FRANCIS FRITH

I was born at Willey Gate House 1960, my parents Joe and Margery Pratt lived there since the early 1950s, my father was the gate man and opened the gates to let steam trains though, it was on the Rugby to Leicester line, London Midland Railway. George Seaton was signal man. In August 1961 there was a bad accident when a lorry hit a train, my mother saw it, we children, Robert and myself, were asleep. Carridges shook the house, carcesses of bacon covered the road. My mum walked everywhere in those days, there were very few cars and public transport was none-existent.