Difference between revisions of "Severn Valley Railway Association"
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*[[John Hill]] 1973-1975<ref>SVR News 30, 37</ref> | *[[John Hill]] 1973-1975<ref>SVR News 30, 37</ref> | ||
*[[Ron Gardner]] 1975-1980<ref>SVR News 38, 56</ref> | *[[Ron Gardner]] 1975-1980<ref>SVR News 38, 56</ref> | ||
− | *[[ | + | *[[Jack Bond]] 1980-1983<ref>SVR News 57, 70</ref> |
*[[Chris Thomas]] 1984-1987<ref>SVR News 71, 84</ref> | *[[Chris Thomas]] 1984-1987<ref>SVR News 71, 84</ref> | ||
*[[Alvin Barker]] 1987-2000<ref>SVR News 85, 132</ref> | *[[Alvin Barker]] 1987-2000<ref>SVR News 85, 132</ref> | ||
*[[James Clark]] 2000-2002<ref>SVR News 133, 140</ref> | *[[James Clark]] 2000-2002<ref>SVR News 133, 140</ref> | ||
*[[GW Foster]] 2002-2007<ref>SVR News 141, 159</ref> | *[[GW Foster]] 2002-2007<ref>SVR News 141, 159</ref> | ||
− | *[[Alan Davies]] 2008-2015<ref>SVR News 161,</ref> | + | *[[Alan Davies]] 2008-2015<ref>SVR News 161,</ref> |
==SVRA branches== | ==SVRA branches== |
Revision as of 12:46, 24 April 2019
The Severn Valley Railway Association (SVRA) website now carries the simple message
- 16 October 1971
- to
- 04 October 2015
SVRASevern Valley Railway Association History
In May 1971 Sir Gerald Nabarro proposed to establish a public company to finance the purchase of the southern section of the line. He also proposed to wind up the original Severn Valley Railway Company (the Guarantee Company) in which the individual members had a direct interest.
In response, a 'general meeting' was convened on 17 July 1971 by several SVRSevern Valley Railway members who were concerned by these developments. This unofficial meeting agreed that an Association should be formed with a Steering Committee chaired by John Garth to keep its eye on developments and generally to do all it could to contribute to the success of the Severn Valley Railway. This 'unofficial Association' was therefore sometimes referred to as "The Garth Committee".[1]
Following that meeting, it soon became clear that the Guarantee Company also envisaged an "Association" as part of their own plans. A formal General Meeting was held on 16 October 1971, convened jointly by the Board of the Guarantee Company and the Steering Committee of the 'unofficial Association' and chaired by John Garth. A proposal that "The Severn Valley Railway Association (as formed at the meeting held on 17th July, 1971) be formally constituted with immediate effect." was unanimously approved, with John Garth being elected unopposed as its first Chairman. The SVRASevern Valley Railway Association was an unincorporated body, whose principal objects as agreed at the October meeting were:
- To safeguard the interests of the members of the Severn Valley Railway Company Limited
- To do everything possible to promote the efficient organisation, financial standing and growth of the Severn Valley Railway.[2]
The SVRASevern Valley Railway Association successfully proposed resolutions in 1972 against actions that members saw as threatening the interests of the railway. The floatation of the public company proceeded, and that company is now SVR(H). However the Guarantee Company remained in existence, as it was not possible at the time to transfer the existing LROLight Railway Order to the new public company. Individual SVRSevern Valley Railway members therefore retained a say in the workings of the SVRSevern Valley Railway through the Guarantee Company.
Despite the continuation of the Guarantee Company, the SVRASevern Valley Railway Association also remained in existence and assumed a particular responsibility for representing the views of the working members. Representatives of both organisations sat on the Board of Directors of SVRSevern Valley Railway(H).
There was a growing overlap in the roles of the two organisations, and around 2014 proposals were put in hand to merge them. These proposals were agreed at the respective AGMs in 2015, following which the merger formally took place in October 2015.
