CAMP COACH HOLIDAYS

MEETING REPORT 9 MARCH 2022

CAMP COACH HOLIDAYS ON THE GWR

MIKE FENTON

Many of you will remember camping coaches from the Fifties and the Sixties, in seaside locations such as Dawlish Warren, West Bank or Sandsend. Well, the GWR did it differently (of course) : firstly they were called Camp Coaches and from the first 19 in 1934 there was only ever one in each location. These locations were careful chosen and were usually remote scenic, rural locations such as Tintern or Avonwick on the Kingsbridge branch. In part this was because of a desire to avoid problems with busy passing traffic. One image of shavers sitting with their mirror on the four foot  clearly illustrated this point.

Mike Fenton gave us a comprehensive presentation which was based upon his 1999 eponymous book. As with his first book on the Malmesbury branch, this was based on interviews with camp coach holiday survivors and was a detailed social history of the time as much as a presentation of camp coaches. The Holidays with pay Act of 1938 was important in providing people with the ability to holiday and this led to the GWR having 65 such coaches by 1939 at £3-£5 per week; the largest was 10 berth. Each booking had to be accompanied by at least four adult return tickets; in some cases these were to the nearest station as some coaches were located on lines with no passenger service. It was an important part of the station staff’s responsibility to look after camp coach guests, providing eggs and milk and cleaning - and a key to the ladies toilet on the station(or waiting room as it was called, of course). One example including the station master’s wife providing a warm meal on the first night.

This was a really interesting evening, enhanced by Mike giving us two tunes on his Autoharp, a fascinating instrument of American vintage.