Centenarian Celebrates 100th Birthday with Special CrossCountry Train Trip
Christopher Anthony Price, who celebrated his 100th birthday in October, marked the occasion with a special First Class day trip from Banbury to Manchester on the CrossCountry network, accompanied by his family. The journey was organised by the long-distance train operator to honour Mr Price’s lifelong passion for rail travel.
Born in Birmingham on 25 October 1925, Mr Price developed an early fascination with trains. He attended Bromsgrove School before taking an engineering short course at Pembroke College, Cambridge during the Second World War. He then trained with the Royal Engineers and served in India and Malaya until 1948, recalling many memorable train journeys during his military service.
After completing his MA at Cambridge, Mr Price worked as a Chartered Surveyor across London, Reading, and Birmingham. His professional life included frequent regional rail travel, which inspired him to write Empty to Abergavenny, a memoir reflecting on his journeys and named after a phrase he once spotted on freight wagons abroad.
Even today, Mr Price continues to travel by train from his home in Bucknell, Shropshire, to Banbury and other destinations, changing at Shrewsbury and Wolverhampton. Impressively, he makes these journeys largely independently, relying only on occasional assistance from railway staff and fellow passengers.
Mr Price, who turned 100 in October, said:
"I moved home in my 80s and the number one objective was to live near a railway station. From my house I can see the local station across the fields. I have always enjoyed train travel, whether in India at the end of the Second World War, or in Europe since, or on the national network with CrossCountry and fellow providers. I find railway staff, and fellow passengers, invariably helpful in allowing me to pursue my love of trains by travelling frequently to see friends and relatives, and attend events. It is very apt for me to celebrate my centenary with another journey - and, I must say, CrossCountry sandwiches happen to be some of the best I've tried.”
This year also marks 200 years since the opening of Britain’s first passenger railway, connecting Stockton and Darlington in 1825. Remarkably, Mr Price is now half as old as the world’s first passenger railway.
Mark Anderson, CrossCountry’s Customer and Commercial Director, said:
“We’re delighted to help Mr Price celebrate such an incredible milestone. His advocacy for the railway and the opportunities it can give people is incredibly inspiring, and we’re proud to be part of his special day.”
Image: CrossCountry