For enthusiasts, researchers and modellers of the Great Eastern Railway

2022 Annual General Meeting

 

THE 49th Annual General Meeting of the GERS will be held on Saturday 19th March 2022 in the Bishop’s Hill Adult Community College, Rayleigh Road, Hutton, Essex CM13 1BD.

The planned programme (subject to confirmation) is as follows:

09.00 Hall opens for setting up.

09.30 Meeting opens. Time to buy your raffle tickets, GERS sales items, secondhand books/ videos etc.

10.25 Our Chairman opens the meeting.

10.30 Presentation by Steve Beamon with Part 2 of his history of Railway Policemen.

12.00 Lunch break. Sales stands open. Buy your raffle tickets.

13.00 Society announcements followed by the presentation of the Harry Jones Award and the 49 th AGM.

AGENDA

1. Apologies for absence.

2. Minutes of the 48th AGM held on 20th March 2021.

3. Matters arising.

4. Secretary’s Report

5. Treasurer’s Report.

6. Chairman’s Statement.

7. Election of Officers.

8. Election of Executive Committee.

9. Appointment of Independent Examiner.

10. The GERS Constitution

11. Any Other Business at the discretion of the Chairman.

13.45 Our President addresses the throng.

13.55 Presentation by Rodger Green on “Bidder, Brassey and Bruff and their connection with the Epping Ongar Railway”.

14.40 Refreshment Break.

15.05 Raffle draw.

15.15 Presentation by Chris Bell on “The Great Eastern Railway heritage of the Mid-Norfolk Railway”.

16.15 Final circulation and clearing up.

17.00 Last one out switches the lights off.

 

GETTING THERE:

RAIL:

Liverpool Street dep. NONE

Shenfield arr.

There is major engineering works taking place and no TfL or GA trains are running. Passenger must travel by the Central Line to Newbury Park for a direct bus to Shenfield.

Norwich dep. 7. 00 8. 00

Ipswich dep. 7. 41 7. 59 8. 20 8. 41 8. 59

Colchester dep. 8. 01 8. 19 8. 39 9. 01 9. 19

Chelmsford dep. 8. 23 8. 47 9. 07 9. 23 9. 47

Shenfield arr. 8. 34 9. 01 9. 21 9. 34 10.01

There is no longer a direct bus service to the venue from Shenfield Station.

There is an easy 12-minute walk by turning right out of Shenfield Station, under the railway bridge and then walking up Rayleigh Road past the Hutton Junction Public House (do not turn left at the mini roundabout). You will see the College on the left-hand side.

To obtain sandwiches etc there is a Coop opposite Shenfield Station.

There is a Free Car Park right outside the venue.

Refreshments (tea/ coffee and biscuits will be supplied by Bishops Hill College (courtesy of the GERS) before the meeting and at both intervals at no charge to the members.

IMPORTANT NOTE :

Any member who wishes to use a sales table, please contact Rodger Green rodgergreen1865@gmail.com. There is a small charge for members selling items for their own profit.

 

 2021 Half Yearly Meeting

THE HALF YEARLY MEETING of the GERS will be on Saturday 16th October 2021, in the Waterfront Building, University Campus Suffolk, 19 Neptune Quay, Fore Street, Ipswich, Suffolk. IP4 1QJ

The planned programme (subject to confirmation) is as follows:

09.00 Hall opens for setting up.

10.00 Meeting opens. Time to buy your raffle tickets, GERS sales items, secondhand books/ videos etc.

10.55 Chairman opens meeting.

11.00 Presentation by Nigel Bowdidge entitled “Fred Spalding’s Postcards”.

12.00 Lunch break. Sales stands open, Buy your raffle tickets.

13.10 Society announcements.

13.30 Presentation by Geoff Ashton “An Editor Recollects”.

14.30 Refreshment Break.

14.50 Raffle draw

15.00 Presentation by David Bidwell “The impact of the 1953 floods on Northeast Essex”.

16.00 Final circulation and clearing up.

 

GETTING THERE:

RAIL:

Liverpool Street dep. 7.12 7.42  
Ipswich arr. 9n05 9n38  
n = Change at Ingatestone for coach to Colchester then train.
Colchester dep. 9.04 9.19  
Ipswich arr. 9.25 9.38  
Norwich dep. 8.00 8.32 9.04
Ipswich arr. 8.40 9.09 9.43
Ely dep. 8.32    
Ipswich arr. 9.26    
Cambridge dep. 7.47 8.03  
Ipswich arr. 9.02 9e26 e= change at Ely

There are major engineering works between Ingatestone and Colchester necessitating replacement coaches from Ingatestone. Check Journey Planner/ Network Rail before travelling.

For a bus to the venue please check Travelline nearer the time.

Alternatively, if you would like a 15-minute walk then turn right out of the station and walk along Burrell Road turning left at the end of the road. Walk over the River Orwell keeping right and then follow the riverside walk past the old Custom House to the UCS building.

The nearest car park is:

Ipserv Car Park

Duke Street

Ipswich 

IP3 0AQ

£5.50 all day charge and is about five minutes walk away from the University

The car park opposite is now only for the Students etc

For disabled drivers or people dropping off members or sales items etc they can use the short term car park outside the building but must move to the main car park afterwards.

IMPORTANT NOTE :

Any member who wishes to use a sales table, please contact Rodger Green rodgergreen1865@gmail.com. There is a small charge for members selling items for their own profit.

As members will recall, the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Society due to have been held on 21st March 2020 was cancelled in the light of the developing Covid-19 pandemic.

When notifying members of the cancellation, we made the decision that the AGM could be deferred to the Half-yearly meeting in October and that remains our intention at this time.

Although the constitution requires the AGM to be held in March, the unprecedented lockdown imposed by the government meant that postponing the meeting until October was the most practicable solution at the time.

At present it remains unclear whether public meetings will be permitted by October, or indeed whether members will be happy to attend a meeting this year. The Executive Committee is, therefore, considering other options to deal with essential business in case they are needed.

The constitution of the Society as drawn up some 50 years ago requires that physical meetings be held, it did not envisage the current age when virtual meeting are possible. The Executive Committee is currently considering appropriate amendments to the Constitution, including the option of virtual meetings in exceptional circumstances. Any amendments will be proposed at the AGM in 2021.

More Articles …