Originally printed in the Great Northern News No. 208
– July/August 2016
Allan Sibley
As a change from our usual GNR holiday postcard for the July/August GNN cover I thought we should have another look at this poster which I first encountered on the wall of the office of the Ullswater Navigation & Transit Company at Glenridding Pier in 1994. I included my photo of it in GNN 136 (July/August 2004) but when in the area in June 2013 we purchased a modern A3 reproduction of the original doubleroyal size (40in x 25in) poster from the shop at Pooley Bridge. The company still operates on the lake but the vessels used, although quite old and historic, are Diesel powered.
The poster appears to have been printed by Andrew Reid & Co Ltd of 50 Grey Street, Newcastle on Tyne, probably for distribution to several railway companies each of which would then print its own title at the top.
My predecessor published a note about the poster in Newsletter No. 85 and this was followed by a comment from Jack Smith in 88. Apparently the service was run in association with the North Eastern Railway which operated the line from Darlington to Penrith via Stainmore.
Unfortunately the Ullswater company suffered along with the ex-railway ‘steamers’ on Lake Windermere from severe flooding in 2009 and again over Christmas / New Year 2015/16 but no lasting damage was done and after a lot of hard work, services on Ullswater resumed at Easter. We shall be back there in September, although sadly not travelling by GNR and NER trains via Darlington and Penrith!
