Hello Folks
I hope you all had a good bank holiday weekend and enjoyed the glorious weather.
On Sunday 24 August, Bob Poole, Clive Cook, Iain MacTaggart, Iain’s father-in-law (Bob) and I visited the Ashford Depot Open Day and it was certainly spectacular, reminiscent of the depot open days formerly organised by British Rail. Someone has posted a memento of their visit on YouTube and below is the link to that video to give you a flavour of the day.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LvzycNS3x1Q
Here’s another reminder that we have a new and improved Facebook site, so may I ask you to subscribe and invite your friends and family to do the same: https://www.facebook.com/people/GRES-Gravesend-Railway-Enthusiasts-Society/61552508150631/
Our glorious Southern-green liveried GRES wagons in OO Gauge to celebrate 50 years of GRES model railway exhibitions are selling well. Allowing for those already reserved, we now have only 40 remaining out of the original 100 wagons, which include an individually numbered certificate signed by Ella plus a brief history of our exhibitions. While the standard price will be £19.99, current GRES members can obtain their wagon(s) for only £14.99 each. There are more details on the GRES website: Celebrate the 50th GRES Exhibition with Our Limited Edition 00 Gauge Wagon! – Welcome to GRES
Iain MacTaggart is looking to order new GRES polo shirts in an appealing bright blue with our logo, as modelled by Iain at the GRES Meeting on 5 August. We’re eager to see how many members are interested, so if you are interesting in obtaining one, please contact Iain or speak to him at one of the GRES meetings. It would be good if nearly all GRES members are wearing GRES branded clothing at the special 50th GRES Exhibition on 1 & 2 November.
We return to two GRES meetings in September, with the second being our AGM as referenced in a separate email.
Tuesday 2nd – Paul Hills will be taking us back to the 1960s and 1970s, as he looks at the London Buses that were around at that time. This promises to be an interesting evening and I encourage you to join us at our usual venue of the Emmanuel Church Hall, 55 Windmill Street, Gravesend (from 7.45pm).
Thursday 18th – GRES AGM 2025. As mentioned in a separate email, this is an important meeting as you have the opportunity to comment on the achievements and efforts of the outgoing GRES Committee and an opportunity to elect the best members onto the new GRES Committee, to help shape and direct the future of the Society. Join us at our usual venue of the Emmanuel Church Hall, 55 Windmill Street, Gravesend (from 7.45pm).
Future GRES dates for your diaries:
Saturday 6th September 2025 – Invitation to see the Medway Queen visitor centre and look around the ‘Heroine of Dunkirk’ from 11am, at Gillingham Pier. Matt Hills will lead the visit to show us around this incredible vessel. Parking at Gillingham Pier (ME7 1RX) is limited, so car sharing is highly recommended or, if you wish to travel by bus, route 176 (from Chatham, Waterfront Bus Station) stops nearby at the Nazir Mosque, Richmond Road and it’s just a short walk from there to the Pier. Please let me know if you would like to attend and if you would be travelling by car, as this will help Matt and the folk at Gillingham Pier.
Although the cost will be £10 per person, the ticket will be valid for one year (up to 5 September 2026) to allow for future visits to the Medway Queen at Gillingham Pier. And, of course, all money raised goes towards the preservation and upkeep of this magnificent ship.
If you have any questions about the visit, please feel free to contact Matt Hills. There will also be other events later this year being organised by the Medway Queen Preservation Society, including a fish and chips supper, and again Matt will provide more details.
Saturday 18th October 2025 – GRES Open Day at Higham Village Memorial Hall (10am – 4pm)
Help needed to assist during the day and to promote the Society. Whether you can give thirty minutes to several hours, all offers of help are welcome. Please advise Iain MacTaggart– if you are able to help.
For those who like their model railway exhibitions and railway events, please note the following on Saturday 30 August and during September:
Saturday 30th August – Kent & East Sussex Railway Model Railway Exhibition, Tenterden Town Station, Station Road, Tenterden, TN30 6HE (10am – 5pm). Adults – £5, Accompanied Under 16s – £1. Model railway layouts, trade stands and a 5 inch gauge ride-on railway. KESR train tickets give free entry to the exhibition; not vice versa.
Sunday 7th September – Trains return to Ramsgate Harbour. Canterbury & District Model Engineering Society invite you to The Ramsgate Tunnels, Marina Esplanade, Ramsgate, CT11 8FH (10am – 4pm). It’s not a large event but, while the model railway show is free of charge, there are charges to ride on the miniature railway and a tour of the Ramsgate Tunnels.
Saturday 13th & Sunday 14th – Faversham Model Railway Exhibition, The Abbey School, London Road, Faversham, ME13 8RZ (Saturday: 10am – 4.30pm & Sunday: 10am – 4pm). Adults – £7, Accompanied Under 16s – £3. 23 layouts, 12 trade stands plus other displays.
Friday 19th & Saturday 20th – Rapido Railex, The Market Hall, Maidstone, ME16 8LW (10am – 4.30pm both days). Adults – £10 (on the door) or £7.50 (in advance), Accompanied Under 16s – free. Model railway layouts, trade stands, plus an opportunity to meet the Rapido team, see the latest Rapido products and to be 3D scanned by Modelu for your own personalised 3D-printed figures.
Saturday 20th – East Kent Model Railway Society (Whitstable) – Pop-up Model Railway Show, Strode Park House, Lower Herne Road, Herne Bay, CT6 7NE (10am – 3pm). Adults – £3, Accompanied Under 16s – £1. East Kent MRS will be displaying their model railway layouts as part of the annual fun day.
Saturday 20th & Sunday 21st – Spa Valley Railway Model Railway Weekend, Spa Valley Railway, Nevill Terrace, Tunbridge Wells, TN2 5QY (10am – 5pm both days). Adults – £16, Concessions – £15, Accompanied Under 16s – £9, Family – £42. Model railway layouts, trade stands and unlimited rail travel to see exhibits at all three stations.
I look forward to seeing many of you on Tuesday 2nd. Please ask if you have any questions.
Regards
George Marcar (for GRES Committee)
