Economic History Society

Terence Richard Gourvish

Railways and the British Economy, 1830-1914

Britain's leading railway historian provides a critical examination of the Blair governments' involvement in the rail industry from 1997 as they attempted to deal with the UK's fragmented, privatized railways.The book focuses particularly on the work of the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA), and considers the role of individuals - John Prescott, Stephen Byers, Alistair Darling, Sir Alastair Morton, and Richard Bowker - and events - the Hatfield accident (2000), the demise of Railtrack (2001-2), and the funding crisis of 2003-4 - in the shaping of emerging policy.The book was commissioned by the SRA, and written with access to government files. Dr Gourvish argues that the establishment of the SRA as a Non-Departmental Public Board proved largely unsuccessful. It produced tensions with the industry's existing institutions - Railtrack/Network Rail, the operating companies and the economic regulator. There were some gains from the experiment, notably the rescue of the West Coast Main Line project. However, it remains to be seen whether by winding up the SRA and taking responsibility for strategy and funding back into its own hands the Department for Transport has resolved the problem of managing a fragmented industry.This important book is essential reading for those concerned with, and interested in, railway policy, both in the UK and elsewhere in the world.

Labour's Strategic Experiment

Britain's Railways 1997-2005

Terry Gourvish

"Dolphin Square - the large, imposing red brick building on the North bank of the Thames - was and is no ordinary block of flats. Created for MPs, peers and entertainers required to work in London, the Square was built on a massive scale to a high density in the mid-1930s. It was a pioneering example of concrete design, and when built was the largest single residential building in Europe. This book tells the story of the project and captures what it has been like to live in the square for figures including Sir Menzies Campbell, Alistair Darling, William Hague, Mo Mowlam, Sir David Steel, Christine Keeler, Sid James, Barbara Windsor and Princess Anne. Beginning with the antecedents of the seven-acre site, the book charts the square's changing ownership and eventual creation of the Dolphin Square Trust, which managed the flats on a non profit-making basis for 40 years. Its unique blend of quasi-charitable purpose and commercial management enabled long-standing tenants to enjoy below-market rentals before the Trust came under immense pressure to realise the value of the existing leases and sell them off in 2006 ... provide[s] a detailed examination of a major example of urban property speculation and management"--Publisher's description.

The History of a Unique Building

Dolphin Square

Richard George Wilson

Presentations at a September 1994 conference in Milan have been augmented with further contributions to expand the geographical range of the collection of 15 essays. Concentrating on a little studied industry, they find it to be unusually complex, strong on tradition, closely associated with agriculture, heavily regulated, and of considerable economic and technological impact in addition to its social influence. A tasting of topics finds Dutch brewing in the 19th century, the changing taste for beer in Victorian Britain, the mass production of draught and bottled beer in Germany 1880-1914, Irish brewing and the rise of Guinness 1790-1914, and Scottish brewers and beers in imperial and international markets, 1850-1939. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

The Dynamics of the International Brewing Industry Since 1800

Covers the depth and breadth of research in business history.

International Bibliography of Business History

Mike Anson

Britain's privatised railways inspire considerable debate about organisation, financing, and development. This volume provides an account of the progress made by British Rail prior to privatisation.

Terence Richard Gourvish

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