Teifi Valley Railway

The standard penalty for a repeated failure with a delay of 3-6 months is I think £1.5k so not insignificant for a small outfit if they have to pay it every year. I would agree that very little else seems to occur in this cycle but the directors are running a gauntlet. It is deemed a criminal offence and in the last decade (before the pandemic) Companies House were taking about 4000 directors to court each year and obtaining about a 50% conviction rate. Now there are about 2million limited companies in the uk and therefore many more directors so the proportion convicted as a percentage are extremely small. But most of the directors in the uk are probably law abiding and I certainly would not want to be repeat offender in the eyes of Companies House and thus being at risk of receiving a criminal record. For that is what it would amount to, irrespective of how you I or anyone else may think about whether they may or may not not be managing the railway.

 

One of the risks for directors of repeatedly "annoying" Companies House is to be legally barred from being a director.

 

Which is why the current man in charge has never accepted an offer to act as a director but always appointed himself as "General Manager".

 

Unlike the perpetual general manager, the office manager had no qualms about becoming a director, and not only that, but set up 2 new limited companies based at Henllan to also direct - The Busy Bee Cafe and Razzle Rugs. Both were in trouble with Companies House which now reports that the latter was struck off at the end of 2021. The experience does not seem to have inspired attempts to comply with paperwork, unfortunately for the Railway.

 

No. You can't be barred for being annoying. You can only get barred for breaking the law.

 

Which is what's happened here. And where Companies House will be influenced by how much the misbehaviour has been repeated.

 

Failure to file accounts on time is not likely to impress the powers that be, especially when grants and planning permissions are being given out. Just sayin'.

I am intriged by the Teifi Valley which, from press reports, has a rather colourful history. I have visited the site, and it would be nice to actually get a ride.

 

The Society's income and expenditure account is now overdue by 147 days at the Charity Commission. Doesn't look like there will be an AGM this year. No sign of any Company Accounts either. Will they reopen for Easter?

 

It must be heart braking for the volunteers to do all the work behind the scenes and not to know what is going on.

What I don't get is why or who are the current Director/Trustees not taking responsible for the admin of the project

 

That law-breaking was what I meant - notice the quotes in my post ?

and I was given to understand that there are other criteria for being a fit and proper person to be in charge of something.

 

Companies House removed the threat of closure on March 31st. When I asked why, the reply was that they had received a message to say that the Accounts would be submitted "shortly". Nothing yet ...

 

From the website
"The Teifi Valley Railway will next be open:Sunday 2nd April - Sunday 16th April 2023 (inclusive). (except Friday 7th and 14th April)"
So guess it opened ok, there are passengers and starting to make a bit of money?

 

Well I didn't see this coming

 

Do we know that's the case? It's a small group, perhaps they hear it direct?

 

If their problems were bad, I suspect they just got worse! The last known owner of this loco has serial form, I think, for litigation!

 

I won't be jumping up and down for joy just yet, if she turns out to be anything like Charles Wytock on the L&BR (they need to find £100,000 to get her back in steam, which also includes a new boiler).

 

Is Sinembe in working order?

 

Sort of, by the looks of things. Overhauled and hydraulic tested but no steam test yet.

 

That does not sound good, I suspect it needs a new boiler. A pressure test is one thing raising steam is a total different case I would suggest that before that takes place, they get a boiler inspector in check it out, also someone who knows a bit about marine boilers.