{"id":1005,"date":"2022-01-09T16:28:43","date_gmt":"2022-01-09T16:28:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/lancashireloominary.co.uk\/index.html\/?p=1005"},"modified":"2022-01-09T16:29:06","modified_gmt":"2022-01-09T16:29:06","slug":"the-station-clock-a-railway-story","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/lancashireloominary.co.uk\/index.html\/the-station-clock-a-railway-story","title":{"rendered":"The Station Clock – a railway story"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Station Clock<\/strong><\/h4>\n

A railway story by Paul Salveson<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong>Part 1: The Station House<\/strong><\/p>\n

Grange-over-Sands on a wet evening in early January; rain mixed with sleet driving in across Morecambe Bay. Dave Little and his partner Jane Bradshaw had been for a walk along the promenade before combined common sense took over and they retreated back towards the hotel. They walked down High Street, taking shelter in the doorway of an estate agent to escape a particularly torrential downpour.<\/p>\n

The couple had decided to take a short break over New Year. Thanks partly to Covid, It had been a hard year for them both. Dave\u2019s lecturing job at Leeds University had lost much of its intellectual attraction thanks to Microsoft Teams taking over from human interaction. Jane\u2019s life had been harder, working as a consultant for the NHS in Bradford. Both were coming up for retirement and were ready for it; the stress of the last year was getting to them. A much-needed break in the South Lakes would allow them to see Jane\u2019s mum Agnes, in Barrow.<\/p>\n

They waited for the rain to pass and scanned the properties for sale.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s more pricey than Leeds,\u201d Dave thought out loud.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, we\u2019re not thinking about moving \u2013 are we?\u201d Jane responded.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, course not. But there could be worse places to live if we ever wanted to.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re joking! God\u2019s waiting room they call this place \u2013 very nice to visit and use as a base for walking but it\u2019d drive us both mad if we had to live here.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAye, you\u2019re right Janey. But hey, look at this \u2013 \u2018Station Master\u2019s House, Kirkhead Crossing \u2013 needs renovation but would make a superb home for couple or single-person seeking a quiet life.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShow me \u2013 God Dave it looks a bit of a wreck don\u2019t you think? Even an over-grown train-spotter like you should know better.\u201d<\/p>\n

He took another look. \u201cIt\u2019s going pretty cheap – \u00a3150k or near offer.\u201d<\/p>\n

The rain had stopped and Jane grabbed Dave\u2019s arm pulling him towards the hotel and the promise of a last glass of wine before bed.<\/p>\n

The room had a fine view across the bay towards Morecambe, the Midland Hotel \u2013 and the nuclear power station. Gazing through the window they could see the Isle of Man ferry coming in to dock at Heysham. A train rumbled past, slowing down to call at Grange, then re-starting and curling round the bay towards Kents Bank and Wraysholme. The red tail light flickered then disappeared in the distance, leaving only the sound of the train\u2019s horn as it approached the crossing before Kents Bank.<\/p>\n

\u201cJane… we were planning to do a walk over towards Cartmel tomorrow, why don\u2019t we see if we can get an appointment to call in and see that house, just out of curiosity…it\u2019s sort of on the way?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBloody hell Dave, you know what curiosity did?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, I know, killed the cat…but we don\u2019t have a cat.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re incorrigible…come on, let\u2019s get to bed. I\u2019ll ring the estate agent first thing but I bet they won\u2019t be able to fix anything before we leave on Wednesday.\u201d<\/p>\n

She rang the estate agents at 9.15, before they went down for breakfast. The woman on the other end of the phone explained that the house was empty and they could only do accompanied viewings. She\u2019d check the diary.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re in luck \u2013 we\u2019ve had a cancellation this morning. Could you make 11.30 at the property? Otherwise it would have to be Thursday.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThanks \u2013 we\u2019re heading home on Wednesday but it\u2019s OK, if you can do this morning that\u2019d be great. We\u2019ll see you there.\u201d<\/p>\n

They set out just after 11 along the winding, hilly road to Flookburgh. The rain had cleared and the morning sky over the bay was dramatic, changing by the minute with clouds scudding across the morning sky. They turned off the main road and along a single-track lane dropping down towards the sea. The railway came into view and they could see the house as they approached, past the old tower, an historic landmark now partly in ruins, used as farm buildings.<\/p>\n

They were a bit early so they parked up by the house and had a look round outside.<\/p>\n

\u201cI see what they mean about requiring renovation!\u201d groaned Jane. \u201cIt\u2019s a bloody wreck.\u201d<\/p>\n

Conversation was drowned out by the sound of warning sirens as the barriers just beyond the house came down across the road. A minute later a train came into sight and shot over the crossing. The gates lifted, silence returned.<\/p>\n

A car was approaching down the lane and stopped next to theirs. A well-dressed young woman carrying a file got out.<\/p>\n

\u201cHello, I\u2019m Margaret Postlethwaite \u2013 or just \u2018Mags\u2019 – \u00a0nice to meet you. As you can see, the house has seen better days. The last resident \u2013 Mr. Benson, the tenant \u2013 sadly passed away four years ago and he\u2019d not kept it in very good condition. The owner has been sitting on it since then but finally decided to sell. I know it\u2019s a mess, but that\u2019s reflected in the asking price. It\u2019s got great potential though!\u201d<\/p>\n

Margaret struggled with the door key, an old mortice lock that had got rusty. It finally turned and she opened the door to find a mountain of junk mail piled up behind.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think the electricity is still on, let\u2019s see if we can get some light!\u201d<\/p>\n

The lights came on to reveal two downstairs rooms with an adjoining kitchen. There was a bit of a garden at the side. The front window directly overlooked the line, with distant views of the bay and Humphrey Head beyond.<\/p>\n

The stairs led to a couple of small bedrooms and bathroom, very 1970s style. The windows were UpVC and the downstairs fireplace had been replaced by storage heaters. Whoever had been here, they weren\u2019t too interested in preserving heritage features. Not much apart from the shell of the house had survived. But one thing had \u2013 the old clock on the outside of the house, fixed above the front door and sheltered by a decaying timber canopy.<\/p>\n

