Counting customers - railway traffic before Christmas in the 1800s

There is no doubt that the four or five days before Christmas are some of the busiest for Britain’s railways as people travel home to see their friends and relatives, or return bleary eyed from Christmas parties and gatherings. No doubt the flooding in Britain has reduced the number of trains running in the period this year. However, nationally, 22,247 trains were scheduled on the 21 December; 20,436 on the 22^nd; 11,588 were supposed to run yesterday and 18,968 are due to run today.^[1] Most Train Operating Companies have not supplement their regular scheduled services,^[3] Chiltern being the only one.^[2] Thus, with largely regular Saturday and Sunday timetables in operation on the 22^nd and 23^rd December, and with trains stopping early today, many passengers will feel like they have travelled in tin cans by the end of the festive season.

However, it is no comfort to say so, but crowded trains are what the Christmas passenger has experienced for over a century. In the nineteenth century particularly, the various railway companies provided the press with a plethora of data on their Christmas traffic. In the days after the 25 December how many passengers to and from stations were commonly mentioned in newspapers, especially as the numbers usually grew each year. 

The number of passengers who travelled in the festive period from London via the Great Western Railway (GWR) perfectly shows this growth. In 1895 the number booked at the company’s City and West End Offices and London Stations between Friday 20 December and Thursday 26 December at noon was 40,750. This was an increase on 1889’s total of 37,000. Indeed, in 1895 5,953 passengers travelled from Paddington on Saturday 21 December; with 8,992 being conveyed on Christmas Eve.^[4] Therefore, with Christmas passenger numbers increasing so rapidly year on year, it is quite possible that individual travellers found themselves progressively squeezed as the railways struggled to keep pace with the changing demand.   

However, as we are currently told passenger numbers in this country continue to grow, it would be interesting to see this year whether the 374 and 307 trains scheduled leave Paddington on the 21 and 24 December respectively are on average they are more packed than those on the same day in 2011. ^[5]

But passenger data was not the only information the newspapers featured; and the amount of parcels handled by stations also appeared alongside it. Those passing through the London and North Western Railway’s Euston Station were of particular interest and, as I related in a blog post last year, special arrangements were established there in the 1840s to handle this vast and growing traffic. Statistics have been found which show that number of parcels arriving at Euston in the three days before and the morning of the 25 December grew most years. They were as follows:

1848 - 12,000 [6]

1849 - 15,000 [7]

1850 - 10,000 [8]

1851 - Inward and Outward: 40,000 (figures for the week before Christmas) [9]

1852 - 12,000

1853 - 12,500 [10]

1864 - 17,000 [11]

Therefore, by digging into nineteenth century newspapers we can gauge how the railways became an integral part of Christmas for Victorians; performing the same function as do for passengers today, through taking them from home to merriment and delivering them all they needed for Christmas cheer.

Much thanks must go to Tom Cairns for the data he provided on current train operations.

A Very Merry Christmas

My other Christmas posts are as follows:

'Pretty Festoons of Holly Leaves Are Displayed' - The Decoration of Railway Stations Before 1900

"Christmas fare from the provinces" - Euston Station and the Distribution of Festive Goods in the 1840s

"An EXTRA TRAIN will leave Shoreditch" - Trains on Christmas Day before 1900
A Victorian 'Railway' Christmas - Parcels, Pastimes, Profit and Poetry

---------

[1] Data kindly provided by Tom Cairns http://realtimetrains.co.uk and Twitter: @swlines

[2] http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/service_disruptions/seasonal/Christmas_2012/index_custom.html

[3] http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/service_disruptions/seasonal/Christmas_2012/index_custom.html

[4] Morning Post - Friday 27 December 1895

[5] Data kindly provided by Tom Cairns http://realtimetrains.co.uk and Twitter: @swlines

[6] The Morning Post, Tuesday, December 26, 1848

[7] Daily News, Wednesday, December 26, 1849, Issue 1119

[8] The Era, Sunday, December 29, 1850

[9] The Standard, Saturday, December 27, 1851, p.1

[10] The Essex Standard, and General Advertiser for the Eastern Counties, Wednesday, December 28, 1853

[11] Jackson's Oxford Journal, Saturday, January 9, 1864

Contentment

Contentment


by Napoleon Hill

The richest man in all the world lives in Happy Valley. He is rich in values that endure, in things he cannot lose—things that provide him with contentment, sound health, peace of mind and harmony within his soul.

