Sir Peter Parker - Telegraph Sir Peter Parker 12:02AM BST 30 Apr 2002 SIR PETER PARKER, who has died aged 77, was chairman of British Rail from 1976 to 1983 and a leading figure for many years in both the public and private sectors of industry. He was one of the generation of brilliant young men who emerged from the war as Socialists. He sought to apply his ideals to the running of British Rail, but in some respects found it a disenchanting experience; for he had to confront the three railway unions, and their deeply entrenched traditions, with the realities of 20th century economics and technology. In the process, his faith in the innate reasonableness of of human beings was sorely tried. Reflecting earlier this year on his chairmanship, he said: "I endured two years of guerrilla war led by the train drivers' union Aslef. Passengers suffered months of misery, as bad in parts as it is today." But despite his Socialist principles, he was prepared to take on the unions when he felt it necessary.

During a particularly difficult dispute in 1981, Parker's board issued an ultimatum: "If the drivers did not go back to work, we would close the entire network." He won. Parker's aim was to lay the foundations for a far more cost-effective railway system, and to this end he embarked on a fundamental managerial restructuring, dividing British Rail into five commercially motivated business sectors, instead of having it based on regions. But his tenure was also marked by what he saw as a lack of investment on the part of both Labour and Conservative governments; because of this, he saw his job as a constant battle to shore up what he called "the crumbling edge of quality". It was no small achievement that, when he left in 1983, there were more stations in use than when he began. Parker was an instinctive communicator, a man of inexhaustible energy and enthusiasm. He also showed considerable promotional flair, and was happy, for example, to take part in a photocall wearing the latest staff uniform. He did much to make rail travel, particularly InterCity, a far more acceptable product to the travelling public.

Perhaps his most notable achievement was a masterly political and propaganda campaign which defeated the anti-rail lobby when, in 1982, the Serpell Committee recommended drastic closures as the only way of making BR viable. He also introduced a new, if complex, structure of rail fares to the advantage of groups such as young people and old age pensioners. Peter Parker was born on August 30 1924 in France, but spent part of his childhood in Shanghai, where his father worked for an oil company. The family moved back to Britain in 1937, settling at Bedford. Peter was educated at Bedford School, where he forged a reputation as a sportsman, actor and debater. "People who thought they knew him were shocked when they discovered he was a Socialist," one contemporary recalled. "They just couldn't understand why an English public school gentleman should betray everything like that." He went on to London University before serving in the Intelligence Corps from 1943 to 1947, reaching the rank of major. On being demobilised, with little idea of what career to follow, he went to Oxford for a day in search of a college to attend.

After several fruitless calls at some of the better known institutions, he had adjourned for lunch at a pub, the Mitre, when his eye lighted on a pleasant building opposite; a waiter told him that this was Lincoln College. There Parker had a warm welcome from the Rector, Lord Murray of Newhaven, and was launched on a brilliant career. While at Oxford, he shone both in union debates and as an actor in the University Dramatic Society; in the company of Kenneth Tynan, John Schlesinger and Lindsay Anderson, he was widely regarded as the best undergraduate actor of his day. His King Lear won high praise, and he fell into what proved to be an unrequited love affair with his Cordelia, Shirley Catlin, later to become Shirley Williams. They were both very active in the University Labour Club (he was to stand unsuccessfully as Labour candidate for Bedford in the general election of 1951), and a quarter of a century later he followed her into the Social Democrats. There was another notable OUDS performance when he played Hamlet in gloves after gashing his hand just as the performance was about to start.

Kenneth Tynan wrote: "He did it like a born leader and was damn well going to be King if he could manage it." After leaving Oxford Parker spent two years with Phillips Electrical before becoming Head of the overseas department of the Industrial Society. A year later Prince Philip invited him to organise a Study Conference on human problems in industry. For this he was appointed a Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order in 1957. Parker's next step was to join Booker McConnell, the West Indies sugar plantation company, as a protege of its owner and fellow Socialist, Lord Campbell of Eskean. In 1967 Parker was asked by the Transport Minister, Barbara Castle, to be chairman of British Rail. He reluctantly turned down the job, because he regarded the salary (£12,500 a year) as too low; Lord Beeching, when chairman of British Rail, had been paid nearly twice that. Parker wanted at least £17,500, because he felt he needed a realistic salary structure to recruit the best managers. He remained on the Booker board until 1970, when he was appointed chairman-designate of the newly nationalised National Ports Authority.

But the Conservative Party's election victory a few months later put an end to that. "I am now the industrial equivalent of a stateless person," he observed ruefully. A wide variety of directorships rapidly followed, until his appointment in 1976 as British Rail's chairman. The issue of his salary was this time settled to his satisfaction, although his £23,000 a year was thought to be £42,000 less than what he was earning at the time of his appointment. His wide range of business and other interests over the years included chairmanship of the Rockware Group (1971-76, and 1983-92); Bookers Engineering and Industrial Holdings (1966-70); Associated British Maltsters (1971-73); Curtis Brown (1971-76); Dawnay Day group (1971-76); Mitsubishi Electric UK (1984-96); and Whitehead Mann (1984-2000). He was chairman of the National Theatre Board, of the British Tourist Authority and of Westfield College.

Parker was knighted in 1978 and appointed KBE in 1993. He published an autobiography, For Starters: The Business of Life, in 1989. In 1951 he married Gillian Rowe-Dutton, with whom he had three sons and a daughter. Their sons are Alan Parker, senior partner of the public relations firm Brunswick; Oliver Parker, the film director; and Nathaniel Parker, the actor. Peter Parker (British businessman) : Wikis (The Full Wiki) The Full Wiki More info on Peter Parker (British businessman) Wikis Peter Parker (British businessman): Wikis Advertisements Note: Many of our articles have direct quotes from sources you can cite, within the Wikipedia article! This article doesn't yet, but we're working on it! See more info or our list of citable articles . From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia For other persons named Peter Parker, see Peter Parker (disambiguation) .

