On Saturday 05 March, the Heritage Trust held its first formal meeting of the 2022 season organised by Ian Camp, the Museum’s curator. The meeting was held on the lower ground floor of the Museum so that those invited to speak had access to the television displaying their presentations on the big screen.
The meeting was focused on Stewarding the Museum, Gauge Junction, the model railway and the Trust education programme; special thanks to Mike Thompson, Chairman of the Trust, for opening the meeting. Some of the topics discussed explained the reasoning behind the Trust trying to get the museums and Bishops Lydeard and Blue Anchor accredited and what this will mean to the Trust, the collections and the West Somerset Railway. The meeting also heard about the cleaning regime that is to be put into place to manage the condition of the collection. There was much debate; a big thank you for the constructive comments, all of which have been noted. The Trust looks forward to hearing from stewards, model railway operatives and those involved in the education programme as the season progresses, no doubt the Trust will need to make changes to the arrangements as we move into the season.
We must mention the delicious cakes that were made available baked by Pam Anson – those attending the meeting were spoiled rotten! The education team has almost finished putting the final touches to the mailboxes rescued from Taunton Station. The old internal mailbox has found a new life in the Gauge Museum as an ‘exploratory’ for children. They are encouraged to put their hand inside the mail slot and feel what is inside. It may be pebbles as a reminder of seaside holidays or grain as a reminder of the farming revolution that the railway made possible. Other boxes are a miniature diorama of things the railway carried apart from passengers, we can see post, passengers’ luggage, newspapers, market produce and pigeons.
© West Somerset Railway Heritage Trust
