DEN MARK 1

The original Den was the Old Town Railway Station (down-side platform). It had three rooms, a galley, a baggage store and long redundant men's convenience, It also had, at the western end of the platform, a train signal gantry. At the other end a footbridge and a level crossing. Next to the level crossing was the signal box. Only a part of the Station now exists, that being the 'up' side currently the Leigh Sailing Club HQ. The station was built in 1855. The old station became redundant around 1936, due to the fact that a new station had been built west of the cockle sheds at the bottom of Belton Way.

At that time the Rover Crew were looking for a headquarters building, and the station looked tempting. The result was that one 'Merri' Merrifield who happened to be one of the more elderly eccentrics of the Crew decided to mount an assault on the land agents office of the then London, Midland and Scottish Railway Company. lie must have been a formidable sight to the agent as Merri had spent most of his life in distant parts of the globe and his personal appearance was something like a withered slightly jaundiced walnut... oh yes, I also recall that he had a loud commanding voice and thick lensed glasses which revealed his eyes as large round blue marbles. This worthy strode into the office and demanded to see the manager. The manager luckily for us turned out to be a Scouter. Says Merri (through the wrinkles) "You have a vacant station which I want to rent for the 3rd C.B... we will give you £5 per year for it, and I'll stand you a lunch into the bargain". The outcome was that the offer was agreed, whether or not the agent got his dinner must remain a mystery. The truth may be that the agent was only too pleased to get rid of our hero in double quick time. The 3rd were for the first time dabbling in real estate.

The old station was to prove ideal for wet-bobbing, as 1 have already mentioned. After the war, British Rail took over in the fifties, and promptly raised the rent to £20 per annum. This nearly caused a mutiny, and we loudly made our feelings felt .. . all to no avail. Of course, we reluctantly paid up before our case was really investigated by the Railway bods. You see, they did not seem to know that for years, we had paid no Rates, had enjoyed free gas (light and fuel), free water, free gas mantles (which were ordered via the Signal men opposite) free timber when the level crossing was periodically replaced, and lastly - free coal which was politely requested from any steam engine that had the misfortune to stop at our signal. I know that you will agree that we were not robbed, but had in fact had the best deal ever offered in the history of the Line, as I have already mentioned earlier.

Finally it came to pass that the old station was doomed and needed to be demolished to enable the widening of New Road to take place. in addition with electrification imminent, it would have been dangerous anyway to continue living on an increasingly busy railway.