Kempton celebrates 90 years of the Triples

Triple No.6 illuminated for last autumn’s year’s spectacular 90th-anniversary celebration

1 Happy 90th birthday! Stephen Fielding reports on a day of celebration, harking back to the inauguration ceremony of 1929

Above: Sir Richard Stilgoe, Sir Peter Bazalgette and Sir Mark Prescott Sir Richard mans the barring Left: Sir Richard Stilgoe makes it the engine as Jerry looks on… celebrations a family affair

Sir Peter Bazalgette, KGET Chairman Richard Abbott dons black tie Michael Hamilton and Sir Richard Stilgoe and tuxedo to do the honours in front of Triple Sir William Prescott as master of ceremonies

n Thursday 24 October last year, the Stilgoe manned the barring engine to start Triple museum celebrated 90 years since the No.6 under the watchful eye of Jerry Scholefield, Otwo triples were inaugurated by the while Sir Mark was at the main engine controls, Minister of Health in 1929. To mark this major assisted by Rod Ambler. Ninety years since it first Stephen Fielding addresses the 200 Students from Richmond College do us proud Kew firemen lay on a fine display with their hosepipe milestone, a celebration was held following ran, the engine performed perfectly. volunteers, guests and dignitaries the same schedule as that of the original After watching the Triple run for half-an-hour, inauguration party all those years ago. the dignitaries and guests braved the elements to Around 200 volunteers and guests were joined make their way to the waterworks railway to Sadly, Kempton has lost two of by representatives from organisations and witness the planting of a commemorative cherry Meet the team… Stephen Fielding its long-serving volunteers… museums in the area and beyond, plus tree. The wet and dismal weather conditions that some of those who had worked at Kempton when day were almost exactly the same as they were Born in Isleworth, Stephen’s interest in steam began Peter Simpson it was in service, including relatives of former 90 years ago, to within a degree! The tree was at an early age with a model train set and visits to A founder member of the Kempton Great enginemen and stokers. planted by Sir Mark, Sir Peter and Sir Richard, the Bluebell Railway, the and Kew Engines Society and its first Treasurer, We were also fortunate to be joined by a after which the guests were invited to take a ride Bridge Steam Museum. Peter’s initial task was to list and number all number of dignitaries with significant historical on the narrow-gauge railway. Stephen was attending Orleans Park School in the steel cladding before contractors links to Kempton, including Sir Mark Prescott, Back at the engine house, a team from the Twickenham when he joined Kempton in 2008, aged removed the asbestos. Peter was a team grandson of Metropolitan Water Board Chairman London Museum of Water & Steam at Kew laid 14, exhibiting with the Twickenham & District Model leader during the early days of cleaning up Sir William Prescott and his wife, Lady Bessie. Sir on a demonstration of the Metropolitan Water Railway Club. At his first sight of the Triples, he and beginning the restoration of No.6. He Richard Stilgoe, grandson of Henry E Stilgoe, Board fire engine. Fortunately, the impressive jet remembers being ‘gobsmacked’ and, seeing other was also instrumental in the design spec for chief engineer to the Metropolitan Water Board, of water did not give the wonderful line-up of kids his age in boiler suits, he thought he would like to join them. The volunteers soon took him under the new gas-fired boiler and its installation. was also invited, as was Sir Peter Bazalgette, vintage Austins parked outside the engine house their wing, something he still appreciates today. Peter succeeded John Corker as Chief great, great grandson of Sir Joseph Bazalgette, a soaking – sadly, the rain had beaten them to it. While at Orleans, his Design and Technology Engineer, a role he held until ill health chief engineer of the Metropolitan Board of With the formalities finally completed, it was Councillor Tony Lock, the Mayor of teacher stayed on after school to help him build a forced him to hand over to Jerry Works and creator of Crossness. time to eat. Students and staff from Richmond Hounslow, in front of engine No.6 model steam engine, teaching him to use the lathes Scholefield. He continued to volunteer until Speeches were made from the centre of the College had gone to great efforts to replicate the and milling machines in the school workshop. just before his death at 92. His experience turbine floor on the spot closest to where the original menu served in 1929, including glazed but we have nine years in which to plan that one. Stephen was the only pupil out of 200 to choose and enthusiasm will be sorely missed. original speakers stood at the inauguration party tongue and hot turtle soup (note: no turtles were I would like to offer special thanks to Martin Resistant Materials (Engineering) for GCSE and his in 1929. Chairman of the Kempton Great Engines harmed celebrating Kempton’s birthday!). To aid Wicks, David Lawrie, Linda Roberts, Jim teacher decided to run it purely for him. Trust, Michael Hamilton, spoke first, followed by digestion, a string quartet played a medley of Richardson, Richard Abbott and all the volunteers For his GCSE, he decided to design and build a John White Sir Mark and Sir Richard, myself, and finally, Sir tunes from the 1920s, including Elgar’s Nimrod. who helped make this very special event such a transparent cutaway model of a to Westminster to study Modern History. He John became an apprentice at Mogdon Peter Bazalgette addressed the assembled After what turned out to be a very enjoyable great success. demonstrate its inner workings. He did this using spent a very enjoyable three years there sewage works as a turner aged 15 straight guests. The event was kept running smoothly by and sociable event, the celebrations concluded Computer Aided Design, having the plastic parts and was given the opportunity to write a from school but when they discovered he our master of ceremonies, Richard Abbott. around 4:00pm. The next milestone on the laser cut, and machining the metal components 10,000-word dissertation on a topic of his was good at drawing, he was sent to With the speeches concluded, Sir Richard Kempton calendar will be the centenary in 2019, himself. Stephen has displayed this model at choosing. He decided to write about the Twickenham Tech (now Richmond Kempton at steaming weekends in the past . Kempton Park Pumping Station and College). At 21, he went to live in Denmark, Left: Vintage When he left school Stephen wanted to undertake London’s water supply during the Second where he worked as a jigmaker at General World War. This helped him to gain a first- Austin line-up in an engineering apprenticeship but was encouraged Motors. Aged 24, he went to sea as a to enrol for a BTEC at Richmond College and did a class degree. marine engineer and met Nora five years front of the Triple three-year diploma course in Mechanical and Once he had graduated, Stephen later. Shortly after son Freddy was born in House… sadly, Electrical Engineering. He also learnt practical skills, decided to explore the world and in the rain! including welding and electronic circuit design, and embarked on a year of mainly solo travel, 1977, he started at Hanworth Boilers, as a spent his last year studying electronics. His final ticking off 13 countries including New combustion/service engineer. project involved designing and building a digital Zealand, Australia, Canada and the photographic light meter. United States. Right: Sir Richard After three years at Richmond College, Stephen After finishing his travels, he enrolled most recently, organising the 90th anniversary Stilgoe (left), Sir decided that a career in engineering wasn’t for him. for a Master of Arts course at King’s celebrations last October. College London to study Contemporary Stephen’s other interests include film and Peter Bazalgette His main interest and enthusiasm was for the age of steam but the chances of applying this to a job in the British History. Since completing his MA, photography and helping his dad look after his and Sir Mark modern workplace was limited. he has taken on more active roles at the Rover P5, affectionately known as Rosie. He is Prescott plant a It was at this point that he changed direction and museum, including organising the May now hoping to begin a career in the heritage commemorative took up his second lifelong passion – history. In steaming weekend, looking after the sector but looks forward to volunteering at cherry tree 2013, Stephen won a place at the University of museum’s publicity and social media and, Kempton for many years to come.

