[Dave Rowland]

Yes, it's all true; back in the 50's it was quite the done thing for smally boys with school caps to gather in small groups & scribble down the numbers of locos. If you had understanding parents, you might even get an ABC to draw lines in! In my case, it was my grandad's (Gramp) fault - he used to take me to Tilehurst station on a Sunday morning (in my pushchair, until I could walk there), and we'd sit on platform 1 and watch the trains. I couldn't write then though. Of course, in retrospect, it's all plain to see: he was waiting for The Roebuck Hotel, Oxford Road, to open it's doors so he could have a couple of pints before Sunday dinner (yes, DINNER) was dished up at about 2pm. I'd sit outside the pub with a bottle of Pepsi with 2 straws (neither of which extended out of the neck of the bottle at any time) and a packet of Oxo crisps. Triff! Naturally, once I could read & write, I could spend hours at the bottom of our road at the entrance to a small shunting yard (long gone) between Tilehurst and Norcot roundabout. Kings, Castles, Halls, Granges & Counties abounded; I distinctly remember only needing 4 Kings, god only knows which 4. It goes without saying that I've lost all my books & notebooks from those early days; stopped spotting for a year or two when living nowhere near a railway, then started up again from about 1961 to 67, when the sad demise of steam neatly coincided with my first job, girls, guitars, and beer. I'd got about a fair bit then too, this time it took me until 1972 before I lost 99% of all books/records/photos & negatives. Am I the only person that thinks that digital cameras & computers arrived 50 years too late? The important thing is: it was OK to be a trainspotter back then, although a subject never to be brought up in mixed company (girls weren't impressed with only needing 4 Kings), let's face it, it was a lotta fun, kept us all out of trouble, and we'd never be able to do it the same nowadays, more's the pity. Aaaaah.... memories are made of this (as Perry Como said!)
Changing the subject somewhat, does anyone know if/when there are any depot/works open days I ought to be aware of in 2008? I can't seem to find out about any of these events until it's too late!
Hang loose chaps, all the best & so on, Dave.