Sir Peter Parker KBE LVO (30 August 1924 – 28 April 2002) was a British businessman, best known as chairman of the British Railways Board from 1976 to 1983. Contents 4 External links Early life He was born in France on 30 August 1924, spent part of his childhood in Shanghai , where his father worked for an oil company. The family moved to Bedford , England in 1937. He was educated at Bedford School and the University of London , before serving in the Intelligence Corps of the British Army from 1943 to 1947, reaching the rank of Major . Following military service, he studied at Lincoln College, Oxford . He stood unsuccessfully as the Labour candidate for Bedford in the general election of 1951. Career After leaving Oxford he spent two years with Phillips Electrical before becoming Head of the overseas department of the Industrial Society . He organised a study conference on human problems in industry at the invitation of the Duke of Edinburgh , for which he was appointed a Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order in 1957. He then joined Booker McConnell , becoming a Director of the company.

He remained on the board of Booker until 1970, when he was appointed chairman-designate of the newly-nationalised National Ports Authority. This was scrapped following the election of a Conservative government in 1970, leaving Parker to find other directorships until his appointment in 1976 as British Rail's chairman. Chairman of British Rail Succeeding Sir Richard Marsh , Peter Parker was appointed Chairman of BR in 1976 by the Labour Government and continued to serve during the Premiership of Margaret Thatcher . He guided the organisation through difficult times to the beginnings of the resurgence in train travel in the United Kingdom . Politically, he was a socialist (but later joined the Social Democratic Party (SDP) ). His socialist principles were severely tested by the industrial relations difficulties with the three railway unions ( ASLEF , the National Union of Railwaymen and the Transport Salaried Staffs' Association ) whilst Chairman of British Rail. There were several major strikes on the railway system during his chairmanship. Peter Parker reorganised the management of the railway system, creating five business sectors, instead of having it based on geographical regions.

He was a critic of the underinvestment in the railways by successive British governments, claiming that he was trying to shore up "the crumbling edge of quality". He also campaigned vigorously against the anti-rail lobby, most notably in successfully resisting the recommendations of the Serpell Report in 1982, which had proposed drastic closures. It is believed that Sir Peter Parker became the only former Chairman of British Rail to have an engine named in his honour. At a ceremony at Old Oak Common, London, on 17 September 2003, High Speed Train power car number 43127 was named "Sir Peter Parker 1924-2002 Cotswold Line 150" by Lady Parker. The naming had been arranged between the Cotswold Line Promotion Group, which provided the nameplates, and First Great Western, to jointly celebrate the life and work of Sir Peter and the 150th anniversary of the opening of the Cotswold Line between Oxford and Worcester in 1853. Sir Peter was a regular user of Charlbury station on that line.

His other appointments included the chairmanship of the Rockware Group (1971-76, and 1983-92); Bookers Engineering and Industrial Holdings (1966-70); Associated British Maltsters (1971-73); Curtis Brown (1971-76); Dawnay Day group (1971-76); Mitsubishi Electric UK (1984-96); and Whitehead Mann (1984-2000). He was also chairman of the National Theatre Board, of the British Tourist Authority and of Westfield College . He was knighted in 1978 and appointed KBE in 1993. He married Jillian Rowe-Dutton in 1951, with whom he had three sons and a daughter. He is the father of the British actor Nathaniel Parker and the film director Oliver Parker . External links Sir Peter Parker dies at 77 - Telegraph Sir Peter Parker dies at 77 9:35AM BST 29 Apr 2002 SIR Peter Parker, the former chairman of British Rail, has died while on holiday in Turkey.

He was 77. Sir Peter suffered a suspected heart attack yesterday while holidaying in Bodrum, Turkey, with his wife Lady Gillian Parker and family friends. His son Alan, 45, confirmed today that his father had died as he was preparing to return home from a two-week holiday. He said: "My father had not been ill and it has come as a shock to the whole family." Lady Parker has returned to England and arrangements are under way to bring Sir Peter's body back from Turkey. Sir Peter, a father of four children, was chairman of British Rail from 1976 to 1983 and was known to regularly travel on the network to be "in touch" with the service workers and users. He was once famously quoted: "Railways have always been political - can you think of any business that runs through more marginal constituencies?" Sir Peter was a successful businessman prior to his chairmanship of the then-nationalised British Rail, to which he was appointed by the Labour Government of 1976 and later reappointed by Conservative premier Margaret Thatcher.

Bill Morris, general secretary of the Transport and General Workers Union, said: "Sir Peter was a true public servant in the traditional mould who made a significant contribution to transport generally, and the railways in particular." Rail chief Sir Peter Parker dies | London Evening Standard Rail chief Sir Peter Parker dies Sunday 28 April 2002 23:00 BST Click to follow The Evening Standard Sir Peter Parker, chairman of British Rail from 1976 to 1983, has died while on holiday with his family in Turkey. His death yesterday is understood to have been from natural causes. Sir Peter, 77, once said that he would like to be remembered as a man who thought efficiency and happiness were reconcilable. It was this combination of business acumen and social responsibility that made him a natural candidate to run the ailing nationalised industry. But it was also the reason why his tenure was ultimately seen as only a qualified success which failed to prevent the decline that led ultimately to privatisation. The first part of his chairmanship went well. He introduced a "contract" with the Government whereby he would improve efficiency in return for a subsidy for social costs and investment.

