{"id":1540,"date":"2024-02-23T13:56:11","date_gmt":"2024-02-23T13:56:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/lancashireloominary.co.uk\/index.html\/?p=1540"},"modified":"2024-02-23T14:59:24","modified_gmt":"2024-02-23T14:59:24","slug":"northern-salvo-317","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/lancashireloominary.co.uk\/index.html\/northern-salvo-317","title":{"rendered":"Northern Salvo 317"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Northern Salvo<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Incorporating \u00a0Weekly Notices, Sectional Appendices, Lancvashire Loominary <\/em>and Northern Weekly Salvo <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Published at Station House, Kents Bank, Lancashire-North-of-the-Sands, LA11 7BB and at 109 Harpers Lane, Bolton BL1 6HU (also Lancashire) <\/strong>email: paul.salveson@myphone.coop<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Publications website: www.lancashireloominary.co.uk<\/strong><\/p>\n

No. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 317\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 March 2024\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/strong><\/p>\n

Salveson\u2019s half-nakedly political digest of railways, tripe and secessionist nonsense from Up North.<\/p>\n

Anniversaries and Aggravation<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Apologies for the long gap since the last Salvo<\/em> \u2013 various things have got in the way but here is the first offering for 2024. Several important anniversaries are coming up, the first being the Stockton and Darlington in 2025. \u2018Railways 200\u2019 is really taking off and there are some exciting plans in preparation. Following Railways 200 there\u2019s the Bolton and Leigh 200th<\/sup> in 2028 (see below) and then the Liverpool and Manchester in 2030 (\u2018Rocket 200\u2019), which I\u2019m going to be closely involved with. Hopefully by then the railways\u2019 troubles will be a distant memory. While it\u2019s great news that RMT has settled, there is still little sign of a deal with the drivers\u2019 union Aslef (who celebrate their 150th<\/sup> in 2030). I have to say my sympathy has moved much more towards the drivers, given the refusal of the Westminster Government to engage. It is a telling fact that it\u2019s only this one body that is holding out against a settlement. \"\"Wales, Scotland, London and Merseyside have all reached agreement with the drivers: why not Westminster? On a much more localized level, our station barrier staff at Bolton have been taking strike action this week. They are not directly employed by the train companies and have very poor working conditions. If anyone should be striking, they should. Their cause is being championed by RMT and The Salvo<\/em> offers its full support (that\u2019ll get the bosses quaking in their boots).<\/p>\n

HS2: Digging an ever-bigger hole (and I don\u2019t mean the tunnels)<\/strong><\/h4>\n

The Government\u2019s decision to scrap the northern (Phase 2) leg of HS2 without any sensible alternative plan is causing massive problems (Salvo 316<\/em>). As readers will know, I\u2019ve never been a fan of the project but we\u2019ve ended up with a half-built scheme costing billions which will make precious little contribution to solving our transport problems, and could actually make them worse.<\/p>\n

A recent report by the Commons Public Accounts Committee (PAC) confirms this. Chair of the committee, Meg Hillier, was highly critical of current Government intentions, commenting: \u201cThe decision to cancel HS2\u2019s Northern leg was a watershed moment that raises urgent and unanswered questions, laid out in our report. What happens now to the Phase 2 land, some of which has been compulsorily purchased? Can we seriously be actively working towards a situation where our high-speed trains are forced to run slower than existing ones when they hit older track?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hillier is referring to the current notion that the new HS2 route beyond Birmingham will rejoin the West Coast Main Line at Handsacre, with the super-fast new trains using existing infrastructure to Crewe and beyond, which is not only slow but already congested, particularly in the Stafford area where tracks go down to just one in<\/p>\n

\"\"
The original concept of HS2<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

each direction. Even more ludicrous the new trains will not go as fast as the current Pendolinos, which can tilt, meaning \u00a0they can take curves at a higher speed than conventional non-tilting trains. The new trains planned for HS2 do not have tilt because the assumption was that most of the route they would be running on was largely straight.<\/p>\n