Here is an inventory of his riches and how he acquired them:

“I found happiness by helping others to find it.

“I found sound health by living temperately and eating only the food my body requires to maintain itself. “I hate no man, envy no man, but love and respect all mankind.

“I am engaged in a labor of love with which I mix play generously; therefore, I seldom grow tired.

“I pray daily, not for more riches but for more wisdom with which to recognize, embrace, and enjoy the great abundance of riches I already possess.

“I speak no mane save only to honor it, and I slander no man for any cause whatsoever.

“I ask no favors of anyone except the privilege of sharing my blessings with all who desire them.

“I am on good terms with my conscience; therefore, it guides me accurately in everything I do.

“I have more material wealth than I need because I am free from greed and covet only those things I can use constructively while I live. My wealth comes from those whom I have benefited by sharing my blessings.

“The estate of Happy Valley which I own is not taxable. It exists mainly in my own mind, in intangible riches that cannot be assessed for taxation or appropriated except by those who adopt my way of life. I created this estate over a lifetime of effort by observing nature’s laws and forming habits to conform with them.”

Source: Success Through A Positive Mental Attitude. Prentice-Hall, Inc. 1960. Pgs. 211 & 212.

'Pretty Festoons of Holly Leaves Are Displayed' - The Decoration of Railway Stations Before 1900

In the late nineteenth century most railway employees would find themselves at work over the Christmas period, even on Christmas Day itself. Therefore, it is unsurprising that many felt the need to adorn their places of work so that the spirit of Christmas would remain with them while on duty. The decoration of stations was seemingly a collective effort by station staff, and it was reported by the Reading Mercury in January 1887 that at Sunningdale station on the London and South Western Railway (LSWR) ‘all the men have worked at the decorations during their “off time” under the supervision of the station master.^[1]

This decking out of stations at Christmas allowed travellers to pass a wealth of colour while on their journeys. In 1884 the London and South Western Railway’s (LSWR) staff magazine, the South Western Gazette, reported that the standard of decorations at suburban stations was ‘quite up to the standard of past years’.^[2] The Whitstable Times and Hearne Bay Herald stated in 1881 that the London, Chatham and Dover Railway’s (LCDR) station at Canterbury ‘looked exceedingly pretty’ and that ‘there had been no stint in the quality of decorative material, and it had been put up in a manner that evinced care and taste on the part of the decorators.’^[3] Furthermore, in 1887 the adornments at the LSWR’s Totton, Redbridge and Lyndhurst Road Stations were described by the Hampshire Advertiser as being ‘very effective, reflecting credit on those who carried out the work.’^[4]

Decorations were usually a mix of local plants, particularly evergreens, with other items added. In 1888 the booking office and waiting room at Purley on the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway (LBSCR) was decorated ‘effectively and prettily’ with holly and ivy.^[5] Furthermore, the copious adornments at the LSWR’s Sunningdale Station in 1886 were described in full, as follows:

‘The evergreens, relieved by numerous flags, and mottoes have a very pretty effect. The pillars are entwined with Turkey red, above which is a diamond shaped wreath, with Chrysanthemums, yellow, white and pink bronze at each point. The booking office is adorned with great taste, and a number of pretty festoons of holly leaves are displayed.’^[6]

Additionally, the Gazetterecorded that the parcels office staff at Richmond station in 1887 had…:

“…vied with their parcel brethren at other stations in the way in which they have recognised this season of the year by wreathing and other decorations on the walls and around the windows of their office; the result has been very successful…a considerable quantity of evergreen has been expended in all decorations of this Richmond parcels office. We hear it is as well as any in the vicinity.’^[7]

