please empty your brain below

I have been to Swanley before, but I had completely forgotten I had until I read this post - don't know if that's saying something about the town.

A couple of the younger locals saw it fit to mock me for taking photos of the miniature railway.

So yes, I can't imagine I'll be making use of the Oyster extension anytime soon - even though the boating lake was quite nice, and reasonably priced.
It must be said, though, that the staff and volunteers on the miniature railway were very polite and helpful, and helped brighten the day.
In the 1980s, the social secretary of the Swanley Social Club (who did the music bookings) was the Roman Catholic priest. My Burns Artist guitar fell off its stand there and the neck broke. Luckily I was travelling a second guitar.

Is there a list of forthcoming additions to the Oyster net? Surely Epsom must be added soon?

dg writes: see here

And wouldn't it be nice if the Freedom Pass extended to all Oyster stations?
Some of your posts make me smile - not because of the content but simply because you have written about a highly unpromising topic for the flimsiest of reasons.

RayL,

or, more accurately from DG, see not here.
I seem to recall that the Swanley branch of ASDA was one of the first in the south of England.

Following the decision of Associated Dairies, a largely Northern concern, to open a brand new supermarket in the town in the late 1970s, Swanley became, briefly, a must-visit place.
Obligatory railway pedantry:

The locomotive looks to me very much like a model of the unique Class 89(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Rail_Class_89) locomotive used by BR and GNER, but now in preservation.
Always nice to be able to end a post with a good punchline!
I agree, it looks much more like the Class 89 prototype. The colour scheme of the SNBR's loco is very reminiscent of the erstwhile GNER.

"it's a wonder the zonal ticketing system hadn't swept the town up before"
"And wouldn't it be nice if the Freedom Pass extended to all Oyster stations?"
Why should it? The zonal ticketing system was developed by the GLC for people who pay Council tax to London and vote for its members. Likewise the Freedom Pass's extension to tube and (some) train services in London.

The only thing I knew about Swanley before today was that the comedian Mark Steel came from there. His very funny stand up show, "Mark Steel's in Town" has yet to visit the place.
Think Erith is worse, especially as the local council made an effort to ruin it as part of a 'regeneration' scheme.

It's a shame the 477 isn't part of the TfL network - especially now that Dartford and Swanley are in the Oyster area.
£3.60 my trip on the 477 cost me. I shouldn't be surprised, that's normal for not-London.
RayL: The Freedom Pass has extended to Swanley (and also to Dartford) for several years, although there were no Oyster readers to touch in or out at. Map here http://www.londoncouncils.gov.uk/services/freedom-pass/using-pass/freedom-pass-travel-map

SWT is the obstacle to the 'obvious' extension of Oyster to Epsom.
Might be the grey sky, but the town centre looks bleak?
E - No, it's not just the clouds. I think DG has been very kind to Swanley, but his piece does contain an element of him politely holding back from giving the place a deserved pasting!
Continuing the railway pedantry, surely the miniature loco bears more resemblance to a Grand Central HST power car: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/InterCity_125#/media/File:43468_at_London_Kings_Cross.jpg
@Chris cook
"The Freedom Pass has extended to Swanley (and also to Dartford) for several years"

With the usual proviso that south of the river "Freedom" only starts at 0930

http://www.londoncouncils.gov.uk/services/freedom-pass/using-pass/freedom-pass-travel-map
The SNBR website says it is modelled on a Eurostar - two of which did run for a while in GNER orange and blue
http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/uploads/1286614996/med_gallery_2692_901_91934.jpg
Happy birthday for tomorrow! Hope you travel somewhere lovely.
@ E

Two pictures of a discarded trolley don't help the cause much
I would've thought that surely the loco in its current form is based on a Grand Central HST?

http://www.docbrown.info/docspics/ArchiveSteam/archive2/P8214068.jpg
Deb: Woolwich to Orpington, via Sidcup (where you can change for the 233 to ... Swanley).
A friend of mine who lives in mid-Kent uses Swanley as a Park&Ride town, as it is very convenient for motorway junctions and has a good service to/from London terminals.
With the big reduction of the off-peak fare to/from zone 1 with PAYG, I wonder whether Swanley will become a big car park!
Is Swanley one of those places that could be described as "a nice place to live there, but I wouldn't want to visit it"?
It's worth mentioning the reason for Swanley's growth and the railway station - it was a centre for flower-growing and was known as Swanley - Home of Flowers. The railway link ensured quick delivery to London's markets. There were many large-scale nurseries and glasshouses around the area, which were progressively redeveloped for housing through the latter half of the 20th century, as imported cut flowers made home-grown blooms uncompetitive. The "old" community is Swanley Village, a couple of miles away from the Victorian town centre.
Londonist copying your ideas, it seems: http://londonist.com/2016/03/6-reasons-to-visit-swanley










TridentScan | Privacy Policy