“titler room” (for refined sugar). Local people went to help and all the insurers sent fire engines but the warehouse and counting houses were destroyed. The nearby houses and the horses in their stables were saved and no one was hurt. The company's books were saved. The fire continued until 4 am the next day. The company was well insured. Samuel immediately rode to the smaller warehouse at Nelson Street in central Bristol and engaged the next-door warehouse. All customers awaiting deliveries were informed that those deliveries would be sent out the next day. By a massive collective effort this was achieved. This apparent setback made the company stronger. The new warehouse was in a more strategic position, especially as the railway system reached Bristol, and the internal layout was thought out again from the beginning. At this time Budgetts introduced an annual Summer Fete. All employees and partners came to Samuel's residence, Park House, at 3pm. All mixed equally and a meal was served. Afterwards their wives and sweethearts arrived to stroll, play sports or listen to music. Then they all sat down to tea. Alcohol was banned so some people moved on to the pub afterwards. Railways Although no direct evidence is available, railway development must have been critical to the development of Budgetts as a regional business. Key railways would be: Great Western Railway reached Bristol 1841. Bristol and Exeter Railway opened 1844. Bristol and Gloucester Railway opened 1844. Birmingham and Gloucester Railway opened 1840 and linked to Bristol from 1844. Cheltenham and Great Western Union Railway opened Swindon (on the Great Western) to Cirencester 1841, opened throughout to Cheltenham 1847 South Wales Railway joined Gloucester, Chepstow, Newport, Cardiff, Bridgend, Swansea, Carmarthen and Milford Haven, fully opened 1854. These railways would have reduced transport costs and times from suppliers and to customers. Allowable distances would have been increased. A large new market was suddenly made available to Budgetts. Regional markets in many staple grocery products would have been replaced by national markets. Samuel's Last Years Meanwhile, back in Kingswod Samuel improved his residence. The property was an old quarry. He had this filled in and made into gardens and farmland, forty to fifty acres. As well as providing his family with more space, this provided employment for local people. Later an old man said, “Yes; I remember when there were five men and three horses, and I