Bill Potter is seen here with his camera on the embankment near Cheltenham (Malvern Road) station in 1965. See Commentary to this collection. (Bernie Holland Photo Archive)

Over the years I had met Bill on several visits to the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway but during the mid-1990s he was less happy about driving so on a couple of occasions I acted as 'chauffeur' to Bill and Joan for photographic trips to Toddington and Winchcombe. I took this photo of Bill during a Steam Gala at Toddington on 19th October 1996. Bill is seen here with Mike Belham, who at that time was the Marketing Manager of the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway. Sadly, this was the last time I was to see Bill as he passed away in April 1997. (Bernie Holland)

Standard Class 9F No.92227 heads south under Southam Road Bridge with a down iron ore working on 11th June 1963. This train would have worked across from the Banbury iron-fields along the former Stratford & Midland Junction Railway taking the south curve at Stratford Racecourse to access the Honeybourne Line. (Bill Potter - Courtesy Kidderminster Railway Museum)

WD 2-8-0 No.90403 heads a load of steel-bar bolster empties northbound between Southam and Bishops Cleeve on 6th June 1962 (Bill Potter - courtesy of Kidderminster Railway Museum)

Standard Class 9F locomotives were also seen on the iron ore workings to South Wales. 92208 is seen southbound through Bishops Cleeve on 27th July 1963 in a view probably taken by Bill from the signal box. (Bill Potter - Courtesy of Kidderminster Railway Museum)

The main local traffic had been fruit from the Vale of Evesham ( and I remember a day of plum picking in Pershore!) livestock and dairy produce for local markets. 0-6-0PT No.9471 is seen working north on the approach to Bishops Cleeve with a consignment of agricultural equipment on 27th July 1963 (Bill Potter - Courtesy of Kidderminster Railway Museum)

Standard Class 9F No.92152 heads an up goods train past the former weigh-house at Bishops Cleeve on 27th July 1963. By this time the nest of sidings there had been removed. (Bill Potter - Courtesy of Kidderminster Railway Museum)

By the mid-60s, Stanier Class 8F 2-8-0s were a fairly common sight on the iron ore trains from the Warwickshire iron-fields. 48109 works north between Southam Bridge and Bishops Cleeve with a rake of empties on 26th August 1964 (Bill Potter - Courtesy of Kidderminster Railway Museum)

1020 "County of Monmouth" and 2-8-0T No.5210 work light northbound between Southam Bridge and Bishops Cleeve on 8th June 1962 (Bill Potter - Courtesy Kiddeminster Railway Museum)

6803 "Bucklebury Grange" heads a Saturdays Only Wolverhampton to Paignton service southbound approaching Southam Road Bridge on 11th March 1965 (Bill Potter - Courtesy of Kidderminster Railway Museum)

The 1950s were the heyday of the Honeybourne Line as a holiday route to Devon and Cornwall, but by the 1960s the services had been cut back considerably. 7024 "Powis Castle" works a Wolverhampton to Paignton holiday excursion south through Bishops Cleeve on Saturday 27th July 1963. The station and goods yard are now falling into dereliction. (Bill Potter - Courtesy of Kidderminster Railway Museum)

The 5th March 1960 was the last day for the "Coffeepot" the local train between Honeybourne and Cheltenham. 8488 is seen with the single coach arriving at Bishops Cleeve. There are some black and white pictures of this train which can be viewed in the "Dennis Bath Collection" (Bill Potter - Courtesy of Kidderminster Railway Museum)

7029 "Clun Castle" stands at Cheltenham Race Course Station with the final steam-hauled Race Special from Paddington on 14th March 1968. There was no languishing in Barry Scrapyard for 7029 as it passed directly from British Railways into preservation. Incidentally, "Clun" is the name of the house where my good friend Colin Jacks lives in Northfield on the outskirts of Birmingham. As you explore my various collections here, you will discover the unique relationship Colin enjoyed with the GWRS and see some interesting pictures he kindly sent me. (Bill Potter - Courtesy of Kidderminster Railway Museum)

Oh how we hated these Swindon-built 6-car diesel multiple units when they appeared on the scene in the early 1960s. We used to refer to them disparagingly as "Bog-Units" as they were another usurper of steam traction. This view is taken on the same date, 8th June 1962 and from the same location as the shot of 7026 "Tenby Castle" but looking in the opposite direction north towards Bishops Cleeve. Two Hedges Road bridge can be seen in the distance with the outer 'down' home-signal which had only (then) recently been relocated from a position north of the bridge near the barrow-crossing. (Bill Potter - Courtesy of Kidderminster Railway Museum)

