John Heath, a 66-year-old retired HGV driver from Southborough Crescent, Bradeley, tells Alan Cookman how a journey across Europe by rail was a thrilling adventure for a 14-year-old train spotter from Tunstall

T HE furthest John Heath had travelled before his school trip to Switzerland was by ferry to the Isle Of Man.

It was a short, unscheduled trip and the young train spotter's parents knew nothing about it.

"Me and a pal had gone to Rhyl where my parents had a caravan, and caught a train to Llandudno," he says. "Then we decided to get the ferry across to the Isle of Man to look at the miniature railways.

"Altogether, we were gone for about 12 or 14 hours, and we began to wonder if there were search parties out looking for us."

Despite this, John's parents gave the go-ahead for their son to join 22 other boys on High Street Boys' School's trip to Switzerland.

"It was announced in September 1956 that the trip would take place in June 1957, when I would be 14," says John.

"I had the task of explaining to my parents that it would cost £31, plus pocket money, which was quite a lot of money 50 years ago."

Fortunately, John's father, who owned a greengrocer's in Furlong road, Tunstall, said yes. "Was I happy? You bet I was," says John.

"For the next few weeks and months, I was taking £1 or £2 a week to school to pay for the trip – I still have the paying-in card to this day."

For a boy who was mad keen on trains, the journey to Switzerland was a dream come true. "We went by train from Stoke Station to London, then from London to Folkestone and across to Boulogne in France by Channel ferry.

"Then we travelled all the way to Switzerland by train."

The party stayed at Gersau, on the shores of Lake Lucerne, and went on daily excursions to explore the breathtaking natural beauty of Switzerland.

"We went to Basel, travelled by boat across Lake Lucerne and up mountains by train. The scenery was fantastic – we had a fabulous view of the lake from our hotel – but it was the travelling I enjoyed most.

"The hotel was great, and we had no problems with the language and accidents or dramas. It was such a wonderful experience that I have kept all the paperwork, from the itinerary to my identity card."

If getting to Switzerland was an adventure, however, coming home again would be even more exciting for John and his young school friends.

"The school had run trips to Switzerland before, but for the first time the return journey was going to be by air. We flew by Vickers Viking turbo-prop aircraft from Basel in Switzerland to Blackbush Airport in Surrey, a small wartime aerodrome.

"None of us had flown before, but we weren't scared, just really excited."

After the two-and-a-half hour flight, the scholars and their teachers completed their journey back to Stoke by train, and the lads were met at the station by their parents.

John says that after more than half a century, he still thinks about the adventure.

"I have plenty of photographs of the trip, but someone took a cine film of the holiday and I'd love to know if anyone still has a copy of it."