7th March 2019 · Branch AGM

In the first week of March the Annual General Meeting of the Branch was held. After a few words in respect of the passing away of our colleague and friend Malcolm Riley business matters were dealt with quite rapidly and the current committee of five members was re-elected for a further year in office. Reports from the Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer recorded a position of continuing financial stability with healthy numbers attending all of the meetings. On-going entertainment comprised of presentations by Branch members. John Smith led the way by presenting the cabside and smokebox number plates from Collett Prairie 3718 and telling of a wide ranging tour into Wales with a group of steam day train spotting school cadets. This was then followed by Austin Hughes, who narrated a similar event to the title of “Extreme Gricing” in which, as a lad from the Midlands, he and his chums made for Folkestone in search of their last GWR 4600’s. Film, with indented and amusing animation described their antics and adventures. Chris Webster gave a nice photographic resume of his travels throughout 2018. Then as a finale to the evening Treasurer David Beeken displayed scans from the work of James Haig showing vintage steam scenes taken in the 1940’s and 1950’s, illustrating action in North Yorkshire LNER areas around Ripon and the northern regions of the Midland Railway.