Yet again summer comes soonest in the South

With again a respectful nod to the Southern Publicity Department  back in 1936 I am soon heading very South (well about 4 and bit  hours and approximately 1600 miles in a plane south) for a blend of Spanish, African and Latin American influences,  exploration including a dormant volcanoes and a lava scape, rest, relaxation and hopefully some sun, possibly dark sandy beeches and sea too (might help you guess where). There will as a result be a break in posts (with the exception of a Southern Region related, tip top.., announcement Friday next week)  in my humble corner of the interweb and blogospehre, with normal service being resumed week commencing the 27th June.

The now famous Southern Railway publicity poster  ’I’m Taking and Early Holiday cos I know Summer Comes Soonest in the South’, was first released in 1936. It was dubiously parodied later by the Late and Never Early Railway, imitation being… etc. etc.

The Photograph, originally in black and white, was  taken in 1924 by Charles E Brown and shows a small boy carrying a suitcase on the platform at Waterloo station talking to the fireman of N15 King Arthur class 4-6-0 locomotive No 755 ‘The Red Knight’, as he leans from the cab. The Southern Railway publicity department had the image coloured for use on this poster the hint of the black and white original can be seen beyond the locomotive.

I know this post is a cheat, as this is a repeat of a similar post from last summer and possibly even the summer before then, but firstly I am already in holiday mode and secondly I do like the poster. If you are also about to head off on vacation or have one planned over the summer months then enjoy!

Just in case you get withdrawal symptoms feel free to click here to view a totally random post.