Volunteers

As I sit and look back over 2011, I realise that my first year as Chairman has been blessed with strong income, fantastic Events and great enjoyment for our Customers. This has all been made possible thanks to a superhuman effort by many of our Staff, both paid and Volunteer.
I often hear criticism that we "employ too many paid staff".
"Why don't we get Volunteers to do this job, or that job..."
The answer is simple; there aren't enough Volunteers to go around.
But we are doing everything that we can to encourage new Volunteers to join us, and have had real success in 2011. What we need to do is to continue that success in 2012 and beyond.
So if you can do just one more shift, or are thinking about joining us, go on!
Give it a try, we Volunteers can't all be mad.........

A few days later...

Passenger numbers and Santa finance figures were E-Mailed to me on a daily basis throughout December.
It became clear in the third week that something special was happening.
In the middle of a recession, we were going to smash our budgeted income and our annual passenger numbers were going to touch the magic 100,000 per annum mark..
As we entered the final Santa week, budgets were beaten and the efforts of every member of staff were there to be seen. Smiling children walking back to their cars carrying their presents. In some cases parents were carrying their smiling children, who were clutching onto their present!
So, how on earth do we top that?
We carry on doing what our Customers want, year in year out.
They want a magical experience for their children and that is what we must provide for them.
The amount of repeat business is the key to continued success. Customers will not risk their precious cash on an unknown product, so we must continue to give them that risk free day out.
So "Santa" will remain basically the same, but for 2012 we also have some great new ideas. We will need them! Matching the success of 2011 will be a tough call.

Another Year Gone!

We started 2011 with the legacy of our snow affected 2010 Christmas season hanging over us. But for the weather we would have had another good year and to have it snatched away from us at the last moment, was a bitter pill to swallow.
2011 could have gone either way, with a world wide recession starting to bite, our Budgets were always at risk if the downturn came to fruition. Even in the usually protected South East, there were signs of stress. But somehow it did not hit us.
Customers kept on booking and our passenger numbers will be around 100,000 for the year, which is remarkable.
All of this is only possible with the Paid Staffs working flat out and the Volunteers working thousands of shifts. I have been all around the Railway this year and it never ceases to amaze me just how dedicated our troops are. Each one knowing that if they deliver their own little piece of the jigsaw, then the whole picture will be worth looking at. My personal thanks go to every single person who has contributed to another successful year for the Kent & East Sussex Railway - your Railway.
We have been fortunate this year to have received cash donations as well as Volunteer Labour. Bequests have totalled a massive £290k, which has strengthened our balance sheet, and put us in a much stronger position when we come to the moment of truth in 2013 - Bodiam Bond repayment time.
Some say that money isn't everything, and I would wholeheartedly agree with that.
But when there are money worries, there is a cloud hanging overhead.
There are no such clouds at the Kent & East Sussex Railway!
Thanks must go to all who keep our Railway going, make it a top tourist destination in Kent (and Sussex!), and preserve our heritage all in one go.
Happy Christmas to all, and a peaceful New Year.

It seems like ages....

It has been over a month since my last Blog.
Since then I've had 3 Board meetings, an AGM for CSRE, Robertsbridge 2020 Ltd and of course, the main event, the K&ESR AGM at Northiam. This was my first, and I don't mind admitting I was a little nervous!
But all of the nerves disappeared as soon as I stood up to speak, and an hour and a bit later it was all over.
As I write, only another 359 days to go to the next one, assuming that I am elected Chairman again in November.
The main running season finished with the last Thomas event and passenger numbers were down on last year. That was a little disappointing as evreyone had worked hard to make it a success.
The Thomas brand is an important revenue stream for us, and we need to look at ways of improving our offer, or find something which will give the same net profit. The latter is a difficult one!
The Hoppers event was brilliant and I spent the Saturday at Bodiam. The attention to detail was noticable and the atmoshere was great. Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves and it was a finacial success too. The best of both worlds!
I spent a Friday with the T.A. Rail troop on Popes Straight where we replaced a number of rails which had bent rail ends. They were a great bunch of blokes and they quickly got the hang of what was required.
Elsewhere they helped the 4253 Group, cleared Tenterden head-shunt of a lot of scrap - and cut it up too.
The G.W. Railcar group were given a hand and the engines were removed and steam cleaned.
The Railway has benefited from a number of bequests this year - to the tune of circa £240,000. If you read it slowly you will understand just how far this will go to repay the Bodiam Bonds, due for repayment from June 2013 onwards. All future bequests will enable us to make much needed improvements to our infrastructure, perhaps even new Volunteers accomodation!!
Thanks to those who remembered us.

