Alexander Valentine
Encyclopedia
Sir Alexander Balmain Bruce Valentine OStJ
MA (22 December 1899 – 1 December 1977), was Chairman of the London Transport Executive
from 1959 to 1963 and Chairman of the London Transport Board
from 1963 to 1965.
, the son of Mr & Mrs Millward Valentine and grandson of Scottish theologian Alexander Balmain Bruce
. He married Beryl Barter in 1936 and the couple had three children, one son and two daughters.
and Worcester College, Oxford
before working in the gas industry until 1927. In 1928, he moved to the Underground Group where he worked as assistant to its Managing Director Frank Pick
. After the Underground Group was absorbed into the London Passenger Transport Board
(LPTB) in 1933, he remained with Pick (who became the LPTB's Vice Chairman) until 1936. Valentine then held a series of senior management positions within the LPTB including Chief Commercial Officer and Operating Manager (Railways).
When the LPTB was nationalised
in 1948, Valentine was made a member of the board of the London Transport Executive
(LTE), the LPTB's replacement. He was also a member of the London Plan Working Party
between 1946 and 1948 which led planning for new transport routes in the capital including the Victoria line
built in the 1960s and 1970s. He served on the LTE board until 1954 when he moved to the board of the LTE's parent, the British Transport Commission
(BTC). In 1959, while remaining a member of the BTC board, he returned to the LTE as its Chairman and remained in that position until the LTE was abolished and replaced with the London Transport Board
of which he was also Chairman until he retired in 1965.
Valentine was a member of the Channel Tunnel
Study Group from 1957 to 1962 and a director of the Channel Tunnel Company from 1956 to 1969. He was a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Transport
and served as its President in 1951-1952 and was President of the Design and Industries Association
in 1963-1964. He was Colonel commanding the Engineer and Railway Staff Corps of the Royal Engineers
from 1963 to 1964.
Valentine was granted a knighthood
in the Queen's birthday honours list in 1964.
Valentine was a keen bird-watcher and walker, and, taking his pen-name from a British wild bird
, he wrote articles on country walks as Fieldfare in the Evening News
during the 1930s. A collection of these was published as Tramping Round London in 1933.
Venerable Order of Saint John
The Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem , is a royal order of chivalry established in 1831 and found today throughout the Commonwealth of Nations, Hong Kong, Ireland and the United States of America, with the world-wide mission "to prevent and relieve sickness and...
MA (22 December 1899 – 1 December 1977), was Chairman of the London Transport Executive
London Transport Executive
The London Transport Executive was the organisation responsible for public transport in the Greater London area, UK, between 1948-1962. In common with all London transport authorities from 1933 to 2000, the public name and operational brand of the organisation was London Transport.-Creation:On 1...
from 1959 to 1963 and Chairman of the London Transport Board
London Transport Board
The London Transport Board was the organisation responsible for public transport in London, UK, and its environs from 1963-1969. In common with all London transport authorities from 1933 to 2000, the public name and operational brand of the organisation was London Transport.-History:The...
from 1963 to 1965.
Family
Valentine was born in StockportStockport
Stockport is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on elevated ground southeast of Manchester city centre, at the point where the rivers Goyt and Tame join and create the River Mersey. Stockport is the largest settlement in the metropolitan borough of the same name...
, the son of Mr & Mrs Millward Valentine and grandson of Scottish theologian Alexander Balmain Bruce
Alexander Balmain Bruce
Alexander Balmain Bruce was a Scottish churchman and theologian. He was a minister of the Free Church of Scotland.He was born at Aberargie near Perth, Scotland....
. He married Beryl Barter in 1936 and the couple had three children, one son and two daughters.
Career
Valentine was educated at Highgate SchoolHighgate School
-Notable members of staff and governing body:* John Ireton, brother of Henry Ireton, Cromwellian General* 1st Earl of Mansfield, Lord Chief Justice, owner of Kenwood, noted for judgment finding contracts for slavery unenforceable in English law* T. S...
and Worcester College, Oxford
Worcester College, Oxford
Worcester College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. The college was founded in the eighteenth century, but its predecessor on the same site had been an institution of learning since the late thirteenth century...
before working in the gas industry until 1927. In 1928, he moved to the Underground Group where he worked as assistant to its Managing Director Frank Pick
Frank Pick
Frank Pick LLB Hon. RIBA was a British transport administrator. After qualifying as a solicitor in 1902, he worked at the North Eastern Railway, before moving to the Underground Electric Railways Company of London in 1906...
