West Somerset Railway General Discussion

Sounds very good. Is there anywhere for us to view the menu?

Stef.

 

The West Somerset Railway Association have asked me to post the following:

"The West Somerset Railway Association (WSRA) Board have agreed the need for an additional Volunteer Trustee to join the Board with the specific remit of Fundraising. This is in order to help develop and oversee the WSRA’s future fundraising activities. It is an unpaid volunteer position which the WSRA have identified as a key part of their future direction in order to build a robust and comprehensive fundraising solution to help support the West Somerset Railway to develop and grow into the future. Working in partnership with the West Somerset Railway PLC and other members of the WSR Family will also play a key part, and as such its importance to the future of the wider WSR cannot be overstated."

"It has also been agreed, in addition by the WSRA Board, that a professional fund raising solution/team be put in place in the coming period which this person will help develop, implement and oversee. Therefore the person we are looking for must have experience of fund raising at a suitable level, be a strategic thinker, be able to plan how this project is formed and to help set its strategy and direction."

Read the full press release here.

Steve

 

If that were the case I wonder why are they running a fund to Restore a WSR plc loco in the form of 4110?

 

Thank you for the link Mike .

 

News from the WSR:

"The West Somerset Railway has been awarded a grant from the HPC Community Fund. The Fund is in place to help address and mitigate against intangible and residual community impacts deriving from the construction of Hinkley Point C. The successful WSR application, led by the West Somerset Railway Association with the full support and involvement of the West Somerset Railway Plc and other members of the WSR Family will enable the railway to increase its engagement with local communities, individuals, organisations and agencies to extend its reach to a wider, more diverse community base. A range of activities have been developed including volunteering opportunities and training and work experience which are all designed to facilitate personal well-being, community cohesion and the training/upskilling of people to help the economic stability for West Somerset and the wider areas surrounding the HPC build."

Read the full statement here

Steve

 

You wait ages for grants, and then like the number 28 bus two come along at once; The Steam Trust's £40K and now WSRA's £96K. I am sure this has been as a result of much hard work by those involved and it will be interesting to learn of progress in due course.

Now it is said many things come in threes...…………………………………………….

 

The picture says a thousand words.

http://www.wsr.org.uk/2018/11/005.jpg

 

I thought Alan Wicker was seen less these days...

Robin

 

Signalman’s Morning (with apologies to Adrian Vaughan)

One of the joys of living alongside the WSR is occasionally being called in to cover turns as I have been today at Bishops Lydeard. Not that onerous after you have opened up, got the loco off shed, lit the stove and get to settle in the chair with the first coffee of the day and some appropriate reading.

This is the last ‘normal’ Weekend of the 2018 season. The autumnal landscape is spectacular, the trains are steam heated and the welcome is warm. You would be mad to miss it...

Robin

 

And a newspaper left open with a headline strategically shown to get this thread churned up again.

 

More Cyril Fletcher I thought!

 

Not this thread, John.

 

Good to see Barrie and Dee on the receiving end and look to be enjoying it .

 

Pin back your lugholes, I'll be telling some Odd Odes in Quantock Brewery's taproom until 9pm tonite. A fine place to unwind and hide from the fireworks after a busy day on the Railway. Bring a newspaper.

 

A newspaper? Surely an amusingly shaped vegetable is a more pressing requirement?

Robin

 

Hinkley Point C Community Fund Award Panel keen to recruit a further Independent Member from the Bridgwater Area.

The award of the grant to the West Somerset Railway Association is a useful ‘hook’ for me to make mention of this.

There are representatives on the award panel from Somerset County Council, Sedgemoor and West Somerset District Councils and EDF. There are also two members from Somerset Community Foundstion, the charitable body which manages the process. And there are two ‘Independent’ members appointed after a public advertisement a couple of years ago.

We would dearly like to recruit a third ‘Independent’ member, particularly someone living in or near Bridgwater, the major community most significant impacted by the power station.

The panel meet on around half a dozen occasions a year to consider applications for support from the funds ca. £1.5M per year, available for community projects which mitigate impact from the construction of the power station. There is some paper-based preparation in reading and considering the applications before the meetings.

If anyone would be interested, please feel free to contact me to discuss the work or for contact details for SCF who will run any appointment process.

The work is fascinating, rewarding, and a great way to support our local community at a time when resources are otherwise far from freely available.

Please feel free to share this request with anyone who you might think would be interested.

Robin Moira White

 

No, more Harry Secombe.

DJB.

 

Any chance of a dmu ride over rare track or wrong road with tickets payable

 

Signalman's Twilight

 

Good to see loco coal being used in the stove, but I'd love to see the risk assessment!