I sea?

As readers may gather, I’ve got behind in the last couple of days or so, and am just catching up: please bare with me – I’ve not been in the best of health the last couple of weeks and it’s not always easy managing competing demands on my time. My apologies if I haven’t got to your story yet, I’m working on it…

Anyway. Onward.

Here’s a bit of a curiosity: posted in the Cannock Facebook group by friend of the blog Chris Edwards after he spotted it on the wonderful Chasewaterstuff’s Rail and Canal blog, a photo of the signal box that reputedly stood at Anglesey Sidings at Newtown, Brownhills until 1984.

Can  you spot the problem?

Now, first question – is this genuine, or photoshopped? I’m really not sure.

Secondly, if that is genuine, was it a prank? Local rail buff Tony Llewellyn reckons it might have been a windup by the local British Rail S&T guys (signals and telecommunications engineers):

Thats Anglesey Sidings, near the Chase Pub on the A5. The letter C is a G – bits used to drop off the letters quite often.

Some clown must have replaced Y for an A! S&T Department probably…

On the odd little ‘outhouse’ at the top of the steps:

The original toilet was the small sentry box at the top – the new one is the Portaloo at ground level; this is in its latter days near to closure

Thirdly, if it was genuine, any other photos of it?

I’d be keen to hear views on this odd little curiosity – perhaps in local rail expert Ian Pell is passing, he might have some input…

Whilst I’m on, I also have an interesting photo, posted on the Norton group by Philip Burton, that I’ve never ever seen before. Philip is a bus enthusiast and expert on Harpers Busses, and here’s one of their services at the top of Brownhills High Street, I’d say in the 1960s – it really is a fantastic image.

Thanks to Philip for that – comments most welcome – either here or mail me: BrownhillsBob at Googlemail dot com. Cheers.