11th September 2019 · ‘Railways in a Yorkshire Landscape’

Presenter: Stephen Gay

September’s meeting was well attended with 28 members and 22 visitors to experience Stephen Gay’s seventh visit to our branch, his subject was ‘Railways In A Yorkshire Landscape’. Much of the presentation was devoted to an in-depth look at the Doncaster to Hull line followed by a few images from the S&C line.

Stephen’s presentations are inimitable, we saw numerous slides, all well captured, regaled with wonderful anecdotes and histories, all topped-off with relevant self-penned poems. Not only did we see subjects of railway interest, but many wonderful churches and minsters en-route, and there was but one picture of his beautiful German Shepherd dog, Wrawby (lying down next to the signal box at Broomfleet), who sadly died a couple of years ago.

So many interesting facts could be commented upon from the presentation, but just one will suffice in this review: Hull had a railway station that was built by the MS&L in 1880, it closed in 1981, having never once did it see a train. It was of course the one situated at Corporation Pier in connection with the ferry service to New Holland.

As ever Stephen, a superb show!

Before the presentation the branch commemorated the 90th birthday of Ron Collins (72-years as a member of the Society); he is an example to us all.