Scorpions at Ongar

[CJB]

On the BBC's Autumn Watch - Unsprung on Thursday evening they
mentioned that there was rumoured to be a colony of scorpions at Ongar
Station. Is this an urban myth or is there a really a colony there -
presumably escaped from some shipment or other? CJB.

[Neillw001]

Post by CJB
On the BBC's Autumn Watch - Unsprung on Thursday evening they
mentioned that there was rumoured to be a colony of scorpions at Ongar
Station. Is this an urban myth or is there a really a colony there -
presumably escaped from some shipment or other? CJB.

I saw a piece on TV about this many years ago, though I think the were
at Blake Hall, not Ongar

Neill

[Fat richard]

Post by Neillw001

Post by CJB
On the BBC's Autumn Watch - Unsprung on Thursday evening they
mentioned that there was rumoured to be a colony of scorpions at Ongar
Station. Is this an urban myth or is there a really a colony there -
presumably escaped from some shipment or other? CJB.

I saw a piece on TV about this many years ago, though I think the were
at Blake Hall, not Ongar
Neill

I saw some film of them years ago, tiny little things that needed
UV ?? light to show them up, ISTR they were on the mortar between
bricks ?

Richard

[THC]

Post by CJB
On the BBC's Autumn Watch - Unsprung on Thursday evening they
mentioned that there was rumoured to be a colony of scorpions at Ongar
Station. Is this an urban myth or is there a really a colony there -
presumably escaped from some shipment or other? CJB.

My aunt and uncle lived in one of the ex-LT cottages at Ongar in the
early 1980s and my father was a driver on the Central line at the
time. This is a story I remember from my childhood so I shall ask and
see what they can remember.

THC

[explorette]

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[THC]

Post by explorette
This is more or less correct,they were planted....Fred,the Revenue
Control Inspector was in on it too.
I was train crew then too from '81 (Service Control now) ,and the
story was rife.I moved to Ongar late '83 and still here! (Bansons
Way).
Kevin

You'll have known said aunt and uncle then. Johnny and Nancy Scarry
lived at number 10 Bansons Way for several years. They moved back to
Ballinasloe in the west of Ireland in the late 1980s.

THC

[Nick P]

Post by Neillw001

Post by CJB
On the BBC's Autumn Watch - Unsprung on Thursday evening they
mentioned that there was rumoured to be a colony of scorpions at Ongar
Station. Is this an urban myth or is there a really a colony there -
presumably escaped from some shipment or other? CJB.

I saw a piece on TV about this many years ago, though I think the were
at Blake Hall, not Ongar
Neill

I saw some film of them years ago, tiny little things that needed
UV ?? light to show them up, ISTR they were on the mortar between
bricks ?

Richard
******

From the Independent in 1995,
At its peak in 1971, 750 passengers were making the return trip. But even
then the track was hardly an economic proposition although the staff did
their utmost to drum up business. In 1965, an Ongar station foreman bought
five (harmless) European scorpions in a Camden pet shop and let them loose
in his goods yard. This formed the basis of one of the few scorpion colonies
in Britain, which became an attraction. The staff kept quiet about its real
origins, and encouraged speculation that it arrived in a banana van in the
1860s.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/theres-life-in-the-old-track-yet-1590512.html

AFAIK these are still there.

[j***@btinternet.com]

Post by CJB
On the BBC's Autumn Watch - Unsprung on Thursday evening they
mentioned that there was rumoured to be a colony of scorpions at Ongar
Station. Is this an urban myth or is there a really a colony there -
presumably escaped from some shipment or other? CJB.

Rumoured? There is and the BBC filmed them for the old Nationwide
programme in the 1970s There were dozens found in and around the
station living off woodlice.

[Brian Watson]

Post by CJB
On the BBC's Autumn Watch - Unsprung on Thursday evening they
mentioned that there was rumoured to be a colony of scorpions at Ongar
Station. Is this an urban myth or is there a really a colony there -
presumably escaped from some shipment or other? CJB.

A former girlfriend caught crabs in Epping.

Does that count?

[Tim Fenton]

Post by Brian Watson
A former girlfriend caught crabs in Epping.

Epping crabs? Sure you didn't mis-hear that?

Post by Brian Watson
Does that count?

<Derek and Clive>

Eh? Who you calling count?

</mode>

[Brian Watson]

Post by Tim Fenton

Post by Brian Watson
A former girlfriend caught crabs in Epping.

Epping crabs? Sure you didn't mis-hear that?

It might be that she said she had caught"effing crabs".