However, he ran into trouble with the rail unions and in a series of disputes over flexible rostering, promises of productivity improvements failed to materialise. In the end the unions capitulated but valuable time was lost. He described the disputes as "a necessary journey through hell". His dreams of presiding over the electrification of the whole network and the building of the Channel Tunnel had to be left to his successors, but his prediction that BR was on course to move into profit and make more than £90 million by 1988 now seem like fantasy. His breakthrough came when he was made secretary of the Duke of Edinburgh's Industrial Welfare Society, now the Industrial Society, and developed the contacts that would eventually make him one of the most high-profile executives in British industry. His eldest son Alan, 45, is worth an estimated £95 million as head of PR giant Brunswick. Son Oliver, 42, is a successful film director while Nathaniel, 40, is a TV actor. Daughter Lucy, 49, has also directed films.

More about: Learn and talk about Peter Parker (British businessman), Alumni of Lincoln College, Oxford, Alumni of SOAS, University of London, British Army personnel of World War II, British Rail people Early life[ edit ] Parker was born in France on 30 August 1924, but spent part of his childhood in Shanghai , where his father worked for an oil company. The family were evacuated from China in 1937, and while his father went to work in Africa, his mother and the rest of the family settled in Bedford , England, where he attended Bedford School . After leaving school, he won a scholarship to study Japanese at the School of Oriental and African Studies , University of London , as one of the "Dulwich boys", thirty sixth-formers recruited to boost the ranks of military translators. [1] In 1943 he joined the Intelligence Corps of the British Army , serving first in India and Burma, and later in the United States and Japan , eventually reaching the rank of Major . In 1947 he left the army, and after a conversation over tea with Lord Murray of Newhaven studied history at Lincoln College, Oxford .

At Oxford, he joined the Dramatic Society, where he was widely regarded as the best undergraduate actor of his day alongside contemporaries Kenneth Tynan , John Schlesinger and Lindsay Anderson . Parker met Shirley Catlin (the future Shirley Williams ) in the university's Labour Party club and they had a relationship. In her autobiography ("Climbing the Bookshelves") Williams says that "...by the spring of 1949 I was in love with him, and he, a little, with me...". He stood unsuccessfully as the Labour candidate for Bedford in the 1951 general election . Career[ edit ] After graduation he spent two years with Philips before becoming Head of the overseas department of the Industrial Society . He organised a study conference on human problems in industry at the invitation of the Duke of Edinburgh , for which he was appointed a Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order in 1957. He then joined Booker McConnell , becoming a Director of the company. He remained on the board of Booker until 1970, when he was appointed chairman-designate of the newly nationalised National Ports Authority.

This was scrapped following the election of a Conservative government in 1970, leaving Parker to find other directorships until his appointment in 1976 as British Rail's chairman. Chairman of British Rail[ edit ] Succeeding Sir Richard Marsh , Parker was appointed Chairman of BR in 1976 by the Labour Government and continued to serve during the Premiership of Margaret Thatcher . He guided the organisation through difficult times to the beginnings of the resurgence in train travel in the United Kingdom. Politically, he was a socialist (but later joined the Social Democratic Party (SDP) ). His socialist principles were severely tested by the industrial relations difficulties with the three railway unions ( ASLEF , the National Union of Railwaymen and the Transport Salaried Staffs' Association ) while he was Chairman of British Rail. There were several major strikes on the railway system during his chairmanship. Parker reorganised the management of the railway system, creating five business sectors, instead of having it based on geographical regions. He was a critic of the underinvestment in the railways by successive British governments, claiming that he was trying to shore up "the crumbling edge of quality".

He also campaigned vigorously against the anti-rail lobby, most notably in successfully resisting the recommendations of the Serpell Report in 1982, which had proposed drastic closures. On one occasion, Parker had to catch a train from Crewe to Carlisle , but arrived late and accidentally boarded a non-stopper heading for London Euston . [2] Parker was succeeded in 1983 by the vice-chairman, Robert Reid . [3] Later career[ edit ] His other appointments included the chairmanship of the Rockware Group (1971–76, and 1983–92); Bookers Engineering and Industrial Holdings (1966–70); Associated British Maltsters (1971–73); Curtis Brown (1971–76); Dawnay Day group (1971–76); Mitsubishi Electric UK (1984–96); and Whitehead Mann (1984–2000). He was also chairman of the National Theatre Board, of the British Tourist Authority and of Westfield College . He was knighted in 1978 and appointed KBE in 1993.

He was conferred with the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Sacred Treasure 1st Class (1991) (Japan). [4] peter parker british businessman : definition of peter parker british businessman and synonyms of peter parker british businessman (English) 5 External links Early life Parker was born in France on 30 August 1924, but spent part of his childhood in Shanghai , where his father worked for an oil company. The family were evacuated from China in 1937, and while his father went to work in Africa, his mother and the rest of the family settled in Bedford , England , where he attended Bedford School . After leaving school, he won a scholarship to study Japanese at the School of Oriental and African Studies , University of London , as one of the "Dulwich boys", 30 sixth-formers recruited to boost the ranks of military translators. [1] In 1943 he joined the Intelligence Corps of the British Army , serving first in India and Burma, and later in the United States and Japan, eventually reaching the rank of Major . In 1947 he left the army, and studied history at Lincoln College, Oxford .

At Oxford he met Shirley Catlin (the future Shirley Williams ) and they had a relationship. In her autobiography ("Climbing the Bookshelves") Williams says that "...by the spring of 1949 I was in love with him, and he, a little, with me..." . He stood unsuccessfully as the Labour candidate for Bedford in the general election of 1951. Career After leaving Oxford he spent two years with Philips Electrical before becoming Head of the overseas department of the Industrial Society . He organised a study conference on human problems in industry at the invitation of the Duke of Edinburgh , for which he was appointed a Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order in 1957. He then joined Booker McConnell , becoming a Director of the company. He remained on the board of Booker until 1970, when he was appointed chairman-designate of the newly-nationalised National Ports Authority. This was scrapped following the election of a Conservative government in 1970, leaving Parker to find other directorships until his appointment in 1976 as British Rail's chairman.

