I lived in Greens Norton with my wife Jenny, to whom I was married on 10/8/1968. From 1968, this became our home for 10 years. We often enjoyed walks in the local countryside and regularly along the old SMJ trackbed.

I had, by coincidence ridden on the Wandering 1500 1963 tour though at the time I was resident in Cambridge and had no expectations of moving to Northants.  Whilst a 10 year old, my father, an F1 enthusiast, took me to a Silverstone meeting; though I don't recall the full journey, I do recall arrival at Towcester station and walking over the footbridge to take a bus to the circuit

I have long held a mental picture of that occasion; the footbridge and signal box being dominant in.my memory.

My first, temporary, residency in Greens Norton was a year earlier, as an apprentice taking a 6 month position at the local Caswell research site. Local excursions included the Blisworth mining activities, and the recently closed GCRailway; especially the remains of Woodford Halse depot and No.2 signal box. I salvaged two signalbox registers, one. contained the movements, in the summer of 1962, of all locos over a 2 month period. This has recently been analysed and an in depth record can be found on the website, RCTS Cambridge, on line files. A good and fascinating read.

The link between the GCR and SMJ show what a loss was the closure of both routes though the relevance of the ironstone traffic would inevitably have lead to this ultimate  end. Innovation on the SMJ was remarkable, especially the road rail bus, experiment and also the communication line from track to station  which I have recently read, and am trying to properly understand.

Overall, a wonderful route the importance of which has long been undervalued.

Richard T.