A further problem with the current HS2 fiasco is that the logical southern terminus \u2013 Euston \u2013 is very much in doubt. The only commitment is to build as far as Old Oak Common, despite a huge amount of demolition work having taken place in the Euston area. The Government suggests that Euston will only go ahead if private sector investment can be found. The PAC report was highly sceptical that that investment can be attracted of the scale that would make the project viable.<\/p>\n

Can anything be rescued from the mess? There is a desperate need to improve capacity on the West Coast Main Line (London to Glasgow)especially \u00a0north of Rugby and have the entire route upgraded to four track, with speeds of at least 140 m\/ph. Without that extra capacity there is a real risk that freight trains will have fewer paths than they have now.<\/p>\n

Some of the land that was purchased for the abandoned Birmingham \u2013 Crewe section (Phase 2a), at a cost of \u00a3600 million, would be needed to provide some of that extra capacity but the Government is pushing to sell it off. Sooner or later, much of that land will be needed, when some degree of common sense returns.<\/p>\n

Further north, regional mayors Andy Burnham (Labour, Greater Manchester) and Andy Street (Conservative, West Midlands) are working together to try and come up with a plan to connect the two major conurbations. I hope they will come up with a better alternative than the original plans offered, with an over-engineered ultra high-speed railway (225 m\/ph) that massively inflated costs and environmental damage. As Street himself admitted \u201ca lot of the cost in HS2 has come from this very uncompromising point about the speed.\u201d<\/p>\n

There\u2019s no doubt that much better rail links between Manchester and Birmingham are needed. The current route is slow and rail has, perhaps unsurprisingly, a very small share of the market, at just 4%.<\/p>\n

The two mayors have brought together a high-powered team to look at options and there have been suggestions that the private sector could stump up the investment. I have my doubts: it would be a big project and needs public investment on a large scale to get the best overall value. This would be exactly the sort of project that an incoming Labour Government, committed to a green economy, true \u2018levelling-up\u2019 of the country \u00a0and creating jobs, should grasp with both hands. The recent announcement abandoning Labour\u2019s green investment plans doesn\u2019t augur well. It\u2019s ironic that two regional politicians, Labour and Tory, are showing between them far more vision than any politician at national level.<\/p>\n

Let the Public Accounts Committee have the last word: \u00a0\u201cHS2 is the biggest ticket item by value on the Government\u2019s books for infrastructure projects. As such, it was crying out for a steady hand at the tiller from the start,\u201d Dame Hillier said. \u201cBut, here we are after over a decade of our warnings on HS2\u2019s management and spiralling costs \u2013 locked into the costly completion of a curtailed rump of a project and many unanswered questions and risks still attached to the delivery of even this curtailed project.\u201d<\/p>\n

Station Library doings: <\/strong><\/h4>\n
The MIC Re-born! And occasional papers to be published, occasionally<\/strong><\/h5>\n

Kents Bank Station Library continues to develop with well-attended monthly open days and talks (see below). For now, the Library will be open once a month, normally on the second Saturday of the month \u2013 the next open day is Saturday March 9th, from 11.00 to 3.30 pm. Entrance is via steps next to Beach Hut Gallery (also open). Teas, coffee and biscuits available \u2013 as well as sale of surplus books there is also an expanding ‘lending’ section.<\/p>\n

The library is open for reference\/study purposes by appointment – ring 07795 008691 or email info@stationlibrary.org.uk<\/a> . We continue to receive generous donations of books and railway ephemera, which are very much appreciated. The Library has started a series of monthly<\/p>\n

\"\"
Part of the audience for Martin Bairstow’s talk at the last MIC<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

talks. We\u2019ve christened them our \u2018Mutual Improvement Class\u2019 (MIC) reviving a railway tradition that goes back to the beginnings of the Railway Age. The most recent talk was Martin Bairstow, speaking on \u2018Railways of the Lake District\u2019. We managed to cram sixteen of us into the Reading Room but we\u2019re looking at other options to accommodate a few more people, in comfort.<\/p>\n