Chairman of British Rail Succeeding Sir Richard Marsh , Peter Parker was appointed Chairman of BR in 1976 by the Labour Government and continued to serve during the Premiership of Margaret Thatcher . He guided the organisation through difficult times to the beginnings of the resurgence in train travel in the United Kingdom . Politically, he was a socialist (but later joined the Social Democratic Party (SDP) ). His socialist principles were severely tested by the industrial relations difficulties with the three railway unions ( ASLEF , the National Union of Railwaymen and the Transport Salaried Staffs' Association ) whilst Chairman of British Rail. There were several major strikes on the railway system during his chairmanship. Peter Parker reorganised the management of the railway system, creating five business sectors, instead of having it based on geographical regions. He was a critic of the underinvestment in the railways by successive British governments, claiming that he was trying to shore up "the crumbling edge of quality". He also campaigned vigorously against the anti-rail lobby, most notably in successfully resisting the recommendations of the Serpell Report in 1982, which had proposed drastic closures.

It is believed that Sir Peter Parker became the only former Chairman of British Rail to have an engine named in his honour (with the exception of Sir Henry Johnson, who had a British Rail Class 86 locomotive named after him). At a ceremony at Old Oak Common, London, on 17 September 2003, High Speed Train power car number 43127 was named "Sir Peter Parker 1924-2002 Cotswold Line 150" by Lady Parker. The naming had been arranged between the Cotswold Line Promotion Group, which provided the nameplates, and First Great Western, to jointly celebrate the life and work of Sir Peter and the 150th anniversary of the opening of the Cotswold Line between Oxford and Worcester in 1853. Sir Peter was a regular user of Charlbury station on that line.

His other appointments included the chairmanship of the Rockware Group (1971–76, and 1983–92); Bookers Engineering and Industrial Holdings (1966–70); Associated British Maltsters (1971–73); Curtis Brown (1971–76); Dawnay Day group (1971–76); Mitsubishi Electric UK (1984–96); and Whitehead Mann (1984–2000). He was also chairman of the National Theatre Board, of the British Tourist Authority and of Westfield College . He was knighted in 1978 and appointed KBE in 1993. He was conferred with the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Sacred Treasure 1st Class (1991) (Japan). [2] He married Jillian Rowe-Dutton in 1951, with whom he had three sons and a daughter. He is the father of the British actor Nathaniel Parker and the film director Oliver Parker .

On one occasion, Parker had to catch a train from Crewe to Carlisle , but arrived late and accidentally boarded a non-stopper heading for London Euston . [3] References ^ "Fellowship to Recognise Contribution to Language Teaching and Learning," Centre for Information on Language Teaching and Research (CILT). 27 March 2002; retrieved 2011-06-19 ^ Book of Heroic Failures, Stephen Pile External links "Rail Chief Sir Peter Parker Dies" by Allen, Richard - The Evening Standard (London, England), April 29, 2002 | Online Research Library: Questia Article excerpt Byline: RICHARD ALLEN SIR Peter Parker, chairman of British Rail from 1976 to 1983, has died while on holiday with his family in Turkey. His death yesterday is understood to have been from natural causes. Sir Peter, 77, once said that he would like to be remembered as a man who thought efficiency and happiness were reconcilable. It was this combination of business acumen and social responsibility that made him a natural candidate to run the ailing nationalised industry.

But it was also the reason why his tenure was ultimately seen as only a qualified success which failed to prevent the decline that led ultimately to privatisation. The first part of his chairmanship went well. He introduced a "contract" with the Government whereby he would improve efficiency in return for a subsidy for social costs and investment. However, he ran into trouble with the rail unions and in a series of disputes over flexible rostering, promises of productivity improvements failed to materialise. In the end the unions capitulated but valuable time was lost. He described the disputes as "a necessary journey through hell". His dreams of presiding over the electrification of the whole network and the building of the Channel Tunnel had to be left to his successors, but his prediction that BR was on course to move into profit and make more than ?

… Subscribe to Questia and enjoy: Full access to this article and over 10 million more from academic journals, magazines, and newspapers Over 83,000 books Access to powerful writing and research tools Article details Newspapers Encyclopedia Subscribe to Questia and enjoy: Full access to this article and over 10 million more from academic journals, magazines, and newspapers Over 83,000 books Access to powerful writing and research tools Article details British Railways Board | UK Transport Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia The BRB was created on 1 January 1963 under the Transport Act 1962 by Harold Macmillan 's Conservative government to inherit the railway responsibilities of the British Transport Commission , which was dissolved at the same time. [1] Operations Main article: British Rail The BRB initially, and for the majority of its history, operated under the structure inherited from the BTC Railway Executive. Operations were divided up into five regions - Eastern , London Midland , Western , Southern Region , and the Scottish Region , itself later rebranded ScotRail . A North Eastern Region also initially existed but was abolished in 1967, being merged into the Eastern Region.

In the 1980s, the BRB moved away from organising its operations on the regional model, and moved to organise on a sectoral model, based on business activity - InterCity for long distance services, Network SouthEast for commuter services in London , and Regional Railways for short distance and commuter services outside the Network SouthEast area. Railfreight was organised separately. As well as the British Rail network, the BRB for much of its history also ran passenger ferry services (as Sealink ) and hotels . These were sold off in the 1980s. The final BRB structure, between 1994 and 1997, was essentially the shadow form of the future privatised railway industry, with the Board becoming a holding company to over 100 subsidiary companies, including 25 train operating subsidiaries, six freight subsidiaries, three rolling stock leasing companies, and a number of line maintenance companies. These were slowly sold off during privatisation (or, in the case of the passenger subsidiaries, franchised to private sector concerns).

