when was this given out ?
This aftershave wipe sachet was given out during the mid-to-late 1980s on British Rail premium services.
Specifically, this branded complimentary amenity was provided on The Merseyside Pullman, a premium InterCity first-class service launched by British Rail on May 13, 1985 to run between London Euston and Liverpool Lime Street. The text on the sachet reads "The first-class service for business executives," which highlights its targeting of business travelers during that economic boom period. [1, 2, 3]
The complimentary grooming sachet itself was manufactured by Personalised Products Ltd (based in Alton, Hampshire, U.K.) exclusively for the rail line.
Are you collecting railway memorabilia, or would you like to know more about the route and rolling stock used for the Merseyside Pullman?
Yes, the route and rolling stock, plus Locomotive
The 1985 revival of
The Merseyside Pullman was a flagship service of British Rail's executive InterCity sector.
🗺️ The Route
- Termini: It operated between London Euston and Liverpool Lime Street.
- Schedule: It was tailored purely for business commuters, making daily trips. A morning train rushed business executives into London, and a premium evening return leg brought them back to Merseyside. [1, 2]
🚂 The Locomotive
- These locomotives drew power from the 25kV overhead wires of the West Coast Main Line.
- They were capable of operating at speeds of up to 100 mph (160 km/h).
- For this premium service, standard Class 86 locomotives in the fleet—such as 86225 'Hardwicke' and 86245 'Dudley Castle'—regularly traded duties hauling the rakes. [1, 3, 4, 5]
💺 The Rolling Stock
While earlier 1960s iterations of the train used older traditional Pullman cars, the 1985 relaunch utilized modernized, air-conditioned Mark 3 (Mk3) coaching stock. These coaches were painted in the classic InterCity Executive livery (dark grey, light grey, with a bold red stripe) and carried distinct "InterCity Pullman" branding on the sides. [1, 5, 6]
The service was unique because it was not an all-Pullman train; it accommodated both elite business class and standard class passengers. A classic 1986/1987 train formation consisted of: [1, 6, 7]
- First Class: 3x Mark 3 First Open (FO) coaches (where luxury items like your aftershave wipe were handed out).
- Dining: 1x Restaurant First Buffet (RFB) and 1x specialized kitchen car to cook the hot premium meals served at passengers' seats.
- Standard Class: 4x Mark 3 Tourist Standard Open (TSO) coaches.
- Luggage: 1x Mark 1 Brake Gangwayed (BG) full brake van at the end for heavy luggage and parcels. [7]
Would you like to know more about the on-board dining menu served on these 1980s Pullman trains, or are you interested in how this train compared to its sister service, the Manchester Pullman?
The onboard dining experience on
The Merseyside Pullman during the mid-to-late 1980s was managed by British Rail's premium sector alongside [Travellers Fare]. Food was a crucial part of the premium ticket price, freshly prepared in the galley kitchen of the Restaurant First Buffet (RFB) car and served to First Class passengers right at their seats by uniformed Pullman stewards.
[1, 2, 3, 4] Because the train ran twice a day—once for the morning commute to London and once for the evening return—the menu was split into two primary silver-service formats: [1, 3]
🍳 The Great British Pullman Breakfast (Morning Up-Service)
The morning run from Liverpool Lime Street to London Euston featured a heavy, multi-course traditional breakfast designed to fuel business executives before their meetings. [3]
- To Begin: Freshly squeezed orange juice, chilled grapefruit segments, or a selection of cereals.
- The Main Platter: A freshly cooked-to-order full English breakfast featuring grilled Wiltshire bacon, premium pork sausages, fried or scrambled eggs, grilled tomatoes, mushrooms, and fried bread.
- Bakery: Unlimited hot toast served with individual small china pots of butter and marmalade.
