Robert Hampton

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14th April 2009

In which our protagonist buys a Saveaway ticket and gets some repressed memories for no extra charge
Posted by at 1.10pm | It's My Life, Trains | 1 response

The erstwhile Merseyrail depot at Hall Road has finally been demolished after many years of disuse.

The remains of Hall Road TMD

Seeing the building reduced to rubble yesterday afternoon roused some strong feelings in me. Partly annoyance, because this came at the exact time when a big shed suitable for storing a train would have come in handy. But mainly, it was the memories of my time at school which came flooding back to me.

Merchant Taylors School has playing fields just off Hall Road, and once a week during the mid-1990s, my reluctant 12-year-old self would board Fareway bus service 137 for the short run to Hall Road to take part in the weekly games lesson.

People who don’t know me may be surprised (or not) to discover that athleticism was not my strong point at school (see also: social skills, personal hygiene). Therefore a trip to Hall Road, with its assocations with physical exertion and contact sports, was not something I looked forward to. This was legalised torture, and not even the prospect of hijinks in the communal showers could compensate for it.

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