Winding down Main article: Privatisation of British Rail On 1 April 1994 the BRB ceased to have responsibility for railway infrastructure, which became the responsibility of a (initially Government owned) public limited company , Railtrack . It continue to operate all passenger railway services until 1996, when the process of transferring the services to the private sector began. Privatisation was completed in 1997, but the BRB continued in existence to discharge residual functions relating to non-operational railway land and BR pensions, and to have responsibility for the British Transport Police . In 1999 Sir Alistair Morton was appointed as last chairman of the BRB, which began to advise on passenger railway matters. During this time it operated together with the Director of Passenger Rail Franchising under the trading name of the Shadow Strategic Rail Authority. Under the Transport Act 2000 the Office of Passenger Rail Franchising (OPRAF) was abolished and its and BRB's functions transferred to the Strategic Rail Authority .

The functions which had been carried out by the BRB prior to the creation of the SRA were placed under the charge of a wholly owned subsidiary of the SRA, BRB (Residuary) Ltd. Its ownership changed again with the dissolution of the SRA under the Railways Act 2005 and it is currently a wholly owned subsidiary of the Secretary of State for Transport . While the 2000 Act allowed for BRB to be abolished, [2] this has not yet occurred. [3] Through its subsidiary, Rail Property Ltd, BRB (Residuary) retains responsibility for non-operational railway land, for example, railway lines closed in the Beeching Axe that have not been sold. The BRB owned a large amount of railway archive material, including papers, maps, films and photographs, dating back before nationalisation. At privatisation in 1997 these were distributed to other bodies: the films (the bulk of which had been produced by British Transport Films ) went to the British Film Institute in London , the photographs to the National Railway Museum (NRM) in York , and most of the papers to the Public Record Office .

Chairmen aslef photos on Flickr | Flickr A train terminates at Brixton station. If you unfortunate enough to be attempting to travel around London today during the strike, I wish you luck and I wish you well, I have insider information that the RMT's power is one the wane, many members are leaving to join the TSSA union and ASLEF, two unions (that are not striking) that give serious thought and consideration on the impact of strikes to our city and its workers, hopefully we wont have to put up with much more industrial action from the late Bob Crows subjects... although they want another pay rise next year so I'm sure we'll have to suffer at least once more. 2 George Cross commemoration to LNER fireman James Nightall from Littleport This memorial was re-dedicated by inter alia Railway Unions on 10 Nov 2007, having been unveiled in June on the 63rd anniversary by the Duke of Gloucester. Possibly the reason was the demise of Network South East. Read the story on p7 here This source says the explosives train from March to White Colne in Essex was carrying 400tons of bombs.

At Soham, the first wagon caught fire, and the fireman uncoupled this wagon and towed it away to safety at Soham station where it exploded, destroying the station completely and the signalman there. The engine's fireman,James Nightall , was killed instantly in the explosion and the driver badly injured. For this act of selfless bravery in saving Soham village from a massive explosion which would have killed many more two George Crosses were issued, one posthumously to Nightall and the other to Benjamin Gimbert the driver. This plaque was unveiled to commemorated the unrelated electrification of the Cambridge- Kings Lynn railway line in 1992, although it passes through Littleport. White Colne is no longer reachable by rail. Unrelated fact no 2. James Nightall was born on exactly the same day as my mother. The names of the two LNER GCs are carried on two modern EWS diesel locomotives of class 66, nos 079 and 077, having previously been on earlier Brush - Sulzer class 47 locos 579 and 577.

According to @hammond381, this was done by Clement Freud,on 28th September 1981 at March North......the loco 589, Nightall was formerly 47183....D1788 Benjamin Gimbert GC died in 1976 aged 73 Goods Shed, Southern End Griffithstown Railway Station Nr Pontypool 18 May 2011 by Torfaen Corvine The station and nearby goods shed were built in 1879 by the Monmouthshire Railway & Canal Co (MRCC), possibly the last buildings erected by this company before being absorbed into the Great Western Railway in 1880. The line, now part of National Cycle Route 492, was the Eastern Valley Branch Line running from Newport to Blaenavon. It carried passengers until 1962, then goods until the closure of Big Pit, Blaenavon, in 1980. Griffithstown itself was named after Henry Griffiths, the first station master of nearby Pontypool Road Station, once a key communications point.

Griffithstown was also the birthplace of ASLEF, in 1880. Unsurprisingly, Torfaen Council want to demolish it and develop the land for housing, the buildings amazingly, not being listed. CADW are currently in on the act, so hopefully they will be preserved. 2 TA1, a.k.a. 17001, was the first of Stagecoach London's once-numerous fleet of Alexander ALX400-bodied Dennis Tridents. It has been kept in its original condition and tor some years now it has operated out of Leyton Garage as a 'heritage' vehicle, usually on route 55. However it was retired from service on 22nd August 2014, and is believed to be headed for the London Bus Museum at Brooklands, near Weybridge, Surrey. Its last day of service coincided with a strike by drivers of the ASLEF union on the Central Line, and TA1 was one of a number of buses operating extra journeys on route 158 between Stratford and Leyton.

Apart from the Heritage Routemasters, at the time of its withdrawal TA1 was the oldest bus still in regular service on a Transport for London bus route. TA1 is seen on its last afternoon of service, departing Stratford Bus Station with yet another capacity load for Leyton. 41001, one half of the power of the first HST, at Ruddington. It has been restored to working order by the HST Group. This was used to prove the theory of a high speed diesel train, at a time where BR were looking to the APT as a solution. Indeed, once authorised, the HST was only a stop-gap measure. The first run was on 11/1/1973 after a ASLEF (driver union) strike over the number of drivers.

