POP STAR SURVIVED RAIL ACCIDENT IN 1967
Robin Gibb, the 17-year-old singer in the pop group ‘The Bee Gees’, and his girlfriend Molly Hullis, had been to visit her parents in Hastings. On the Sunday evening 5 November 1967, they were on the busy 7.43pm train from Hastings to Charing Cross. As it passed through Hither Green in south-east London in driving rain at 70mph (below the 90mph limit) the track fractured and the train derailed. Only two of the 12 carriages remained on the track.
A total of 49 people died and 79 were injured. Robin and Molly, who were alone in a First Class compartment, were lucky to escape with cuts and bruises.
Robin (and his twin Maurice) were born on the Isle of Man just before Christmas in 1949.
With their older brother Barry, they started a short-lived band. When the family moved to Australia in the late 1950s, they changed their band name to ‘The Bee Gees’ and after some initial success they returned to the UK in 1967.
So began a hugely successful career for the brothers that would span 50 years and 22 studio albums. They were one of the best-selling music acts of all time.
Notes/links:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xz4OcrJpKLE
https://runner500.wordpress.com/2017/11/01/the-hither-green-rail-crash
Research and design by:
Danny Coope / Street of Blue Plaques
https://streetofblueplaques.co.uk/
