GWR Route: Banbury to Wolverhampton

GWR Route: North Warwickshire Line

Birmingham Snow Hill Station: gwrbsh759

Looking towards Hockley along the main up platform as an up express passes through the station on the 'down' middle road. The number of passengers standing on both platforms indicate that the photograph was taken during a holiday period. Up to the early 1960s most families would travel to their favourite English or Welsh holiday resort by train. The average worker only had two weeks holiday per year and this was pre-designated between the unions and factory owners to occur in July or August which meant that the railway companies had to press every locomotive and coach in to service. In Coventry the last weeks of July were known as Coventry fortnight. In the North of England in the Mill towns these holiday periods were known as Wakes weeks.

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