“Christmas Quiz + Bygone Memories”

Presenter: John Holroyd

The pre-Christmas entertainment came from Deputy Branch Chairman John Holroyd who entertained the well attended meeting with a slide presentation composed of two distinct elements.  Those being his railway adventures in 1963/4 intermingled with a memory testing quiz.  First off the presentation opened with his photographic recordings of railway adventures in 1963.  Much was seen of trolley buses around West Yorkshire and industrial steam activities in the Lancashire coalfields and the glass industry.  A tour of Northern Scotland featured visits over lines and sheds that are now long closed.  Travelling abroad a European tour to Austria specifically focussing on trips over both their narrow and standard gauge systems yielded volumes of varied steam activities.  Along the way the outward journey through Germany yielded plenty of similar action.

Either side of the break for Christmas fare, using interesting and scenic pictures taken over many years in the United Kingdom, members were invited to identify the illustrated locations some of which were taken in very remote settings.  However, a goodly number, but not all, were correctly identified.

The final section then concentrated on John’s activities in 1964, largely spent travelling around the U.K.  This consequently brought some splendid, picturesque scenes around his home territory on the Cromford and High Peak Railway in Derbyshire.  More noteworthy scenes encompassed trips into North Wales and the South of England where Salisbury, Reading and Bournemouth were to feature.  In addition to steam activities plenty was also to be seen of any trolley buses that should cross his path.  Northern images were taken on tours around Manchester Docks, the plant at Doncaster and Woodhead, whilst not forgetting scenes from around the West Riding.

All together this was a most excellent presentation which finished the year in fine style.