Our next \u2018MIC\u2019 is on Wednesday March 13th<\/sup>. Retired Blackburn locoman Raymond Watton who will speak on his \u2018Memoirs of a Lancashire Engineman\u2019. Raymond started his railway career at Lower Darwen shed, moving to Blackburn and then Preston depots. He was fireman on 70013 \u2018Oliver Cromwell\u2019 on the famous \u2018Fifteen Guinea Special\u2019 marking the end of steam on August 11th<\/sup> 1968. The talk is at 14.00 and must be pre-booked. Ring 07795 008691 or email info@stationlibrary.org.uk<\/a> .<\/p>\n

We\u2019re also going to start publishing \u2018occasional papers\u2019 on aspects of railway social history. The first will be a three-part paper by John Kolodziejski, \u2018London Bridge Freight Guard: Life on BR on the 70s\u2019. John went on to become a journalist with the FT; this memoir offers a fascinating glimpse into life during a period of rapid transition on the railways. It will be posted on the library website shortly. Keep an eye out on www.stationlibrary.org.uk<\/a> Contact details<\/strong>: Paul Salveson on 07795 008691 or info@stationlibrary.org.uk<\/a><\/p>\n

Postal address: Station House, Kentsford Road, Kents Bank, Grange-over-Sands LA11 7BB The Library’s website is www.stationlibrary.org.uk<\/a><\/p>\n

Dear friends departed: Valerie Hirst<\/strong><\/h4>\n

It\u2019s sad that this is becoming a regular feature of The Salvo<\/em>. My very close friend Valerie Hirst died in January and her funeral, at Friends\u2019 Meeting House in Huddersfield, took place on February 14th<\/sup>. I first<\/p>\n

\"\"
Valrie Hirst in typically mad activity, scaling a rock<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

got to know Valerie on the Penistone Line Music Train, in 1994. She always made an impact and she certainly did that on the music train, getting passengers off their seats to jive along the train. We became great friends and had some lovely trips to the east coast and Dales. She spent much of her early life in the NHS, becoming a Community Psychiatric Nurse. She trained as an Alexander Technique teacher, a job that she took to with her usual gusto. In more recent years she took up photography and became a brilliant landscape photographer, winning numerous competitions and becoming an active member of the Huddersfield Camera Club. She was a very spiritual person, fascinated by mysticism and alternative lifestyles. She was a great traveller; despite having ME she managed to get to Crete every year and made many good friends from around Europe during her trips. She will leave a very big hole in many people\u2019s lives, mine included.<\/p>\n

Railwaymen (and women!) Remembered<\/strong><\/h4>\n

The following personal account of one railwayman\u2019s life came out of an oral history class I taught, called \u2018Railwaymen Remember\u2019, for the University of Leeds in 1994. The class members were mostly retired drivers, a few former guards and signalmen and one remarkable lady,<\/p>\n

\"\"
Liverpool driver Eric James<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Eunice Bickerdyke, of Normanton. The stories were put together as \u2018Messroom Gossip\u2019, but were never published. I\u2019m hoping to feature some of the stories in the next few issues of The Salvo. Hope you enjoy them! Here\u2019s the first\u2026<\/p>\n

Ralph Burnell, Driver, Stourton<\/strong><\/h5>\n

Ralph started on the footplate at Stourton (Leeds) at the age of 14 in 1942. He was made a fireman in 1948, and passed out for driving in 1964. He retired in 1987 after nearly 45 years\u2019 service. I don\u2019t know what became of him but if anyone does know anything (I have to assume he has died, but if still going he will be in his mid-90s) please get in touch.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I started at Stourton I worked as a caller-up and messenger boy. I had to advise men of altered turns of duty. There were a lot of specials then: troop trains, petrol trains, and other wartime special workings. On the afternoon turn I would advise twenty to thirty men: drivers, firemen, guards. I would then take the letters to Leeds City Station. One night, during the blackout, there was a thick fog and an air-raid warning. I ended up staying the night at the Queens Hotel!<\/em><\/p>\n

When I was 16 I got passed for firing duties, but was put on nights as a knocker-up, since I new the knocking-up area. I used my bike, but we only had paraffin lamps.<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"
The ‘Railwaymen Remember’ group at Leeds station. Ralph on extreme left. The great Charlie Wallace, organiser of the group, in foreground. Harry Thurlow immediately behind.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

