Hello Again
You are about to read the shortest ever article that I am ever likely to write but before I continue here is some background to my humble offering.
As you might have guessed, I am something of a railway buff and like nothing better than spending my pocket money, travelling on a train to exotic destinations such as Acton Main Line and beyond.
Another silly habit of mine is that I collect old railway magazines and herein lies a tale as in about 2017 I remember purchasing a small bundle of railway magazines dating mostly from the 1950/60s from the Arcade.
I did not read them at once, but when doing so found the following account of a trip on The Far Tottering and Oyster Creek Branch Railway in Battersea Park in 1951. Whether it was a fiction or a fancy or something else is hard to tell as it had been written, it appeared, quite rapidly on a scruffy piece of paper.
At the time of my discovery, I copied the contents onto my laptop with the view of using it later on in an article (I often do this).
Well fast forward to January 2021 when I decided that I would need to rationalise the contents of my laptop as it was rather disorganised to say the least.
After a short while, I found the The Far Tottering and Oyster Creek Branch Railway detail that I had stashed away some years previously. It was then that I decided to put this very short article together if for nothing else, but to cheer us all up during these dark lockdown days.
Then, problem number one occured as I had just moved to the sea and even six months down the line, I still haven’t unpacked all my books (This is due to pure laziness on my behalf and nothing else).
I believe that both my railway and bus magazines (I have about sixty) are sharing a nice comfortable box with Aldous Huxley and his pals amongst other authors. This meant in short that any attempts to find the magazine in question would be more difficult than climbing K2.
So hopefully on a fair summer’s day with the windows thrown wide open, I might open the correct box and place their contents on my rather nice new bookcases (It will be a choice of that or crashing out on the beach). I had heard of The Far Tottering and Oyster Creek Branch Railway as my late mother had told me about it for I was not even a twinkle in 1951.
The Far Tottering and Oyster Creek Branch Railway was the brainchild of Rowland Emett and began its life in Punch Magazine in 1939 as a series of cartoons. But when the Festival of Britain came along, Rowland was asked to help out.
Ben Brooksbank / Festival of Britain Exhibition, 1951
The miniature railway was a third of a mile long and carried passengers through the Battersea Pleasure Gardens. It was very Heath Robinson in its design and presented a rather silly view of our rural countryside.
For those familiar with Rowland and Heath Robinson’s work, nothing was to be taken too seriously which is why the attraction proved so popular carrying some two million customers during the festival.
But once the festival closed and the exhibits were demolished (with an almost obscene haste I must add) the railway alone lingered on until 1953 when it was moved to another part of the park.The actual railway in its new home finally closed in 1975 and I personally have no real memory of it although, I am told that a cutting can still be seen.
It was one of those gloriously eccentric railways that for some reason we excel in building (The Romney Hythe and Dymchurch Railway is another odd example). As I noted, this was going to be a short article and I thought that it would be fun to share it with you whether it was a fiction or a fancy or a remembrance of things past.
If nothing else, this anonymous account of how a day out on this lovely little railway etched itself into the memories of a child is evocative to say the least and a memory of an England now somewhat forgotten.
On the subject of The Festival of Britain in 1951, one can usually find items associated with the festival in the Arcade. I have seen the festival brochures on sale on a number of occasions and the specially minted boxed souvenir coins show up from time to time. But before I close, here is the small account that I found in my railway magazine.
When I was very small my parents took me on a trip on The Far Tottering and Oyster Creek Branch Railway in Battersea Park.
I do not remember much about the day although I remember enjoying the festive atmosphere.
But then six months after our visit my family moved to Africa.
As Dad was something important in government circles.
We stayed in the country for nine years and when I returned to London it was much changed.
I soon met a girl called Monica and together we travelled around England in search of peculiar tales and myths as well as exploring London street by street.
She is now my lovely wife and we have shared much during our years together.
But I have been unable to recreate for her the excitement and joy that my long lost ride on The Far Tottering and Oyster Creek Railway had given me on that dreamlike day in Battersea Park in the years soon after the war
Happy Hunting
Stuart Miller-Osborne
