Station, Swavesey

History of Swavesey railway station

Swavesey OS 1901

In 1948 Ann Shepperson née Woodward moved here from Six Mile Bottom when her father was appointed Stationmaster. Her reminiscences are recorded in Memory Lane (2004) produced by the Swavesey History Society.

Ann would travel to Cambridge every day by train for school. After she took her school certificate in 1949 she took a railway entrance exam, passed and started work at Swavesey station. At first she earned £1 per week but this soon went up to £1 5s of which she was allowed to keep half. Her account of working for the railways is very detailed.

Ann’s mother, Mary Marjorie Woodward née Christmas, had trained as a hairdresser with Miss Papworth of Hobson Street, Cambridge, before marriage.

In 1954 her father was promoted and moved to Shippea Hill. Ann and her sister Janet stayed in Swavesey and went to live at the Vicarage with Rev and Mrs Franklin. In 1957 Ann rejoined her parents at Shippea and then, in 1958, moved with her parents to Lincoln.

In 1960 Ann came back to Swavesey to marry John Shepperson.