If you held up the lamp to see the street name, the oil would run down your arm. Men were usually given an hour or so to get to the shed, but sometimes a driver and fireman might live a mile or so apart. If the bike had a puncture \u2013 a frequent event since inner tubes were in short supply \u2013 it was a mad dash from one to the other. You\u2019ve got to remember the black-out was on, and there were no street lights. Everything was pitch black. One night, I had an experience which made my hair stand on end. A dog came up and licked my hand \u2013 but I couldn\u2019t see it, it was so dark!<\/em><\/p>\n

If a man missed being called he could come down to the shed at 9 a.m. and get a day\u2019s pay. One fireman tried this on, but didn\u2019t get paid. It turned out that the knocker-up had been round but couldn\u2019t wake him up. But he\u2019d managed to wake all the rest of the street in the attempt!<\/em><\/p>\n

I was in the Leeds Home Guard. I had a problem with boots \u2013 I couldn\u2019t get any. I was then called up into the regular army in 1943, and it was expected you\u2019d present yourself in your Home Guard uniform, boots included. All I had was a disgusting pair of second-hand ones. When I turned out on parade, the sergeant-major took one look at them and had me arrested! So twenty minutes after joining the army, I was in prison! Fortunately they rang Leeds and they confirmed my story, and I was let out to pursue a distinguished military career!<\/em><\/p>\n

Footplate Food<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

I\u2019ve had a few fry-ups on the firing shovel, when we could get some bacon. We\u2019d also roast onions on the engine. I had a driver who would bring his kippers and warm them up, then put them in a bread cake and eat the lot \u2013 including head and bones! I once took 2lb of kippers for me and my second-man, when we were on station pilot duty. He was taken for another job, so I was single-manned and had to eat the lot myself.<\/em><\/p>\n

I was stationed in Palestine during the war, working as a driver. We used to do bacon fry-ups on the firing shovel \u2013 but if you had a Moslem fireman you\u2019d be in trouble! <\/em><\/p>\n

There was a Holbeck driver called Gladstone Simpson \u2013 JP \u2013 he was very proud of<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"
Holbeck Loco Shed, September 1967<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

that, and he used to start off cleaning the shovel with the degging pipe. He\u2019d stick the shovel in the firehole to burn the remaining dirt off, and then add the bacon and eggs. It was a great ritual for him!<\/em><\/p>\n

We\u2019d often cook onions in the cab. We\u2019d stick one behind the injector handle and it would cook a treat. It was quite a common delicacy. It would roast slowly, and be a delicious treat after an hour or so. My mate used to take his false teeth out first, wash them out in a firing bucket, then eat his onion.<\/em><\/p>\n

Characters<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ernie Rainford was called \u201cThe Vicar\u201d. He lived in Hunslet by the vicarage. On one occasion a knocker-up arrived at what he thought was Ernie\u2019s door, very early in the morning. A bad-tempered man came to the door and was told it was time to get up. He answered \u201cDon\u2019t you know who I am? I\u2019m the Vicar of Hunslet!\u201d To which the knocker-up replied \u201cI don\u2019t care who you are, but you\u2019re on the 2 a.m.!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Ernie had the distinction of being fond of animals, and on one occasion brought a donkey into the mess room. It left its calling card.<\/em><\/p>\n

The shed foreman was called \u2018Barber\u2019 and everyone knew him as \u2018Ali\u2019 \u2013 but not to his face. He had a big car, and one day Ernie and his mate \u2018stowed away\u2019 in the back seat when he was going home. When they wanted to get out, Ernie tapped him on the shoulder, and said to the surprised foreman \u2013 \u201cLet us out here Ali.\u201d They got a bigger surprise when he took them a further five miles out of their way!<\/em><\/p>\n

There was one driver known to one and all as \u201cDeep Depression\u201d. If you said \u2018Good Morning\u2019 to him, he\u2019d say \u201cIt\u2019ll rain before dinner time.\u201d <\/em>Another was called \u2018Fish Billy\u2019. He always had a cold fish from the fish shop, which he would warm up on the shovel. One day his mate was driving: he opened the regulator hard and the fish was sucked into the firebox \u2013 well and truly cooked!<\/em><\/p>\n

