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Secretary's Report 2005-6
Unfortunately our hoped-for year opener, journalist Roger Ford, did not reply to my invitation at all, so the first slot instead went to Stephen Parascandolo on Tramlink. The second meeting, with Barrie Hughes on the Welsh Highland Railway, was nearly ruined when N7 was closed due to a ceiling collapse, which the Pembroke authorities did not tell us about and we only heard of the day before the meeting, forcing a hurried move to an inferior room in Pembroke for that meeting and causing concern about the rest of the term. Fortunately two of our new members are at Sidney Sussex and agreed to book us a room there. Richard Goldson of National Express and Roland Anderson of Network Rail represented the corporate side, and Steve Deane of the Wensleydale Railway their unique "Community Railway" middle ground. There was also a members' slide evening, which we had decided to reinstate as a planned event rather than an emergency substitute for short notice cancellations.
I took rather too long to get around to inviting the Lent term speakers, and two of those I invited said no, with the result that we ended up with only two outside speakers, Paul Elkin on IK Brunel and Piers Wood from train makers Siemens, rather than the planned three. Fitzwilliam proved more helpful than Trinity as Annual Dinner hosts, but we were only able to get one after dinner speaker, Peter Lawrence of Railfuture. We were also unable to find a Photo Competition judge, so the results were instead decided by audience votes.
The sole Easter term speaker was Fuminao Okumura on Japanese railways, as Chris Loder of Arriva had to cancel and was replaced by a second members' slide evening.
Recruitment and attendance have reportedly been good this year, though for that I must share credit with the Visits Secretary (Michaelmas' driving event was perhaps the best organised I have ever been to), and luck may also have played a part.
It remains for me to wish the new committee members luck for next year, and to thank you all for supporting the Club this year, especially Brian Carter, Robin Payne, Mark Waller, Olly Glover and Nick Pyper, the last year's committee, and also John Muirhead, Tom Haynes and Tony Clarke.
Rebecca Palmer, Merton College, Oxford, OX1 4JD.
I took rather too long to get around to inviting the Lent term speakers, and two of those I invited said no, with the result that we ended up with only two outside speakers, Paul Elkin on IK Brunel and Piers Wood from train makers Siemens, rather than the planned three. Fitzwilliam proved more helpful than Trinity as Annual Dinner hosts, but we were only able to get one after dinner speaker, Peter Lawrence of Railfuture. We were also unable to find a Photo Competition judge, so the results were instead decided by audience votes.
The sole Easter term speaker was Fuminao Okumura on Japanese railways, as Chris Loder of Arriva had to cancel and was replaced by a second members' slide evening.
Recruitment and attendance have reportedly been good this year, though for that I must share credit with the Visits Secretary (Michaelmas' driving event was perhaps the best organised I have ever been to), and luck may also have played a part.
It remains for me to wish the new committee members luck for next year, and to thank you all for supporting the Club this year, especially Brian Carter, Robin Payne, Mark Waller, Olly Glover and Nick Pyper, the last year's committee, and also John Muirhead, Tom Haynes and Tony Clarke.
Rebecca Palmer, Merton College, Oxford, OX1 4JD.