I was very fond of going around the signal boxes in the Stockton area in the 60’s. Gordon Armes was a book lad at North Shore at the time with Carlie Leckonby, Bill Bowman and Eric Poole the signalmen. I did manage to visit Bowesfield once when Harry Sowerby was on duty.
Do any of you railway men remember or know a signalman called Fred Bardsley? He lived in Shaftesbury Street. He played keyboards at the Jack n Jill in Middlesbrough.
Ken I agree whole heartedly with your comments they were gentlemen, but also great characters, along with a lot more more who were a pleasure to work with. The signalman who’s name escapes you was Bill (Bronco) Davies, one of the greatest characters of all. I once asked him if he’d had any second thoughts when he was about to fire from his tank at the enemy and he said yes, he’d wondered should he use an incendiary shell or a high explosive. As you say Ken they were all a pleasure to work with and I have memories of them all.
I was box lad at Bowesfield when the regulars were Davy Heselwood (my he liked his bass) can only agree he was one of the finest; he regaled me with many stories of when he passed out for the box and that he was the youngest ever signalman there, over which apparently ‘the old uns’ were not too chuffed, saying he could not handle it, but he showed them all right! The others were I believe, Tommy Naylor who lived in Eaglescliffe and another whose name escapes me at present who was in the Grenadier Guards when they entered the camps in Germany – harrowing tale. He started on the railway at Appleby NER side, I still have his LNER rule book which he gave me when I passed out with Insp. Scarll in 68. The White mentioned is Tommy White who was the signalman on duty at Goswick in 48 at the time of the terrible train crash, they say his hair turned pure white overnight. Walter Swales helped me pass the block (read a rule a day he said, it worked) he also helped me pass my motorbike test at the same time. All were true gentlemen and some finest railway men with whom I have had the pleasure to work.
Fred Bardsley worked at Primrose Hill box, in the sixties and not only was he a musician but quite a comedian too , I also worked with Walter Swales many times ,the signalman was called Clive White. I dont know that he was called bad, i always knew him as “swagger” and I just have memories of him being a great bloke to work with and a great laugh. I retire this year after 48 years as a signalman on 15/03/2008 and I have enjoyed it because of blokes like Davy Heslewood and Swagger Swales and the world is a poorer place for their passing
My father, Walter Swales, worked at the Bowesfield signal box for many years in the 1950″s and the early 1960″s until he became a relief signalman travelling to many signal boxes in the area but mainly the large box between Thornaby and Middlesbrough. In the 1950″s he worked at Bowesfield with a chap called ? White. I would be interested to hear of any stories about my Father”s time at the Bowesfield cabin because he told me his nickname was the “Bad b”*r from Bowesfield”!!
Hi can any of you lovely railway people remember a signalman called Fred Bardsley who worked a signal box in the Stockton on Tees area he also played an organ in the Jack & Jill pub in Berwick Hills Middlesbrough I know sadly that Fred passed away bbut I have been trying to contact his family for some years Many Thanks
Gordon, Thank you for your message. My Uncle Dave was a gentleman, you”re right. That”s just what my mum used to say about him. I always remember getting a postal order every Christmas from him and Aunty Jean. I just received a Christmas card off Aunty Jean yesterday. When I used to visit my Gran in Thornaby, I used to go along the A66 and always said to my two sons, “Give Uncle Davey a wave”. They eventually did it without prompting.
lesley i worked with your uncle dave many times in bowesfield and he was a gentleman and a really good signalman my brother ray worked with him also and if you look at the photo you can see where he painted ray on the end of the signal box i was sorry to hear of the death of dave recently he was a lovely man. gordon armes relief signalman
Before the 1914-18 war my father Joseph Kidd also worked in this box as a young man. The signalman was much older and would have been in charge of the Bowsfield Box. My father had started as a lamp boy with the NER with his pal Freddie Moiser. Fred became Chief Signals Inspector for the LNER York-Teeside area and was awarded the BEM for making sure of a safe stopover for the Royal Train when visiting Teeside. This occured on a number of occasions and was an important item during the war when air raids were nightly. There was a great pride with rail staff in running an efficient service, luggage could be sent “in advance” and await you at journeys end and I mean either house, or hotel. The Goods service handled most long distance freight which would be more useful than todays clogged up road systems. In my opinion Beeching got it all wrong, any fool could close down railways simply to suit Politicians. The Government should have maintained all public transport systems like most other counties.
In the picture of Bowesfield signal box, (Lesley Targett) the box still retains its splendidly ornate ventilator on the roof. This was an important feature in the days when signal boxes would be lit by oil lamps. Norton South signalbox used to have a very fine example of this Victoriana, but lost it some years ago.