It was fixed at 11.45 \u2013 the face was in Roman numerals, the traditional railway style.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe clock\u2019s a nice feature isn\u2019t it?\u201d the estate agent commented, \u201cdoesn\u2019t look like it\u2019s worked for years though. The station closed years before I was even born, don\u2019t think there\u2019d have been much need for a station clock, nobody ever used it.\u201d<\/p>\n

…………………………………………………………………………….<\/p>\n

Dave and Jane drove back to Leeds on Wednesday; most of the conversation centred on the house.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe could always buy it as a holiday home, maybe even make a bit of money from renting it out?\u201d suggested Dave.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, the red-hot socialist has turned all capitalist now! But there\u2019s the small problem of getting the money to buy it in the first place. Capitalists need capital.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJane, if we pooled some of our resources we could afford it \u2013 just.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd what about the \u00a330,000 \u2013 and maybe more \u2013 to make it liveable?\u201d Jane responded. \u201cListen, if you really want it, let\u2019s sell up and go for it. But after we\u2019re both retired. My mum would be delighted, she always complains we never see her.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo that\u2019s a \u2018yes\u2019 then?\u201d said Dave, swerving to avoid an oncoming lorry on the Settle by-pass.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, if we manage to live that long…\u201d<\/p>\n

The sale was agreed and their solicitor said she expected completion by June, fitting in well with both their retirement plans. As they signed the contracts, she wryly commented that they\u2019d both need to get proper station master\u2019s uniforms to go with the house. \u201cBut won\u2019t it be noisy with the trains going so near? Good luck, anyway.\u201d<\/p>\n

The sale was completed on time. They sold their house in Leeds with no difficulty and decided to stay a few weeks at a nearby pub \u2013 The Railway, appropriately enough \u2013 while they got stuck in with cleaning and painting, using local tradesmen to do the bigger jobs. They put their furniture into store for the time being.<\/p>\n

Jane went at the task with the zeal of a convert, coming up with grandiose ideas for timber-framed doors and windows and Victorian fireplaces in the downstairs rooms.<\/p>\n

They got on well with the people who ran the pub \u2013 Jack and Brenda Robinson. The family had had the pub for years, Jack inheriting it from his dad.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s good that someone\u2019s taking the Station House on\u201d, said Jack, as he served Dave a pint of his new-found favourite, Loweswater Gold. \u201cIt\u2019s not had a happy history but don\u2019t let that put you off.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat was that?\u201d picked up Jane. \u201cWhat happened?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOver the years there\u2019ve been a couple of accidents on the crossing,\u201d replied the landlord, warming to his subject. They sen as there\u2019s \u2018blood on those tracks\u2019. My dad remembers George Huddleston, a platelayer who lived with his family, getting run over right outside the house. Was distracted by something and a train hit him. Left a widow and three kids, though she – I think she was called Edith – carried on as crossing-keeper and kept the house. More recently there was a nasty accident late one night when one of the local lads drove over the crossing without looking. A train went right into the car and killed him outright. It was after that they put those automatic barriers in.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHuh, the estate agent said nothing about all that,\u201d sighed Jane.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not like you to be superstitious,\u201d said Dave, putting his arm round her. \u201cMaybe we\u2019ll get to know the ghost of the old station master, like \u2018Ben Isaacs\u2019 in that Arthur Askey film, \u2018The Ghost Train\u2019 \u2013 or the signalman in the Dickens\u2019 story.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh sod off Dave. And don\u2019t blame me if it all goes pear-shaped, if there\u2019s any ghosts around I\u2019ll be away off to mum\u2019s in Barrow.\u201d<\/p>\n

They made good progress on the house; no ghosts were spotted and the incidents recounted by the landlord were put aside as they grew more excited about \u2018moving in\u2019 day. They\u2019d filled two skips of rubbish, got local builders to put in a new kitchen, bathroom and \u2013 Jane won the argument \u2013 traditional timber-framed windows.<\/p>\n

Searching the internet, they had dug out some original photos of the Station House, taken around 1900, which they used to get the new fittings as close to the original as possible, which dated back to the line\u2019s opening in 1857.<\/p>\n

\u201cLook at that one, with the family group in front of the house,\u201d said Jane. \u201c\u2019Mr and Mrs George Huddleston and family, Kirkhead Station House, 1901.\u2019 That was the man Jack told us about in the pub, who was killed on the crossing. Poor chap, and leaving a wife and kids as well.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201c…and a crossing-keeper\u2019s wage wouldn\u2019t have stretched far then, if you\u2019ve three kids to bring up on your own. But at least she was able to stay on here.\u201d<\/p>\n

The local joiner and plumber had turned up on time, did a good job and didn\u2019t charge the earth. \u201cWould still be waiting for them to come if we were back in Leeds,\u201d said Jane, as she lugged the dining table chairs out of the removal van.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s just one thing we should think about,\u201d said Dave as they stood outside by the front door, enjoying a break between the unloading. \u201cThat clock.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat do you want to do with it,\u201d said Jane. Can\u2019t see it ever being made to work, it\u2019s OK where it is.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell let\u2019s have a look anyway.\u201d He got the ladders out and climbed up to the clock. It was screwed into a wooden panel that was rotten and the whole thing came off easily. Dave triumphantly carried his trophy down the ladder steps.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s take it inside and have a proper look.\u201d<\/p>\n

They were approaching the front door and a sudden wind slammed the door in Dave\u2019s face.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere the hell did that come from?\u201d Dave asked himself. Looking round, it was a calm, sunny July day.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s that ghost o\u2019 George Huddleston, I told yo\u2019,\u201d grinned Jane, lapsing into her mum\u2019s Barrow accent.<\/p>\n

Dave cleared some space on the kitchen table and started unscrewing the back of the clock. The screws were rusty and needed some WD 40 to encourage them, but eventually it pulled off. The mechanism looked as though it was still intact but badly rusted.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s no way we\u2019re going to get that working,\u201d said Dave. \u201cWe\u2019d be better off taking it to a clockmaker\u2019s and having the old mechanism out and putting in entirely new battery-operated gear into it. I saw an advert for a place in Grange, shall we see if they can do it?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, if you want, but let\u2019s keep the old mechanism, it\u2019d be a shame to throw it away,\u201d said Jane.<\/p>\n

