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Reg Hopkins & Brian Long

Posted: Tue Jul 18, 2017 12:04 pm
by elena
Hello Everybody,

my name is Elena. I'm new to this forum.

I stumbled over the King's Cross Voices Project from 2004 and I was fascinated by the stories of Reg Hopkins and Brian Long. I would love to get in touch with them. Is there anybody around who could point me into the right direction?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you!
Elena

Re: Reg Hopkins & Brian Long

Posted: Sun Jul 30, 2017 7:36 pm
by Mickey
As far as Brian Long is concerned from memory there use to be a signalman called Brian Long who was at New Barnet North Box during the later 1960s & early 1970s although I never knew him personally he was just a name I remember from back then. Brian may have gone into Kings Cross PSB (Power Box) after the closure of New Barnet North Box in 1976?.

With the 'wires up' New Barnet North Box on a misty day not long before closure- www.geograph.org.uk/photo/3813329


Mickey a telegraph lad at Welwyn Garden City (box) 1972-74.

Re: Reg Hopkins & Brian Long

Posted: Thu Aug 10, 2017 7:22 pm
by Dave Cockle
Brian Long passed away two or three years back. He used to attend the six monthly Kings Cross retirement club reunions at Hatfield.

Before retiring he finished up his days on railway in an office job at Kings Cross.

Re: Reg Hopkins & Brian Long

Posted: Fri Aug 11, 2017 1:28 am
by StevieG
Dave Cockle wrote: Thu Aug 10, 2017 7:22 pm Brian Long passed away two or three years back. He used to attend the six monthly Kings Cross retirement club reunions at Hatfield.

Before retiring he finished up his days on railway in an office job at Kings Cross.
... after 'portering' as a (presumably at least a 'Leading')Railman on the station there : 'Lurch' was never signalman in the new power box I'm pretty sure Mickey, though don't know whether he ever applied for it, or decided not to.

Re: Reg Hopkins & Brian Long

Posted: Fri Aug 11, 2017 7:16 am
by Dave Cockle
Hello Elena, I have made enquiries and unfortunately Reg Hopkins passed away on 18th June this year. I have spoken to Ray Knight who still works at Kings Cross and was involved with the Kings Cross voices project. He would be happy to speak to you if required. If yo pm me I'll give you Ray's Email address.

Re: Reg Hopkins & Brian Long

Posted: Fri Aug 11, 2017 7:10 pm
by Mickey
StevieG wrote:'Lurch' was never signalman in the new power box I'm pretty sure Mickey, though don't know whether he ever applied for it, or decided not to.
I may have been getting mixed up between Brian Long & Brain Barr (Lurch) Stevie?. I believe both of them were at New Barnet North Box at the same time during the late 1960s & early 1970s.

Mickey

Re: Reg Hopkins & Brian Long

Posted: Sun Aug 13, 2017 2:17 am
by StevieG
Mickey wrote: Fri Aug 11, 2017 7:10 pm
StevieG wrote:'Lurch' was never signalman in the new power box I'm pretty sure Mickey, though don't know whether he ever applied for it, or decided not to.
I may have been getting mixed up between Brian Long & Brain Barr (Lurch) Stevie?. I believe both of them were at New Barnet North Box at the same time during the late 1960s & early 1970s.

Mickey
Correct!
And BB was certainly in the PSB for quite a while : Still usually gets to the twice-yearly KX Area staff reunions at Hatfield club.

Re: Reg Hopkins & Brian Long

Posted: Sun Aug 13, 2017 7:08 am
by Mickey
Was Ray Knight a onetime loco driver at Kings Cross?. The name Ray Knight rings a vague bell in the back of my mind from the 1974-75 era?.

As for Brian Barr didn't he become a passenger guard for several years working out of Kings Cross over the suburban routes out to Welwyn Garden City & Hertford North between 1973-75 (maybe a year or two longer?).

Mickey

Re: Reg Hopkins & Brian Long

Posted: Mon Aug 14, 2017 7:33 am
by Dave Cockle
Micky,

The Ray Knight that I know lives at Bush Hill Park and works for Virgin East Coast in their uniform store at Kings Cross. I believe there was a driver Ray Knight at Kings Cross too.

Brian Barr has, as far as I know, always worked as a signalman. I Believe he went from resident signalman at New Barnet to Kings Cross PSB. I always make a point of having a chat with him at the Kings Cross retirement do's at Hatfield. He has lots of interesting stories from the old days.

Re: Reg Hopkins & Brian Long

Posted: Mon Aug 14, 2017 11:29 am
by Mickey
Dave Cockle wrote: Mon Aug 14, 2017 7:33 am Brian Barr has, as far as I know, always worked as a signalman. I Believe he went from resident signalman at New Barnet to Kings Cross PSB. I always make a point of having a chat with him at the Kings Cross retirement do's at Hatfield. He has lots of interesting stories from the old days.
Sorry Dave my mistake I believe it was Brian Long as you say and not Brian Barr.

Mickey

Re: Reg Hopkins & Brian Long

Posted: Tue Aug 15, 2017 10:29 pm
by StevieG
Mickey wrote: Mon Aug 14, 2017 11:29 am
Dave Cockle wrote: Mon Aug 14, 2017 7:33 am Brian Barr has, as far as I know, always worked as a signalman. I Believe he went from resident signalman at New Barnet to Kings Cross PSB. I always make a point of having a chat with him at the Kings Cross retirement do's at Hatfield. He has lots of interesting stories from the old days.
Sorry Dave my mistake I believe it was Brian Long as you say and not Brian Barr.

Mickey
Can't see anyone actually saying herein that Brian Long worked as a Guard Mickey : As I already said, I did know of him on the KX station staff. I think he might have had some sort of personal circumstance which could have (possibly not long-term) come to rule out his working alone in such as a Guard's job.

Never heard of Brian Barr going Guarding : He was definitely a KX PSB signalman in July 1979 and until retirement, and I never heard that he had been anywhere else / done any other job following New Barnet North's final closure.
He had at one time been at Greenwood Box, and I'm sure that someone (maybe himself) has mentioned that, on one or more occasions, Brian had been on duty there (as probably had others) during Terence Cuneo's visits in creating his "On Early Shift" painting, though the signalman in the end result seems not to resemble him.