Used extensively by BR and later the RTC (as ADB975812), it was withdrawn March 1982 and saved by the National Railway Museum, alongside the APT-E which shared many workshops at Derby 4 Normally a step-entrance, non-accessible and non-red bus would not be acceptable for a London Buses route - but when there's a tube strike on, if it's fit for service, out it goes! Ensignbus 826, which carries former Routemaster registration WLT 916 and is mainly used for private hires, is seen leaving Stratford Bus Station whilst helping to shift the extra passengers using route 257 between Stratford and Leytonstone. It is an Alexander Royale-bodied Volvo Olympian that first entered service with Metroline in 1998. *************************************************************** A one-day strike by Central Line drivers belonging to the ASLEF union saw the Central Line suspended between White City and Leytonstone on Friday 22nd August. Ensignbus of Purfleet provided numerous extras on route 25 between Holborn and Stratford, as well as on route 257 between Stratford and Leytonstone.

Some of the extras ran as ordinary 257s whilst others ran as non-stops. Stagecoach also bolstered routes 8, and 158 between Stratford and Leyton, using its own resources. These included Leyton Garage's TA1, Stagecoach London's first low-floor Dennis Trident/Alexander ALX400 which has been kept in original condition and was working its last day in regular service before being retired for preservation. Goods Shed, Northern End, Griffithstown Railway Station Nr Pontypool 18 May 2011 by Torfaen Corvine The station and nearby goods shed were built in 1879 by the Monmouthshire Railway & Canal Co (MRCC), possibly the last buildings erected by this company before being absorbed into the Great Western Railway in 1880. The line, now part of National Cycle Route 492, was the Eastern Valley Branch Line running from Newport to Blaenavon. It carried passengers until 1962, then goods until the closure of Big Pit, Blaenavon, in 1980.

Griffithstown itself was named after Henry Griffiths, the first station master of nearby Pontypool Road Station, once a key communications point. Griffithstown was also the birthplace of ASLEF, in 1880. Unsurprisingly, Torfaen Council want to demolish it and develop the land for housing, the buildings amazingly, not being listed. CADW are currently in on the act, so hopefully they will be preserved. This is the north end of the shed, "1879" can be seen at the apex. 7 The APT-E, for Advanced Passenger Train Experimental, was the prototype Advanced Passenger Train tilting train unit. It was powered by gas turbines, the only multiple unit so powered that was used by British Rail. The APT-E consisted of two driving power cars (PC1 and 2) and two trailer cars (TC1 and 2).

Each power car was equipped with four Rover- built Leyland 2S/350 gas turbines (and a fifth for auxiliary power supplies), these initially produced 300 HP each but were progressively uprated to 330 HP.[1] Two GEC 253AY nose suspended traction motors provided the traction on the leading bogies. The vehicles were manufactured from aluminium, approx 70 ft long (21 m) with articulated bogies between them. The APT-E made its first run on 25 July 1972 from Derby to Duffield and was immediately 'blacked' by the drivers' union ASLEF, due to concerns that the single driver's seat preempted ongoing negotiations about the single-manning of trains.[2] It was over twelve months before it ran again on the main line in August 1973.

The prototype was eventually tried out on the Great Western Main Line, nicknamed Brunel's billiard table, and achieved a new British railway speed record when on 10 August 1975 it hit 152.3 mph (245.1 km/h)[3] whilst on test with the Western Region between Swindon and Reading. It was also tested extensively on the Midland Main Line out of London St. Pancras and on the Old Dalby Test Track, where in January 1976 it attained a speed of 143.6 mph (231.1 km/h). The unit was only intended for testing and was never used in ordinary public service, although it did carry office staff and the occasional dignitaries on trial runs. When its period of testing was complete, in June 1976, it was sent to the National Railway Museum, York for preservation. It is now based at the NRM's Locomotion museum in Shildon. When further APT Class 370 units were built, they were powered by 25 kV AC electrification.

3 Routemasters to the rescue - Ensignbus' Heritage Routemaster coach, RMC1485, was one of the vehicles pressed into service to work non-stop journeys between Stratford and Leytonstone. It is seen loading at Stratford Bus Station during the evening peak of Friday 22nd August; as a doored vehicle it would not actually require a conductor for such a journey, although on this occasion one was provided. Behind, stablemate RML 2734 arrives with an extra from Holborn on route 25; this was one of a number of heritage Routemasters operating over the route that day. *************************************************************** A one-day strike by Central Line drivers belonging to the ASLEF union saw the Central Line suspended between White City and Leytonstone on Friday 22nd August. Ensignbus of Purfleet provided numerous extras on route 25 between Holborn and Stratford, as well as on route 257 between Stratford and Leytonstone. Some of the extras ran as ordinary 257s whilst others ran as non-stops. Stagecoach also bolstered routes 8, and 158 between Stratford and Leyton, using its own resources.

These included Leyton Garage's TA1, Stagecoach London's first low-floor Dennis Trident/Alexander ALX400 which has been kept in original condition and was working its last day in regular service before being retired for preservation. 3 Hot on the heels of RM 54 was RM 1361, also in the Ensignbus Heritage Fleet and carrying London Transport fleetname and period advertising (although sadly not its original 361 CLT registration). It is also seen in Great Eastern Road, Stratford, having worked one of a number of extra journeys over route 25 between Holborn and Stratford. *************************************************************** A one-day strike by Central Line drivers belonging to the ASLEF union saw the Central Line suspended between White City and Leytonstone on Friday 22nd August. Ensignbus of Purfleet provided numerous extras on route 25 between Holborn and Stratford, as well as on route 257 between Stratford and Leytonstone. Some of the extras ran as ordinary 257s whilst others ran as non-stops. Stagecoach also bolstered routes 8, and 158 between Stratford and Leyton, using its own resources.