SVRASevern Valley Railway Association Chairmen
Chairmen of the SVRASevern Valley Railway Association were as follows:
- John Garth 1971-1973
- John Hill 1973-1975[3]
- Ron Gardner 1975-1980[4]
- Jack Bond 1980-1983[5]
- Chris Thomas 1984-1987[6]
- Alvin Barker 1987-2000[7]
- James Clark 2000-2002[8]
- GW Foster 2002-2007[9]
- Alan Davies 2008-2015[10]
SVRASevern Valley Railway Association branches
The SVRSevern Valley Railway formed local branches from the early days of the railway which provide support to the SVRSevern Valley Railway through their activities. The first five branches (Birmingham, Chester, Kidderminster, Warrington and Wolverhampton) pre-dated the SVRASevern Valley Railway Association, becoming a part of it from its establishment in 1971.[11] A number of other branches were subsequently formed. The SVRASevern Valley Railway Association and its branches were merged into the Guarantee Company in October 2015.
- Extant branches are:
- Wolverhampton (formed in January 1967[12])
- Kidderminster (formed by 1970[13])
- Stourbridge (formed in late 1971 as "Wordsley and Stourbridge"[14])
- Macclesfield (formed in December 1980[15])
- Other branches were:
- London (began as the South Eastern Branch in 1971[16] and originally based at Tonbridge.[17] First London meeting was held in late 1974.[18] Closed in December 2014.[19])
- Bristol (formed January 1978,[20] closed in 2005.[21])
- Bridgnorth (formed circa 1993[22], last active in 2014.[23])
- Birmingham (formed by 1969,[24] closed in 1992.[25])
- Chester (formed by 1971[26], merger with Merseyside proposed in February 1974.[27])
- Merseyside (formed November 1973 and based at Birkenhead.[28] By summer 1975 "the only surviving branch in the North West".[29] Closed circa 1976)
- North West (originally Warrington Branch, formed in January 1971,[30], meetings suspended in 1974 due to poor attendance and closed in January 1975.[31])
SVRASevern Valley Railway Association raffles
The SVRASevern Valley Railway Association organised regular raffles to raise funds for projects on the railway. The proceeds from the first two raffles in 1972 were used to buy shares in the newly-launched SVR(H), in order to ensure SVRASevern Valley Railway Association members had adequate representation in the new organisation.[32] Thereafter normal practice was to hold two raffles per year, usually with one organised by the Association's Committee and the other by one of its Branches.[33]
An incomplete list of raffles organised by the SVRASevern Valley Railway Association is shown on the SVR fundraising lotteries page.
See also
References
- ↑ SVR News 30, "The Severn Valley Railway Association, a Personal View", Martin Withers
- ↑ SVR News Issue 21
- ↑ SVR News 30, 37
- ↑ SVR News 38, 56
- ↑ SVR News 57, 70
- ↑ SVR News 71, 84
- ↑ SVR News 85, 132
- ↑ SVR News 133, 140
- ↑ SVR News 141, 159
- ↑ SVR News 161,
- ↑ SVR News 21
- ↑ SVR News 123 “Wolverhampton Branch – a Thirty Year History”
- ↑ SVR News 16
- ↑ SVR News 21,23
- ↑ SVR News 65
- ↑ SVR News 50
- ↑ SVR News 21, 27, 28
- ↑ SVR News 34
- ↑ SVR News 188
- ↑ SVR News 46
- ↑ SVR News 152
- ↑ SVR News 107-108
- ↑ SVR News 188 et seq.
- ↑ SVR News 12
- ↑ SVR News 102 et seq
- ↑ SVR News 19
- ↑ SVR News 30,31
- ↑ SVR News 29,30
- ↑ SVR News 36
- ↑ SVR News 18
- ↑ SVR News 32,35
- ↑ SVR News 23, 26
- ↑ SVA reports in SVR News 70 (1983), SVR News 137 (2001) etc.