1967

Psychedelia and the permissive society were apparently under way but I think they rather passed me by. Free love certainly did. Flower Power must have got to me a bit because I felt inspired to raid my mum’s wardrobe and choose a bright red cardigan and some beads to go with my blue and white, hooped T-shirt and bronze jeans. After a couple of trips out in this garb, I just as speedily put them back where they had come from.

We went to a party in New Brighton where we knew for sure that someone had taken two purple pills. I didn’t drink and I never dared try drugs. I don’t remember ever being offered any illegal substances at all. I’ve always thought that it must have been the 70s when things really changed.  

I met my wife in 1967. She was on her way home from the outdoor swimming pool to do her paper round, and I asked if I could walk along with her. The rest, as they say, is history. However, history had to be intermittently interrupted from time to time by our serious quest to witness the decline of steam, first hand.

Birkenhead sheds had been collecting Standard Class 9Fs, with 27 present on 3/3/67. Carlisle Kingmoor and Upperby sheds emulated that by amassing 29 Britannia Class locomotives between them, more than half the class, on 23/3/67.  

Ian, Grah’ and I chose a West Country youth hostelling holiday during the last week in July, but once we had left Crewe behind, it was diesels all the way. Steam was, by now, well and truly hemmed in within the north west of England. It was nearly time for its final swansong.

Aller Junction, July 1967, photograph with thanks to Ian Hughes.

Standard Class 9F No. 92218 heads its load of John Summers’ iron-ore hoppers away from Bidston Moss on the way to Shotton, 2/8/67. Steam haulage ended on this traffic three months later.