Day Log/1926-05-08

On this day, there was an accident, at Penrhyn Crossing.

A late night breakdown train stopped for the crossing to be opened. Hugh Hughes, a foreman fitter, was amongst the passengers, thought it had arrived in the station, and so attempted to alight the train.

Unfortunately the train was standing waiting to cross, into the station. Hughes fell down the embankment. He later died from his injuries.

Hugh Hughes was my grandfather. He died on this date before I was born. My father would often tell me about this accident and of how my grandfather’s skull was broken as a result of his fall. My Nain (grandmother) received no money to help her in those days and did sewing which she sent all over Wales in order to make enough money to bring up my father’s two younger brothers.She did very well and both these younger sons went to College

My father was the only one of four sons to follow his father and was apprenticed on this line to become a fitter. He told me about how he had worked on repairs to Prince at the Boston Lodge Works. Somewhere, I have a photo of my grandfather at Boston Lodge with some of the workers. I also have a newspaper cutting from The Cambrian News recording details of my grandfather’s accident and of the inquest which took place.