Thames Valley Support Group: All Change!

As you may know, the long-standing leader of the Thames Valley Group Chris Ward has now moved to North Devon.   Chris had asked me a number of times if I would be willing to take over from him - and as no-one else appeared willing to take on this task I agreed to do so.  I am conscious that Chris will be a very hard act to follow!

I know that there are many people in the Thames Valley Area Group who are happy to continue to ‘do their bit’ in various ways to support our railway from afar, so together we will make things happen as before and so continue the good work started by Chris.  We thank Chris for all his efforts over the years and now that Chris and his wife Gail live so close to Woody Bay we are sure that will enjoy ‘working at the coalface’.

Regards, Mike Pearce

Chris’s final Newsletter as leader can be found HERE.
 

The Railway is now at a very exciting stage with so much ‘about to happen’. We look forward with eager anticipation to see what news might be announced in 2013. In the meantime - here are some TVG "Dates for your Diary!

Saturday 5 – Sunday 6 January - “Scoutrail” at Exeter Hall, Kidlington

Roger Beazer, Colin Smith, John Elvin and Jane and John Brant have all offered help to look after our stand that weekend and I thank them for doing so. If you are in the area do please make a point of going to the exhibition and saying hello. The more people we have ‘milling around’ the stand the more others will come along to see what is going on. You too can then help to tell others about the Lynton and Barnstaple Railway!

Saturday 9 February - Newbury Model Railway Exhibition.

This will be held in St Bartholomew's School on the Andover Road. Click HERE for more details. The times are not shown at present.  Once again, if you are in the Newbury area that day do please visit our stand and make yourself known to the people manning the display

Saturday 23 February - Meeting of the Thames Valley Support Group

Do please make a note in your new diary now! Peter Miles (Chairman of the L&B Trust) has already reserved the date in his diary and has said he very much hopes to come and tell us all the latest news. Trevor Garnham will also be there to share yet more of his delightful films with us.

If you were at the most recent meeting in Ardington then you will already know that our next meeting will be held in Newbury.  Ardington is in a beautiful part of the country, but not easy to reach by public transport. We hope that a move to Newbury will enable more people to attend our meetings.

The meeting will be from 2.00 pm to 4.00 pm and the venue will be the hall at Newbury Baptist Church, Cheap Street, Newbury, RG14 5DD click HERE for more details. You will see the hall is only a few minutes walk from either the bus or railway station. It is quite a big hall, so we look forward to seeing as many as possible of you at this meeting.  It might still be winter outside, but for two hours we can be transported to the sunshine of North Devon, and whet our appetite for the forthcoming events at and around Woody Bay!

Saturday 9 – Sunday 10 March - Basingstoke Model Railway Exhibition.

Click HERE for more details. If you are able to help man the stand please let me know.  Contact details below

WANTED!

In recent times Chris really brought our exhibition stand to life by showing Trevor’s film clips on his laptop. In addition to the moving pictures the sound of whistles and steam have attracted much attention to our display. Chris has naturally taken his laptop with him to Devon, so we are now looking for a replacement.

So do you have an old unwanted but serviceable laptop or a small TV with built in DVD player?  And would you be willing to donate this to the Thames Valley Support Group? If so please contact me by email - see below.

I will conclude by wishing you (and ‘our railway’) all the best for 2013.

Mike Pearce
Leader of L & B R Thames Valley Support Group

Email: mg439@btinternet.com