Lodging<\/strong><\/p>\n

There were some important unwritten rules in lodging. Driver and fireman often had to share the same bed. The youngest man \u2013 the fireman \u2013 always slept nearest to the wall; you couldn\u2019t get up until the driver did!<\/em><\/p>\n

There was one very funny character who was a driver at New England, Peterborough, and transferred to Ardsley. His reputation for being mad had gone before him. On his first day he walked into the mess room and announced to the throng \u201cThey tell me there\u2019s a lot of lazy buggers around here \u2013 well meet the new champ!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

If a driver was learning the road and he got on with him, it was normal for the poor man to be left to himself. He would retire into the train with a casual \u201cI\u2019ll see you gentlemen in Leeds!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Casey was another character. He\u2019d cause trouble anywhere. If he walked into a quiet room, he\u2019d walk out with a riot going on. He became known as \u2018Sailor\u2019. He was on a job to Cleethorpes and it was common to take the ferry over to Hull to get a train home passenger. One night the boat got stuck on a sandbank in the middle of the Humber and it was 24 hours before he booked off.<\/em><\/p>\n

I started with another lad on the same day, and we were the same age. So we tossed a coin to see who\u2019d be the senior man. I won \u2013 and the chap who lost reckoned it cost him about \u00a31500 in wages over the years. Promotion was invariably on seniority grounds for wages grades. In clerical grades seniority was important, but not the sole consideration.<\/em><\/p>\n

Diesels Arrive<\/strong><\/p>\n

Stourton closed in 1967 and I transferred to Holbeck. In 1978 I moved to Leeds City and joined the railcar link, where there was no night work. When the diesels arrived they were a source of controversy. Some men swore by them, others swore at them. If you spat on the rail they\u2019d slip and slide, some of them. There were always problems with non-compatible couplings, and with brake blocks. BR made a big<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"
Leeds driver and fireman at Blackpool North, 1966<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

mistake in introducing too many different types. They should have gone for a smaller number of standard types, which is what we\u2019ve finally got.<\/em><\/p>\n

Some blokes loved railways, and would work for nothing. Harry Holroyd came up for retirement and didn\u2019t want to finish, even though he had a 6-track model railway in his cellar to play with!<\/em><\/p>\n

I met a lot of nice people on the railcars. One train I used to work every other week was called the \u2018Bingo Special\u2019. We used to bring people from Castleford, Pontefract and Knottingley into Leeds, arriving at 7pm for the bingo hall near City Station. We\u2019d take them home at 9.45 When I retired in 1987, I received a number of retirement cards from the ladies who used the \u2018Bingo Special\u2019. One was headed \u2018To the driver of the Orient Express Bingo Train\u2019. I also got a large box of Liquorice Allsorts from the \u2018Ladies of Pontefract and the Sweetie Girls of the 6.45 Train\u2019. One of them wrote a poem in my honour, which I\u2019ve still got!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

A Forgotten Railway ‘First’: Bolton and Leigh, 1828<\/h4>\n

The Bolton and Leigh Railway opened in 1828 and was the first public railway in Lancashire, preceding the Liverpool and Manchester by two years. It connected in to the Liverpool and Manchester at Kenyon Junction (via the Kenyon and Leigh Railway) opening for through passenger traffic in 1831. The main function of the Stephenson-built line was to shift coal, and it connected the major collieries in the Leigh and Atherton area with Bolton. The line featured some severe gradients, at Bolton (Daubhill) and Chequerbent, requiring rope<\/p>\n

