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.
