BROADLINES

Heritage Railway Associated with Sidelines No. Associated with Sidelines No.106. 10 Hurdeswell, Association Long Hanborough, Editor: John Crane Oxfordshire. E-mail: [email protected] OX29 8DH Telephone/Fax: 01993 883384 No. 15 FEBRUARY 2010

THE RAILWAY HERITAGE IN THE SCOTTISH PARLIAMENT John Ransom. Secretary, HRA Scottish Committee

The heritage railway movement has been getting useful exposure in the Scottish Parliament recently, thanks to Professor Christopher Harvie MSP (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP) and the Scottish Railway Preservation Society. Chris Harvie is a long-serving member of the SRPS and, having the opportunity of promoting a half-hour debate in the Parliament on 4th February 2010, put forward the motion 'that the Parliament pays tribute to the Scottish Railway Museum at Bo'ness, one of Europe's major collections and a leading Scottish tourist attraction, and to its founder, the late John Burnie, and also commends John Burnie's ambition to see the Scottish Railway Museum play its part in inspiring and training the new generation of engineers needed for infrastructure and manufacturing in the entire Forth basin.'

The debate had been preceded a couple of weeks earlier by a three-day display within the Parliament , devoted to the work of the SRPS. This attracted much attention. For the debate itself about ten MSPs were present, which does not sound many but is par for the course. Other MSPs in the building, for instance in their offices, were able to follow the proceedings on screen. John Burnie's widow, Ann and members of her family were present in the public gallery, and SRPS and HRA were well represented there.

Whatever the debate may have lacked in quantity it made up for in quality, with a conspicuous lack of the party-political in-fighting which had been a headline-grabbing feature of the proceedings earlier in the day. All speeches were constructive. In particular Cathie Peattie MSP (Falkirk East) (Lab), whose constituency includes Bo'ness, displayed an impressive understanding of the position and problems, and Robin Harper MSP (Lothians) (Green) revealed an infectious enthusiasm for .

One of the virtues of a debate of this nature is that it produces a response from the minister concerned. In this case the Minister for Culture and External Affairs, Fiona Hyslop, wound up the debate with a speech containing several important points. She drew attention to the Scottish Government's recent announcement of financial support to help businesses take on new apprentices - the clear implication being that this was relevant in our case. She also referred to having recently chaired a meeting of the 'museums think-tank' (with members representing the museums and galleries sector) which considered development of the Scottish industrial heritage, and confirmed that the SRPS would have a role in this. A full transcript of the debate can be found on the Scottish Parliament website (www.scottish.parliament.uk) in the section devoted to the Official Report, i.e. the equivalent of Hansard.

A. happy consequence of the occasion appeared in ‘Scotland on Sunday’ newspaper on 7th February 2010. Feature writer Peter Ross concluded a whole-page article on the workings of the Scottish Parliament with three paragraphs relating to it. It was, he said, 'a very moving debate……., a reminder that politics isn’t just to do with locking horns and legislating, or...... scandal... (but also) about these small moments of civic-mindedness, these pockets of humanity and soul'.

None of which can do heritage railways any harm at all! Many thanks to all concerned.

HERITAGE RAILWAY ASSOCIATION BROADLINES NO 15 FEBRUARY 2010 1 OF 5 HRA AGM WEEKEND IN YORK. John Crane

The Association’s AGM weekend on 6th and 7th of February was based in York with the formal meetings, award presentations and dinner held in The . The Saturday started with behind the scenes visits to various departments and thanks are due to Helen Ashby, acting head of the NRM and her team for organising this. The enthusiasm shown by the various people who conducted the tour for their chosen fields was a lesson to us all and provided a fascinating insight to the work of the museum.

The AGM was held after lunch followed by various presentations including one on Japanese railways and railway preservation by Junichi Yoneyama which included photographs of some early steam that had been built in the U.K.

The Dinner was held amongst the exhibits in the museum and Dame Margaret Weston made the presentations to winners in the Carriage and Wagon Competition (listed below courtesy of Chris Smyth). Lord Faulkner of Worcester then addressed the guests before presenting the HRA Annual Awards to the winners (previously announced in Sidelines 105). Dame Margaret Weston again took the stage and presented Andrew Scott with a plaque marking his outstanding contribution to railway preservation. If Andrew was surprised it was not as much as Dame Margaret was when Lord Faulkner of Worcester came on stage to present her with a framed photograph to mark the huge amount of work she does both as HRA President and generally within the heritage movement. THE HRA board has long thought of making such a presentation but it was thought that a plaque was not exactly suitable. The framed photograph featuring the interior of a working steam shed seemed to fit the bill exactly.