Staff at Norbiton in 1884 and Camberley in 1885^[8] did things a little differently; lighting their booking offices and waiting rooms with Chinese lanterns. The Gazette recorded how at Norbiton ‘The effect at night is exceedingly pretty, and reflects great credit upon the designers.’^[9]

It is unknown when stations were decorated by their staff. However, only one article I have found reports a station's adornments before 25 December, suggesting that most stations were decked out shortly before Christmas Day.^[10] As for when they were taken down, this is again a bit of a mystery. Yet, clearly some stations were a bit lazy in doing so. At Saxmundham Station on the Great Eastern Railway in 1875, decorations were noted to be still up in the waiting room at a staff supper on the 12 January.^[11]

I have always felt that the Victorian railway community’s decoration of stations is akin to what many of us do at our own places of work; we decorate to help us remain festive while grafting. Consequently, our festooning of desks and walls follow in a long tradition of work-place festivities.

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL MY READERS 

My other Christmas posts are as follows:

"Christmas fare from the provinces" - Euston Station and the Distribution of Festive Goods in the 1840s

"An EXTRA TRAIN will leave Shoreditch" - Trains on Christmas Day before 1900

A Victorian 'Railway' Christmas - Parcels, Pastimes, Profit and Poetry

----

[1] Reading Mercury, Saturday 01 January 1887

[2] The South Western Gazette, January 1888, p.8

[3] Whitstable Times and Herne Bay Herald, Saturday 01 January 1881

[4] Hampshire Advertiser, Saturday 31 December 1887

[5] Surrey Mirror, Saturday 22 December 1888

[6] Reading Mercury, Saturday 01 January 1887

[7] The South Western Gazette, January 1888, p.11

[8] Reading Mercury, Saturday 02 January 1886

[9] The South Western Gazette, January 1884, p.2

[10] Surrey Mirror, Saturday 22 December 1888

[11] The Ipswich Journal, Saturday 16 January 1875

BC First Time Bonus

Available Until March 31st 2013

BC First-Time New Home Buyers’ Bonus is a ONE-TIME Homebuyers Bonus Effective until March 31st 2013 – Refund Personal Income Tax Credit of up to $10,000

First Time Home Buyers’ Bonus is a one time personal income tax credit worth up to $10,000 for BC residents who purchase an eligible new home and are first-time home buyers.
BC Resident – if you file a 2011 BC resident personal income tax return, or if you move to BC after December 31,2011, or you file a 2012 BC resident personal income tax return (you will not be eligible for the bonus if you move to BC after December 31, 2012)
First time home buyer defined as- an individual who has never previously owned a primary residence in Canada or anywhere in the world. If there are multiple buyers, every purchaser must be a first time home buyer to qualify.

Primary Residence Eligibility – must be a home that you intend to live in on a permanent basis. It can be owned by you or jointly however again to qualify, you and any purchasers must be first time homebuyers.
An eligible new home includes new homes (i.e. newly constructed and substantially renovated homes) that are purchased from a builder and that are owner- built.

Other conditions:

• Contract of purchase and sale is entered into on or after

February 21, 2012

• HST is payable on the home

• No one else has claimed a bonus in respect of the home

• Construction of the home is complete, or the home is occupied,

before April 1, 2013

How much is the Bonus – equal to 5% of the purchase price of the home (or in the case of owner-built homes, 5% of the land and construction costs subject to HST) to a maximum of $10,000

Bonus will be reduced if income is too high:

• For individuals, bonus reduced by $.20 for every dollar in net income over $150,000 (bonus is reduced to zero at $200,000 net income)

• For couples, bonus reduced by $.10 for every dollar in family net income over $150,000 (bonus is reduced to zero at $250,000 family net income)

The builder sent in my BC HST New Housing Rebate – Am I still entitled to the bonus?

Yes, so long as you meet all the other requirements.

