Description

In 1913, as General Manager of the London and South Western Railway, Sir Herbert Walker, had first set up the department which was to become the core of the Southern Railway´s publicy efforts after the railwy amalgamations of 1923. To counter some of the bad press that the new company was receiving at the time, Walker, by now GM of the Group appointed John Elliot to the position of Public Relations Officer reporting directly to himself. in1925. This is generally accepted as being the first time the term PR had ever been used in Britain, Elliot’s background had been in journalism with the London Evening Standard, and he had unparalelled contacts on”The Street of Shame”..
Under Elliot´s stewardship the PR and Publicity Department went from strength to strength.
First published in March 1929 “Over The Points” was posted to First Class season ticket holders on the Southern Railway “to keep them informed of the measures it is taking to combat the problems which confront it”. Ernest Pendarves Leigh-Bennett (c.1882-1937) was a magazine journalist and novelist employed by John Elliot initially to write for “Over the Points” During the run of “Over the Points”, he produced a quite lighthearted look at the Southern, its sevices and faclities.
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before going on to write guide books to countryside and golf courses served by the Southern. He wrote one quite large book for the Southern, “Come Abroad With Us”, an amusing partly fictionalised account of a tour through Europe with the artist Leonard Richmond, who illustrated the book with a variety of art works.

Come Abroad With Us, by E.P. Leigh-Bennett and Leonard Richmond, Southern Railway, c1929 [ebook]

E. P. Leigh-Bennett wrote the 35 editions of “Over the Points” published until October 1937. He died on July 2nd 1937 so as well as one article written by him the 35th edition contained his obituary and some of the letters the Southern Railway had received about his work. Editions 36 to 44 were written by Michael Gifford covering the period January 1938 to1940.
John Elliot took to railway work like a duck to water, and Sir Herbert Walker ensured that he had experience in some senior traffic management posts. Following a period as Deputy General Manager between 1937 and 1947, John Elliot succeeded Eustace Missenden, becoming the last General Manager of the Southern in 1947. he later became knighted himself,Chairman of the Raiway Executive, after Nationalisation, then Chairman of London Transport.

PREVIEW BELOW – MAY TAKE A WHILE TO LOAD.