The Sunday morning saw a coach trip to Bedale on the where we were greeted by Andrew (Angus) Maude and Kevin Powell and told of the work done so far on the railway and their plans for the future. Delegates then joined the for a trip to Redmire followed by a trip the length of the line to Leeming Bar.

Our thanks are due to our various hosts and of course to Bill Askew, our meetings organiser, for a most enjoyable and informative weekend.

Best Coach New build bogie saloon Bredgar and Wormshill Railway New construction to the highest of traditional standards. Hard to fault.

Best Wagon Great Northern Railway of Ireland Brake-van 81 Railway Preservation Society of Ireland “Ivan” has been restored by a team of young volunteers. This vehicle is a welcome survivor, one of very few remaining from the significant fleets of standard (Irish) gauge wagons

Best Self-propelled Vehicle Eades patent Reversible Horse L53 Manchester Transport Museum Society - Heaton Park Tramway The Judges struggled to find the correct category for this horse drawn vehicle, and eventually decided to place it in the Self-propelled category usually occupied by tramcars. This type of vehicle disappeared from our streets a century or more ago has been lovingly restored to operating condition. The Eades patent features a built-in turntable allowing the body to be reversed at a tram terminus; thus removing the need for a second staircase and a second driving position; important features on a horse car where weight was of the essence. A brilliant idea for horse , tossed in the dustbin of history on the advent of electrification. It is also a potent advocate of restoration for use.

Overall Winner Great Northern Railway Corridor Composite 2701 A period restoration to the highest standards featuring a wide variety of appropriate adverts. In regular use on the SVR. This pre-grouping coach looks surprisingly modern, which is not surprising when one considers its designer was Sir Nigel Gresley.

HERITAGE RAILWAY ASSOCIATION BROADLINES NO 15 FEBRUARY 2010 2 OF 5 HRA FRIENDS (Private Members) Alan Saunders

1. Membership Renewal A membership renewal form for 2010/2011 was sent out with the December Sidelines, the new subscription year starts on 1st March 2010. If you have mislaid the form then you may renew by sending me your name and postcode (as long as your details have not changed during the year), and your subscription. Membership costs £17.63 (£15 + VAT) and an Inter-Rail pass costs £50, there has been no increase except for the reversion of the VAT to its previous value on January 1st. One pass per member is allowed. Total cost of membership + Inter-Rail is therefore £67.63.

2. Inter-Rail Passes There will be a number additional railways and Railway Centres participating in the Inter-Rail scheme next year, but unfortunately the final list will not be available until late February. The passes themselves have been printed, so please contact me if you require yours early in March. All cheques have been paid in (except very recent ones), so you can check that your application has been received.

3. Website Passwords A significant number of members are asking for passwords to the Members Only area of the HRA website. Many of these have asked for passwords before and, as far as I know, have received them. I would like to point out that no record is kept of these passwords, so if they are lost then we have to go through the process again of reissuing, involving both myself and the HRA Web Officer Mark Dewell. Records are kept of previous requests for passwords, but not of the actual password. Passwords have no expiry date.

There is the possibility that some passwords were never received due to errors perhaps in the email address, so if you have requested a new password you need to send me an email to confirm it. In this way I will know that we have your email address which works! Please send to: [email protected] When you receive your password, please do not lose it!

Many thanks to all members who have renewed for the coming year, your continuing support is most welcome.

Alan Saunders Friends (Private Members) Secretary 31 Cedar Avenue, MALVERN, Worcs WR14 2SF 0800 756 5111 Ext 423, or 01684 572654 Email: [email protected], or [email protected] ______

4th FEDECRAIL YOUTHCAMP 2010 HUNGARY From 30th July until 8th August 2010 young volunteers of the European Heritage Railways are welcome as guests in Hungary. The camp will be organized by FEDECRAIL. Hosts will be MÁV Nosztalgia Ltd. and Children’s Railway of . What is offered for participants, aged between 15 and 24?

• a wonderful COUNTRY with friendly PEOPLE • great international COMPANY • interesting TASKS • fantastic PROFESSIONAL and LEISURE programmes • lots of FUN

