Lyr Req: The Whitby to Scarborough Line

Subject: Lyr Req: The Whitby to Scarborough Line
From: nutty
Date: 01 Oct 05 - 09:56 AM

In the 1970's the EFDSS published a set of small 30p booklets containing a mixture of songs under the title of SOUNDS LIKE FOLK.

I bought book 3 ......... Growing up Songs
I acquired book 1 ..... Songs for and about Drinking

I am now trying to track down book 2 ..... The Railways in Song
and particularly the the words and music to the Whitby to Scarborough Line which are included in it.

Any help would be appreciated.

As a matter of interest, the full contents of Book 2 are.........

1. Cosher Bailey's Engine
2. Queen Victoria's First Train Journey
3. Steam Train
4. The Strap Hanger Brigade
5. Night Express North Bound
6. The Iron Horse
7. Paddy Works on the Railway
8. George Hudson - The Railway King
9. The Whitby to Scarborough Line
10. The London Underground
11. The Runaway Engine
12. The Oxford and Hampton Railway

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Whitby to Scarborough Line
From: Noreen
Date: 01 Oct 05 - 08:17 PM

Pretty sure there is a copy in the library at Cecil Sharp House, Hazel, which I saw when I was there last year.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Whitby to Scarborough Line
From: Peace
Date: 01 Oct 05 - 08:49 PM

The Line closed in 1965.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Whitby to Scarborough Line
From: nutty
Date: 02 Oct 05 - 09:00 AM

Thanks, Noreen ..... I'm sure Cecil Sharpe House will have a copy but I'm not likely to be in London in the near future.

I wish they would re-release these publications and the 'Folk Song Today' series.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Whitby to Scarborough Line
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 02 Oct 05 - 11:26 AM

Dave Eyre has a copy listed at Collectorsfolk, though the page hasn't been updated for some months.

Subject: Lyr Add: THE WHITBY TO SCARBOROUGH LINE (C Rowe)
From: Matthew Edwards
Date: 02 Oct 05 - 01:52 PM

THE WHITBY TO SCARBOROUGH LINE

Words & Music by Christopher Rowe

If you go from Hawsker to Robin Hood's Bay,
You will find there's a railway line hidden away;
Ignored and concealed by the grasses of time,
And they call it the Whitby to Scarborough line.

There's a crowd at the platform at Robin Hood's Bay,
The Victorian east coast is off work today;
And they're waving the flags and they're pouring the wine,
To open the Whitby to Scarborough line.

For nearly a century steam engines reigned,
Till the interest of tourists and businessmen waned,
No steel from Teesside and no coal from the Tyne,
Hard times hit the Whitby to Scarborough line.

A North-Eastern railway sign rusts in the sun,
Giving warning of the dangers that trespassers run,
But gorse takes no notice of a forty-bob fine,
And weeds choke the Whitby to Scarborough line.

The viaduct at Scalby, the Staintondale Clock,
The damp, desolate tunnel through Ravenscar rock,
The rest rooms at Fyling where lights never shine,
Now radar guards the Whitby to Scarborough line.

There's a ghost train in the distance and it's garlanded black,
There is dust on the signal and rust on the track;
No oil in the lantern, no paint on the sign,
And the wind rules the Whitby to Scarborough line.

Notes [by Christopher Rowe?]
        "The Whitby to Scarborough railway line opened in 1885 and closed in 1965. Some who saw the opening as children, (when they were given the day off school), also saw the closing when the last train was garlanded in black. In its heyday it was popular with holidaymakers and invaluable to industry further up the coast. But as other communications improved, so its popularity declined, and today it is derelict and overgrown. The area is now better known for the huge radar globes at RAF Fylingdales than for its peaceful scenic railway line.
        Inspired by a section in "Just a Few Lines" by Paul Jennings, published by Guinness."

