The Bass Excursions were a series of works outings laid on for the entire workforce of the Burton-on-Trent brewing firm of Bass, Ratcliff & Gretton. They took place every summer, and ran from the 1860s until 1914. The last one, to Scarborough, took place just weeks before the outbreak of the First World War. The excursions, which were originally just for workers, quickly expanded to include wives and children, along with managers and suppliers. So many townspeople were included that, on the day, the town's population of 50,000 was reduced by nearly a fifth. [1] Workers travelled free – with family members at a greatly reduced rate – and were given their day's wages, plus extra pocket money of a half crown to a guinea, depending on their status. [2] [3] Once there, production of their excursion ticket allowed free entrance to all the resort's attractions.
Up to seventeen special trains were engaged to take between 7,000–10,000 workers and their families. There were departures every ten to fifteen minutes, with some workers having arrived at their destination while others were still waiting at Burton station to board their allotted train. The 1904 excursion to Liverpool, for instance, consisted of seventeen trains, the first leaving at 4 a.m., the last at 6.50 a.m. By that time those on the 4 a.m. departure had already arrived at Liverpool Central. The last of the departures – composed entirely of first class dining saloons – was reserved for company executives, along with friends and guests. [4]
Year | Destination | Trains | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1877 | Liverpool | ||
1880 | |||
1881 | Scarborough | 6 | London visit cancelled due to smallpox epidemic |
1882 | |||
1883 | |||
1884 | Wolverhampton | ||
1885 | Blackpool | 8 | |
1886 | |||
1887 | |||
1888 | Brighton | ||
1889 | Blackpool | ||
1890 | Scarborough | ||
1891 | Liverpool & New Brighton | 13 | |
1892 | Blackpool | 15 | |
1893 | Great Yarmouth | ||
1894 | Scarborough | 15 | |
1895 | Liverpool & New Brighton | ||
1896 | Blackpool | 16 | |
1897 | Great Yarmouth | 15 | |
1898 | Scarborough | ||
1899 | Liverpool & New Brighton | 16 | |
1900 | Blackpool | 17 | |
1901 | Great Yarmouth | ||
1902 | Scarborough | ||
1903 | Blackpool | 17 | |
1904 | Liverpool & New Brighton | 17 | |
1905 | Great Yarmouth | ||
1906 | Scarborough | ||
1907 | Blackpool | 17 | |
1908 | Liverpool & New Brighton | ||
1909 | Great Yarmouth | ||
1910 | Scarborough | ||
1911 | Blackpool | 15 | |
1912 | Liverpool & New Brighton | ||
1913 | Great Yarmouth | ||
1914 | Scarborough |
All excursionists were give an illustrated brochure, some containing up to 96 pages. The contents detailed the attractions of their destination, advice on places to eat (and nannyish reminders about the wisdom of a proper meal) . Discounts were available for the excursionists on presentation of their tickets. Additional outings and cruises were available. In addition there was lots of 'trivia' – a typical excursion could involve up to 250 carriages, for which two miles of sidings would be required at the destination town. There were facts and figures about rolling stock and locomotives, remarks about the stations and sights passed en route.
The brochures also served as a guide on travel etiquette, reminding passengers to travel only on their designated train, to ensure that compartments were fully utilised and not 'hogged'. In 3rd class this meant eight to ten in each compartment. Passengers were reminded not to throw bottles out of the window or to leave orange peel on the platforms.
When all trains had arrived safely at their destination, Bass's Traffic Manager, William Walters, personally sent a telegram to Burton-on-Trent to confirm it.
Many people, both excursionists and those at their destination, good-humouredly referred to the invasion as 'Bass buying the town.' [5] 'And the town is glad to be bought by such generous people,' said one Yarmouth businessman. 'Hundreds of them will stay for the week and are amongst our most welcome visitors.' [6] [7] [8] [9]
In 1901 a young maltster employed by Bass was found dead near the tracks just outside Melton Mowbray. After hearing from fellow passengers on the Yarmouth train, an inquest jury agreed that the man's injuries had been consistent with falling from a train, but could not decide whether it had been an accident or something more sinister. [10] [11]
Three years earlier, during the Scarborough trip of 1898, a Bass worker was drowned in a freak accident. [12]
The 1915 excursion to Blackpool had to be cancelled. The demands of the war and mobilisation of troops meant that the railway companies were simply unable to handle a non-priority operation requiring the use of twenty trains. [13] The workers were still allowed their holiday and mostly stayed at home in Burton-on-Trent.
The man responsible for the Bass excursions retired at the end of 1915 – aged 74. He had overseen the annual trips ever since the first one in 1865, which he organised at the personal behest of William Bass. The first trip – to Liverpool – had been for men and boys only, families not being allowed to go until a later date. [14]
The Midland Railway (MR) was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1844. The Midland was one of the largest railway companies in Britain in the early 20th century, and the largest employer in Derby, where it had its headquarters. It amalgamated with several other railways to create the London, Midland and Scottish Railway at grouping in 1923.
Burton upon Trent, also known as Burton-on-Trent or simply Burton, is a market town in the borough of East Staffordshire in the county of Staffordshire, England, close to the border with Derbyshire. In 2021, it had a population of 76,270. The demonym for residents of the town is Burtonian. Burton is located 11 miles (18 km) south-west of Derby, 27 miles (43 km) north-west of Leicester, 28 miles (45 km) west-south-west of Nottingham and 20 miles (32 km) south of the southern entrance to the Peak District National Park.
Baron Burton, of Burton-on-Trent and of Rangemore in the County of Stafford, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1897 for the prominent brewer, philanthropist and Liberal politician Michael Bass, 1st Baron Burton. He had already been created a baronet in 1882 and Baron Burton in 1886. However, the three titles had different remainders. The Bass family descended from William Bass, who founded the brewery business of Bass & Co in Burton upon Trent in 1777. His grandson Michael Thomas Bass transformed the company into one of the largest breweries in the United Kingdom. He also represented Derby in Parliament as a Liberal for thirty-five years and was a great benefactor to the town of Burton. However, Bass declined every honour offered to him, including a baronetcy and a peerage.
Bass Brewery is a British brewer founded in 1777 by William Bass in Burton-upon-Trent, Staffordshire, England. The main brand was Bass Pale Ale, once the highest-selling beer in the UK. By 1877, Bass had become the largest brewery in the world, with an annual output of one million barrels. Its pale ale was exported throughout the British Empire, and the company's iconic red triangle became the UK's first registered trade mark.
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Michael Arthur Bass, 1st Baron Burton, KCVO, known as Sir Michael Arthur Bass, 1st Baronet, from 1882 to 1886, was a British brewer, Liberal politician and philanthropist. He sat in the House of Commons from 1865 to 1886 when he was raised to the peerage as Baron Burton.
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