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3 February 2021
As my final day as Chief Executive will be 10 February, Iwould like to say a big thank you to all staff, volunteersand members who have been so welcoming and sopositive about moving the Railway Centre forward. Ithas been an absolute privilege to work with you all andto see the Society take such bold steps towardsachieving the ambitious vision set out for the Centre.
The past year certainly hasn’t been easy, however, withthe vaccine rollout in full-swing there are much brightertimes ahead and I very much look forward to workingwith you all to celebrate the 60th anniversary of theGWS in my new role as a member of the Board.
Thank you once again for all you do for the Society.
My very best wishes, Emma
One of our longest-standing volunteers, Frank Dumbleton, has been shortlisted in theUnsung Hero category in the prestigious Beautiful South Awards for Excellence whichare organised by Tourism South East.
Chief Executive, Emma Jhita, said “This is wonderful news and a much-needed boost atthis really difficult time. Frank’s work has been used extensively in recent years as ourmarketing team has switched to an image-led, largely digital approach. Having fantasticphotos showing visitors what we were able to offer was invaluable during the pandemic-affected 2020 season.
“Reaching the finals is well-deserved recognition for Frank. Like many of our volunteers,he puts in countless hours to help out and also acts as a Museum Steward
and educational guide when he can. His passion for theGreat Western Railway and his knowledge, having beeninvolved for sixty years, is also a fantastic resource” sheadded.
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Although the number of staff and volunteers on site is necessarily very limited duringthe current lockdown, progress is being made with a number of essential tasks. AboveStephen Tomsett can be seen excavating the trackbed at near Oxford Road as part of apermanent way relay in that area. The work will also see some of the drainage issuesaddressed ahead of the rebuilding of the Heyford station building.
Nearby, the gardening group and Heyford team have progressed the clearing of theundergrowth in the copse to allow access to the Heyford work site.
Elsewhere, the gardening team have been busy keeping the site tidy; clearing remnantsfrom the tree maintenance programme and as always, buddleia bashing!!! Last autumnBarbara planted over 1000 bulbs across the site - hopefully more staff, volunteers and,with luck, some visitors will be able to enjoy what is expected to be a very colourfulspring!
Before we get too carried away with talk of spring, Zep captured this "Christmas card"scene on Sunday 24 January when heavy snow blanketed the Centre.
The InterRail scheme is operated by the Heritage Railway Association. The schemeoffers many benefits to staff and volunteers across the heritage railway sector, as well asto member railways and tramways themselves:
The InterRail scheme offers a valuable benefit to our staff and volunteers as a wayof thanking you for your work and contribution through the yearIt provides a reciprocal arrangement for FREE or substantially discountedtravel/access for our staff and volunteers – and for colleagues from other heritagerailways – at over 100 participating railways, tramways and museumsAs well as offering a benefit, it provides valuable additional revenue to us. An HRAsurvey carried out in 2018 revealed that over half of visits made using InterRailcards would not have been made if InterRail cards had not been available for use.Visitors using InterRail spend an average of £13 per visit on catering and/or otherretail outlets.Some visitors using InterRail cards are accompanied by additional people whopay full fares (e.g. adults accompanied by friends or parents accompanied bychildren).Participation in the scheme entitles us to a 25% saving on our HRA corporatemembership fee.
Despite the delayed start to the 2020 season, most cardholders were still able to makeuse of their cards. However, it is recognised that the season was not as long asexpected when cards were purchased. Therefore, existing card holders have beencontacted individually since they can buy the new card at a discounted rate.
For new card holders, the standard cost remains at the 2020 price of £35.The 2021 InterRail scheme begins on 1 March 2021 and InterRail cards are available tovolunteers, staff, directors, managers and trustees.
Each card is valid for the card holder plus one other person. There is a separate schemefor Friends of the HRA.
A full list of participating railways, etc, will be provided with each InterRail card issued.The list is generally fixed by February.
In view of the significant benefits of the scheme, it is obviously preferable to keep anyrestrictions to an absolute minimum. Please note that the standard restrictions for use ofthe cards include them not usually being accepted on Gala Days and other SpecialEvents, Santa Specials and Wine & Dine trains.
The charge for a replacement card is £5.
If you wish to apply for an InterRail card, please contact me with the followinginformation:
Full name as you wish it to appear on the card (individual railways may request IDto confirm you are the card holder).Membership Number.Address for mailing the card (it may be possible to pick the card up from Didcot,but that is likely to be the exception).Email address.
You can pay the £35 fee by internet banking or cheque. These go through my personalbank account for simplicity. Please let me know which payment option is best for you andI will send you further information.
The final date for receipt of applications is 1 March 2021.
John O’HaganGWS HRA InterRail Scheme CoordinatorEmail: [email protected]
We are members of our local Heritage Volunteering Group network – Berkshire,Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire network for Heritage Volunteer managers (BOBVol).The Group met by Zoom in January and shared experiences of the impact of COVID-19on volunteering in museums. If anyone would like to see the brief notes of thediscussion, please email [email protected]
Didcot Railway CentreDidcotOxfordshireOX11 [email protected]
"Au Revoir" from Emma
Frank Shortlisted for "Unsung Hero" Award
Limited Work Continues During Lockdown
Winter Snow
Heritage Railway AssociationInterRail Cards 2021-22
BOBVol
© 2021 Didcot Railway Centre
