Meeting - Friday May 16th

Just to give you 10 days notice of our next meeting on Friday 16 May, when
Tony Ward will give us a slide show on "The Railways of the Colonel Stephens'
Empire". Col Stephens ran some 17 independent and highly individualistic
light railways. The Kent & East Sussex Railway and the Festiniog Railway are
examples of lines that The Colonel controlled that are still running for the
pleasure of tourists, although sadly most of the lines fell prey to the
motor bus and the private car. Read his short article in the May Gazette. Do
come along and support this outside speaker.

Usual place: Catholic Church Hall, Rempstone Road, Swanage, 7.30 pm prompt,
doors open at 7.00 pm. All welcome. Tea/coffee/biscuits and a
railway-oriented raffle as usual.

May I also remind you of our 'S and D Coach Tour' on Sunday 29 June, taking us
to three sites on the route of the former Somerset & Dorset Joint Railway.
Starting from Swanage and picking up from there to Wareham, we shall first
call at Shillingstone for a conducted tour of the Shillingstone Station
Project. We then proceed to Templecombe to ride on the narrow-gauge Gartell
Light Railway. We can take lunch here. We conclude our tour with a visit to
the Somerset & Dorset Mendip Mainline Project at Midsomer Norton. There is
currently plenty of space on the coach, there is a specially reduced price
for children and non-members are welcome. Applications please to Mike
Walshaw, Hon Sec.