The face of the clock was pock-marked with stains from being exposed to decades of harsh weather. But cleaning round it he could make out the words \u2018Furness Railway\u2019 and a serial number.<\/p>\n

\u201cBet this is worth something Jane, if we get stuck we could always sell it on e-bay.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh no we won\u2019t,\u201d responded Jane. \u201cIt\u2019s one of the few bits of originality about the place, apart from the stone and mortar. It stays here \u2013 but if you want to get it running, try that place in Grange.\u201d<\/p>\n

The clockmaker \u2013 another Postlethwaite, Harold, who it turns out was Mags\u2019 dad – was fascinated by it.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell I never. Furness Railway! It\u2019s a fine clock but as you say there\u2019s no way that mechanism will ever work. A shame to take it out, but don\u2019t be too sentimental. A clock\u2019s like a dog \u2013 made to work not be an ornament.<\/p>\n

As he spoke, Ella, a retriever, came bounding out of the back room. \u201cThough there\u2019s always exceptions to the rule, I suppose.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cRight, well if you can go ahead that\u2019s great. We want to keep the old mechanism as part of the history of the house but having the clock working again would be the icing on the cake of everything we\u2019ve done.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAye, it\u2019ll be a nice touch. Our Margaret told me about you and your wife buying the place. Good to get it occupied after all that trouble.\u201d<\/p>\n

The clock was ready in just a couple of days. Harold had done a decent job, even to the extent of giving the clock an artificial \u2018tick-tock\u2019 to make it seem a bit more \u2018real\u2019. Jane wasn\u2019t convinced but it appealed to Dave.<\/p>\n

Why don\u2019t we keep it in the house? asked Jane. \u201cIt\u2019d look good in the kitchen and nobody would see it outside above the door. There won\u2019t be any passengers turning up for their train to Carnforth or Barrow, checking to see if they were in time.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOK, let\u2019s try it in the kitchen. I\u2019ll get a few rawl plugs and screw it into the wall above the dining table.\u201d<\/p>\n

After weeks of hyper activity \u2013 and stress \u2013 trying to get everything done, it seemed strange to be able to just relax and do nothing much. \u00a0A few friends from Leeds came over to see the new place and Jane\u2019s mum drove across from Barrow.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy, it\u2019s lovely. And what a great job you\u2019ve done on it. I love that clock, where did you get it from?\u201d she asked Jane.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt came with the house \u2013 we\u2019ve had to have the mechanism changed \u2013 no way it could\u2019ve been repaired. But it looks a treat, doesn\u2019t it?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt does. They say clocks can bring you luck \u2013 good and bad, it has to be said. But I hope that\u2019s a lucky clock.\u201d<\/p>\n

Summer gradually progressed into Autumn and the winds coming across the bay got stronger. They discovered they had a few neighbours, some of whom they\u2019d met during their three weeks\u2019 stay at the pub.<\/p>\n

David Braithwaite was a local farmer, one of the few regular users of the crossing. He had two sides two him \u2013 the taciturn north Lancashire farmer but with a kinder welcoming side.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve brought you a few eggs – and some jam the wife has made. A sort of house-warming present though I know you\u2019ve been here a few weeks now. Settling in alreet?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh yes,\u201d responded Jane. \u201cAnd thanks so much for the eggs. I was just going to pop into Flookburgh for some things so I can cross them off the list. Lovely.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAye, they\u2019ll taste better than those eggs you get in supermarkets from battery hens. Wouldn\u2019t touch \u2018em. Now then, I see the old clock\u2019s gone?\u201d he said, looking up to the blank space where the clock had been fixed.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell not exactly, Dave took it down and it\u2019s in the kitchen. We got a new mechanism put in – it works now.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I\u2019m glad it is. They sen as that was what, indirectly like, killed George Huddleston.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow do you mean?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, this is just hearsay passed down but my fayther told me as George had had a few bottles of ale an\u2019 he decided he\u2019d go out and wind up the clock. Silly bugger, it were well after 11 o\u2019 clock at neet and pitch black. Wind blowing like mad. His wife begged him to stay in but he\u2019d have nowt of it. The next thing we know is the sound of a train whistling – and a shout. They found George\u2019s body further down the track. A bit of a mess by all accounts. Sorry lass, hope that doesn\u2019t upset you. Long time ago, before the Great War. But time moves slower round here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Part 2: The Coach and Horses and the Airport Express<\/strong><\/p>\n

Dave and Jane had time to explore the area, making the most of the fine walking country around Cartmel and Grange. A stroll down to Humphrey Head was a regular afternoon outing, by the \u2018holy well\u2019 and up onto the headland where legend says the last wolf in England was killed. Standing on the headland looking out across the bay you could see Morecambe, and round to the west was Ulverston and the Hoad Monument; Barrow further along.<\/p>\n

Before the railway was built there was a regular coach service across the bay. It was a dangerous experience and a journey that had claimed many lives over the centuries. It was discontinued after the railway opened in 1857 though people carried on walking across, using the services of The Guide who lived further round the coast between Kents Bank and Grange.<\/p>\n

………………………………………………………<\/p>\n

It was a typically wet and windy night in late October. The last train of the day was the Manchester Airport to Barrow, reporting number 1C50, powered by one of the new class 195 trains \u2013 \u2018Pride of Cumbria.\u2019 The last train from \u2018the south\u2019 to Barrow has been known by generations of railway folk and locals as \u2018The Whip\u2019 \u2013 though nobody knows why.<\/p>\n

The driver was Jimmy Helm, an old-hand Barrow man who had started on the railway as a cleaner at Carnforth, not long after the end of steam. He\u2019d been booked as a driver at Barrow for 25 years and was coming up to retirement. Jack had company from Preston \u2013 his old mate Derek Graham who was booked to return to Barrow \u2018as passenger\u2019 after bringing in a train from Windermere. He was sat in the front coach behind Jimmy, and joined him \u2013 against the rules but no prying eyes would be around at that time of night – after they left Carnforth. The train gradually emptied, small handfuls of people getting out at Silverdale, Arnside and Grange.<\/p>\n

