Five Go on the Great Western Railway

If it doesn't fit into any of the above categories, post it here!
User avatar
John Pickup
Posts: 4876
Joined: 30 Oct 2013, 21:29
Favourite book/series: Barney mysteries
Favourite character: Snubby
Location: Notts

Re: Five Go on the Great Western Railway

Post by John Pickup »

I found it interesting too, Nigel. I didn't realise there were so many Welsh railway companies.
Society Member
User avatar
floragord
Posts: 2322
Joined: 31 Jul 2013, 14:41
Favourite book/series: THE FARAWAY TREE SERIES
Favourite character: Silky
Location: Pembrokeshire "Little England Beyond Wales"

Re: Five Go on the Great Western Railway

Post by floragord »

Moonraker wrote:Floragord, GWR have been the sponsor of ITV West/Wales for some time now. I imagine they are using the Five to reinforce their current advertising campaign. I will watch your local weather tonight out of interest!
Hope you enjoyed the WALES AT SIX forecast, Moonraker, its required viewing hereabouts! I noticed the "Five" were back last night, this time snugly ensconced in a railway compartment, the type where the door opened onto a corridor - an attractive memory comparing them to today's lengthy open coaches :?
"Its a magic wood!" said Fanny suddenly.
User avatar
Moonraker
Posts: 22387
Joined: 31 Jan 2005, 19:15
Location: Wiltshire, England
Contact:

Re: Five Go on the Great Western Railway

Post by Moonraker »

I wonder who this is, sitting with George, Dick and Anne? Poor Ju has to stand in the aisle with Tim!

https://www.gwr.com/?utm_source=bing&ut ... Railway%20(EM" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;)
Society Member
Jack400
Posts: 1932
Joined: 13 Jun 2012, 17:06
Favourite book/series: Famous Five / Five Find-Outers
Location: UK

Re: Five Go on the Great Western Railway

Post by Jack400 »

I've just seen what, I'm pretty certain, is a new advert for the GWR featuring the FF. It was shown just before the start of the six o'clock London news.
Society Member
User avatar
Susan Webster
Posts: 717
Joined: 27 Feb 2011, 14:40

Re: Five Go on the Great Western Railway

Post by Susan Webster »

hi is this a book which i could get from waterstones, looks good , cheers sue
Society Member
User avatar
Moonraker
Posts: 22387
Joined: 31 Jan 2005, 19:15
Location: Wiltshire, England
Contact:

Re: Five Go on the Great Western Railway

Post by Moonraker »

If it was a book, I am sure it would be delayed or cancelled.
Society Member
User avatar
Courtenay
Posts: 19274
Joined: 07 Feb 2014, 01:22
Favourite book/series: The Adventure Series, Galliano's Circus
Favourite character: Lotta
Location: Both Aussie and British; living in Cheshire

Re: Five Go on the Great Western Railway

Post by Courtenay »

Ha ha. :P Mind you, I'm in Cornwall at the moment and I quite enjoy seeing the various "Five" themed adverts at the railway stations! The West Country is my favourite part of Britain and it's nice to think of Julian, Dick, Anne, George and Timmy exploring all these places (and looking very pleasantly 1940s/'50s style rather than some of the sillier depictions we've seen in more recent editions of the books).
Society Member

It was a nuisance. An adventure was one thing - but an adventure without anything to eat was quite another thing. That wouldn't do at all. (The Valley of Adventure)
William E
Posts: 47
Joined: 10 Aug 2017, 18:55
Favourite book/series: Five on a Treasure Island
Favourite character: Dick

Re: Five Go on the Great Western Railway

Post by William E »

Hi,
I saw the poster advertisements when I travelled the GWR lines. I thought of taking a picture of the poster but regrettably changed my mind.
A search in images got the adverts up. I am not clear if I can upload 1 to the forum so instead of getting done for copy write I will give the link to the video . It is on a web page with the images.
There is also another web page showing a set of spoof images for a light hearted laugh.
Here is the link to the GWR promotion.

https://lbbonline.com/news/the-famous-f ... n-railway/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

There is poetic license though.
User avatar
Moonraker
Posts: 22387
Joined: 31 Jan 2005, 19:15
Location: Wiltshire, England
Contact:

Re: Five Go on the Great Western Railway

Post by Moonraker »

There is poetic license though
Especially as the Five wouldn't have travelled on the GWR (or BR(WR)) to get to their Dorset locations! They would have left Waterloo on the Southern.
Society Member
User avatar
Courtenay
Posts: 19274
Joined: 07 Feb 2014, 01:22
Favourite book/series: The Adventure Series, Galliano's Circus
Favourite character: Lotta
Location: Both Aussie and British; living in Cheshire

Re: Five Go on the Great Western Railway

Post by Courtenay »

The ads do portray them as visiting places like the Roman Baths (Bath) and the Minack Theatre (Porthcurno, so presumably they took the train to Penzance), which at least were part of the original Great Western Railway. But even the modern GWR franchise doesn't cover Dorset, so you're right, they're stretching it a bit...
Society Member

It was a nuisance. An adventure was one thing - but an adventure without anything to eat was quite another thing. That wouldn't do at all. (The Valley of Adventure)
User avatar
Boatbuilder
Posts: 8059
Joined: 29 May 2018, 20:06
Favourite book/series: Adventure, Famous 5, Secret Seven, Five Findouters
Location: Carlton Colville, Suffolk.
Contact:

Re: Five Go on the Great Western Railway

Post by Boatbuilder »

Not necessarily if you look at the map at this link which is dated circa 1930's. It covers a much wider area than you may think.

GWR Map circa 1930's
"You can't change history as that won't change the future"

John's Pictures of Suffolk - https://suffolk-world.com/

Society Member
User avatar
Courtenay
Posts: 19274
Joined: 07 Feb 2014, 01:22
Favourite book/series: The Adventure Series, Galliano's Circus
Favourite character: Lotta
Location: Both Aussie and British; living in Cheshire

Re: Five Go on the Great Western Railway

Post by Courtenay »

Good point — I hadn't seen a map that showed the line going to Weymouth — but it doesn't cover the Swanage / Purbeck area, which I think is what Nigel (Moonraker) was getting at. That's the region that's generally thought of as "Enid Blyton country" and probably had the most influence on her settings for the Famous Five. :wink:
Society Member

It was a nuisance. An adventure was one thing - but an adventure without anything to eat was quite another thing. That wouldn't do at all. (The Valley of Adventure)
User avatar
Boatbuilder
Posts: 8059
Joined: 29 May 2018, 20:06
Favourite book/series: Adventure, Famous 5, Secret Seven, Five Findouters
Location: Carlton Colville, Suffolk.
Contact:

Re: Five Go on the Great Western Railway

Post by Boatbuilder »

Looking at the map, more likely Paddington to Dorchester on the GWR then the branch line to Swanage (shown as a black line on the map).
"You can't change history as that won't change the future"

John's Pictures of Suffolk - https://suffolk-world.com/

Society Member
User avatar
Moonraker
Posts: 22387
Joined: 31 Jan 2005, 19:15
Location: Wiltshire, England
Contact:

Re: Five Go on the Great Western Railway

Post by Moonraker »

Nah! No direct service from Paddington to Dorchester. You'd have to go to Westbury, then change trains. Most think the FF spent most of their time in the Corfe Castle area. No GWR route there! The branch to Swanage started at Wareham, firmly in LSWR/SR territory!

Image
Society Member
User avatar
Boatbuilder
Posts: 8059
Joined: 29 May 2018, 20:06
Favourite book/series: Adventure, Famous 5, Secret Seven, Five Findouters
Location: Carlton Colville, Suffolk.
Contact:

Re: Five Go on the Great Western Railway

Post by Boatbuilder »

Does it really matter? GWR used the FF for advertising and who is to say they would or wouldn't have travelled on it had they not been fictitious characters. I was just making the point that from London it was likely you could do it that way using GWR for a considerable amount of the journey as the GWR map of the time indicated.

Of course the original GWR only existed up to 1948 and only the first six FF books were written by then. The remaining fifteen books were written when GWR was part of the then nationalised British Railways, so the likelihood is they would have travelled on BR for the entire journey, no matter what route. ;)
"You can't change history as that won't change the future"

John's Pictures of Suffolk - https://suffolk-world.com/

Society Member
Post Reply