See Sidelines for further details

HERITAGE RAILWAY ASSOCIATION BROADLINES NO 15 FEBRUARY 2010 3 OF 5 NEWS FROM HERITAGE ALLIANCE John Jeffery

ENTRY LEVEL STEWARDSHIP APPLICATIONS RESUME – NOT JUST FOR FARMERS! Farmers can now resume applying to join Entry Level Stewardship (ELS) after an upgrade of the applications system by Natural . The ELS scheme delivers over £400 million a year to farmers and landowners, enabling them to enhance the natural environment including historic features and historic designed landscapes see the Land Use Policy Group (LUPG) report http://www.lupg.org.uk/Default.aspx?page=143 Farmers and land managers now have access to a faster, clearer applications process based on enhanced software and the latest maps from the Rural Payments Agency. The improved ELS Online system is being introduced at an important time, with 12,000 ELS agreements coming up for renewal this year. Natural England has significantly stepped up the level of ELS training and information in order to help farmers apply for ELS and choose the best options for their farm. Workshops, events and one-to-one farm visits are available with advice covering birds and wildlife as well as protecting soil, water and historic features, whilst gaining the financial benefits of ELS. The 3rd Edition Environmental Stewardship Handbooks for Entry Level Stewardship (ELS), Organic Entry Level Stewardship (OELS) and Higher Level Stewardship (HLS) are now available. For further information on the applications process and events visit http://www.naturalengland.org.uk/ourwork/farming/funding/es/els/default.aspx

YOUNG ROOTS: FUNDING AVAILABLE TO ENGAGE YOUNG PEOPLE WITH HERITAGE The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) dedicates £3million per year to its Young Roots grants programme, which gives grants ranging from £3,000 to £25,000 to fund projects that engage young people aged 13-25 with heritage. More than 50,000 young people have so far benefited from £20m of Young Roots funding; developing new skills, building confidence and connecting with their local heritage and communities. Heritage organisations have benefited too; gaining new audiences and volunteers, the ideas and enthusiasm of young people and the experience to involve young people further in the future. Projects have involved all types of heritage, from historic ships and parks to local legends and the influence of the past on contemporary culture. Young people have created films and exhibitions, repaired dry stone walls and researched community histories. Young Roots funding is available now. To apply, heritage organisations should find a partner youth organisation to help deliver the project and enable young people to take a leading role. Interested organisations can take a look at these examples of successful partnership projects for inspiration and ideas: Exploring the lives of cricketers on Cricket Roots Cleaning up and researching the history of Belfast City Cemetery Restoring a motorcycle at the National Museums of Scotland for Wheels of Time Recording oral interviews for 1947 The Partition Project

There are no deadlines for applications and decisions are reached within 10 weeks. The HLF team is available to provide advice and help before applications are submitted. For more information visit http://www.hlf.org.uk/HowToApply/programmes/Pages/youngroots.aspx

KIDS IN MUSEUMS: NEW MANIFESTO PUBLISHED Kids in Museums is an independent charity set up with the aim of guiding museums, galleries and sites across Britain to make family visits enjoyable. Compiled entirely from the feedback of visitors, the 2010 Manifesto includes 20 points to make museums, galleries and sites more welcoming for all families. Kids in Museums states: “the Manifesto leads the way on important issues, from flexible family tickets to somewhere to leave the pram and pushchair.” Top of the list, besides being welcoming, is the lack of flexible family tickets on offer – because not all families are nuclear. Following up on this point, Kids in Museums launched the Flexible Family Ticket Campaign consultation, commissioned and funded by the Department for Children, Schools and Families and

HERITAGE RAILWAY ASSOCIATION BROADLINES NO 15 FEBRUARY 2010 4 OF 5 supported by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. Results of the consultation will be published in April.

To read the full manifesto, visit http://www.kidsinmuseums.org.uk/wpcontent/uploads/2010/01/kim_manifesto_a4_low_res.pdf

To find out more about the Family Friendly Ticket Campaign visit http://www.familyticketwatch.org.uk/

DO YOU HAVE A VENUE FOR HIRE? Over the course of the year The Heritage Alliance will be partnering with a variety of organisations to run a number of country-wide seminars and workshops for the heritage sector. We would love to hear from any heritage organisations across England that have venues available to hire for a range of events from small workshops of 20 people to large conferences of 100 plus. Using these venues would help us to showcase local heritage assets and to retain spending within the sector. If you have a venue for hire please send details to Karen Bewick Email [email protected] or by post to Karen Bewick, Heritage Protection Reform Coordinator, The Heritage Alliance, Clutha House, 10 Storey's Gate, London SW1P 3AY.

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A LIGHTER MOMENT TO END. Whilst in the final stages of preparing Sidelines I received a call from Phil Marsh from Railway Magazine. I copied and pasted a section of Sidelines and immediately received an email back saying that he was interested to see that Dame Margaret had presented Andrew Scott with a plague (rather than a plaque). Thanks Phil. J.C.

______© 2010 The Heritage Railway Association, Limited by Guarantee, is Registered in England and No. 2226245 Registered office: 2 Littlestone Road, New Romney, Kent, TN28 8PL

HERITAGE RAILWAY ASSOCIATION BROADLINES NO 15 FEBRUARY 2010 5 OF 5