At Kents Bank a couple of regulars got on, heading home to Barrow after seeing friends. They waved to Jack from the platform as they joined the train, thankful to get into the warmth. After the doors had closed he got the \u2018right away\u2019 signal from Jenny.<\/p>\n

It had started to rain \u2013 hard. That sort of icy, horizontal rain that comes in off Morecambe Bay when it has a mind to, which is frequently.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell Derek, just a few months to go and that\u2019s it. Job\u2019s not what it was, I\u2019ll be able to get me feet up or do a spot o\u2019 fishin.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAye, an\u2019 I won\u2019t be far behind you! I\u2019ve had enough o\u2019 4 a.m. starts and late finishes like this.\u201d Derek agreed.<\/p>\n

The train gathered speed and swept round the curve past Humphrey Head and the farm buildings to the left, rain lashing across the train\u2019s windscreen making visibility difficult. They\u2019d left Kents Bank on time at 23.43 and were hoping for a slightly early finish at Barrow.<\/p>\n

It wasn\u2019t to be.<\/p>\n

Jack had expected the signal controlling Kirkhead Crossing to be showing \u2018green\u2019 \u2013 and it was, together with a flashing white signal to tell the driver that the crossing was working correctly.<\/p>\n

A couple of seconds later Jack looked through the rain-spattered windscreen in horror. The gates were open<\/em> to the road and there was what looked like a horse and cart, or carriage, galloping towards the crossing.<\/p>\n

\u201cBloody\u2019ell! What in f…\u2019s name…..\u201d shouted Jack as he threw the train brake into a full emergency application. He felt the train rock violently.<\/p>\n

Derek had instinctively crouched down behind the control panel to avoid any shattered glass hitting him. Jack just looked on in shock. The next moment there was a loud bang and a flash, with the snorts of a distressed horse. In the train there were shouts of panic as the train slowed to a violent halt.<\/p>\n

The train\u2019s brakes had taken effect quickly and the three-coaches shuddered to a stand about a hundred yards beyond the crossing.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou alreet mate? Derek asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell I\u2019m not hurt. But f….n\u2019 hell, what was that?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cB…..d if I know but we\u2019ll go and see. Better get the \u2018red button\u2019 pressed so the signaller and Control know we\u2019ve a problem. We could be here a while.\u201d<\/p>\n

The conductor, Jenny Johnson, had been issuing a ticket to the couple who\u2019d got on at Kent\u2019s Bank when she was thrown to the floor when the train lurched to a stop. She was just behind the cab door.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou guys OK? What happened?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI wish we knew \u2013 we had a green \u2013 didn\u2019t we Derek? \u2013 yet the gates were open and some sort of horse-drawn carriage ran across. We hit it, I\u2019m sure. That\u2019s as much as I can say. Let\u2019s have a look at the train and see if there\u2019s any damage. Jenny, tell the passengers what\u2019s happening and put some clips down on the up line to mek sure we\u2019re protected.\u201d<\/p>\n

She put her \u2018hi-vis\u2019 jacket on and jumped onto the track with the regulation pair of Track Circuit Operating Clips, fixed across the rails to put signals to danger, if they weren\u2019t already. Just to make sure they were on, she gave each clip a good stamping with her boots.<\/p>\n

The Ulverston \u2018bobby\u2019 had been alerted by the emergency signal \u2013 the \u2018red button\u2019 – and the cab telephone rang within a few seconds.<\/p>\n

Arthur Pickstone, the signaller, had been expecting a quiet night.<\/p>\n

\u201cHello Signaller. This is an emergency call. This is the driver of IC50 stopped in advance of Signal U24. I think we\u2019ve just struck summat at Kirkhead Crossing. Can you confirm signaller that all lines are blocked so I can go down and safely inspect. Thank you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBy the hell, I wondered where you\u2019d got to,\u201d Pickstone replied. \u201cIs everyone OK? \u00a0Control is aware of the situation and all I can tell you is wait for further instructions. There\u2019s nothing on the \u2018up\u2019 now until the 5 a.m. Airport but take care all the same.\u00a0 I can confirm that both lines are blocked. It\u2019s bloody strange, everything was working OK at this end, the gates were shown as down and you had a green signal.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re telling me<\/em> it\u2019s strange \u2013 I had a green and the flashing whites but the barriers seemed to be up \u2013 and this horse and cart, or something, went across and it sounded as though we\u2019d hit it. Anyway, stay awake and I\u2019ll let you know if we find owt. I\u2019ve got a driver travelling home passenger with us and he\u2019ll assist, as well as my guard.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jack climbed down onto the track with his lamp to see if there was any damage, or sign of what he might have hit. He was prepared for the worst, having been involved in another crossing accident years ago near Millom. Some poor old demented sod had wandered onto the line and the train hit him full on. There wasn\u2019t much of him left. It made an awful mess of the train too.<\/p>\n

This time there was no scene of squashed bodies with blood, skin and bone smattered around the front. Nothing at all, as far as he could see. Derek had gone back with Jenny reassuring the few passengers on the train that everything was OK but they could be stuck a while. Most of them took it well, though one character who\u2019d been on the ale at Lancaster started shouting the odds about compensation.<\/p>\n

\u201cEveryone will get compensation, don\u2019t worry about that \u2013 I\u2019ll go round with forms for you to fill in and claim, we\u2019re just checking there are no casualties,\u201d said Jenny. \u201cA…….e\u201d, she thought to herself.<\/p>\n

Derek looked round towards the crossing and sure enough the gates were down \u2013 the train had stopped within the overlap before they would go back up for road traffic \u2013 not that there\u2019d be any at that time of night.<\/p>\n

The Control duty manager at Manchester, Dave Parkinson, rang Jimmy a few minutes later after Jimmy\u2019s initial check round the train \u2013 which had revealed nothing. He\u2019d started his railway career at Carnforth so knew the line well.<\/p>\n

\u201cHello driver \u2013 that\u2019s Jimmy Helm isn\u2019t it? I knew you when I was Signalling Manager at Barrow back in the 90s. You OK? What\u2019s happened?\u201d<\/p>\n

Jimmy explained, as best he could, what he\u2019d seen and how he had reacted, adding that he\u2019d done as good an inspection of the train as he could \u2013 it was a dark night and the rain was still coming down in buckets \u2013 and nothing had been found.<\/p>\n

