10th March 2022

Penzance Peaks
​Clive Smith goes thirsty

​A spotter in a blue snorkel parka by the BRUTE trolley at Penzance gazes at the fine loco on the blocks letting of steam from its boiler. His mate flicks the pages of what is probably the Platform 5 Pocket Loco book to see if  45046 'Royal Fusilier' is a cop and requires the red pen. Rare to have a 45/0 on the 10.20 Plymouth - Penzance  as this was a solid ETH 45/1 turn. May 2nd 1983 was a bank holiday and I was with a few others heading west to Penzance for our usual lunch of the renowned massive chip butty in The One And All washed down with pints of Courage Best Bitter before taking the usual return diagram 13.45 to Bristol TM. Or so we thought. British Rail Control had other ideas and put 50011 on the train marooning the peak followers in deepest Cornwall.  In the meantime we decamped to St Ives to celebrate the bank holiday in true British style by being at the seaside in the rain and being generally miserable walking around the town and beaches as the pubs all shut at 2.30 in the afternoon back then. An afternoon of sobriety and no peak home. Not a good combination. We decided to hedge our bets on 45046 returning to Bristol TM later at 18.15 but this was not to be and so once again we were bowled, this time by 50047.

Regards, Clive Smith

45046 resting at Penzance 2nd May 1983 Copyright Clive Smith.

Many thanks Clive - sorry you had a disappointing day but for us an interesting story and memory.
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What Flag?
Colin Burges

If you watched Clive Gunnels film on his trip to St Ives in 1971 you'll see, at the very end a flag fluttering on a mast at 'The Malakoff' - Colin asks what flag this is does anybody know?  To see the fascinating film again please click here. 

From a screen shot taken by Colin Burges.

Many thanks for the query Colin - does anybody know?
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Possible answer - The flag, it would appear is that of the St John Ambulance.

Quite why it was lying there and then is not known.

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Dear Keith,
This is the flag of the Order of St John, also known as the Maltese Cross.
It represents a British order of chivalry dating from 1888. It is a distant relic of the ancient Knights Hospitallers of Malta. Today it is associated with the St John ambulance organisation.
All the best, Roy Hart. Thanks Roy.

Good Morning Keith,
A Maltese Cross with quartered lions and unicorns looks like the St John Ambulance Brigade to me, with a small tonal shift from black and white accounted for from the aged film emulsion.
With kind regards,
Brian Pibworth Thanks Brian.

 Hello Keith,
The Flag is definitely the St. John Ambulance.
Regards, David Ward.  Thanks David.

Thanks for your quick replies - all before 08.00; Now we all know - I thought it seemed familiar then I remembered it was on the front of Valerie's St John Uniform when she served. KJ
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Hard work at
Yeovil Railway Centre
Paul Barlow

Hard work at Yeovil junction turntable. 18th October 1986.

Perhaps it should be. 'Many hands make light work'. Many thanks Paul.
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