\"\"
A BR class 5MT climbs Chequerbent Bank, assisted by a Stanier 8F. July 1966.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

haulage. Eventually, in 1885, two diversions were built which removed the need for the rope haulage but Chequerbent Incline remained a fearsom clim at 1 in 30 – though this slipped to 1 in 18 as a result of mining subsidence. Regular passenger traffic finished in 1954 though a\u00a0 young Salvo travelled on a Bolton Holidays excuirsion from Great Moors Street to North Wales in 1958. Freight traffic carried on into the mid-60s. There is growing interest amongst some Bolton folk in celebrating the 200th anniversary. Recently, a small gathering of local councillors and other interested parties had a look at some remaining features of the pre-1885 route<\/p>\n

\"\"
Councillor Derek Bullock inspects one of the original B&LR stone sleepers<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

and were surprised at what still remains: including some of the original stone sleepers which have been incorporated into a stone wall. We were shown some historic artefacts and photos by the owner of Majestic Motors, which is on the route of the 1828 line at the site of Sunnyside Mills. Please get in touch via The Salvo if you’d like to be involved in plans to mark the anniversary.<\/p>\n

Walt Whitman and Northern Socialism<\/strong><\/h4>\n

This is an outline of my talk for Wakefield Socialist History Group on February 23rd<\/sup> 2024, at The Red Shed. My book With Walt Whitman in Bolton gives a fuller account of the connections but is almost out of print. I\u2019m looking at doing a new edition.<\/em><\/p>\n

The great poet of American democracy, Walt Whitman, had a huge influence on the early British socialist movement. The man whom many acclaim as the United States\u2019 greatest-ever poet had very close ties with a group of friends, many of whom were active in the Independent Labour Party (ILP), in Lancashire. Each year, on May 31st<\/sup>, they celebrated Whitman\u2019s birthday on the Lancashire moors with<\/p>\n

\"\"
Walt Whitman in old age<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

readings from his poetry, wearing sprigs of lilac and passing round a loving cup of spiced claret. Since 1985 the tradition has been revived, and has become a popular event for both socialists and the gay community.<\/p>\n

The central figure in the Bolton group was J W Wallace, an architect\u2019s assistant with Bolton firm Bradshaw Gass and Hope. He was a close friend of both the Glasiers and Keir Hardie, and a member of the ILP\u2019s National Administrative Council. Wallace used this position to promote his almost fanatical devotion to the prophet of comradeship and the open air and had some measure of success.<\/p>\n

Most socialist publications in the 1890s carried adverts for \u2018Leaves of Grass\u2019, Whitman\u2019s ever-changing collection of his writings, and his poetry featured in most collections of socialist verse. Labour\u2019s Garland \u2013 Poems for Socialists<\/em>, published by The Huddersfield Worker<\/em> and edited by James Leatham included an excerpt from Whitman\u2019s prose on the cover and part of \u2018Song of the Redwood Tree\u2019 and \u2018To a Foil\u2019d European Revolutionaire\u2019 amongst the poetry.<\/p>\n

What made him so popular? Whitman cut a striking figure, with a shock of white hair and beard, wearing a cap perched at a jaunty angle. He was almost sanctified by the early socialist movement in England, particularly in the North. The Bolton socialist Allen Clarke wrote in 1919 that \u2018it is fitting that Bolton should be distinguished above all towns in England by having a group of Whitman enthusiasts, for many years in close touch, by letter and visit, with \u2018the Master\u2019, for I am sure Walt Whitman, the singer of out-door life, would have loved to ramble our Lancashire moorlands.\u2019 (published in book form in \u2018Moorlands and Memories\u2019<\/em>, Bolton, 1920).<\/p>\n

The correspondence with Whitman started with a birthday greeting sent in 1887, signed by Wallace and his friend Dr John Johnston. Whitman was touched, and there began an exchange of letters which cast a lot of fascinating light on Whitman himself and on life in Lancashire in the late nineteenth century.<\/p>\n

Whitman died in 1892, but by then a firm friendship with other American \u2018Whitmanites\u2019 had been established with this small group of enthusiasts in the town which was then at the heart of the Lancashire cotton industry. They called themselves \u2018The Eagle Street College\u2019 after the modest two-up two-down terraced house where the group\u2019s mentor, J.W. Wallace, lived with his parents in the mid-1880s. They used to meet at Wallace\u2019s home each week to discuss Whitman and other great thinkers and poets of the time. Wallace moved to Adlington, a small village on the edge of the Bolton moors, in the mid-1890s and this encouraged the group to come to visit and explore the magnificent scenery around Rivington and Anglezarke.<\/p>\n