\u201cBloody hell Jimmy, that\u2019s some story. Listen, I\u2019m going to send out some relief for you \u2013 you\u2019ve had a nasty shock. Cliff Rudge was just signing off and he owed me a favour, so he\u2019s on his way in a taxi \u2013 just hope the driver can find you. Des Melia, the on-call DTM is with him and Network Rail has been informed; their Mobile Ops Manager is on his way from Lancaster so you\u2019ll have quite a party! How\u2019s your conductor? Is she OK? I\u2019ll try and raise her on-call Conductor Team Manager if need be?\u201d<\/p>\n

Jenny responded saying she was fine apart from a bit of a bruised knee after the sudden stop and dragging the on-call CTM out on a night like this would be over-kill.<\/p>\n

\u201cGood, it was starting to get a bit over-crowded. We\u2019ve sent out for technicians from Newton Heath to have a closer look under the train \u2013 as close as possible on a dark night anyway \u2013 and that\u2019s going to take some time. The taxi will take the five passengers; you and your mate go back to Barrow on the train with your conductor, which will run as empty.\u201d<\/p>\n

……………………………………………………………………………..<\/p>\n

Derek managed to walk down the four-foot, in the driving rain, towards the Station House, which was in darkness, though Dave and Jane\u2019s car was outside suggesting the occupants were at home in bed. He thought it wise to let the occupants know what had happened \u2013 and there might be a brew going, though they might not appreciate being woken up at half past midnight.<\/p>\n

He rang the door bell and after a couple of minutes some lights went on and Dave opened the door.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m really sorry to disturb you sir. I\u2019m a driver on the Barrow train and there\u2019s been an incident here at the crossing. We can\u2019t see anything amiss but we\u2019ve had to make an emergency stop. The train is just down the line.\u201d Derek pointed to the red tail light of the beleaguered express.<\/p>\n

\u201cDid you hear anything, about fifteen minutes ago? We seemed to hit something, looked like a horse and carriage of some kind, and it made a huge bang.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dave looked nonplussed. \u201cI\u2019m quite a light sleeper but I didn\u2019t hear anything. Look, would you like to come in and have a cup of tea? You look in a bit of a state. If there are others bring them down and we\u2019ll get the kettle on.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s very kind but the rules say we\u2019ve got to keep the passengers on the train for the time being \u2013 if we have hit something we don\u2019t want to give them any nasty shocks. But we will need to get the passengers out of the train eventually, when the taxi arrives to take them home; we could be stuck for hours. It\u2019s not a nice night to be standing around in the middle of nowhere \u2013 if you don\u2019t mind me saying so \u2013 with no shelter.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure, fully understand. Tell you what \u2013 we\u2019ll get the kettle on and make a pot of tea and you can take it back to the train, cups and milk provided as well!\u201d<\/p>\n

The five passengers, as well as Jimmy, Derek and Jenny, appreciated the cups of tea and biscuits. Even the drunk \u2013 who\u2019d sobered up a bit by now \u2013 was appreciative of Dave and Jane\u2019s hospitality.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll keep an eye out for the taxi,\u201d said Jane, before Derek walked back to the train. \u201cA lot of taxis don\u2019t know the area, just hope he\u2019s not got lost and ended up in Grange. What time is it Dave?\u201d<\/p>\n

Another half hour passed; Dave and Jane stayed up to greet the taxi. \u201cOh shit, the clock has stopped. It\u2019s still showing 11.45. Hang on, I\u2019ll get the phone out. It\u2019s 1 o\u2019clock now and I think I can hear something coming down the lane \u2013 must be the taxi.\u201d<\/p>\n

The cab stopped just short of the crossing, with a Network Rail 4×4 just behind with Cathy Huddleston, the on-call Ops Manager; Cliff Rudge and Des Melia got out, offering to help the train crew get the passengers safely down the track to the crossing.<\/p>\n

Knowing the \u2018up\u2019 line was blocked the small group of passengers and railway staff was led down the track by Jenny, using her torch to show the way.<\/p>\n

She saw the passengers into the taxi and told the driver to drop off two off at Ulverston then head direct for Barrow with the rest. Checks had been made at Cark and Dalton just in case anyone was waiting and luckily there wasn\u2019t \u2013 or they\u2019d given up and ordered a cab.<\/p>\n

Jimmy got onto the signalman at Ulverston and told him the taxi was on its way to Barrow. \u201cThanks driver. Control has said the rolling stock technicians should be with you soon.\u201d<\/p>\n

Clive Draper and Ash Patel were there by 2.15 a.m., greeting Clive with characteristic Manchester humour.<\/p>\n

\u201cHello driver, what have you got for us then? Hope it\u2019s not too grisly because we\u2019ve only just had our supper.\u201d<\/p>\n

A more thorough inspection produced the same result as Jimmy\u2019s. There was nothing apparent. \u201cWhat they\u2019ll probably do,\u201d said Ash. \u201cis send the train to Newton Heath for a more detailed inspection tomorrow. If this train has hit anything \u2013 and we can\u2019t see a thing \u2013 they\u2019ll find out.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cliff Rudge, now the driver of the train, rang Ulverston box to say that the train was ready to proceed following the inspection. Cathy had checked the gates as best she could in the darkness and they seemed to be working OK.<\/p>\n

\u201cThanks driver, you\u2019re right away to depot then. And I can catch up on my night\u2019s reading \u2013 it\u2019s a ghost story! But mebbe yours is better!\u201d<\/p>\n

Derek and Jenny thanked Jane and Dave for their hospitality. \u201cWe\u2019re really grateful for all your help; some folk would have slammed the door in our faces and told us to get lost!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m really glad we could help and hope you get to the bottom of the mystery. Let us know if you hear anything,\u201d said Jane as Derek turned towards his train, feeling ever more baffled as to what he and Jimmy had experienced.<\/p>\n