- Beverages: Constant top-ups of fresh coffee or tea poured from large silver pots. [1, 3]
🍽️ The Executive Dinner Menu (Evening Down-Service)
The evening return leg back to Merseyside offered a sophisticated, formal silver-service dinner, which was part of a major "haute cuisine" push by British Rail in 1985 to elevate onboard dining. [2, 5]
- Starters: Classic 1980s business dining staples such as smoked salmon with capers and lemon, a classic prawn cocktail, or a seasonal vegetable soup.
- Main Courses: Premium roast meats carved directly at your seat, including roast prime sirloin of beef, grilled salmon fillets, or roast duck with a rich fruit reduction. These were accompanied by a silver-service selection of fresh seasonal vegetables and potatoes (usually roasted or dauphinoise). [5, 6]
- Desserts & Cheese: Deep-dish apple tart, fresh cream pastries, or a selective British cheese board accompanied by celery and crackers.
- The Wine List: A curated list of fine French clarets, white Burgundies, and champagne, which executives frequently charged to corporate accounts.
Following the main evening meal, stewards would bring around a final hot drink service along with the hot, scented refreshing towels or complimentary aftershave/cologne wipes (like the one in your photo) to allow travelers to freshen up before arriving back in Liverpool.
Would you like to explore the ticket pricing and supplements required to ride the Merseyside Pullman back then, or see how British Rail's food service transitioned into the Privatisation era?
Riding the [Merseyside Pullman] in the mid-to-late 1980s reflected British Rail's strategy of charging premium rates for premium business travel. Unlike standard InterCity routes, travelling on this flagship service required navigating a strict tiered fare structure. [1, 2]
🎟️ The Premium Supplement System
To step aboard the specialized executive coaches, passengers were required to pay a fixed Pullman Supplement fee on top of their standard rail fare. [2]
- First Class Pullman Supplement: In 1985/1986, this supplementary fee was typically £2.00 to £4.00 each way depending on the specific promotion and route.
- What It Included: Paying the supplement secured your seat reservation in the high-density, air-conditioned Mark 3 First Open (FO) coaches, personalized at-seat steward attention, at-seat hot towel/aftershave wipe service, and access to the upscale silver-service menu.
💰 Average Ticket Pricing (Mid-to-Late 1980s)
During this economic boom period, walk-on rail fares were much lower numerically than they are today, though they were still considered a significant corporate expense.
- Standard Walk-on First Class Fare: A standard, fully flexible First Class return ticket between London Euston and Liverpool Lime Street cost roughly £60.00 to £75.00 by the mid-1980s.
- The Total Package: Combining a First Class return ticket with the compulsory Pullman breakfast supplement for the morning trip and the premium dinner supplement for the evening return brought the total corporate transit cost close to £80.00+.
- Standard Class Access: Because the 1985 relaunch was a "mixed" train consisting of both standard and first-class coaches, standard ticket holders could ride in the rear coaches without paying the upscale Pullman supplement—though they missed out on the premier dining experience and luxury amenities. [2]
Would you like to look into the historical timelines or exact station stops the Merseyside Pullman made along the West Coast Main Line, or explore other ephemera and memorabilia given out on British Rail trains?
The timeline and stopping patterns of
The Merseyside Pullman (initially introduced as the
[Liverpool Pullman]) evolved significantly across two distinct eras of British Rail history.
[1] Because it was designed strictly as a high-speed business commuter service, it explicitly bypassed major traditional railway hubs like Crewe to achieve record-breaking express times along the
West Coast Main Line (WCML).
