REWIND today corrects a spelling mistake.

It appeared in the Adver just under 59 years ago, but better late than never.

On Saturday, July 2, 1955, we ran a front page story about Trips Week, when thousands of railway workers headed for the seaside with their families.

In the years before cheap travel and package deals, the ‘works trip’ was the summer holiday of choice for millions of British people.

On that day in 1955 we printed a picture of two boys, Alan and Dennis Little of Cricklade Road, talking to the driver and fireman of a Hall Class engine at Rodbourne Lane sidings prior to setting off for Cornwall.

The driver was MC Titcombe and the 22-year-old fireman, pictured standing on the loco with an oilcan in his hand, was named in the caption as P Beresford.

He was in fact Peter Berrisford, and he mentioned the picture when the Adver recently interviewed him and his wife, Pat, for a piece about Swindon Stroke Support Group.

“The photographer caught these two little lads who were there with their parents and carrying their toy yachts, as seen in the photograph,” said Mr Berrisford, who lives in Stratton.

“Myself and driver Titcombe were on the footplate and the photographer asked if we would come down.

“He asked me to go up on to the side plating and Mr Titcombe to talk to those two little lads.

“All little lads in those days had dreams of being engine drivers.”

Mr Berrisford, who went on to work for Plessey, believes the destination was St Ives.

He said: “So many special trains used to leave that they couldn’t all leave from stations, so they had to leave from sidings like the ones at Rodbourne and the goods yard sidings up in Gorse Hill.

“There used to be wooden steps for people to go up into the carriages, and these special trains, or Trip Trains as they were known, used to go all over the country.

“Swindon literally became a ghost town in Trip Week. It normally started on the first Saturday in July.” .

Our story from 1955 began: “Blue skies promised a fine Trip as 6,700 people left Swindon by train today for the annual Railway Works holiday.

“Last year it was cold and cloudy, but today the sunshine put the Trippers in good spirits as they boarded the 13 special trains.

“British Railways estimate that 11,500 people will have left Swindon by tonight.”

Alan Little was 12 and his brother nine when the picture was taken. We wonder whether they remember that special day all those years ago.