Bill Britton RIP

Bill Britton RIP

Last Wednesday the two sons of Bill Britton came to goods platform site to announce the death of their father. This was very touching. They knew how much our railway had meant to him, so they came to tell the office, went to Broadway, and even sought out yours truly on site at Winchcombe.

It was through Bill that I first came to know about the Broadway project. I followed it during my lunch hours, from my desk at the office of my former employer in Brussels. When the opportunity came to retire back to the UK we had to chose where to parachute back to, after a 35 year absence. Broadway was top of the list, but before committing with a house purchase, I decided on a trial session for a day with the BAG gang. I liked the people straight away, and there was a great team spirit and an enthusiastic common goal - the rebuild of our station. Leading the project was Bill Britton, a calm, friendly person, a man with vision, and a true gentleman. This was a man I could work with.

Bill was the proud son of an engineer, and spent his career working in Bishops Cleeve at Smiths Industries — from an apprentice in aeronautical engineering to an executive in IT, helping the company adapt to new technologies and the Internet. Along with many projects after retirement, Bill took huge pleasure in becoming involved in the railway and, in particular, the rebuild of Broadway. He was a proud volunteer, and found great companionship amongst a group of similarly passionate and hardworking folk. 

The 1000th post to Steaming to Broadway sums it all up nicely:

https://broadwaygwsr.blogspot.com/2015/02/steaming-to-broadway-1000th-post.html

I joined the Broadway project in December 2011, and as far as I know, Bill took on the mantle of Broadway project manager round about 2010. (The project was actually kicked into life by his predecessor). In a 45 year preservation career I have always enjoyed photographing projects, and Bill and I soon developed a symbiosis whereby he wrote the blog texts and I supplied the photographs. When we began to build P2 at CRC Bill suggested I set up a separate blog for that project, and this is how the 'sorcerer's apprentice' set off on his own and spawned the Extension, Heritage Herald, Construction & Maintenance and Civil Engineering blogs. It was Bill's original blog idea that resulted in almost every department on the GWSR producing a blog of its own.

In May 2015 came the bombshell that Bill was leaving the Broadway project. It resulted in 125 blog comments, an absolute record that has never been equalled, and a measure of how much his efforts at Broadway were appreciated.

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Trawling back over several thousand photographs taken at Broadway from December 2011 to May 2015, here is a selection of pictures in which Bill was captured at work on the project. They are in more or less chronological order. So wander with us through those 3 1/2 years of pleasure on the site of Broadway station:

Bill, as we knew him, proud and with a vision: A re-created GWR Broadway station. The painting is by local artist Ian Gibson, which he very kindly donated to a fund rising raffle and which was won by Steve, one of the BAG volunteers.

The painting was based on a photograph by John Diston, but with the Cornishman train replaced by a 14XX on the Coffeepot. The pigeon baskets appear in both!

On the left is the P2 waiting room which we will be recreating, with a start due sometime this spring.

Bill with volunteer Clive, on the middle of P1 in March 2012.

Bill with Chris, folding raffle tickets to raise funds.

Bill manning the little information office (actually a potting shed donated by a volunteer), on an icy day in December 2011.

Bill on a day out with the gang to STEAM at Swindon, sitting on a bench similar to the one we would later have under the P1 canopy.

Brick laying started on P2 in January 2013, with Paul and Tony.

Our first platform trolley, but we now have 8 of them! That's enough already.

Calculations on the newly laid slabs of P1, May 2012

Slabbing Platform 1a, with Peter, Tony and Paul.

In the mess hut, with Steve, Roger, Ron and Andy P, of drainage gang fame.

The first passenger train to Laverton loop gave us the opportunity to publicise the next station along - Broadway!

Replica cast iron finials for the running in boards, admired by Steve and Terry.

The manufacture of the Broadway running in board, with reproduction 12ins letter castings, was the occasion of this group photograph with the whole of Bill's construction team in April 2013.

In May 2013 Pannier 5764 was borrowed from the SVR engine house to make publicity for the Broadway project, and Bill couldn't resist the opportunity to 'cab' it. Well, wouldn't you?