These included Leyton Garage's TA1, Stagecoach London's first low-floor Dennis Trident/Alexander ALX400 which has been kept in original condition and was working its last day in regular service before being retired for preservation. 1 Alexander Royal-bodied Volvo Olympian 826 has returned from Leytonstone, and is loading up for another run as a route 257 extra. Normally a step-entrance vehicle in a non-red livery on a London Buses service is anathema, but when there is a tube strike on, anything that can shift the crowds is gratefully received! *************************************************************** A one-day strike by Central Line drivers belonging to the ASLEF union saw the Central Line suspended between White City and Leytonstone on Friday 22nd August. Ensignbus of Purfleet provided numerous extras on route 25 between Holborn and Stratford, as well as on route 257 between Stratford and Leytonstone. Some of the extras ran as ordinary 257s whilst others ran as non-stops. Stagecoach also bolstered routes 8, and 158 between Stratford and Leyton, using its own resources.

These included Leyton Garage's TA1, Stagecoach London's first low-floor Dennis Trident/Alexander ALX400 which has been kept in original condition and was working its last day in regular service before being retired for preservation. Facebook | Instagram | 500px | Twitter | Website All Rights Reserved, as stated. Re-posts are with expressed permission only. You may not use this image, edit it or alter it in any way (and as a result, claim the image or the derivative as your own). And it's not for Tumblr / weheartit.com either. 2 A busy scene at Stratford Bus Station, as passengers board Ensignbus 143, an Alexander ALX400-bodied Dennis Trident formerly in the Stagecoach London fleet working an extra non-stop journey from Stratford to Leytonstone during the evening peak of Friday 22nd August. Although there were a number of Transport for London/London Buses staff and a police presence to control the crowd, most people seemed to be good-natured and genuinely appreciative of the effort being made to shift the crowds.

*************************************************************** A one-day strike by Central Line drivers belonging to the ASLEF union saw the Central Line suspended between White City and Leytonstone on Friday 22nd August. Ensignbus of Purfleet provided numerous extras on route 25 between Holborn and Stratford, as well as on route 257 between Stratford and Leytonstone. Some of the extras ran as ordinary 257s whilst others ran as non-stops. Stagecoach also bolstered routes 8, and 158 between Stratford and Leyton, using its own resources. These included Leyton Garage's TA1, Stagecoach London's first low-floor Dennis Trident/Alexander ALX400 which has been kept in original condition and was working its last day in regular service before being retired for preservation. Fully laden, Routemaster Coach RMC 1485 from the Ensignbus Heritage Fleet treats its passengers to some unaccustomed luxury as it sets off from Stratford with a non-stop extra to Leytonstone. RMC1485 was one of a number of Routemasters that were delivered to London Transport's Country Bus division to operate limited-stop Green Line coach services.

However declining passenger numbers and the need for economies soon saw them demoted to ordinary bus work, their places taken by One-Man (sic) Operated single deckers. A number were sold to London Transport in the late 1970s/early 1980s to act as driver trainers. RMC 1485 was one of six that were refurbished in 1989 for the "Beckton Express" route X15, a new commuter route linking the then-new and growing residential area of Beckton with Central London. When this route was withdrawn upon the opening of the Docklands Light Railway's Beckton extension RMC 1485 was transferred to route 15 and continued in service until that route's conversion to driver-only in August 2003. After working for Mac Tours in Edinburgh it was acquired by Ensignbus in 2009, and restored to its Beckton Express livery. *************************************************************** A one-day strike by Central Line drivers belonging to the ASLEF union saw the Central Line suspended between White City and Leytonstone on Friday 22nd August.

Ensignbus of Purfleet provided numerous extras on route 25 between Holborn and Stratford, as well as on route 257 between Stratford and Leytonstone. Some of the extras ran as ordinary 257s whilst others ran as non-stops. Stagecoach also bolstered routes 8, and 158 between Stratford and Leyton, using its own resources. These included Leyton Garage's TA1, Stagecoach London's first low-floor Dennis Trident/Alexander ALX400 which has been kept in original condition and was working its last day in regular service before being retired for preservation. Sir Peter Parker KBE LVO (30 August 1924 – 28 April 2002) was a British businessman, best known as chairman of the British Railways Board from 1976 to 1983 He was born in France on 30 August 1924, spent part of his childhood in Shanghai, where his father worked for an oil company. The family moved to Bedford, England in 1937.

He was educated at Bedford School and the University of London, before serving in the Intelligence Corps of the British Army from 1943 to 1947, reaching the rank of Major. Following military service, he studied at Lincoln College, Oxford. He stood unsuccessfully as the Labour candidate for Bedford in the general election of 1951 After leaving Oxford he spent two years with Phillips Electrical before becoming Head of the overseas department of the Industrial Society. He organised a study conference on human problems in industry at the invitation of the Duke of Edinburgh, for which he was appointed a Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order in 1957. He then joined Booker McConnell, becoming a Director of the company. He remained on the board of Booker until 1970, when he was appointed chairman-designate of the newly-nationalised National Ports Authority. This was scrapped following the election of a Conservative government in 1970, leaving Parker to find other directorships until his appointment in 1976 as British Rail's chairman. Succeeding Sir Richard Marsh, Peter Parker was appointed Chairman of BR in 1976 by the Labour Government and continued to serve during the Premiership of Margaret Thatcher.

He guided the organisation through difficult times to the beginnings of the resurgence in train travel in the United Kingdom. Politically, he was a socialist (but later joined the Social Democratic Party (SDP)). His socialist principles were severely tested by the industrial relations difficulties with the three railway unions (ASLEF, the National Union of Railwaymen and the Transport Salaried Staffs' Association) whilst Chairman of British Rail. There were several major strikes on the railway system during his chairmanship. Peter Parker reorganised the management of the railway system, creating five business sectors, instead of having it based on geographical regions. He was a critic of the underinvestment in the railways by successive British governments, claiming that he was trying to shore up "the crumbling edge of quality". He also campaigned vigorously against the anti-rail lobby, most notably in successfully resisting the recommendations of the Serpell Report in 1982, which had proposed drastic closures. It is believed that Sir Peter Parker became the only former Chairman of British Rail to have an engine named in his honour.