Buses

Just like buses, nothing for a while and then two come along at once.
For buses, read blogs.
A member of my staff took her elderly Aunt out for ride on the Railway. Her Aunt uses a wheelchair. They were one of the unfortunate group who were affected by the recent lineside fire which prevented trains from passing Cyster's Curve. We hired in coaches to take passengers from Bodiam and Northiam back to Tenterden.
My member of staff was very appreciative of the efforts of all K&ESR staff who helped them. They were all "kind, helpful and patient".
Well done to all concerned, even in difficult circumstances, it was great customer service.

Where did August go?

It has been a while since my last Posting, but it seems like yesterday.
August has flown by - a symptom I'm told of "getting older"!
School summer holidays used to go on and on, but now.....
We have had a reasonable summer at the Railway, hitting our targets, which is very encouraging. Targets - Budgets - are set in September / October of the previous year, so it can be difficult to predict how our income will hold up many months in advance.
Yet we have to measure our performance against something, or we don't know how much we can afford to spend around the Railway.
The projected figures are usually well prepared and prove to be accurate in the long run.
Next year is different. The Olympics.
Not the same as a "World Cup" or an "Ashes Series". The Olympics are mega big and we don't know how we will be affected. More foreign Tourists? Less foreign Tourists?
Will more of the residents in our traditional catchments areas sit and watch it on TV, or leave the area to the Olympic following? Will the recession have got worse with fewer customers coming our way.
Time will tell.

Can you help?

The ever increasing cost of motoring, and the reduced amount of free time available to individuals, has had a real effect on Volunteer numbers this year. We are seriously short of Loco Crew. If you are a Driver or Fireman, please, PLEASE give us a few extra turns. We may not be able to run our advertised services if we don't get any extra people coming forward. This would be a massive blow.
I don't normally make public appeals for help, I prefer to talk to individuals, but we need help now and it would take a long time to get to see each Loco crewman.
Please help us.

A nice do

I was privileged to be invited to John Miller's memorial on Friday 1st July.
The turnout was simply amazing.
John was a Humanist and there were no religious overtones.
We boarded a train at Tenterden and rode through the countryside and had some sandwiches and tea.
Bodiam was beautiful.
The staff there had prepared the station for the event and it was in pristine condition.
The service was held in a (rather warm) Marquee, and the speakers told the story of John Millers life in chronological order.
He was by any measure, a remarkable man and I feel that we have been very fortunate to be a part of his life, rather than the other way around.
There were no tears, just a strong sense of celebration.
I know that you didn't believe in an afterlife John, but wherever you may be, RIP, and thanks a lot.

A Sunday at the Swanage Railway

At 7.00am today, I set off with the GM for a meeting of "The Southern Group" of Heritage Railways.
After a 3 hour journey we arrived at Norden Park and Ride and joined the representatives of other Railways. Andre Freeman was already there having stayed with relatives. A cup of tea and a chat was followed by a look around their "Mining Museum" which was a fascinating insight into the extraction and the movement of Purbeck Ball Clay. If you ever go that way, give it a go, it was really interesting.
We then boarded a train for a short trip to Corfe Castle where we were shown their new Signalbox and had a look around their museum. Again, time well spent.
Then it was off to Swanage where we had our meeting proper. Various matters were discussed including Volunteering, Ticketing System, Shop/Buffet Epos, Catering, the Financial climate, projections for 2012 and how the Olympics would benefit/harm Heritage Railways - depending on where they were sited. A Ploughmans Lunch and more Tea followed.
It was a day well spent and we came away with some good ideas which are worth pursuing.
The journey home took 5 hours 10 minutes - the M3 was shut, the A3 overloaded, all routes to the M25 congested. A nightmare.