. After the Underground Group was absorbed into the London Passenger Transport Board
London Passenger Transport Board
The London Passenger Transport Board was the organisation responsible for public transport in London, UK, and its environs from 1933 to 1948...
(LPTB) in 1933, he remained with Pick (who became the LPTB's Vice Chairman) until 1936. Valentine then held a series of senior management positions within the LPTB including Chief Commercial Officer and Operating Manager (Railways).
When the LPTB was nationalised
Nationalization
Nationalisation, also spelled nationalization, is the process of taking an industry or assets into government ownership by a national government or state. Nationalization usually refers to private assets, but may also mean assets owned by lower levels of government, such as municipalities, being...
in 1948, Valentine was made a member of the board of the London Transport Executive
London Transport Executive
The London Transport Executive was the organisation responsible for public transport in the Greater London area, UK, between 1948-1962. In common with all London transport authorities from 1933 to 2000, the public name and operational brand of the organisation was London Transport.-Creation:On 1...
(LTE), the LPTB's replacement. He was also a member of the London Plan Working Party
Greater London Plan
The Greater London Plan of 1944, often referred to as the Abercrombie Plan, was a plan for the development and improvement of London commissioned by the Ministry of Works in 1942 and drawn up by Patrick Abercrombie....
between 1946 and 1948 which led planning for new transport routes in the capital including the Victoria line
Victoria Line
The Victoria line is a deep-level London Underground line running from the south to the north-east of London. It is coloured light blue on the Tube map...
built in the 1960s and 1970s. He served on the LTE board until 1954 when he moved to the board of the LTE's parent, the British Transport Commission
British Transport Commission
The British Transport Commission was created by Clement Attlee's post-war Labour government as a part of its nationalisation programme, to oversee railways, canals and road freight transport in Great Britain...
(BTC). In 1959, while remaining a member of the BTC board, he returned to the LTE as its Chairman and remained in that position until the LTE was abolished and replaced with the London Transport Board
London Transport Board
The London Transport Board was the organisation responsible for public transport in London, UK, and its environs from 1963-1969. In common with all London transport authorities from 1933 to 2000, the public name and operational brand of the organisation was London Transport.-History:The...
of which he was also Chairman until he retired in 1965.
Valentine was a member of the Channel Tunnel
Channel Tunnel
The Channel Tunnel is a undersea rail tunnel linking Folkestone, Kent in the United Kingdom with Coquelles, Pas-de-Calais near Calais in northern France beneath the English Channel at the Strait of Dover. At its lowest point, it is deep...
Study Group from 1957 to 1962 and a director of the Channel Tunnel Company from 1956 to 1969. He was a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Transport
Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport
The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport is a professional body representing the transport and logistics industries worldwide...
and served as its President in 1951-1952 and was President of the Design and Industries Association
Design and Industries Association
The Design and Industries Association is a United Kingdom charity whose object is to engage with all those who share a common interest in the contribution that design can make to the delivery of goods and services that are sustainable and enhance the quality of life for communities and the...
in 1963-1964. He was Colonel commanding the Engineer and Railway Staff Corps of the Royal Engineers
Royal Engineers
The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually just called the Royal Engineers , and commonly known as the Sappers, is one of the corps of the British Army....
from 1963 to 1964.
Valentine was granted a knighthood
Knight Bachelor
The rank of Knight Bachelor is a part of the British honours system. It is the most basic rank of a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not as a member of one of the organised Orders of Chivalry...
in the Queen's birthday honours list in 1964.
Valentine was a keen bird-watcher and walker, and, taking his pen-name from a British wild bird
Fieldfare
The Fieldfare is a member of the thrush family Turdidae. It breeds in woodland and scrub in northern Europe and Asia. It is strongly migratory, with many northern birds moving south during the winter. It is a very rare breeder in Great Britain and Ireland, but winters in large numbers in these...
, he wrote articles on country walks as Fieldfare in the Evening News
Evening News (London)
Evening News, formerly known as The Evening News, was an evening newspaper published in London from 1881 to 1980, reappearing briefly in 1987. It became highly popular under the control of the Harmsworth brothers. For a long time it maintained the largest daily sale of any evening newspaper in London...
during the 1930s. A collection of these was published as Tramping Round London in 1933.