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Ronald “Ronnie” Biggs became one of Britain’s most notorious criminals through his role in the Great Train Robbery of 1963. Born in 1929 in Stockwell, London, Biggs started his criminal career with petty theft. His early life gave little indication of the infamous role he would play in criminal history.
Before the train robbery, Biggs worked various jobs including carpenter and butcher’s boy. His path to major crime began when he met Bruce Reynolds, the mastermind of the Great Train Robbery. Reynolds recruited Biggs for what would become Britain’s most famous heist.
Unlike professional criminals in the gang, Biggs brought limited criminal experience to the operation. His main contribution was recruiting a train driver who could move the targeted train. This connection to the railway system proved crucial to the plan.
The Great Train Robbery took place on August 8, 1963. The gang targeted a Royal Mail train travelling from Glasgow to London. They tampered with track signals to stop the train at a remote location in Buckinghamshire. The robbery netted £2.6 million, equivalent to about £50 million today.
The operation showed remarkable planning. The gang disabled the train’s communication systems and quickly overwhelmed its crew. They formed a human chain to transfer 120 mail bags containing the money to waiting vehicles. The entire operation took less than 30 minutes.
Biggs’ role went wrong when the replacement train driver proved unable to move the locomotive. This forced the gang to use the original driver, who they had badly injured during the robbery. This mistake later helped police identify the perpetrators.
After the robbery, Biggs participated in hiding and distributing the stolen money. The gang split up and attempted to lay low. However, police soon identified most of the robbers through fingerprints and informants.
Police arrested Biggs in 1964. The court sentenced him to 30 years in prison for his part in the robbery. However, after serving just 15 months at London’s Wandsworth Prison, Biggs made a daring escape using a rope ladder and a waiting furniture van.
His subsequent life on the run captured public imagination. Biggs fled to Paris, underwent plastic surgery, and eventually settled in Brazil. He lived openly in Rio de Janeiro, where Brazilian law protected him from extradition because he had fathered a Brazilian child.
During his time in Brazil, Biggs cultivated celebrity status. He entertained journalists, recorded with the Sex Pistols, and sold T-shirts featuring his image. His flamboyant exile made him a folk hero to some, though victims of the robbery viewed him differently.
In 2001, Biggs voluntarily returned to Britain, citing ill health. He served eight years in prison before receiving compassionate release in 2009. His death in 2013, on the 50th anniversary of the Great Train Robbery, marked the end of an era in British criminal history.
Our Signal Stop blend pays homage to this famous railway robber with beans from Brazil, his adopted home. The medium roast delivers a sophisticated profile worthy of this legendary fugitive.
The coffee presents bright mango notes, followed by rich chocolate and hazelnut undertones. This combination reflects Biggs’ journey from the grey skies of Britain to the vibrant life of Brazil. Each flavour tells part of his remarkable story.
Like Biggs’ life on the run, this blend offers surprising complexity and depth. The carefully selected beans create an experience as memorable as the Great Train Robbery itself.