[Zhang Dawei]

Post by Brian Watson

Post by CJB
On the BBC's Autumn Watch - Unsprung on Thursday evening they
mentioned that there was rumoured to be a colony of scorpions at Ongar
Station. Is this an urban myth or is there a really a colony there -
presumably escaped from some shipment or other? CJB.

A former girlfriend caught crabs in Epping.
Does that count?

I don't know, but I know that the title of this thread brings to mind
Reggie Perrin (in its original Rossiter form, of course, which was much
better than the inferior Clunes version.)

"Five minutes late; scorpions at Ongar!"

[Jeremy Double]

Post by Zhang Dawei

Post by Brian Watson

Post by CJB
On the BBC's Autumn Watch - Unsprung on Thursday evening they
mentioned that there was rumoured to be a colony of scorpions at Ongar
Station. Is this an urban myth or is there a really a colony there -
presumably escaped from some shipment or other? CJB.

A former girlfriend caught crabs in Epping.
Does that count?

I don't know, but I know that the title of this thread brings to mind
Reggie Perrin (in its original Rossiter form, of course, which was much
better than the inferior Clunes version.)
"Five minutes late; scorpions at Ongar!"

Except that the trains always arrived eleven minutes late...

Reggie even dictated a letter to the Traffic Manager of Southern Region,
pointing out that his train was always eleven minutes late, and that
they should be retimed to arrive eleven minutes later.

[Zhang Dawei]

Post by Jeremy Double

Post by Zhang Dawei

Post by Brian Watson

Post by CJB
On the BBC's Autumn Watch - Unsprung on Thursday evening they
mentioned that there was rumoured to be a colony of scorpions at Ongar
Station. Is this an urban myth or is there a really a colony there -
presumably escaped from some shipment or other? CJB.

A former girlfriend caught crabs in Epping.
Does that count?

I don't know, but I know that the title of this thread brings to mind
Reggie Perrin (in its original Rossiter form, of course, which was much
better than the inferior Clunes version.)
"Five minutes late; scorpions at Ongar!"

Except that the trains always arrived eleven minutes late...
Reggie even dictated a letter to the Traffic Manager of Southern Region,
pointing out that his train was always eleven minutes late, and that
they should be retimed to arrive eleven minutes later.

In this respect, your memory is far better than mine. I had forgotten
the 11 minutes detail.

[Stimpy]

Post by Jeremy Double

Post by Zhang Dawei
I don't know, but I know that the title of this thread brings to mind
Reggie Perrin (in its original Rossiter form, of course, which was much
better than the inferior Clunes version.)
"Five minutes late; scorpions at Ongar!"

Except that the trains always arrived eleven minutes late...
Reggie even dictated a letter to the Traffic Manager of Southern Region,
pointing out that his train was always eleven minutes late, and that
they should be retimed to arrive eleven minutes later.

and, 30 years on, we all thought the longer journey times were to allow
contingency for late running. :-)

[Ian Jelf]

Post by Jeremy Double

Post by Zhang Dawei

Post by Brian Watson

Post by CJB
On the BBC's Autumn Watch - Unsprung on Thursday evening they
mentioned that there was rumoured to be a colony of scorpions at Ongar
Station. Is this an urban myth or is there a really a colony there -
presumably escaped from some shipment or other? CJB.

A former girlfriend caught crabs in Epping.
Does that count?

I don't know, but I know that the title of this thread brings to mind
Reggie Perrin (in its original Rossiter form, of course, which was much
better than the inferior Clunes version.)
"Five minutes late; scorpions at Ongar!"

Except that the trains always arrived eleven minutes late...
Reggie even dictated a letter to the Traffic Manager of Southern
Region, pointing out that his train was always eleven minutes late, and
that they should be retimed to arrive eleven minutes later.

At the time, of course that was wittily amusing. Now.......

[p***@gmail.com]

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[tolly57]

Some years ago on a local news t/v program in London, a tv film crew went
there in summer and showed the little blighters strolling around the
brickwork of the station. I seem to remember they were quite small and white
in colour.

Post by p***@gmail.com

Post by CJB
On the BBC's Autumn Watch - Unsprung on Thursday evening they
mentioned that there was rumoured to be a colony of scorpions at Ongar
Station. Is this an urban myth or is there a really a colony there -
presumably escaped from some shipment or other? CJB.

It is indeed true and it 'Was' at Ongar Station. Tiny little white
scorpions living between the brick pointing along the station platform
wall.
As I remember, the presenter said as small as they were, they were still
able to give a nasty little (non toxic though) sting.