Although there were never any really fierce gradients on the Cheltenham to Stratford Line, it was mostly uphill all the way from Racecourse Station to the summit of the line at Winchcombe. This occasionally brought about instances of double-heading on 'up' express passenger workings as is evident here. 6917 "Oldlands Hall" and 5046 "Earl Cawdor" are seen with the 09:00 Penzance to Wolverhampton Low Level "Cornishman" approaching Southam Road Bridge at 5:32 pm on the afternoon of 19th June 1961. This notable service was to be withdrawn the following year. (Bill Potter - Courtesy of Kidderminster Railway Museum)

7024 "Powis Castle" takes it easy down the grade towards Cheltenham Race Course with the 09:00 Wolverhampton Low Level to Penzance "Cornishman" on 20th August 1961. (Bill Potter - Courtesy of Kidderminster Railway Museum)

Not much more than a mile from Bill's house in Meadoway, Bishops Cleeve, this shot was taken from the fields along Kayte Lane midway between Southam Road and Two Hedges Lane. 250 million years ago, this location would have been about 800ft under a shallow Jurassic Sea and the limestone ridge visible on Cleeve Hill, in the background, would have been no more than a coastal cliff-face. Aeons later, this is now the majestic face of Cleeve Hill which provides an impressive background for this classic broadside shot of the 09:00 ex-Penzance to Wolverhampton Low Level "Cornishman" working north on 15th June 1962, during the final year of working for this service which has provided a suitable title for the 'in house' magazine of the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway (Bill Potter - Courtesy of Kidderminster Railway Museum)

7026 "Tenby Castle" rounds the curve near Southam with the 09:00 Penzance to Wolverhampton Low Level "Cornishman" on 8th June 1962. This is one of the B.R. "Castles" built after Nationalisation. (Bill Potter - Courtesy of Kidderminster Railway Museum)

Worcester Shed had a reputation for turning out smart engines and the cleaners have spared no effort to get 7005 "Sir Edward Elgar" in pristine condition for a special train which conveyed H.R.H The Queen Mother to the Cheltenham Gold Cup Meeting in March 1959. The gleaming 'Castle' is seen just south-west of Southam Road bridge on the final approach to Cheltenham Race Course Station. (Photo by Bill Potter - Courtesy of Kidderminster Railway Museum)

5046 "Earl Cawdor" eases round the curve at Southam with a Worcester to Cheltenham "Gold Cup" Race Special on 14th March 1962. (Bill Potter - Courtesy of Kidderminster Railway Museum)

And then, the diesels came.....I distinctly remember groups of us cursing these Sulzer nasties that had displaced our beloved Churchward, Collett and Hawksworth machines, but these days I'm out with my camera any time a 'Spoon' is due to pass by. The date is 18th June 1967 and D1611 in the original two-tone livery, is seen passing through Cheltenham Race Course Station with an 'up' Sunday diversion due to a track possession on the Midland Region north of Cheltenham Spa (Lansdown) Station. (Bill Potter - Courtesy of Kiddeminster Railway Museum)

Standard Class 5 No.73014 is seen making a bit of a fuss of things approaching Two Hedges Road Bridge, Bishops Cleeve, with a diversion from the Midland Line on 21st August 1965 (Bill Potter - Courtesy of Kidderminster Railway Museum)

One of the rare occasions when Bill actually ventured as far north as Toddington was on Saturday 24th July 1965 when he got this shot of a Stanier Class 5 No.45263 working a Saturdays Only 10:05 ex-Wolverhampton Low Level to Kingswear holiday express. Judging from the high angle here, I would think this shot was taken from the steps of the signal-box, producing a view that, apart from the lack of lineside vegetation over 40 years ago, is not a lot different from what one would see today. (Bill Potter - Courtesy of Kidderminster Railway Museum)

Formerly named "Moray Firth", Standard Class 8 "Britannia" 4-6-2 No.70053 heads a holiday excursion from Wolverhampton Low Level to Ilfracombe past the remnants of the site at Toddington on 24th July 1965. (Bill Potter - Courtesy of Kidderminster Railway Museum)