When I read Grand National in the headlines of the press in March my mind is immediately taken back to the mid thirties when an exciting week ahead was guaranteed for local schoolboys. It began on the Sunday before the race when the course was open for inspection by the public, a small entry charge being made on behalf of local charities.
The race was held on Fridays, schools being closed for the day because of the dangers presented by heavy traffic, both road and tramways. It became a field day for my friends and me as embryo train spotters. We were able to move from one railway line to another and also the Aintree sidings in complete safety. We were able to identify locomotives that never appeared on our local line to the north. The LMS types were readily identified by their red livery – the named Royal Scots, the baby Scots, the ex L & Y 4-6-0s and Midland Compounds not forgetting the ubiquitous black Fives which were just coming into service. There were not so many LNER types mainly in black livery.
Possibly the highlight of the day was the arrival about 1.00 o’clock of a Pullman Special from Kings Cross hauled by a Flying Scotsman type of engine in its green livery. It really only came for the one race and departed later in the afternoon.
Aintree had three stations in use, the one in daily use today by Merseyrail, the Cheshire Lines a few hundred yards away with five platforms, and almost unseen a wooden structure by the Warbreck Moor bridge used only on race days.
Of particular interest was the arrival of the three coach units of Liverpool’s Overhead Railway routed from Seaforth through Bootle. The enterprising LMS also made up long trains of former L&Y gas lit coaches, hauled by the power units of the regular service. Railway employees were engaged in pasting First Class notices on some compartments which were definitely not of the first class standard of the time.
These two facilities must have resulted in an almost complete closure of Liverpool’s business centre that afternoon. So well patronised were they that tiny kiosk type booking offices were set up to cater for the rush of many once a year race goers.
It must be recalled that Liverpool’s extensive tramway system served Aintree and went along reserved grassy tracks to Fazarkeley, the secondary entrance to the course. All the oldest trams were brought into use, many with outside staircases at the top of which was a bench seat much sought after by boys. One year there was an electricity failure resulting in a line of stationary vehicles as far as Walton Hospital. The power was eventually restored but not before thousands had begun the long trek home.
Outside the city boundaries interested boys saw the huge locomotives travelling “light” towards Southport or Burscough Junction where they could be shunted round in readiness for their return journey. This was necessitated because there was no local turntable able to take these giants.
Those were the days when the sound of an aeroplane made us stop and look up and recognise biplane types of the first local air services. All race week we saw Tiger Moths circling the district towing fabric banners advertising national newspapers and motor oils.
I must not omit the jockeys and bookies who did not arrive by road or plane, but boarded out in the local community providing a useful “extra” for the housewives, some of whom I knew to be war widows.
Stuart Black
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