The highpoint of the group\u2019s social calendar was the celebration of Whitman\u2019s birthday. The day included a brisk walk up to Rivington where they would be entertained by the Unitarian minister Samuel<\/p>\n

\"\"
A Whitmanite picnic at Rivington, 1894. Edward Carpenter is in the group<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Thompson. There would be readings from \u2018Leaves of Grass\u2019 and the passing round of a \u2018loving cup\u2019 containing spiced claret. More of ten than not Wallace would deliver an \u2018address\u2019 on the political and spiritual significance of Whitman. But basically they had a good time and were able to work off the claret on the walk back down to the railway station at Adlington.<\/p>\n

The group were, at least initially, mainly lower middle-class men who included clerks, a journalist, clergymen and one or two skilled workers. They were not a metropolitan intelligentsia, but neither could they be described as representative of Bolton\u2019s industrial working class. They were probably typical of the sort of person drawn to the young Independent Labour Party with its message of ethical, rather than Marxian, socialism. As Fred Wild, an early member of the group commented \u2018these young men were all from the Parish Church and for the most part were engaged as clerks or minor gaffers and were attracted to Wallace by his personality and intellectual powers.<\/em>\u2019<\/p>\n

Wallace had a wider circle of friends who were infected by his love for Whitman, including Keir Hardie, founder of the Labour Party, who frequently visited him in Adlington. Edward Carpenter, Robert Blatchford and the Irish co-operator Horace Plunkett were amongst his friends and correspondents. Whitman and Carpenter were particularly close friends and Carpenter visited the poet in America. Whilst Carpenter was overtly gay, Whitman kept his sexuality something of a mystery, though America\u2019s modern gay community has claimed him as their own. Much of his poetry is a powerful celebration of love between men, with some strongly erotic themes and imagery. Equally, he was the poet of spirituality and comradeship, and love of the open air.<\/p>\n

Whitman\u2019s birthday will be celebrated, as usual, on the nearest Saturday to his birthday (May 31st<\/sup>), which means it should be Saturday June 1st<\/sup>. Details in a future Salvo.<\/em><\/p>\n

Lancastrians: Mills, Mines and Minarets <\/strong><\/h4>\n

February has been a busy month for talks on \u2018the book\u2019 with well-attended audiences in Blackburn, Rawtenstall and Padiham in particular. More talks are planned on aspects of my new book on Lancashire history and identity. There\u2019s a bit of a lull in March apart \"\"from a lecture for the Historic Society of Lancashire and Cheshire, at Liverpool\u2019s Athenaeum, on March 20th<\/sup>.\u00a0 Please contact me if you would like more details.<\/p>\n

The book itself isn\u2019t a \u2018conventional\u2019 history and covers different themes of Lancashire history, including sport, culture, politics, industry and religion. It explores the Lancastrians who left for new lives in America, Canada, Russia and South Africa, as well as the \u2018New Lancastrians\u2019 who have settled in the county since the 14th<\/sup> century. There are about forty \u2018potted biographies\u2019 of men and women who have made important (but often neglected) contributions to Lancashire.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s available, published by the highly-respected publishers Hurst whose catalogue is well worth a look at it. See https:\/\/www.hurstpublishers.com\/catalogues\/spring-summer-2023\/<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The book is hardback, price \u00a325. Salvo readers can get a 25% discount by going to the publisher\u2019s website (www.hurstpublishers.com<\/a>) and enter the code LANCASTRIANS25 at checkout.<\/p>\n

Station Buffet Bulletin<\/strong><\/h4>\n

We\u2019re re-starting this column, by popular request. The first item is based on a press release from Merseyrail and is on my \u2018must visit\u2019 list for the Spring:<\/p>\n

