BR Station Announcers of Old

[jacksonbang]

I remember a 4 carriage Hastings gauge running the line in the late 80's which was quite plush and still with orange curtains. Had trojan rather than green moquette though.

This is probably the train I refer too - the orange curtains stirred up a memory - sort of bright Easyjet orange. I also enjoyed the journey on that train.

 

[Phil.]

Can't remember the name of the ex Guard at Stevenage in the mid-seventies who would announce, "....calling at KnebworthWelwynNorthWelwynGardenCityHatfieldPottersBarFrinburyPark andKingsCrawsss. All in one breath.

The world's worst were the two ex supervisors at Gatwick Airport. They should have just been paid off when they became medically limited but union insistence and management weakness put them behind a train announcer's microphone. They were so bad that it was embarrassing.

 

[yorksrob]

This is probably the train I refer too - the orange curtains stirred up a memory - sort of bright Easyjet orange. I also enjoyed the journey on that train.

Yes, it was a favourite of mine as well

 

[Rover]

I won't mention his name and he's sadly now passed away but one of the station supervisors at Chesterfield in the early 80s would announce the Manchester Piccadilly - Harwich Parkeston Quay as the boat train for Harwich Parkeston "Kway"!

 

[AY1975]

One of my favourites was the woman announcer at Sheffield Midland in the 1980s and '90s. That was in the good old days when most stations had live announcements rather than digitally pre-recorded ones (and always preceded by BR's standard "ding dong ding", which they don't bother with at Sheffield these days). See www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8eYvnmZ60k

 

[Cowley]

One of my favourites was the woman announcer at Sheffield Midland in the 1980s and '90s. That was in the good old days when most stations had live announcements rather than digitally pre-recorded ones (and always preceded by BR's standard "ding dong ding", which they don't bother with at Sheffield these days). See www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8eYvnmZ60k

I miss the ding dong ding...

 

[AY1975]

A few stations do still have it, even with the present day pre-recorded announcements. Harrogate, for example.

 

[341o2]

Ha, my first job on the railway was as a CO1 Train Announcer at Ayr, covering Ayr, Newton-onAyr, Prestwick and Troon on the long line tannoy. This was in 1985.

Later, in 1987 I moved to Edinburgh and for a few months was the station announcer at Waverley sat in the Signalling Centre. Others at Waverley were Irene, Evelyn, Christine? and Jack. Don't remember the surnames.

Lots of laughs and happy memories. Funniest at Waverley was the 2 second pause you waited, for the chimes to properly finish, before you started your announcement. I was on shift with Irene who was on tannoy and I was working the solari indicator board. Irene pressed the transmit button which sent the chimes out, but was waiting to speak the announcement. One of the signalmen, on his break and not realising the system was 'live', came over and asked Irene "Have you eaten my kippers" which got boomed out across the whole of Waverley !

That reminds me of the Glasgow tram which was fitted with a pa system so the driver could announce the stops. It was removed after, not realising the system was live, a driver made some unprintable comments regarding another road user

 

[D5645]

One of my favourites was the woman announcer at Sheffield Midland in the 1980s and '90s. That was in the good old days when most stations had live announcements rather than digitally pre-recorded ones (and always preceded by BR's standard "ding dong ding", which they don't bother with at Sheffield these days). See www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8eYvnmZ60k

I think she also did the announcements at Chesterfield at well.

Very nice voice and you didn't mind your train was late quite so much when she announced it.

 

[EbbwJunction1]

The announcements at Newport used to be made from the old Panel Box (now itself demolished) at the East end of Platform One.

Way back in the seventies, I visited the Box and was talking to the staff there, including the person who was the announcer. Someone (maybe me) asked him about mistakes. He said that there had been a time when the announcers knew where the Mystery Excursions were going to, and the then announcer (not him, he stressed!) said "The next train on Platform Three is the 09.00 Mystery Excursion to XXXX (the actual destination, I can't remember where)"!

Not long after that, they stopped telling the announcers where the trains were going ... I wonder why?

 

[30909]

Redhill B Box had a structure like a square bay window on its north side viewing the south end of the station. In this cubbyhole in the 1950s early 60s sat a gentleman with a luxuriant white beard who did most of the announcements. He had a delivery not unlike a boxing ring announcer or fairground barker. "Redill Redill this is Redill train at platform free is for Brightin calling at (lists all stations to) Preston Park aanndd (pause) Brightin.
Sadly I can still mimic him and list all the stops up and down and to Tonbridge & Reading!!

 

[Welshman]

I can still recall even now the sound of the gentleman's voice making the announcements at Manchester Victoria in the 1960s.

"Manchester Victoria making a staff announcement" was one of his regular openings, usually summoning a diesel fitter to a Cravens or Calder-Valley unit short of water somewhere on the station.

He was situated in a little office at the top of the stairs from the subway to platforms 12 & 13, and spoke clearly and proudly, delighting in telling you you could board a through train to Harrogate from platform 13, or to travel in the rear portion of the train on platform 12 for Blackpool North.

 

[AndrewE]

I remember Bristol TM announcers inviting people to join the Adex for Spaldling and also platform staff at Stockport calling out the station name with a very broad (Bolton?) accent "Stockpooort" when we used to change there for Stalybridge.

Also remember running straight in to Temple Meads when commuting from the Severn Beach branch... Unprecedented! (Dr Day's -I think - wasn't called Stop-all junction for nothing). On alighting we heard the voice of the AAM himself on the PA from the power box!
A

 

[317666]

Bishop's Stortford and Seven Sisters both had NSE-era announcements until only a few years ago. When I did work experience with NXEA in 2011, I spent a day doing the manual announcements at Ely which was great fun! Sadly they've now been replaced with the bog-standard automated system.

 

[MaxB]

I think this was a gentleman in the Works section at DMO Beckenham. Sadly, I have forgotten his name (I think it began with a W) but he was responsible for overseeing the installation work at many stations.

 

[Blindtraveler]

Sad thing is that if we didnt have auto announcements people like me who cant see but can remember calling paterns etc and also listen to a computer talking in 1 ear and still talk would have a chance of a railway job.

 

[AY1975]

I think she also did the announcements at Chesterfield at well.

Very nice voice and you didn't mind your train was late quite so much when she announced it.

I also seem to remember hearing the Sheffield woman at Manchester Piccadilly at least once in about the mid-1980s.