[1, 2] [Rich media excluded from paste]
The train maintained a highly restrictive, ultra-fast stopping profile to maximize speed for business executives: [1]
- [Liverpool Lime Street] (Northern Terminus): The starting point for the morning up-service and final destination for the evening down-service. [1]
- [Runcorn]: The only stop on the Merseyside extension. It served as a strategic park-and-ride hub for business commuters across Cheshire and the wider Liverpool outer suburbs. [1]
- [Watford Junction]: A crucial stop positioned just north of London. This allowed business executives heading to outer London corporate offices, the M25 corridor, or connecting commuter lines to alight without having to travel all the way into central London. [1]
- [London Euston] (Southern Terminus): The final destination in the heart of the capital. [1]
Note: The train made headlines in railway history by running entirely non-stop through Crewe—the busiest junction on the WCML—which was completely contrary to standard British Rail practice at the time. [1, 2]
The legacy of the service spans three specific decades:
1966 — Electrification and Launch
Following the full electrification of the southern section of the [West Coast Main Line], the train was officially introduced on 18 April 1966 under the name "The Liverpool Pullman". [1]
- The Record: Thanks to an incredibly light weight of only 8 coaches and the brute acceleration of the new Class 86 locomotives, the train completed the end-to-end London-to-Liverpool journey in a record-breaking 2 hours 35 minutes. [1]
- The Speed Banner: By 1968, its schedule required it to rocket the 163 miles between [Watford Junction] and [Runcorn] in just 119 minutes. This yielded a start-to-stop average speed of 82.3 mph (132.4 km/h), making it the fastest regularly scheduled train timing in the United Kingdom at that time. [1]
1970s — The First Withdrawal
Unlike its highly successful sister train, the Manchester Pullman, the Liverpool Pullman struggled to maintain consistent passenger numbers during the economic downturn of the 1970s. As luxury Pullman travel fell briefly out of fashion, British Rail stripped the train of its name and downgraded it to a standard, unnamed express service. [1, 3]
May 1985 — The Relaunch & Peak Executive Era
On 13 May 1985, British Rail's ambitious InterCity sector revived the route, officially christening it "The Merseyside Pullman" as part of a sweeping premium-brand overhaul. [3, 4]
- The train was re-equipped with modern, air-conditioned Mark 3 rolling stock painted in the new dark grey and red InterCity Executive livery.
- This era marked the introduction of the complimentary at-seat grooming packages and luxury menus that featured your aftershave sachet. [3]
1997 — Privatisation and End of the Line
The service ran successfully into the late 1990s. However, when the West Coast Main Line InterCity franchises were privatised and taken over by
Virgin Trains in 1997, the unique Pullman executive branding and named commuter trains were permanently dropped in favour of a standardized, high-frequency timetable.
[3, 5] Would you like to know more about the exact morning and evening departure times from the 1980s timetable, or explore how its sister train—the Manchester Pullman—differed in its operation?
While
The Merseyside Pullman struggled with passenger numbers over its lifetime, its sister train, the
[Manchester Pullman], was the undisputed crown jewel of British Rail's executive fleet.
An interactive map widget highlighting the Manchester Pullman route network, grouped into colorized categories:
- Manchester Pullman Network (Blue):
- Euston
- Wilmslow
- Stockport
- Manchester Piccadilly
The Manchester Pullman operated on an entirely different scale and philosophy than the Liverpool service:
- A Dedicated All-Pullman Train: Unlike the Merseyside Pullman, which was a "mixed" train carrying both standard and first-class passengers in the 1980s, the Manchester Pullman was strictly First Class only for most of its life. Every single coach on the train was a premium Pullman vehicle, creating an exclusive, high-density corporate environment.
- Massive Financial Success: The Manchester line was an absolute cash cow. The corporate demand between London and Manchester was so immense that while the Liverpool train was withdrawn in the 1970s and later revived, the Manchester Pullman ran continuously from April 18, 1966, all the way until British Rail privatisation in 1997.
- The "Blue Pullman" Rolling Stock Era: When launched in 1966, the Manchester service utilized the legendary, ultra-luxurious Midi-Diesel "Blue Pullman" multiple units. These striking, custom-built trains featured integral air conditioning, smooth bogies, and an iconic nanking blue livery. The Liverpool route never received these specialized trains and was hauled by standard electric locomotives from day one.
- Multiple Daily Runs: The Merseyside Pullman only ran one round-trip per day (down to London in the morning, back to Liverpool in the evening). The Manchester Pullman was so heavily booked that British Rail frequently had to run multiple daily services—including mid-day variants—to satisfy corporate demand.