Bill being interviewed by radio Winchcombe in July 2013.

Watching Clive and Steve enthusiastically 'slap it on' the top layer at the north end of P2.

In discussion with Jim, now a leading light in our Construction and Maintenance department.

A big step in September 2013 was the launch of the Bridges to Broadway share issue, here with members of the GWSR board on station road bridge.

Then with members of his own gang under the recently erected P2 running in board, each with a copy of the prospectus.

Getting ready for war with 'Minnie the Mixer'. Tony and Clive on the right.

Being a project manager meant not only managing, but being a jack of all trades, here fixing leaks on the roof of the mess hut.

The construction of the signal box proved our ability to construct a GWR building. Here Bill is in discussion with Broadway and Heritage Group member John, who ensured its GWR pedigree.

Bill found many ways to promote the station, here in another radio interview, accompanied by the company's PR officer, Ian Crowder. Behind them is a huge pile of new 'weathered' bricks for the station building and signal box.

Passing on the Olympic flame on the village green at Broadway, in front of our sales gazebo.

In July 2014 the signal box was really coming off the ground.

One of the last photographs of Bill before he was obliged to resign, taken as the signal box neared completion in April 2015.

Bill Britton:  12 December 1945 — 07 January 2020

R.I.P.

Now work on building our 'Railway Museum for the Benefit of the Public' continues:

Wednesday on the goods platform wall.

'I only had one'     ' Yeah, right....'

Today was 'bring your own doughnuts day'.

Paul has secured himself a solid supply.


(actually, it was Bob's birthday, and he bought a huge sackful for the gang, which was plonked down in front of a blinking Paul.)

'I wonder if they would miss one....'

We then had a visitor, to wit Stevie with the JCB.

Stevie came to help the track gang manipulate the sleepers at Greet, either out, or back in. Either is hard work.

Paul's vast pile of doughnuts drew more than just a passing glance.

Cameras at the Greet worksite failed today, due to low battery levels, but we hear that they packed 25 of the sleepers and reached the crossing near the Royal Oak.

It was a day of relentless grey drizzle and fog. This was described on the forecast as 'dreary' and that hit exactly the right note. It was dreary all day, everything was damp to the touch.

As we are now rising out of the wall foundations with the brick laying Paul used the scaffolding boards available to make a safe work platform from which to lay bricks.

Jules and yours truly made an early start with steady brick laying. Jules filled in between two towers, 4 and later 5 courses high - nearly half way!

We had a visit from Rob (C&M) who would like to adjust the levels outside the return around the stop block. The site has always had odd levels in this area. Before we started building the goods platform wall there was a hole behind the stop block, and with it the risk that sooner or later some passing vehicle would get stuck in it. With the wall one could back fill back to a level road, but how high?

Rob therefore asked Jim to raise two towers in the corner, which would indicate, with the diamond edging brick on top, how high the wall would be at that point.

 During the day we reached row 5 of the first two thirds of the wall, with Jim's tower also about 3/4 built in the corner. Another one behind him is also due.

At the end of this grey day row 5 was up, and was being pointed. A PWay delegation came to judge our efforts.

They could do better. Of course, natch.


Off site, in the little heritage workshop not far from Broadway, the second WAY OUT sign (the one for P1 with just the pointing finger) was cut and half assembled. When both are complete they will be painted black and white, and the letters applied.


More poster boards are also in the production line. Original Broadway had lots, they covered every available wall space.

Then there are those for the P2 building, and the double poster boards, which were interspersed with the smaller ones on large surfaces, with one varnished example also in the booking office. The double ones were known as 'Quad Royal' size.

Various pictures and other replicas have been used as a guide for size, colour and shape. This one for example can be seen at Gotherington, a good go-to place on our railway if you want to see original stuff.

Note the cast iron letters on top.

Four sets of such 4 inch GWR letters came in the post this morning.

These are cast from originals in a private collection, so are pretty authentic (including the chamfer all the way round) except that they are cast in aluminium, which is simpler to cast. 

You won't see the difference once they are painted.