My cousin Keith passed away on 13th May 2002. He had just retired from the post of Transport Editor of "The Guardian", and had earlier been Labour Editor. Virgin Trains had planned to mark his retirement by naming one of their locomotives in his honour. Sadly that was not possible, and so the locomotive has now been named in his memory.
Proceedings began with coffee and refreshments, followed by the naming ceremony at 11.00. A large number of family, friends, colleagues and prominent people from the Rail industry attended. The locomotive then took the 11.25 train to Lancaster, calling at Preston where the Trades Unionists and Journalists would change for Blackpool. Keith had always organised a traditional cricket match between journalists and the TUC just before the Cobgress, and that tradition continues.
Janine and most of the family travelled on the train, some of us as far as Watford Junction, from where Virgin Trains kindly escorted us back to Euston on the next train.
All photographs © T J Harper 2002
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