I was very fond of going around the signal boxes in the Stockton area in the 60’s. Gordon Armes was a book lad at North Shore at the time with Carlie Leckonby, Bill Bowman and Eric Poole the signalmen. I did manage to visit Bowesfield once when Harry Sowerby was on duty.
Do any of you railway men remember or know a signalman called Fred Bardsley? He lived in Shaftesbury Street. He played keyboards at the Jack n Jill in Middlesbrough.
Ken I agree whole heartedly with your comments they were gentlemen, but also great characters, along with a lot more more who were a pleasure to work with. The signalman who’s name escapes you was Bill (Bronco) Davies, one of the greatest characters of all. I once asked him if he’d had any second thoughts when he was about to fire from his tank at the enemy and he said yes, he’d wondered should he use an incendiary shell or a high explosive. As you say Ken they were all a pleasure to work with and I have memories of them all.
I was box lad at Bowesfield when the regulars were Davy Heselwood (my he liked his bass) can only agree he was one of the finest; he regaled me with many stories of when he passed out for the box and that he was the youngest ever signalman there, over which apparently ‘the old uns’ were not too chuffed, saying he could not handle it, but he showed them all right! The others were I believe, Tommy Naylor who lived in Eaglescliffe and another whose name escapes me at present who was in the Grenadier Guards when they entered the camps in Germany – harrowing tale. He started on the railway at Appleby NER side, I still have his LNER rule book which he gave me when I passed out with Insp. Scarll in 68. The White mentioned is Tommy White who was the signalman on duty at Goswick in 48 at the time of the terrible train crash, they say his hair turned pure white overnight. Walter Swales helped me pass the block (read a rule a day he said, it worked) he also helped me pass my motorbike test at the same time. All were true gentlemen and some finest railway men with whom I have had the pleasure to work.
Fred Bardsley worked at Primrose Hill box, in the sixties and not only was he a musician but quite a comedian too , I also worked with Walter Swales many times ,the signalman was called Clive White. I dont know that he was called bad, i always knew him as “swagger” and I just have memories of him being a great bloke to work with and a great laugh. I retire this year after 48 years as a signalman on 15/03/2008 and I have enjoyed it because of blokes like Davy Heslewood and Swagger Swales and the world is a poorer place for their passing
My father, Walter Swales, worked at the Bowesfield signal box for many years in the 1950″s and the early 1960″s until he became a relief signalman travelling to many signal boxes in the area but mainly the large box between Thornaby and Middlesbrough. In the 1950″s he worked at Bowesfield with a chap called ? White. I would be interested to hear of any stories about my Father”s time at the Bowesfield cabin because he told me his nickname was the “Bad b”*r from Bowesfield”!!
Hi can any of you lovely railway people remember a signalman called Fred Bardsley who worked a signal box in the Stockton on Tees area he also played an organ in the Jack & Jill pub in Berwick Hills Middlesbrough I know sadly that Fred passed away bbut I have been trying to contact his family for some years Many Thanks
Gordon, Thank you for your message. My Uncle Dave was a gentleman, you”re right. That”s just what my mum used to say about him. I always remember getting a postal order every Christmas from him and Aunty Jean. I just received a Christmas card off Aunty Jean yesterday. When I used to visit my Gran in Thornaby, I used to go along the A66 and always said to my two sons, “Give Uncle Davey a wave”. They eventually did it without prompting.
lesley i worked with your uncle dave many times in bowesfield and he was a gentleman and a really good signalman my brother ray worked with him also and if you look at the photo you can see where he painted ray on the end of the signal box i was sorry to hear of the death of dave recently he was a lovely man. gordon armes relief signalman
Before the 1914-18 war my father Joseph Kidd also worked in this box as a young man. The signalman was much older and would have been in charge of the Bowsfield Box. My father had started as a lamp boy with the NER with his pal Freddie Moiser. Fred became Chief Signals Inspector for the LNER York-Teeside area and was awarded the BEM for making sure of a safe stopover for the Royal Train when visiting Teeside. This occured on a number of occasions and was an important item during the war when air raids were nightly. There was a great pride with rail staff in running an efficient service, luggage could be sent “in advance” and await you at journeys end and I mean either house, or hotel. The Goods service handled most long distance freight which would be more useful than todays clogged up road systems. In my opinion Beeching got it all wrong, any fool could close down railways simply to suit Politicians. The Government should have maintained all public transport systems like most other counties.
In the picture of Bowesfield signal box, (Lesley Targett) the box still retains its splendidly ornate ventilator on the roof. This was an important feature in the days when signal boxes would be lit by oil lamps. Norton South signalbox used to have a very fine example of this Victoriana, but lost it some years ago.
Ken Rhodes, this is the photo of Uncle Dave”s signal box that I was talking about.