In early May 1998, I was ready for a new project. At the time, I lived in Shaftesbury, and so it was, I set out with my Labrador, George, for our midday walk. Without a great deal of forethought, I decided on a new walk around the remains of what was once Shaftesbury Station, situated some two miles north near the village of Semley.
The London & South Western Railway in the Edwardian period, when railways were at their zenith, had become my consuming modelling interest and I was looking for a station typical of many on a double track main line with a simple trackplan. After a circular walk using the bridges and surrounding fields, I was nosing around the closed King Settle pub when a policeman patrolling in his car stopped and asked me what I was doing. A truthful explanation of my interest in the railway had him quickly suggesting several people whom I should contact for information, including the Chairwoman of the local W.I.!