Because it targeted a different business hub, the Manchester Pullman utilized a distinct branch of the [
West Coast Main Line], making the following regular stops:
- [London Euston] (Southern Terminus)
- [Watford Junction] (Set-down / Pick-up for the outer London business belt)
- [Wilmslow] (Strategic stop serving the affluent Cheshire "Stockbroker Belt")
- [Stockport] (Serving the heavy industrial and commercial outer suburbs of Greater Manchester)
- [Manchester Piccadilly] (Northern Terminus)
Would you like to know more about the famous "Blue Pullman" diesel trains used on the Manchester route, or should we look into the exact schedules and departure times of these executive expresses?
i found this old can of Mansfield Bitter in my shed, it not been open, but not much in the can, lol would be a little off I think ? what left
That is an amazing find! You are completely right to trust your instincts here—that beer is absolutely "off" and definitely not safe to drink.
What you are holding is a brilliant piece of British brewing history. Based on the "Poured by / Canned for
Mansfield Brewery" text and the classic "The Perfect Head / The Perfect Body" design, this can likely dates back to the
late 1980s or 1990s. The Mansfield Brewery closed its doors in Mansfield around 2001–2002 after being taken over, and the brand itself was officially retired. This means your can has been sitting somewhere for at least
25 to 35 years!
[1, 2, 3, 4] Why is the can mostly empty?
It is very common for old, unopened cans to feel light or nearly empty. This happens due to a process called evaporation through pinholing. Over decades:
- The slightly acidic beer slowly eats away at the thin microscopic protective lining inside the aluminum can.
- Tiny, invisible "pinholes" form in the metal or around the seams.
- The liquid slowly evaporates into the air over 20+ years, leaving behind a heavily concentrated, sticky sludge or a completely dried-out residue at the bottom.
What is left inside?
What little liquid remains is definitely not beer anymore. It will be a flat, highly oxidized, stale, and incredibly sour or metallic sludge. Because the seal has technically been compromised by micro-pinholes, bacteria or wild yeasts could have made their way inside over the decades.
Instead of opening it, keep it exactly as it is! Unopened vintage beer cans are highly collectible items for breweriana enthusiasts who love regional UK brewing history. It makes for a fantastic shelf piece or shed trophy. [5]
If you want, I can help you dig into more history. Would you like to know more about the Mansfield Brewery's famous TV ad campaigns, or are you curious about how much vintage beer cans like this typically sell for to collectors?
Mansfield Brewery ran some of the most memorable, witty, and culturally significant advertising campaigns on British television and billboards throughout the 1980s and 1990s.
[1, 2] Their marketing strategy famously transitioned from cheeky global comparisons to sharp comedy, leaving behind catchphrases that older generations in the UK still remember today.
1. The Iconic "Not Much Matches Mansfield" Era (1980s)
The overarching slogan "Not much matches Mansfield" became a massive part of regional culture. The brewery used clever print ads, billboards, and television spots that humorously juxtaposed everyday life in Nottinghamshire against the grandest figures of the Cold War era. [1, 2, 3]
- The Ronald Reagan Campaign: In the mid-1980s, billboards and adverts featured a large photo of then-US President Ronald Reagan with the brilliant tagline: "He might be president of the most powerful nation on earth... but he's never had a pint of Mansfield." [1]
- The Mikhail Gorbachev Sequel: In 1989, they gave the Soviet leader a similar treatment, printing his photo with the line: "He might be the life and soul of the Party... But he's never had a pint of Mansfield." [1, 2]
- The Three Wishes Genie Ad: In a classic 1986 TV commercial broadcast on Yorkshire Television (YTV), a man rubs a bottle to summon a genie who offers him anything his heart desires. For his first wish, the man asks for a pint of Mansfield Bitter. For his second wish, he asks for another pint of Mansfield Bitter. When the exasperated genie asks if his third wish will be the same, the man finally asks for a tropical island in the Bahamas and a million pounds—reminding the viewer that "not much matches Mansfield". [4]
2. The Jeremy Clarkson Ads (1990s)
Before he became a global superstar on Top Gear, a young Jeremy Clarkson was hired to front the TV advertising campaigns for Mansfield Bitter. [5, 6]
- These commercials used your exact can design's slogan: "The perfect head on the perfect body."
