Beginning with David Stanford in 1875, seven members of the Stanford family have worked in and around the railway over five generations; giving a total 186 years of railway service. In From Chocolate to Cider: A Virtual Train Journey of Family Railway History Over 150 Years From the West Midlands to the West Country Paul Stanford tells his family’s railway story; its publication in 2025 being significant, as 200 years of public railways are celebrated.
The rail route covered runs from the West Midlands to the West Country; linking Birmingham with Bristol and on into Somerset, Devon and Cornwall, as the route features prominently in the Stanford family’s own railway history. With the family having access to freight terminals, signal boxes, depots and trackside in the course of their duties, these facets are captured in the mainly historical photographs presented in the book.
The book tells of the family’s involvement in or interests on the route, with vignettes of their experience. In many cases, such as the railway around the Bournville chocolate factory, or photographs of the wider Western Region, it captures railway scenes now lost forever. It also highlights more positive recent rail events and the contribution that the railway makes to the country, as well as reflecting the heritage railway scene from the early days in the 1960s.
Author royalties from the book will go to railway mental health charity Head-shunt, operated by the author and his wife Fiona, to help people in the rail industry be mentally well.
Hardback. 180 colour and 36 black & white photographs. 128 pages.