In September 1939 best
friends Lilian Baggott and Amelia Bryan met cousins and best friends, Steve Matthews and
Bill Prendergast in a second-class
carriage on the Downshire Star heading out of Glasgow in the late afternoon
sunshine, bound for Downshire, and romance blossomed.
The girls were
returning home to be with their families while the boys had been ordered to
return to the Downshire Light Infantry barracks in Nettlefield.
The Downshire Star was
a 4-6-2 standard gauge three-cylinder steam locomotive built at the Northchapel
Works in 1933 which had all the romance of the Flying Scotsman and the grace
and style of the Mallard.
It was a stunning
sight liveried in the black and gold of the DCRN, Downshire County Railway
Network, pulling the Prix Deluxe first-class coaches, dining carriage, and
sleeper cars, as well as second and third class wagons, and it ran from
Abbeyvale to all points North via Abbottsford, Finchbottom and Nettlefield, and
was in service for 30 years, from 1933 until 1963.
After it was taken out
of service it was stored at the Northchapel Works and remained there for
twenty-five years, until it and several other engines and assorted rolling
stock were acquired by the Downshire Railway Preservation Society, with the
financial support and patronage of Baron St George of Mornington, who was a man
with a strong sense of history and his stewardship of the Mornington Estate wasn’t
restricted just to the land and properties within the Estate, they also ensured
the protection of historically significant buildings and landmarks under threat
from modernizers.
Although the Downshire
Star didn’t really fall within the Estates normal parameters his Lordship made
an unprecedented exception.
The acquisition was
made in 1988 and the restoration of the Star was completed in 1994.
The maiden journey for
fare paying customers was on Whitsun Bank Holiday in 1995 and ran from Sharping
St Mary to Sharpinghead and then onto Sharpington.
It wasn’t until five
years later when the Sharpington spur line was completed, and they were able to
join the main Finchbottom line and the Downshire Star could do its first County
wide tour.
In September 1939, in
a second-class carriage of the Downshire Star Amelia Bryan and Steve Matthews
met and fell in love.
The following year along with best
friends Lilian Baggott and Bill Prendergast they had a
double wedding at the Downshire Light Infantry Chapel in Nettlefield on the
20th of July and they rode on the Downshire Star again, when they travelled to
Abbottsford to spend their wedding night at the Regents Hotel.
At the end of the austere fifties in June of 1960 Steve surprised
Amelia for their 20th Wedding Anniversary, with a first-class trip to Scotland
on the Star, which was a very opulent way to travel, but then after years of
austerity a little opulence was just what the doctor ordered.
That was their first holiday since they’d been married, and the first
holiday either of them had had since before the war.
Although they had many holidays after that, none of them could quite
compare to the romance of the Downshire Star.
Steve and Amelia had
never been blessed with children so had to be content with being doting
godparents, but they had a very fulfilling life.
The Nursery business
they had started with Sir Fabian Cook in 1958 had grown into the Dulcet Garden
Centre, which was the biggest in the county.
In 1990 to celebrate
their 50th Wedding Anniversary Steve organized a vintage 1920 Bentley, the year she was born, in
British racing green, her favourite colour, which took them to St Mary’s church
where all their friends and family were waiting for them to renew their vows.
During the reception
afterwards, one of their friends was talking about his work with the Downshire
Railway Preservation Society and how he was involved in fund raising for the
work on the recently acquired Downshire Star, suffice is to say he received a
very large cheque the next day.
By the end of the 20th
century, they were long retired and their only participation with the business
was the board meetings, and Amelia’s attendance at those had dwindled away to
nothing, much in keeping with her health.
She was diagnosed with
stage 4 cancer just after the millennium, which had already invaded the
lymphatic system.
There was no treatment
she thought worth considering, she would not add insult onto injury by enduring
chemo or radiotherapy, she was resigned to her fate.
Amelia was content,
she had lived a very good life, a very happy life, and had enjoyed a long and
happy marriage, to the love of her life.
She would certainly
not see another Christmas and was not expected to survive until Easter, but she
had different ideas as she didn’t plan to go until she had celebrated her
sixtieth wedding anniversary, and by sheer force of will, she would achieve her
goal.
One morning in early
July Amelia was having a good day and was sitting in the conservatory drinking
the coffee Steve had made for her, and when he sat beside her, she said
“I’d love to ride on the Star just one more time”
She had read in the local
paper that the Star was going to be Sharpington the day after next as part of
the county wide tour, it was never going to be closer to them.
“Do you think you’re
up to it?” he asked and stroked her hand
“I’m fine, stop fussing” she said and gave his hand a squeeze then she
smiled and added
“It would just be nice to do it one more time before I’m shunted into
the eternal siding”
“Very clever analogy” he said “I’ll see what I can do”
“Thank you darling” Amelia said
“Dr Yorke will have to sign off on it though” he cautioned her
“If he doesn’t, tell him what we caught his father doing in the hot
house with a nurse” she suggested
“Or that we witnessed his conception”
Two days later in
Sharpington, Amelia was being pushed towards the platform in a wheelchair, by
Nurse Melissa Ness, Steve was alongside on her right and Dr Harry Yorke on
the left, it was his only condition on agreeing to Amelia’s request.
When they emerged onto the platform and saw the Downshire Star
gleaming in the sun light Amelia gasped
“She’s still as beautiful as she ever was”
“Why do you always say “she”?” Steve asked
“Because only a Lady can look that elegant and graceful” she replied
It was a bit more of an effort to get aboard, than on previous
occasions, but she was soon settled in the seat by the window with Steve beside
her and Dr Yorke and Nurse Ness opposite.
As the train left the station, Amelia sighed, as she held Steve’s hand
and said
“I feel as if I’m nineteen again”
As the graceful lady steamed along the track, Amelia regaled the
Doctor and Nurse with the tales of their previous journeys on the Star which
kept them entertained well beyond Purplemere, but by the time they neared
Finchbottom, she looked visibly drained, so Dr Yorke said
“I think you’ve had enough excitement for one day”
And the fact that she offered no resistance they all knew that she was
a spent force, so they disembarked at Finchbottom and had a chauffeured car
drive them back to the Dulcets.
Amelia slept most of the next two days and although her strength
rallied, she never reached the levels of the Downshire Star trip.
She at least managed to maintain an even keel up until their 60th Wedding
Anniversary, but she only had enough energy to celebrate the day with Steve.
However, the day after, having reached the goal she set herself, her
sheer will could no longer sustain her and she crashed, and two days later she
passed away.
The funeral was held
on a glorious August day, and such was Amelia’s standing in the community and
her popularity, it seemed everyone wanted to pay their respects, however
seating in St Mary’s church was quite inadequate for the numbers wanting to attend.
It was packed to the
gunwales, and it seemed like the whole village had turned out to say goodbye,
The village green and
every available inch of verge and lane held the throng of mourners to see her
off, and Steve was very moved.
After her death
everyone expected Steve to die of a broken heart, and that’s precisely what
would have happened had Amelia not told him in no uncertain terms that he was
to carry on without her.
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