- In one famous ad, Clarkson stands in a field investigating crop circles, mocking conspiracy theories before pointing out that the real marvel is the high-quality East Anglian barley used to brew Mansfield Bitter. He finishes the ad with his trademark dry delivery: "Funny looking people, these East Anglians..." [6]
3. The "Man's World" Campaign (2000)
Right before the brewery closed its historic site, they attempted to reinvent the brand for a younger generation of drinkers with a £2 million campaign under the tagline "Man's World, Man's Pint, Mansfield". These ads leaned heavily into the late-90s/early-2000s "lad culture," revolving around parodies of satellite TV stations, sports, and humor. While it initially succeeded in boosting sales by 2%, it wasn't quite enough to save the independent brewery from being swallowed up by larger conglomerates. [7]
If you want to dive deeper into its history, let me know:
- Would you like to know what happened to the brewery's historic site in Mansfield after it closed?
- Are you curious about other old midlands/northern beers from that exact same era?
Let me know what you'd like to explore next!
While your Mansfield Bitter can is a fantastic, nostalgic piece of British brewing history, from a strictly financial standpoint, it isn't worth a small fortune.
For a mass-produced aluminum stay-tab can from the late 1980s or 1990s, you can typically expect it to sell for anywhere between £2 to £8 to a collector. [1, 2, 3]
A breakdown of how value is determined for vintage breweriana items like this reveals several key factors:
1. The Era of Production (1980s–1990s)
- The Rule: The golden rule of beer can collecting is that age and design dictate rarity. The highly valuable cans that sell for hundreds or thousands of pounds are usually "cone-top" or "flat-top" steel cans from the 1930s to the 1960s. [4, 5]
- Your Can: Your can has a modern stay-tab top (where the pull-tab stays attached to the can). By the late 80s and 90s, manufacturing was massive, and millions of these exact cans were produced and distributed across the Midlands and the North. Because they are relatively modern and common, the collector supply is high. [1, 2, 6]
2. Condition is Everything
- In the world of breweriana, collectors look closely at Beer Can Appraisals and Grading. Grade 1+ means a pristine, mint-condition can.
- Your can has a fair amount of dust, some surface grime, and potentially minor aluminum degradation or micro-pitting from being stored in a shed. Cleaning it very gently with warm, soapy water (without scrubbing off the paint) would help its display appeal, but the minor weathering keeps it in a modest price bracket. [4, 6, 7]
3. The "Unopened" vs. "Evaporated" Factor
- Normally, a fully sealed, full vintage can can sometimes fetch a tiny bit more from specific novelty buyers.
- However, because yours has suffered from "pinhole evaporation" and is mostly empty, it is effectively valued as an empty can. In fact, most serious collectors actually prefer empty cans because full, decades-old cans run the risk of eventually rupturing or leaking sludge onto their display shelves! [4, 6]
The Verdict?
It is likely worth more to you as a cool, retro "shed trophy" and a talking piece than it is on the open market.
If you did want to try selling it, your best bet would be listing it on
eBay UK under "Vintage Collectable Beer Cans", or sharing it in regional enthusiast spaces like a
Mansfield Brewery Collectibles Group where local Nottinghamshire or Derbyshire historians look for nostalgia pieces.
[8, 9] If you want to clear out or value other things from your shed find, let me know:
- Did you find any other brewery items with it (like old pub towels, glasses, or metal trays)?
- Are there any other brands of old cans or bottles hiding in there?
I can help you identify or check the history of whatever else you turn up!