At a ceremony at Old Oak Common, London, on 17 September 2003, High Speed Train power car number 43127 was named "Sir Peter Parker 1924-2002 Cotswold Line 150" by Lady Parker. The naming had been arranged between the Cotswold Line Promotion Group, which provided the nameplates, and First Great Western, to jointly celebrate the life and work of Sir Peter and the 150th anniversary of the opening of the Cotswold Line between Oxford and Worcester in 1853. Sir Peter was a regular user of Charlbury station on that line. His other appointments included the chairmanship of the Rockware Group (1971-76, and 1983-92); Bookers Engineering and Industrial Holdings (1966-70); Associated British Maltsters (1971-73); Curtis Brown (1971-76); Dawnay Day group (1971-76); Mitsubishi Electric UK (1984-96); and Whitehead Mann (1984-2000).

He was also chairman of the National Theatre Board, of the British Tourist Authority and of Westfield College. He was knighted in 1978 and appointed KBE in 1993. He married Jillian Rowe-Dutton in 1951, with whom he had three sons and a daughter. He is the father of the British actor Nathaniel Parker and the film director Oliver Parker. 3 TA1, a.k.a. 17001, was the first of Stagecoach London's once-numerous fleet of Alexander ALX400-bodied Dennis Tridents. It has been kept in its original condition and tor some years now it has operated out of Leyton Garage as a 'heritage' vehicle, usually on route 55. However it was retired from service on 22nd August 2014, and is believed to be headed for the London Bus Museum at Brooklands, near Weybridge, Surrey. Its last day of service coincided with a strike by drivers of the ASLEF union on the Central Line, and TA1 was one of a number of buses operating extra journeys on route 158 between Stratford and Leyton.

Apart from the Heritage Routemasters, at the time of its withdrawal TA1 was the oldest bus still in regular service on a Transport for London bus route. TA1 is seen during its last evening of operation, setting down at the Grange Park Road stop in Leyton where the extras were terminating. 8 ASLEF have announced their intention to bid for the East Coast Mainline franchise, with the aim of running on a not-for-profit basis. Though in reality unlikely to succeed unless they can raise some considerable sums of money to support the bid, this is what an ASLEF 225 might look like, with the livery based on the colours of the union's website. Based on a photograph by Oxyman published under the Creative Commons Attribution License. Modified image is copyright Paul Burkitt-Gray with all rights reserved. 1 Having filled to capacity, Ensignbus 125 departs from Stratford with an "extra" to Leytonstone over route 257. Its is one of a number of Optare Olympus-bodied Volvo B7TLs operated by the company on local services around Grays; some were bought new in 2009 but this particular example was acquired second-hand.

*************************************************************** A one-day strike by Central Line drivers belonging to the ASLEF union saw the Central Line suspended between White City and Leytonstone on Friday 22nd August. Ensignbus of Purfleet provided numerous extras on route 25 between Holborn and Stratford, as well as on route 257 between Stratford and Leytonstone. Some of the extras ran as ordinary 257s whilst others ran as non-stops. Stagecoach also bolstered routes 8, and 158 between Stratford and Leyton, using its own resources. These included Leyton Garage's TA1, Stagecoach London's first low-floor Dennis Trident/Alexander ALX400 which has been kept in original condition and was working its last day in regular service before being retired for preservation. Departing Stratford on a non-stop run to Leytonstone is Ensignbus 195, a former Aintree Coachlines East Lancs Lolyne-bodied Dennis Trident that was acquired in 2011. *************************************************************** A one-day strike by Central Line drivers belonging to the ASLEF union saw the Central Line suspended between White City and Leytonstone on Friday 22nd August.

Ensignbus of Purfleet provided numerous extras on route 25 between Holborn and Stratford, as well as on route 257 between Stratford and Leytonstone. Some of the extras ran as ordinary 257s whilst others ran as non-stops. Stagecoach also bolstered routes 8, and 158 between Stratford and Leyton, using its own resources. These included Leyton Garage's TA1, Stagecoach London's first low-floor Dennis Trident/Alexander ALX400 which has been kept in original condition and was working its last day in regular service before being retired for preservation. Griffithstown Railway Station Nr Pontypool 18 May 2011 by Torfaen Corvine The station and nearby goods shed were built in 1879 by the Monmouthshire Railway & Canal Co (MRCC), possibly the last buildings erected by this company before being absorbed into the Great Western Railway in 1880. The line, now part of National Cycle Route 492, was the Eastern Valley Branch Line running from Newport to Blaenavon.

It carried passengers until 1962, then goods until the closure of Big Pit, Blaenavon, in 1980. Griffithstown itself was named after Henry Griffiths, the first station master of nearby Pontypool Road Station, once a key communications point. Griffithstown was also the birthplace of ASLEF, in 1880. Unsurprisingly, Torfaen Council want to demolish it and develop the land for housing, the buildings amazingly, not being listed. CADW are currently in on the act, so hopefully they will be preserved. Griffithstown Railway Station Nr Pontypool 18 May 2011 by Torfaen Corvine The station and nearby goods shed were built in 1879 by the Monmouthshire Railway & Canal Co (MRCC), possibly the last buildings erected by this company before being absorbed into the Great Western Railway in 1880. The line, now part of National Cycle Route 492, was the Eastern Valley Branch Line running from Newport to Blaenavon.

It carried passengers until 1962, then goods until the closure of Big Pit, Blaenavon, in 1980. Griffithstown itself was named after Henry Griffiths, the first station master of nearby Pontypool Road Station, once a key communications point. Griffithstown was also the birthplace of ASLEF, in 1880. Unsurprisingly, Torfaen Council want to demolish it and develop the land for housing, the buildings amazingly, not being listed. CADW are currently in on the act, so hopefully they will be preserved.

Question: Of which nationalised industry was Peter Parker appointed Chairman in 1976?
Answer: British Rail