Copyright EFDS Publications 1973 (From 'Sounds Like Folk No. 2 - The Railways in Song')

I'm not sure whether Christopher Rowe and Ian Clark may have recorded this on their LP 'Patterns of a Journey' Galliard GAL4021, 1973.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Whitby to Scarborough Line
From: nutty
Date: 02 Oct 05 - 03:23 PM

Thank you so much Matthew. The closure of the line was just another example of our politicians inability to plan for the future.

The Grosmont - Pickering line was only saved as it was an esential winter transport route for workers at Fylingdales..

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Whitby to Scarborough Line
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 02 Oct 05 - 03:42 PM

In the statiion atb Whutbyn there's a wonderful ceramic map on the wall showing the whole railway network before it was cut to pieces, including the WhItBy Scarborough line. It's heartbreaking.

The crazy thing with the way they closed the local railways is they didn't just stop the trains and leave it alone, or even rest at pulling up the rails, they sold off the land inpieces, and they pulled down the bridges. The intention must have been to make it impossible to reopen the lines in the future, if changes in travel patterns or technology made it desirable and possible.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Whitby to Scarborough Line
From: Catherine Jayne
Date: 02 Oct 05 - 03:57 PM

I lived in Scarborough for nearly four years and the old Scarborough to Whitby line is now a very nice cycle path. Locals call it the cinder path.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Whitby to Scarborough Line
From: GUEST
Date: 02 Oct 05 - 06:53 PM

Nutty

Back in the 70s, Tim Brooks wrote a song called "Steam again in Goathland" about the Pickering to Whitby line....

Kitty

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Whitby to Scarborough Line
From: gnomad
Date: 03 Oct 05 - 02:51 PM

The ceramic map mentioned by McG o H was a feature of several of the East Riding & North Riding stations (maybe West Riding too, but I don't know) and was still to be seen in Filey in the 1970s. I seem to remember it also in Beverley, Driffield, and Brid.

It showed a number of lines which are no more, including the Hornsea line. Any railway nerds out there want to go hunt up the remaining examples, and report back?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Whitby to Scarborough Line
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 03 Oct 05 - 04:54 PM

That's good to know, catsPHiddle. Though it's apity tat when the line actually gets into Whitby they messed around with it so much, instead of keeping it as a track all the way to the old station.

Round our way they made a point of pulling down bridges across roads, for example with the line that used to run between the villages to the North of Harlow, so though you can walk along some of it, whole stretches are inaccessible, and it can't be used as a cycle route along its length.

It's a weird way of thinkiing, when people go out of their way to limit the options of the next generation in this manner.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Whitby to Scarborough Line
From: Oaklet
Date: 03 Oct 05 - 05:23 PM

Not a nurd, honest but this (though the real nurd hasn't done the north) does show what was and what is.

http://www.systemed.plus.com/New_Adlestrop_Railway_Atlas.pdf

I try to ration meself looking at this because it can become a way of life.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Whitby to Scarborough Line
From: nutty
Date: 03 Oct 05 - 06:36 PM

The closure of the line meant that a really unique part of railway history was also lost .

I travelled the line as a child, going on holiday to Scarborough from Middlesbrough and a highlight of the trip was when the whole train was shunted backwards uphill from Whitby Central to Whitby West Cliff.

The train could then procede in a forwards direction over the viaduct (over the river Esk) and on to Robin Hoods Bay.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Whitby to Scarborough Line
From: Les from Hull
Date: 03 Oct 05 - 06:48 PM

Chris Rowe taught me Economics at Hull College of Commerce (late 60s). Chris and Ian wrote quite a few songs with local connections, probably most famous was their song about the Humber Bridge (or the lack of one at the time).

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Whitby to Scarborough Line
From: Snuffy
Date: 03 Oct 05 - 07:50 PM

Travelled on it all the way to Staithes (the CF camp) and back a couple of times in the late 50s. Didn't the train have to back out of Scarborough Station and then change direction to go towards Whitby?