A Board Meeting

Some may not know what the Board actually does.
Its remit is to set and review Policy and Instructions which are then carried out by the Management team. We also set Budgets every year and monitor performance each month to ensure we do not overspend.
Each agenda has "Safety" is an ever present agenda item and this reminds us of our responsibilities.

A new Regulator has arrived at the Railway. A "what" I hear you say? It is a piece of P.Way kit for levelling ballast and moving it around before the Tamper lifts and re-aligns the track. Our old one was doing a grand job, but time was not on it's side. The new one has the bonus of an on board hopper to pick up unwanted stone and deploy it elsewhere without having to push it along. Just scoop it up and trundle off. The running agreement was discussed and approved for signature.

At our meeting today, we discussed the issue of yet another theft from Witt Rd. The Volunteer effort which had gone into producing such an excellent station had been ruined by the low-life of our community. The Tuesday Group and the Middletons had put in a great deal of hard work to give us a rejuvenated Witt Rd. Chins up people, we will return it to the high standard that it achieved before.
There will be no metal Lamposts to nick, just polycarb' replicas which have little resale value. The average punter will not see the difference from the train. We shall be installing CCTV on site, but I don't wish to go into too much detail at this stage.

We also discussed, and agreed, the Timetable for 2012, approved the Accounts for 2010 and had time for a cup of tea. It was John Cobbs last meeting and in fact he had officially left the Company on Thursday. He was presented with a Lifetime Pass and an invoice for all of the tea he had drunk during the preceding 10 years (new Board Policy). John arrived at a time when the very existence of the Railway was in doubt. We could have been closed down by the Bank at a moments notice. 2001 saw a new regime installed in the Accounts department and the figures produced became believable, if not worrying. John introduced systems which are still in use today and mean that the Board can be satisfied that we can make plans based upon fact and not fiction. Thanks for everything that you have done John.

So, another Board meeting passes into history.

Sunday 5th June

Not had time to post anything recently, so here's a digest of my K&ESR week.
I fielded  a number of calls from Volunteers throughout the week, one at 11.00pm, (cheers Bud).
Nothing desparately urgent, nor anything which couldn't be easily sorted.

On Friday I worked in Carriage and Wagon (on Petros), before the "Petros Summit" meeting, where we agreed a spec' for the interior, subject of course to the agreement of the owners.
Instead of the Petros running around empty for most of its life, we want to install 19 proper seats and space for 7, perhaps 8 wheelchairs. It will be a huge improvement and will enable those who use wheelchairs to feel inclusive, rather than segregated.

Saturday was a day off (still clearing out my late Father's house) and Sunday was a day at Tenterden for a Chairman Chat session. My thanks to those of you who braved the rain, it was nice to speak to you. I did another hour on Petros, rubbing down the first coat of varnish.
It will look great when it is finished.

Availability

One of my reasons for wanting to become Chairman was to eliminate the claims that the Board was "remote" and "never listens".
I have been out and about since last November and met many of our Volunteers and Paid Staff.
I made a promise at the Volunteers Meeting in February, that I would hold "meet and greet" sessions, so that anyone could turn up and have a chat.
I shall be at Tenterden  on the following dates;

Saturday 28th May, 11.30am to 3pm
Sunday 5th June, 11.00am to 2.00pm
Friday 10th June, 11.00am to 2.00pm

So if you want to have a chat about anything, please pop along.