Is the bonus taxable? No. The bonus is a refundable personal income tax credit, meaning it will not be added to your income on your tax return.
For Further Information? Call us or go to online

Warm Regards,

Jared Dreyer - Dreyer Group Mortgage Team

Your Mortgage Professionals

604 649-5991

1-800-687-9020

www.dreyergroup.ca

clientservices@dreyergroup.ca
About Dreyer Group Smiles
Dreyer Group Smiles is a program dedicated to giving to facilities that provide safe and transitional housing to children and youth. By providing funds to these programs, Dreyer Group will make a meaningful difference to kids who otherwise may not have a roof over their heads, or hope for a bright future.

Dreyer Group hopes to expand this effort through their clients and business partners. In addition, they plan to raise additional funds through annual events and corporate fundraising initiatives. Dreyer Group is working closely with the Salvation Army to allocate these funds to the children and shelters.

About Dreyer Group Mortgages, A Member of the VERICO Brokers Network
As a senior mortgage consulting team with extensive experience in the financial services industry and thousands of happy clients, we understand what it takes to build long-term relationships through service and expertise. As an independent brokerage, we are not restricted to one financial institutions mortgage options. We provide the best range of financing solutions by accessing over 40 lenders and hundreds of products coast-to-coast.

Each VERICO member is an independently owned and operated business.

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Give To Get

Here is great read from where most speakers and coaches still go to get thier information. The book Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill. This is a great read that put into action everyday, will have fantastic results in your life.  Enjoy Jared.


Give to Get. . .


by Napoleon Hill

Your most preciously valued possessions and your greatest powers are often necessarily invisible and intangible. No one can take them. You and you alone can share them.

The more you share, the more you will have.

Now if you doubt this, you can prove it to yourself by giving: a smile to everyone you meet; a kind word; a pleasant response; appreciation with warmth from the heart; cheer; encouragement; hope; honor, credit, and applause; good thoughts; evidence of love for your fellowmen; happiness; a prayer for the godless and the godly; and time for a worthy cause with eagerness.

If you do experiment by giving any one of the above, you will also prove to yourself what we have found is one of the most difficult principles to teach those who need it most: how to cause desirable actions within yourself. Until you do learn, you will fail to realize that what is left with you when you share it with others will multiply and grow; and what you withhold from others will diminish and decrease. There, share that which is good and desirable and withhold that which is bad and undesirable.

Source: Success Through A Positive Mental Attitude. Prentice-Hall. 1960. Pgs. 165 & 166.

Mortgage Rule Changes as of November 01, 2012

Mortgage Rule Changes as of November 01, 2012

For your convenience, below is a summary of the primary mortgage changes. Keep in mind though, as an independent mortgage firm, we have access to a wide variety of lenders who offer alternative solutions. So be sure if you or your clients require financing, to call our office first and get a personalized mortgage analysis.



Have a super weekend! www.dreyergroup.ca 1-800-687-9020



Mortgage Rule Changes as of November 01, 2012



1. Lines of Credit: You can now only borrow to a maximum of 65% loan to value of your property - in the past it was 80%



2. Self-Employed: Clients who are self-employed and want to use their "stated income" (gross incomes), can go to a maximum loan to value of 65% on conventional mortgages.



3. All Variable Rate Mortgages must use the 5-year Bank of Canada benchmark rate to qualify as well as any fixed or variable terms less then 5 years insured or conventional must qualify on the 5 year fixed Bank of Canada benchmark rate. For example, if you secure a 2 year fixed rate at 2.79%, your mortgage application will be qualified based on the 5 year fixed benchmark with currently sits at 5.24%



Changes as of July 09, 2012



The changes listed below ONLY effect purchasers who plan on putting less than 20% down payment otherwise known as high ratio mortgages, insured through CMHC or Genworth.



These changes speak to ensuring we have a strong first-time homebuyers, who are building equity in their properties, to soften debt exposure and limit the loan to value ratios on higher priced real estate.



It is important to understand again that these current changes will NOT effect consumers providing a down payment of 20% or more.