2 3 Let there be… light! years Bill Salkilld reviews lighting in the Triple House and makes a few suggestions to restore the period feel while improving its performance

he lighting in the Triple House was walls and other parts of the Triple House installed when the restoration first and engines currently not easily reached. Tbegan and, although it has served Other recommendations are that modern its purpose by providing good levels of lampshades should be replaced with ones light for working, a number of things were more in keeping with the originals. For either wrong or inappropriate – fittings example, green Coolicon shades should be out of character with the area, lights visible used for the engine lighting and, for outside and causing glare, and cables on show that the engine house, Empire flame shades to were obtrusive. match what we believe to have been the A preliminary report published last originals outside the front entrance. year proposed a survey to measure existing There are a number of recommendations light levels and identify areas where these for other areas, too, all aimed at improving should be increased or decreased, followed light level and colour temperature, as well by a consultation process. This resulted in a as moving to low-maintenance yet high- final report, which made recommendations efficiency LED lighting. Solitary floodlight mounted under the for each of 11 separate areas of the museum This is a large and expensive project but walkway illuminating the turbines at a total cost of nearly £20,000. This was the benefits will be seen for a number of put before the Trustees in September 2019 years. With the museum’s current number and the expenditure was approved. of volunteers on the electrical team, it will One of the main recommendations was take many weeks to complete the work. to replace the halogen lighting for the turbine However, with the help of the engineering floor with lighting track hidden under the team, that could be reduced, with each area gallery. This will carry various spot- and standing alone so that the work can be done floodlights and is the most expensive part in stages. of the project, necessitating the purchase of Because this is a high-cost project, it will an aerial platform to access the underside be delayed until VAT registration has been of the gallery. This platform will have other completed and a realistic start date for the uses – for example, accessing windows, work, hopefully, is the middle of this year. Period-style Coolicon lampshades would replace modern ones for engine lighting

Original Empire Torch or Flambe light The modern equivalent of the flame light LED strip light to be concealed above the on the staircase up to the main doors is remarkably similar to the original architrave over the entrance foyer doors

Triple News is the journal of the Kempton Great Engines Society Editor Gaynor Cauter; 01568 720571; [email protected] Kempton Great Engines Trust Secretary Richard Abbott; 020 8255 1828; Contributors Stephen Fielding, Bill Salkilld, Jerry Scholefield [email protected] Kempton Great Engines Society Secretary: Bill Salkilld; The aims of the Trust are to restore one of the two historic triple-expansion [email protected] steam engines at Kempton Park Waterworks on behalf of Thames Water Ltd Membership Secretary Richard Abbott; 020 8255 1828; and to operate the restored engine for public viewing on selected weekends [email protected] every year. Press Officer Gaynor Cauter; 01568 720571; [email protected] Advertising and Marketing Stephen Fielding; [email protected] Registered charity number 1048936 © Kempton Great Engines Society 2020 www.kemptonsteam.org Triple News is printed by Culverlands, Winchester; www.culverlands.co.uk

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