Tavern Coaches On British Railways Are Targets For Caustic Criticism

Wanganui Chronicle, 2 June 1949, Page 5

Tavern Coaches On British Railways Are Targets For Caustic Criticism

LONDON, .lune 1 (Bee. 7.20 pm).—The Dritis'ii railways, which last week-end exhibited with every appearance of selfsatisfaetion four railway coaches painted and deeorated to represent Old World English inns, are being strongly criticised for what is considered to be a serious lapse from good taste and an attempt to introduce cheap and spurious methods of attracting tourists. Over the signatures of the director of the Victoria and Albert Museum, the principal of the Royal College of Art, the diiairman of the Council of Industrial Design, 1 he president of I he Architectural Association, the president of the Design and |

I Industries' Association, the ehair1 1 man of the Council of the Royal | - j Society of Arts, the chairman of ' the Institute of Contemporary] ■ | Arts, and the Master of the ] x facility of Royal Designers for I ■ Industry, the i'ollowing letter appeared in’ “The Times”: I “The appearance on the Biil- | ish Railways of tavern ears j dressed up io look like old Eng1 1 lisli inns, with painted brick-1 ] work ami false beams, is the re- j i duetio ad absurdum of the mania I for the false antique. ; j “These ears are ridiculous. ; even by the silliest road-house ] I standards. It is deplorable that a ■ : public authority should set such | mi example.” j Even before this letter ap-1

neared a number of newspapers [ had referred disparagingly to the travelling taverns. T'lie “Glasgow Herald” re- ] marked: “This is as Olde Eng- ] lishe as ye Olde Englishe petrol pumps.” The “Manchester Guardian” described it as. “Brilliant exercise in the inept.” Editorially, “The Guardian” asks: “What will the next ven- [ titre be? Bull down the Wren churches and have Wren railway 'stations instead? But the Chelsea pensioners into khaki and give t'lieir uniforms to the rail- ] way porters instead? And where , is the dummy roast beef for the ■ restaurant cars?”—Special Cor-j respondent, N.Z.P.A.