CHANGES ANNOUNCED



1. Amortizations reduced to 25 years from 30 years. (on properties with less than 20% down payment)



EXAMPLE*:

A mortgage of $250,000 with a 30 year amortization at 3.09% 5-year fixed rate = $1094.89 monthly payment

A mortgage of $250,000 with the new 25 year amortization at 3.09% 5-year fixed rate = $1227.54 monthly payment



Difference of $132.65 per month



2. Refinancing is REDUCED from 85% Loan-to-value (LTV) to 80% - no change to purchases. (It is important to note that most consumers currently choose to do refinancing to a maximum of 80% LTV to avoid insurance fees so this specific change should have very little impact)



3. Properties purchased over $1 Million no longer will eligible for mortgage insurance (If the home purchase price is under $1 Million dollars consumers can still purchase up to 95% LTV with insurance – anything over $1 Million dollars, 20% down payment is required).



4. GDS and TDS set at 39% and 44% if credit score is over 680 - The reduction in amortization combined with the lowered GDS ratio could affect a number of people’s ability to qualify. If your credit score is below 680 you can qualify on a lesser GDS of 34% and TDS of 40



THE GOOD NEWS



• 5% down payment rule still remains in effect for property values under $1 Million dollars

• Mortgage brokers have access to specialty lenders in addition to mainstream banks and trust companies to help you get approved even if you fall outside the guidelines.



As the mortgage qualification landscape becomes more complicated, it is critical consumers work with an independent mortgage professional that understand these changes and can help navigate the rules to ensure the best mortgage solution.





Book Your Best Canadian Mortgage Rate 1-800-687-9020 www.dreyergroup.ca

Mortgage Rule Changes History

 

MORTGAGE RULE CHANGES – YEAR-OVER-YEAR COMPARISON

Between 2006 and early 2008 marked great changes in the mortgage industry. The zero percent down mortgage was introduced and amortization options grew to include 30, 35 and 40-years. Late 2008, in an effort to stabilize consumer borrowing, the government slowly clawed back these changes to where we originally started in 2006. In essence, we have come full circle. Below is a comparison of how these changes have rolled out over the past 4 years. Using the services of an Independent Mortgage Professional will help you access a wide variety of lenders. We can guide you through the process of securing the best mortgage product at the lowest rate.

2012

• LOC (line of credit) reduction to a maximum of 65% LTV (loan to value)
• Stated income for BFS (business for self) programs require 35% down now (conventional mortgage)
• Cash-back no longer accepted as down payment
• Qualifying rates on conventional lending to now use the 5 year benchmark rate for terms of less than 5 years and VRM’s (variable rate mortgages)
• 30 year amortization gone for high ratio mortgages, now 25 years
• No mortgage insurance (CMHC, etc) for properties over 1 million
• Lower maximum LTV (loan to value) for refinances. Was 85%, now 80%
• GDS (gross debt servicing) reduced from 44% to 39%
• Rental property down payment requirement is now 35% from 20% with many lenders

2011

• 35 year amortization gone for high ratio mortgages, now 30 years
• Lower maximum LTV (loan to value) for refinances. Was 90%, now 85%
• Elimination of government insurance on LOC’s (line of credits)

2010

• Qualifying rates on high ratio lending to now use the 5 year benchmark rate for terms of less than 5 years and VRM’s (variable rate mortgages)
• Lower maximum LTV (loan to value) for refinances. Was 95%, now 90%
• Rental property down payment requirement is now 20% from 5%

2008

• Minimum downpayment changed from 0% back to 5%
• Minimum beacon score of 620 required for high ratio lending
• New loan documentation requirement standards
• 45% maximum TDS ratio
• 40 year amortization gone for high ratio mortgages, now 35 years

For more information on how these changes affect your borrowing, contact the Dreyer Mortgage Team

Jared Dreyer, AMP Dreyer Mortgage Brokers 604 649-5991        jared@dreyergroup,ca                www.dreyergroup.ca