WE are now well into the Commonwealth Games this week and by the time you read this I hope our athletes will have won lots of medals.

At Didcot Railway Centre we have a wonderful collection of ephemera covering everything from the earliest days of the Great Western Railway to the more modern era.

My Concise Oxford Dictionary defines ephemera as a thing of short-lived usefulness, which I think describes a leaflet we have advertising the 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games in Cardiff.

Although this is of short-lived usefulness, it is very interesting to see what has changed and what has stayed the same in the past 60 years.

According to the BBC website, Cardiff had originally been selected to host the event in 1946, but that had been unable to go ahead due to the upheaval following World War II.

The games were to be the last at which South Africa would compete until the end of apartheid and there were a number of protests against the selection of a white-only South African team.

Many events, including the opening and closing ceremonies, were held at Cardiff Arms Park, close to Cardiff Station.

A total of 36 countries and territories were represented, 1,100 athletes competed and 23 teams won medals.

England topped the medal table with 29 Golds, 22 Silvers and 29 bronzes.

British Railways suggested visitors to the games travelled in 'Rail Comfort'.

There were express services from London Paddington, Plymouth, Southampton and Liverpool and passengers could reserve seats in advance on most trains.

One difference from today was the first and second class sleeping accommodation provided on night trains to and from Paddington.

For people staying in the Cardiff area there were cheap return fares available to stations in South Wales and British Railways (Western Region) offered to organise day outings to places of interest by train, motor coach and steamer with reduced rates for parties.

The arrangements included provision of meals, admission to places of interest and 'any other ancillary services as desired by you'.

The leaflet suggested that visitors and competitors would wish to visit other famous cities and places of interest. There were Special Circular Tour Tickets available at reduced fares for three or more consecutive point-to-point journeys, such as London (Paddington), Cardiff, Stratford-upon-Avon, Oxford and London.

These tickets were valid for three months and allowed a break of journey. For overseas visitors, tours could start and finish at different ports.

If this sort of ephemera fascinates you as much as it does us, you can come and see the leaflet on display in the Great Western Trust Museum at Didcot Railway Centre.