Nostalgic Moments - My Father in 1950s England

My father at Penzance railway station in Cornwall (1957)

Old photographs are great for wallowing in nostalgic moments, which I love to do.

We’re lucky to have lots of photographs as my dad was an avid photographer by the time the 1950s rolled around.

In 1937, he got his first job, which was as assistant to the booking clerk at a railway station just under 50 miles from his hometown in the state of Malacca in Malaya (what Malaysia was known as before independence); he spent his entire working life with the railways, moving up the ranks.

In the mid-1950s, railway management were looking for suitable candidates to send to the UK for training with British Railways, which would require them to be away for 2 years.

My father applied and was one of those selected as he’d taken and passed the first 2 parts of the Chartered Institute of Transport exam.

Apart from attending the training with British Railways, the successful candidates were also required to attend evening classes and pass the next 2 parts of the Institute of Transport exam.

Coincidentally, the other successful candidate was a friend of my dad’s, and they left in October 1955.

I’m guessing they took the train from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore as the flight was from Singapore to London.

And I’m pretty sure it was the first time my dad had been abroad; it was also the first time they’d both experienced cold weather!

6 months’ later, my mum had the opportunity to join him in the UK while my 2 older sisters stayed with our grandmother.

This photograph was taken in 1957, somewhere in London, where my dad had come across a greengrocer’s horse and cart, and I’m glad he thought it was too good a photo opportunity to miss.

There are so many photos of my parents’ time in the UK, mostly posed but some candid ones too.

Of all the photos I have, the old black and white ones are my favourites, especially the ones that have my dad’s handwriting on the back.

I think I’ll continue with these nostalgic moments as a monthly series for as long as I find fun photos to share. And I hope you’ll join me for these nostalgic trips.