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STOKE GOLDING STATION

Stoke Golding 1951

A memory of Stoke Golding by Janet Ames, May 2003.

My father John R Judge, known as Bob, was a signalman at Stoke Golding in the late forties/early fifties. Traffic was rather light and he asked me to teach him to knit to pass away the time between trains. He made many a knitted dish-cloth. One hot summer's day he looked out from the box and saw a man and woman walking alongside the track. He left all the signals at red and alerted the chap in the next box before hurrying down the steps and after the couple.

When he caught up with them the woman was lying across the tracks with her neck resting, somewhat uncomfortably on the rail. My father tried to pull her up but she resisted and stated that it was her intention to kill herself. The man requested, none too gently that they be left alone so that his wife could be de-capitated when the next train arrived (he did not put it quite like that, but I’m sure you catch my drift). They both were rather the worse for wear and the man was unsteady and seemed as if he were contemplating lying alongside his wife. 'Good idea' said my Dad 'and I'd join you, but I've just come out of that signal box and I have to go back to work. There isn’t a train due for a long time. I don't mind you waiting the only problem is this stretch of line is in my charge and the paperwork I shall have to fill in if your wife does kill herself is terrible. You wouldn't believe the forms I’d be sent. If you'd like to walk down the track for a mile or so you'll come under the control of the guy in the next box. I'd be really grateful if you'd do that. Appreciate it. Or you could go across the field and have a drink in the pub.’ The couple considered the suggestion. Finally the man said' Well, we don't want to be a nuisance. You've been very civil, very civil. Don't want to get you into bother.' So saying he pulled his wife to her feet and they lurched off across the field in the direction of Stoke Golding.

Nothing further was heard of any suicide attempts so presumably the woman changed her mind and opted to live. I asked my father why he chose that way of dealing with the situation. 'Never argue with a drunken man' he said 'besides he was a six footer.’ My father was just a shade over five foot.

Current State of Site

Stoke Golding is the only surviving example of the smaller stations on the line.

Both the Station building and the Stationmasters House are now private residences. The house has been pebble dashed or painted. The platform area and track bed is currently being used for horse jumping!

The yard and Goods Shed are now home to industrial units. The exterior of the Shed has been immaculately restored and is a credit to its owners.

Ashby & Nuneaton Joint Railway History