NEW COMMUNITY COFFEE SHOP FOR MAGHULL<\/strong><\/p>\n

Two young entrepreneurs have launched a new coffee shop at Maghull station, providing not only refreshments for commuters and travellers, but a hub that aims to be a focal point for the local community. The Coffee Carriage<\/em> recently opened in the station\u2019s ticket office and provides a warm, cosy seating area for customers. With artisan pastries and a range of freshly baked produce, the new shop is a must-visit for foodies in the area. Craig Reeves, who runs Coffee Carriage alongside Rory McLellan, said: \u201cOur customers can expect a friendly and welcoming place, almost like a second home.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe will be providing barista coffee from a traditional espresso bar, as this is what customers have come to expect now when visiting any good coffee lounge. \u201cWe will also be offering freshly baked morning pastries, breakfast rolls, cakes and other treats.\u201d<\/p>\n

And Craig has revealed ambitious plans for the Maghull coffee shop. He said: \u201cWe will be looking into having events in the mornings, together with afternoon teas, Sunday strolls and so on. We want to make this a little hub for the local community and become a part of it. Our opening times will be Monday to Friday from 6am – 4pm, Saturday 8am – 4pm. However, these times will be reviewed and adjusted to meet the demand.<\/p>\n

Suzanne Grant, Deputy MD of Merseyrail, said: \u201cWe\u2019re delighted to be able to welcome Coffee Carriage to Maghull station, and I\u2019m sure customers and local people will be impressed with this fantastic new facility. \u00a0Rory and Craig\u2019s business is a great example of some of the opportunities available on the Merseyrail network, and we\u2019d love to work with any local independent businesses who are interested. We\u2019re open to any ideas, so do please get in touch by emailing propertyenquiries@merseyrail.org<\/em><\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

Reading for the train<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Our good friend John Davies has just published another book of his railway memoirs. Commercial: It\u2019s not railway work<\/em> is the slightly ironic title of what he describes as my remarkable journey from Swansea District Office to Regional Railways Manager, Wales.\u201d Highly recommended – \u00a314.99 from Amazon. (A longer review will follow in the next issue).<\/p>\n

Still in Print (at special prices)<\/strong><\/h4>\n

ALLEN CLARKE: Lancashire\u2019s Romantic Radical<\/em> \u00a35.99 (normally \u00a318.99)<\/p>\n

Moorlands, Memories and Reflections<\/em> \u00a315.00 (\u00a321.00)<\/p>\n

Last Train from Blackstock Junction<\/em><\/strong> (published by Platform 5 Books). A collection of short stories about railway life in the North of England. Salvo<\/em> readers can get the book at a specially discounted price, courtesy of Platform 5 Publishing. Go to https:\/\/www.platform5.com\/Catalogue\/New-Titles<\/a>. Enter LAST22 in the promotional code box at the basket<\/strong> and this will reduce the unit price from \u00a312.95 to \u00a310.95.<\/p>\n

The Settle-Carlisle Railway<\/em><\/strong> (published by Crowood \u00a324) \u2013 can do it for Salvo readers at \u00a312<\/strong><\/p>\n

See www.lancashireloominary.co.uk<\/a> for full details of the books (ignore the prices shown and use the above \u2013 add total of \u00a33 per order for post and packing in UK)<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Northern Salvo Incorporating \u00a0Weekly Notices, Sectional Appendices, Lancvashire Loominary and Northern Weekly Salvo Published at Station House, Kents Bank, Lancashire-North-of-the-Sands, LA11 7BB and at 109 Harpers Lane, Bolton BL1 6HU (also Lancashire) email: paul.salveson@myphone.coop Publications website: www.lancashireloominary.co.uk No. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 317\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 March 2024\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Salveson\u2019s half-nakedly political digest of railways, tripe and secessionist nonsense from Up […]<\/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-1540","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/lancashireloominary.co.uk\/index.html\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1540","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=1540"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"http:\/\/lancashireloominary.co.uk\/index.html\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1540\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1565,"href":"http:\/\/lancashireloominary.co.uk\/index.html\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1540\/revisions\/1565"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/lancashireloominary.co.uk\/index.html\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1540"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/lancashireloominary.co.uk\/index.html\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1540"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/lancashireloominary.co.uk\/index.html\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1540"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}