The summer of 97!

To add to the report of work on the roof the other week, you might like these photos from the Summer of 1997

1. Life was so much simpler back then - no trains (or visitors) to worry about.

2. Even so, there was a glimpse of things to come, with a refreshment table and parasol on the front lawn, for volunteer use.

3. The Lynton-end chimney stack had to be completely rebuilt, due to crumbling brickwork. Here we can see Martin Turner (now Talyllyn Railway CME) in blue shirt, with Tony Williams and Jim Pounds getting a sun-tan. We had some warm weather that summer!

4. The view down into the goods-yard area reveals great changes: no track back then, of course, but even the up-platform was largely missing. On the far-left can be seen the remains of the original goods sheds, which collapsed in a storm a couple of years later. On the down-platform, the posts from the SR running-in board were standing, but the panel between reading “WOODY BAY” had long been lost. Incidentally, the VW camper belonged to Jim Pounds - he still has it today.

Dave Tooke