Sad News

At 8.15am this morning I heard the sad news that John Miller had passed away.
He was a former Chairman and, for many years, had put his heart and soul into keeping the Railway alive.
I first met John quite by chance.
Driving past Bodiam Station one Sunday afternoon, I saw a group of gents sitting in Deck Chairs on the platform.
I hadn't heard of the K&ESR and was only out for a drive.
I went onto the platform and we got chatting. Tea was immediately proffered and we had a chat about the Railway. The overgrown tracks were testement to the lack of services (1994) but his small group were tending the station building and it looked smart amongst the otherwise derelict site.
He advised me that the P.Way gang were working at Witt Rd and I drove off in search of another unknown station. The rest is history for me.
I then met John again during the Bodiam extension works.
He was a knowledgable chap and always willing to impart that knowledge to anyone who asked for it.
When I became a Trustee, he was involved in the Museum and we often chatted at Tenterden.
His love of all things Colonel Stevens was backed up by a desire to make the museum the very best.
His work, both at Bodiam, the Museum and of course the Cavell Van will form a huge part of our history.
RIP John and God Bless.

Friday and Saturday

Friday 20th May.
At 9.30am, I joined the P.Way team at Witt Rd and after the prescribed number of cups of tea we put the world to rights before going to Northiam.
We waited (and waited) for the Crane to arrive and when it eventually did, we lifted out the 58ft check-rail at the Bodiam end of the station, turned it and lifted it over signal wire on the south side of the track.
After drilling a new hole (ahem twice) for a new block, we installed the new check rail and started replacing the blocks and panlocks. A few dollops of grease (sorry if anything went on the running rail!) and we were finished.
I left at 3pm and went to Tenterden for a meeting with Graham Sivyer, who taught me how to use the "Blog". Then I had another meeting and finally got home at 6.30pm.

I work about 20 hours week for The K&ESR. You know, the Chairman's job didn't seem so tiring, when I sat at the side of the table, instead of the head......

Saturday 21st was Board day. 8.30am start at Tenterden for preliminary stuff (after 2 hours at work).
The meeting started at 10.00am and finished the at 12.50pm.
After it finished I chatted with various Volunteers and Paid Staff. They all seemed happy with the Gala and Forties events, and I must congratulate everyone involved in putting on such a good show. Liz Reid and Graham Sivyer did a wonderful job in pulling together the Forties Weekend.
Q. Which other railway has ever had the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight. - Not just a fly by, but a DISPLAY?
A. No one, it was a first and we knocked the competition into a cocked hat.

One thing that is clear. Despite its success (yet again) we need more Volunteers to assist the organising and running of the Gala. Please help out those who shoulder this responsibility every year. Just a few hours can provide some relief for the usual crew, who do such a good job.
If you can help out, please contact me.

My photographs are taken from the collection of Jo Roesen, who has been a P.Way Volunteer since the year dot. My thanks to him for giving me his permission to use them.
If you want to see how the Railway edged westwards from a P.Way perspective, join Lobbychat and you can see them all. They are remarkable and will bring back many memories to those of you who were here in "the good old days".
Lobbychat can be found at www.lobbychat.co.uk

First Go!

Let me say first of all that I’m not sure if I am using this Blog for its intended purpose! I think that it should be used as a Diary, but I shall be adding retrospective thoughts and pictures to explain what I am trying to achieve as Chairman.

My work is on three fronts; as a P.Way Volunteer, as Director for Volunteering and as Chairman;

On P.Way I repair and renew track and drainage, under our new Manager Jamie Douglas.

As Director for Volunteering, I listen to our Volunteers and want every one of them to feel able to contact me. They can do so either by E-Mail, face to face or by phone.

As Chairman I want to steer the ship in slightly different direction. Without losing sight of our financial responsibilities, I want the Board and the Management team to understand the true worth of our Volunteers. I want people put first and I want “the fun factor” back again. Commercial pressures and financial crises have drained away the pure enjoyment of having a real Railway as our hobby.

Over the course of the next few weeks I shall be adding to the above, giving some examples of how we have moved forward.

If you are an ex-Volunteer, we need you, please come back.

Contact me via my E-Mail address (chair@kesr.org.uk) and let me help you re-join the Railway.