Members’ Weekend 2011

Friday Evening 13th May

We are delighted to announce that we are able to offer an exciting additional event during our members' weekend this year.

John Miller, Curator of the Colonel Stephens Museum at Tenterden and Brian Janes, Chairman of the Museum Committee, have kindly invited us to visit the Museum on the evening of Friday 13th May. The Museum will open especially for us and we will, of course, have two expert guides. As many of you will know, the Museum has an excellent collection.  Visiting the website will whet your appetite: http://www.hfstephens-museum.org.uk/

We plan to take the opportunity to present one of our new plaques to the museum, in recognition of the donations the Society has made to help purchase some of the artefacts in the Museum.

We will also have the opportunity to visit the recently extended K&ESR carriage & wagon workshops, next to the museum.

The visit begins at 5pm on Friday 13th May.

After the visit, there will be an informal opportunity for a meal and a drink or two in Tenterden.

If you wish to take advantage of this excellent opportunity, please send a message to Ross Shimmon at pandrshimmon@btinternet.com or send a postcard to him at 7 Nobel Court, Faversham, ME13 7SD.

Saturday 14th and Sunday 15th May

Our Members’ Weekend this year is based at New Romney, Kent, on the Saturday and Robertsbridge, East Sussex, on the Sunday. 

Saturday

It would be a good idea to obtain your ticket at New Romney station before we meet, for travel during the day; use your CSS membership card to obtain a discount.  All-day, all-line Rover tickets will cost £12.75 at the discounted rate.

10.00: We assemble at New Romney Resource Centre (opposite New Romney station, RH&DR) for tea and coffee.

10.30: Society Annual General Meeting at New Romney Resource Centre (see agenda in Colonel 102,   page 20).

12.35: Train departs for Dungeness

13.00: Train arrives at Dungeness for lunch at Dungeness Railway Café.  We will pay for our lunch and drinks individually.  After lunch, we return to New Romney to visit the sheds, including a presentation by the RH&DR general manager. The rest of the day will be free for a visit to the model railway, a further trip on the RH&DR – a good reason for buying a rover ticket - and explore the Romney Marsh.  Please note that this will be the railway’s 1940s weekend, so it will be busy.

More information on the RH&DR from www.rhdr.org.uk or  01797 362353 .

Sunday

10.30: We meet at the Robertsbridge HQ of the RotherValley railway, alongside Robertsbridge main line station. www.rvr.org.uk

10.45: Tea and coffee and briefing by Mark Yonge, Publicity Officer, RVR, on the plans to complete the ‘missing link’ between Bodiam and Robertsbridge.

11.15: Walk along the track bed to the site of Northbridge Street level crossing and return to Robertsbridge. (Those who do not wish to walk may stay at Robertsbridge for another, browse the book shop and explore the site).

12.00:Open top, double-deck bus from Robertsbridge to Salehurst to view the site of the former halt.

12.30: Lunch at Salehurst Halt, a free house. www.salehursthalt.co.uk We will order and pay for lunch and drinks individually. The pub will be expecting a party of about 35.

14.00: Bus to Udiam Farm to see the re-laid track from Bodiam.

14.15: Walk to the site of Junction Road Halt.

14.30:  Walk on to ‘Austen’s Bridge, erected in 1947. (Those who don’t want to walk may stay with the bus).

15.15: Tea & cakes at Udiam Farm. (This may not be possible, in which case the bus will take us to Bodiam earlier. Refreshments may be taken at the small shop at Bodiam station or on the train to Tenterden). It is also the 1940s weekend on the K&ESR, so it will be busy. www.kesr.org.uk

16.00: Bus to Bodiam station, possibly alongside re-laid track. If there is time, we can admire the original Stephens station building and the recently beautifully restored 'Cavell' SE&CR luggage van which carried the bodies of Nurse Edith Cavell, the Unknown Warrior and Captaain Fryatt from Dover to London after the first World war. http://www.kesr.org.uk/news/previous-news/227-historic-cavell-van-returns.html

16.55 (time to be confirmed): Train from Bodiam to Tenterden. Those who filled in and returned the forms that came with Colonel 102 will have reserved seats. Any others will have buy tickets at the booking office or from the ticket inspector on the train and find their seats  on the train.

17.45: Train arrives at Tenterden.

18:00 (approx): Bus leaves Tenterden for Robertsbridge.

19:00 (approx): Arrive at Robertsbridge.

More information:

Saturday 14th May: Stuart Marshall: stuart.j.marshall@ntlworld.com

Sunday 15th May: Ross Shimmon: pandrshimmon@btinternet.com