Lorna Dawes – in her own words Pt 2

‘At times there were items for sale at the General Stores and I purchased a cycle cape. I missed out on a GWR platform seat from Reading, which sold for £50.’ Read more about Lorna’s life working ‘Inside.’

GWR Memories Part 2

Carol concerts were held in many areas around the Works, including in the Drawing Office. A local band always attended and many office staff joined in.

The main tunnel was white-washed during ‘Trip’ week. Normally there would have been hundreds of people coming and going.

There would be weeks of overtime for Staff Office Typists, as well as clerks, when passes were written for ‘Trip’ trains. When trains departed, there was always a male clerk in attendance to check things, and sort tickets if there was someone without theirs. It did happen.

Long distance ‘Trip’ trains left overnight. We went to Tenby, arriving at 6.00 a.m. at our Lodge where the family would be up and waiting for us, and I still have contacts even after 80 years.

As the train proceeded west and people alighted at earlier stations, we all waved them off and wished them well. It was lovely.

I had nine years on accident reports and claims for compensation. A friend was shocked to see me staggering to my desk with huge piles of paperwork. Such was the volume of cases. As well as Park House and at least two doctors, there were casualty centres each side of the Works, ambulance boxes all over the Works and an Ambulance Inspector checking things as well as running exams. There were also ‘all line’ competitions with mock accidents and wounds.

There was a lovely well-equipped rest room for women in the Main Offices and we had a choice of colours for cloakrooms.

I was among clerks seconded from No. 13 Office to duties at the Works Book Office. There were three serving windows and women were put on the busiest … Bath, Cardiff, Weston, Bristol, Paddington and others.

The photo below was taken c. 1960, of the Works Booking Office Staff and their partners, on an outing to London. The staff were on regular duties at the Booking Office in between normal work in the Staff Office. Regular shifts of a week (?) at a time, but only certain hours.

To be there at the time the hooter blew was really terrifying. One minute it was absolute silence and then hundreds of men rushing out. The noise was over-whelming.

So many tickets issued that the racks ran out, but we had back-up from the men and they also cashed up. One penny out at 8.00 p.m. on a Friday night, and we had to check all again.

At times there were items for sale at the General Stores and I purchased a cycle cape. I missed out on a GWR platform seat from Reading, which sold for £50.

There were coal sales to staff, and also wood which consisted of off-cuts and old timber. It would be delivered, although you didn’t know what would come.

There were tales of a ghost in the tiled corridor of the Main Offices, near to the old part and close to the engine plaque on the outside wall.

Whilst on a welfare job I was partly involved with setting up a trolley service. It had always been dangerous for young girls carrying tea pots up the stairs (there were no lifts) and the hot water urn was also a hazard under one lot of stairs.

In one office we had ‘weigh day’ on Thursdays. All the girls went to a platform weigher used for goods and checked out the large pad.

Office staff were granted a day off and free pass for an outing. In January there would be suggestions for the venue, meals etc. and then the vote. Usually men and women separately. I’ve been to most places on the southwest coasts. If we went to eastern resorts, we went to a show in London afterwards. The men had barrels of beer on the train from Paddington and we travelled home by ‘Mails’ trains 10.00 – midnight, arriving home at 2.00 a.m. One time, two groups were caught at Westbury due to a problem, and I walked up the street at 5.00 a.m.

A group of office staff once did publicity shots of the Blue Pullman train, taken at Shaw sidings. I still have one of the pamphlets with photographs. We even had an actual tea laid on.

Fred Ferris, the Head Messenger, organised an evening trip on the Thames for all the office messengers. I think around 20 of us.

Just about everything had the GWR logo printed on it or moulded for identification, including pencils, paper, punches etc.

There was a ‘Helping Hand Fund’ raised by voluntary donations. At Christmas anyone with children received new toys via the Welfare Office at Paddington, and I delivered locally. One parcel I had to put on a different train, on a very snowy day, and I waited by the open fire in a station office.

The ‘Railway Benevolent Fund’ was raised by members’ contributions. The girls were asked to volunteer for flag days in the town and given sites for two at a time. In return for this couple of hours, we were allowed an extra half-day off.

No 13 Office was on the first floor over the Main Tunnel, so we could se the Wednesday groups of visitors. Also the ambulance, fire engine etc.

to be continued …

with grateful thanks to Lorna’s brother Ken and Yvonne Neal of the Swindon branch of the Wiltshire Family History Society.

You may also like to read:

Miss Lorna Dawes and a life ‘inside’

Lorna Dawes – in her own words