THE MUMBLES RAILWAY IN THE SLIP BRIDGE AREA - Taken from a November 1917 postcard
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What has December got in common with August? Certainly not the weather [usually], but both are traditionally quiet months for the Club and this tends to be reflected in their newsletters. This month’s update, apart from the report of the AGM, is mostly reminders and so it won’t be a long one. Still, there’s a lot to miss if you don’t read it !
Stock sale
A final reminder: our next stock sale will be held on the 8th. December at 7.30pm in the First Floor Chapel. Principally an N gauge event with a large amount of good quality locos and other rolling stock, there will also be a small quantity of OO stock and accessories and some more die-cast vehicles.
Website
The usual reminder to check out our website if you've not visited lately. In the Blog you'll find an article on modelling the Fire Service in the ‘50s and ‘60s and in the Products section an update on the Dapol wagon commission [for more of which see below...].
Membership
It’s time to welcome a number of new members to the Club, including Gareth McEnery [a ‘returnee’], John Cook [of Fareham], Nigel Belmont, Ceyhan Caycik [known as Jay], Elliot Davies, Mike Dunn, John Gardner, Chris Zajak and Tom Verney. A welcome to you all.
Friday opening plan
This was touched upon by Noel Blows at the recent AGM and received unanimous support from the 40 or so of those present. Its purpose is two-fold: to ease the ‘congestion’ now felt on Thursdays and also, importantly, to open the Club to a wider potential membership from further west and so become more regional. There will be more information about this development in the early New Year and it is hoped that the February newsletter will contain some concrete proposals.
The 2017 private-owner wagon commission
There can be no-one in the Club who now doesn’t know what this involves !
We have ordered 450 wagons from Dapol, 200 each in OO and N gauges and 50 in O gauge. I can tell you now that of the 450 ordered, pledges have already been taken against 209 of them. They’re flying !
Delivery for the OO and N versions should be sometime in January 2017 and for the O gauge models, sometime during February or March 2017.
The Club’s website Product section has a link for ordering / general queries. Be quick !!
Finally, good news travels and you may be interested to know that we have even received an order for a wagon from Texas.
Christmas Social
Another final reminder ! The Club’s annual Christmas social will take place on the 15th. December 2016. A buffet with drinks will be available at no cost to members and their partners.
The SRMG AGM 2016 and election of Officers for the coming year
The Club’s AGM took place on Thursday the 1st. December with 40 or so members attending. Ted Hylton, as outgoing Secretary, took the minutes and they will be circulated to all in due course. In the meantime, these were some of the ‘highlights’:
- Noel Blows, in his outgoing Chairman’s address, reported that 2016 had seen a 20% net increase in membership [over 2015], financial turnover had increased by 50% [over 2015] and our contingency reserves had almost doubled.
- He added that the 2016 show had been extremely successful, with 3600+ attending and the Club making a profit for the first time.
- He went on the say that stock sales had been both popular and quite frequent, providing the Club with an important additional income stream. Commission income had risen four-fold over 2015, and
- The Club continued to support FOYD, its landlord, well with donations in excess of £4,400.
- Noel also paid tribute to John Grey, outgoing Treasurer, for the many years he had served in that post. John was presented with a gift by the Committee at an earlier meeting. Unfortunately, John was unwell and unable to attend the AGM. We all wish him a speedy recovery.
The AGM also saw the elections for Officers and Ordinary Committee members. The following are the results from the ballot for posts:
Chair - Tony Richards
Secretary - David Lane
Treasurer - Ted Hylton
Ordinary Committee Members - Scott Rhodes, John Allnutt, Hywel Trick, Nick Kerslake
Tony Richards, as incoming Chair, proposed a vote of considerable thanks to Noel Blows for the decade or so of leadership that he had given to the Club, during which time it had prospered, becoming the largest in Wales and one of the largest in the UK. Noel was presented with an O gauge GWR Bullion Van on behalf of the membership.
Ted Hylton’s minutes will cover the above note, and a little more, in greater detail in due course.
Christmas Closing Times
The Club will be closed for the Christmas break from close-of-play on Thursday the 22nd. December 2016, to re-open on Thursday the 5th. January 2017. It is possible – possible – that some members may also be at the Club on Wednesday the 4th. January. If I am told about this in advance I shall e-mail members generally to let them know. I will not be able to write to those who do not have internet however.
Finally, the diary update...
- 8th. December - Stock sales [7.30pm]
- 15th. December - Club's Christmas Social
Best wishes all and a Happy Christmas !