Cliff took the controls and the train moved forward \u2013 Jimmy and Derek sat at the table behind the cab door.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo you\u2019re telling me that you saw a horse and carriage galloping over the crossing and you think you hit it \u2013 but there\u2019s no trace of any damage? Had you two been on the piss in Preston?\u201d shouted Cliff from the cab. \u201cYou couldn\u2019t make it up though, I\u2019ll give you that. And to be honest, and seriously, I know you two aren\u2019t ale cans.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jimmy, Derek and Jenny signed off at 3.45 after each completed an incident report. They knew they hadn\u2019t heard the last of it. The duty supervisor told them Control had said they were to phone in at 12.00 and they\u2019d take it from there, but they were not expected to take up their booked work. \u201cFor your own good \u2013 you\u2019ve had a fright, especially you Jimmy,\u201d\u00a0 Eddie Wilson, the supervisor added.<\/p>\n

…………………………………………………………….<\/p>\n

They were asked to appear the following afternoon before their Driver Manager at Barrow. It was Mary Harrop, an experienced manager with ten years\u2019 driving experience, but half the age of both the drivers.<\/p>\n

She was suitably deferential to Jimmy and Derek, seeing each individually, offering them cups of tea. They told the same story of what they\u2019d seen happen. Derek was the second interviewee.<\/p>\n

\u201cDerek, you and Jimmy have had unblemished careers and I know you\u2019re both coming up for retirement. All we can see is that you made an emergency stop at Kirkhead Crossing. That\u2019s OK, you didn\u2019t go through a red, nothing untoward happened. If I was you, off the record, I\u2019d keep quiet about this \u2018horse and carriage\u2019 story. I\u2019m not saying I don\u2019t believe you. I don\u2019t know what to believe. But if it went to Rail Accident Investigation Branch I can\u2019t see them swallowing it. Can you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, Mary, you\u2019re right. But it\u2019s a queer do that we both saw this bloody nag, and heard one hell of a bang. And both of us saw the barriers were up. What d\u2019you mek o\u2019that?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve had a preliminary report from Network Rail on the barriers at Kirkhead and they say they\u2019re working normally and no fault has been detected. Same with the signal that protects the crossing. So we\u2019re still none the wiser. The 195 has been sent to Newton Heath for examination, let\u2019s see if they can find any trace of it hitting something. For now, I\u2019m giving both you and your mate a week\u2019s sick leave. Whatever did happen that night it might have an effect on you and your alertness so we\u2019re not taking any chances. In fact, let\u2019s make it two weeks. OK?\u201d<\/p>\n

It was coming up to Christmas so a couple of weeks paid leave wasn\u2019t unwelcome to either of them. Jenny was given two days off.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d give you a bit longer chuck but we\u2019re short-handed and we\u2019re already having to cancel trains because we\u2019ve no guards,\u201d the CTM Janice Pickering explained.<\/p>\n

…………………………………………………………………………….<\/p>\n

Jimmy\u2019s wife, Alex, had been saying she fancied a trip to Grange to visit Higginson\u2019s the famous butchers, so how about a run out in the car next week?<\/p>\n

That gave Jimmy an idea. It would be nice to call in at the Station House and personally thank the people there \u2013 David and Jane he remembered \u2013 and have a look at the place in daylight.<\/p>\n

The car meandered down the lane from Allithwaite and pulled up outside the Station House. Dave was doing a bit of work outside, making the most of the mild November weather.<\/p>\n

\u201cHello, I don\u2019t know if you remember me but I was one of the drivers on the train that made the emergency stop last week. Just called round to thank you for your hospitality. It was really appreciated.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo problem at all, we don\u2019t get much excitement round here and it has certainly given us something to talk about. And we\u2019ve been doing a bit of our own research. Come in and have a cup of tea.<\/p>\n

Jimmy and Alex went into the sitting room where they\u2019d been on \u2018that night\u2019, feeling much less stressed than Jimmy had been then. Jane joined the company.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m glad you called round,\u201d Jane said as she placed the coffee and cakes on the table. \u201cAfter last week we\u2019ve been doing a bit of research on the area and found some things that might interest you. Back in the 1850s, when the railway was being constructed, there was still a horse carriage service, a few days a week, from Ulverston to Lancaster, \u2018over the sands\u2019. It didn\u2019t last long after the railway opened \u2013 it was unreliable and dangerous. What probably killed it off was a terrible accident that happened in November 1857 when it tried to cross the bay on a stormy night,\u201d Jane explained.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Westmorland Gazette<\/em> had a lot to say about it \u2013 the carriage, carrying four people, a driver and guide, got lost in the sands and it was only a couple of days later when the bodies started to appear, washed up at Kents Bank and by Humphrey Head. The coach driver was never found, probably got washed out into the sea. \u00a0The route the coach took was this crossing by our house, then round by Kirkhead Hall to Kents Bank \u2013 and then headed across the sands. It was a stormy night, the driver took a big risk, and sadly paid for it. The coach left Ulverston at 11.00 pm so would have been at the the crossing by around 11.45 \u2013 the time when you saw what you thought was a horse-drawn carriage.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, thanks, that\u2019s really very interesting. I\u2019ve seen paintings of the carriages crossing the sands, led by teams of horses. I thought that had finished by the early 1800s.\u201d Jimmy gazed into his coffee.<\/p>\n

\u201cHave another biscuit James \u2013 they are very nice – then we\u2019d better get on our way,\u201d announced Mrs Helm, lowering the tension.<\/p>\n

\u201cThanks once again for your kindness,\u201d said Jimmy. If I hear anything from the examination of the train I\u2019ll let you know.\u201d<\/p>\n

………………………………………………..<\/p>\n

Two days later his mobile rang. \u201cHello Jimmy, it\u2019s Mary here at Preston. \u201cWe\u2019ve had some results back from Newton Heath. The examination of the class 195 unit didn\u2019t produce much more than the usual bits and bobs that trains pick up \u2013 remains of birds that had got in the way, a few branches, general muck. But they did<\/em> find traces of timber \u2013 polished wood to be precise \u2013 at the front end. One of our \u2018Year in Industry\u2019 students said she could take a sample of the wood to the university and ask one of his mates in the labs if they could do an analysis of it. Now this is where it does get interesting. The bit of wood was well over a hundred years old. Probably 150 years or even more. There was some lacquer on one side, used by coach makers back in the 1840s, on both traditional horse-drawn carriages and early railway carriages. This sample also showed some trace of, well, to put it crudely, horse shit. So you don\u2019t need to be Sherlock Holmes to think it was the remains of a horse-drawn carriage from the 1850s which our 21st<\/sup> century train had managed to hit. Or might have done. Maybe. What do you think of that then?\u201d<\/p>\n

