Robert Hampton

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12th July 2011

“They’re closing the stations with beautiful names…”
Posted by at 5.14pm | 3 responses | Trains

“…Appledore and Chasewater and Saffron Walden,
Midsomer Norton, Berry Brow, Swanbourne, Waterfoot, Templecombe,
Flax Bourton and Egremont and Adlestrop and Ashton-under-Wychwood,
Starcross and Sturminster Newton and Sampford Courtenay…”

The BBC Archive project has turned up a lot of gems, but this has to be one of the best so far, as Derek Hart reads a lyrical tribute to the stations axed by Beeching.

It’s not quite as depressing as this list makes out: a few of the stations named were actually reprieved and survive to this day. Bonus points if you can spot the two which are now part of Merseyrail.

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3 Responses
  1. Comment by Jamie
    12th July 2011 at 6:36 pm

    And here’s a similar list as sung by Flanders and Swann: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6OHD2uCpfU

    Guaranteed to make my boyfriend burst into tears when he hears it.

  2. Comment by Ian Jones
    12th July 2011 at 7:46 pm

    I reckon the version of The Slow Train by The King’s Singers edges the original. They even do chuff-chuff sounds!

  3. Comment by Chris p
    14th July 2011 at 12:13 am

    Diggle and Fazakerley?

    Thankfully by no means all the stations that were listed have been closed, as of course you pointed out.