the stations. The rebuild of the station for the Victoria line resulted in closure of the tunnels in 1962.

Please click on one of the images as you listen to the talk to open the gallery.