There was a long silence on the phone at Jimmy\u2019s end. \u201cSo d\u2019you think my story \u2013 and Derek\u2019s \u2013 about hitting a horse and carriage isn\u2019t such a fantasy after all?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not saying I\u2019ve changed my mind \u2013 and I don\u2019t see how we could take this to RAIB and expect them to believe us. And it wasn\u2019t a reportable accident anyway. But I thought it might give you and Derek some peace of mind. As far as the company\u2019s concerned, case closed. Enjoy your leave and please don\u2019t see any more ghosts, OK? And by the way, you know the company takes a dim view of unauthorised members of staff riding with the driver?\u201d<\/p>\n

……………………………………………………………………<\/p>\n

The following day \u2013 Jimmy was still on his enforced leave \u2013 he decided to call round again at the Station House and tell the couple what he\u2019d been told. Dave was out \u2013 Jane said he\u2019d been at the clockmaker\u2019s getting the old clock mended after it had stopped the other night. Dave came through the door, holding the ancient time-piece.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe clockmaker said there didn\u2019t seem anything wrong with it \u2013 put a new battery in but it was working alright before. Just a quirk.\u201d<\/p>\n

Blitz over Barrow<\/strong><\/p>\n

Dave and Jane settled into life at Kirkhead. Christmas came and went and they were able to get out and do more exploring around the South Lakes. Retirement was doing both of them good \u2013 no more of the occasional rows, no stressful \u2018Teams\u2019 meetings. And the clock was keeping perfect time. Spring came round, one of those magnificent Springs where the valleys of the Winster, Duddon and Rusland Pool were full of colour and warmth.<\/p>\n

It was a Saturday, May 7th<\/sup>. Dave and Jane had been out for a long walk over Hampsfell, getting home in time for a late supper followed by an early night.<\/p>\n

It was Dave who first heard something, at about quarter to twelve.<\/p>\n

It seemed to be coming from Ulverston way. Nothing could have prepared him for what he saw. The sky was completely ablaze and opening the window he heard a seemingly endless succession of explosions and what sounded like heavy gunfire.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy God! Jane, come here…I can\u2019t believe this is happening.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere\u2019s it coming from? It must be Barrow \u2013 it\u2019s well beyond Ulverston. It looks like the whole town\u2019s on fire……What\u2019s going on? There was nothing on the news. Are we at war? Or at the receiving end of some sort of terrorist attack? If one of those nuclear subs goes up the whole of Cumbria could go with it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dave stood at the window, staring in shock. The explosions continued, with the sound of counter-attack fire coming from below. What looked like an aircraft burst into flames, downed by the ground fire.<\/p>\n

The next moment they heard loud banging on the front door.<\/p>\n

\u201cHelp! Please let us in! Help!\u201d<\/p>\n

Dave dashed down the stairs and opened the door \u2013 to find nothing. The rain was lashing against the porch and he checked up and down the lane \u2013 there was no sign of anything.<\/p>\n

He went back upstairs. The sound of explosions in the distance continued and through the rain they could see the flames getting higher. After two minutes the banging started again. \u201cPlease help us! Let us in!\u201d<\/p>\n

This time they both went down, with a torch and some trepidation. The door blew open with the wind, Jane was drenched by a squall of rain. There was no-one to be seen.<\/p>\n

\u201cLook, let\u2019s make ourselves a brew \u2013 we\u2019re not going to get any sleep with all this going on \u2013 and if we do get any more visits at least we\u2019ll be downstairs. Maybe it\u2019s kids playing stupid games.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDave, come off it. What kids? And at half past midnight? Any naughty boys will be safely packed up in bed. We\u2019re not in Headingley now!\u201d<\/p>\n

It was then that Jane made a sudden realisation. \u201cMum! Oh my God Dave, she could be in the middle of all that. I\u2019ve got to ring her.\u201d<\/p>\n

She rushed downstairs picking up the landline which was placed on the kitchen table below the clock. The phone rang for what seemed an eternity until at last she heard a voice.<\/p>\n

\u201cWho\u2019s that ringing at this time?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMum, it\u2019s me, Jane. Are you alright?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCourse I\u2019m bloody well alright, at least I was before you woke me up. What\u2019s the matter?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, well…. nothing really, we just keep hearing explosions that seem to be coming from Barrow way. You sure you\u2019re OK?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes love, I am. Have you been on the wine again? We\u2019re alright here, get some sleep,\u201d as she put the phone down.<\/p>\n

Jane stood still for some time. She noticed that the clock had stopped again, at its usual time of 11.45. Bloody clockmaker! It would have to go back in the morning. Hopefully he wouldn\u2019t charge.<\/p>\n

She went back upstairs; the fires had disappeared and the explosions had stopped. All that remained was a gentle whistling through the trees and the sound of the barriers coming down as a slightly-delayed Barrow train came rattling over the crossing.<\/p>\n

Jane and Dave settled back down to bed; neither could sleep. She mentioned the clock stopping again.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sure that clock has something to do with all this. All the bad things here have happened at 11.45. It can\u2019t be a coincidence. Come on Jane, we\u2019ve both got PhDs, we should be able to get to the bottom of this.\u201d<\/p>\n

That morning, before taking the clock back to Grange, Jane got on the internet and googled \u2018Barrow \u2013 bombings\u2019. Wikipedia described the events of May 1941:<\/p>\n

\u201cThe difficulty of solely targeting Barrow’s shipyard meant that many residential neighbourhoods were bombed instead; 83 civilians were killed, 330\u00a0injured, and over 10,000\u00a0houses were damaged or destroyed during the Blitz, about 25\u00a0percent of the town’s housing stock. Surrounding towns and villages were often mistaken for Barrow and were attacked instead, while many streets in Barrow were severely damaged. Bombing during mid-April 1941 caused significant damage to a central portion of <\/em>Abbey Road<\/em><\/a>, completely destroying the Waverley Hotel as well as Christ Church and the Abbey Road Baptist Church. The town’s main public baths and Essoldo Theatre were also severely damaged, however they were repaired within years. Hawcoat Lane is a street that is most noted for taking a direct destructive hit in early May 1941. Barrow has been described as somewhat unprepared for the Blitz, as there were only enough public shelters for 5\u00a0percent of the town’s population; some people who lived in the <\/em>town centre<\/em><\/a> were even forced to seek refuge in hedgerows on the outskirts of Barrow. This shortage of shelters was believed to have led to excessively high casualties<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

The worst of the bombings took place on May 7th<\/sup>, with the bombardment starting the previous night, just before midnight. Other reports told of terrified Barrovians fleeing the blitz, getting trains or buses – if they could – to surrounding towns and villages where they hoped they\u2019d be safe. A train left Barrow that evening bound for Carnforth, packed with people escaping to wherever they could \u2013 Dalton, Ulverston, Cark \u2013 and Kirkhead. It departed minutes before the station suffered a direct hit. Many families were said to have taken shelter in strangers\u2019 homes, barns or just on roadsides. Anything would be better than what they\u2019d experienced that night.<\/p>\n

\u201cLook at this Dave. This is what we saw last night. Or imagined what we saw. 80 years to the day. I remember mum talking about it all, stories her mum had told her. She lived at the bottom of Abbey Road which took some of the worst of the blitz. She was lucky, but some of the houses nearby were destroyed and several of her neighbours died. She helped pull some of the bodies out of the rubble, including little kids. Grandad was away in North Africa, with the Lancashire Fusiliers. When he came back and saw the town he said it looked like they\u2019d had it worse than anything Rommel threw at them. And that hammering on the door \u2013 was it something to do with those poor people fleeing the bombing \u2013 eighty years ago?\u201d<\/p>\n

The series of events was starting to take its toll. Rows between Dave and Jane become more common, almost as bad as when they were both doing stressful jobs. Jane was starting to think they should put the house up for sale. They\u2019d get their money back, even with all the extra work they\u2019d done.<\/p>\n

Dave took the clock back to Postlethwaite\u2019s. He had some sympathy for what Jane was saying.<\/p>\n

\u201cGood morning David,\u201d Harold looked up from his current \u2018patient\u2019 as he called them and put down his pipe. \u201cNot more problems with that railway clock? Let\u2019s have a look.\u201d<\/p>\n

The battery was tested and was OK; the clock had started working that morning, after Dave had re-set the fingers.<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you think there\u2019s something odd about the clock?\u201d Dave asked. \u201cI mean…something supernatural. Sounds weird I know. We\u2019ve been doing some digging and it seems that all the bad things \u2013 fatal accidents, imagined fires and explosions, seem to happen around the same time of night \u2013 11.45 \u2013 and the clock stops working. I\u2019d have said it was just coincidence if it was a couple of times, but it\u2019s more than that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Postlethwaite sat down on his bench and re-lit his pipe, aping his hero, Harold Wilson.<\/p>\n

\u201cStrange things happen Dave. Have you ever heard of the Timberbottom Skulls, over Bolton way? They\u2019d been displayed in a farmhouse for many, many years, with a legend that they should never be moved. Then some bright spark came along and moved \u2018em. They didn\u2019t like it. They created havoc. It was only when they were put back in their original resting place that the trouble stopped. It may sound a mad idea, but why not put the clock back in its original place; I\u2019ll fit the old mechanism \u2013 happy to do it, as favour, and I\u2019ll sort you out with a nice retro-style Victorian clock for the kitchen.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dave returned the following day with the clock and the old mechanism which they\u2019d been lucky enough to keep in a bottom drawer, following Jane\u2019s intervention. Postlethwaite took out the new battery-powered mechanism there and put back the old clockwork machinery.<\/p>\n

\u201cPity it\u2019ll never work. But good luck \u2013 let\u2019s hope these strange goings-on come to an end. I\u2019ll order one of those repro railway clocks for you. They cost about \u00a360 and look OK.\u201d<\/p>\n

……………………………………………………………………..<\/p>\n

Jane had already been up the ladders and fixed a new wooden batten on the wall above the front door. She was a better DIY-er than Dave, though he wouldn\u2019t admit it.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell done love! Let\u2019s give it a coat or two of paint to protect it from the weather and we\u2019ll mount the clock tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n

It was another fine day and after breakfast Dave volunteered to fix the clock back into place. Three long screws went easily into the batten, fixing the clock firmly in place. Dave went back down the ladders, pleased with his efforts.<\/p>\n

Neither of them noticed that the clock had started to work.<\/p>\n

Tick-tock-tick-tock \u2013 tick-tock<\/p>\n

……………………………………………………………………………………….<\/p>\n

January 9th<\/sup> 2022<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Many thanks to all who have helped with technical advice, particularly Chris, Jason and Tim.<\/p>\n

Note that this is a work of fiction, loosely based on a particular part of the Furness Peninsula. The characters are entirely fictional. Barrow was badly hit during the Second World War and the story is told in detail through displays in the town\u2019s Dock Museum. Barrow station did suffer a direct hit but the part of the story about a train taking people out of the town is imagined \u2013 but may well have happened. See The Barrow Blitz<\/em>, by Bryn Trescatheric.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Station Clock A railway story by Paul Salveson \u00a0Part 1: The Station House Grange-over-Sands on a wet evening in early January; rain mixed with sleet driving in across Morecambe Bay. Dave Little and his partner Jane Bradshaw had been for a walk along the promenade before combined common sense took over and they retreated […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1005","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/lancashireloominary.co.uk\/index.html\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1005","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/lancashireloominary.co.uk\/index.html\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/lancashireloominary.co.uk\/index.html\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/lancashireloominary.co.uk\/index.html\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/lancashireloominary.co.uk\/index.html\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1005"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/lancashireloominary.co.uk\/index.html\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1005\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1007,"href":"http:\/\/lancashireloominary.co.uk\/index.html\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1005\/revisions\/1007"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/lancashireloominary.co.uk\/index.html\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1005"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/lancashireloominary.co.uk\/index.html\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1005"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/lancashireloominary.co.uk\/index.html\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1005"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}