SMJ150. 150 years since the railway arrived at Towcester

[Andy Thompson]

All

 

I know, somewhere on the site is an initial thread on this subject but I couldn't find it so thought I'd start a new one. 1st May, 1866 was the date of the opening of the line from Blisworth to Towcester and I thought it right we celebrated the fact in some way. I'd like your thoughts on possible activities and events etc we could arrange and I thought now is a good time to start.

I have already donated my (modest) SMJ collection to the museum in Towcester so have contacts there. I will be up  in Towcester in the last week of July/first week of August so plan to drop in to talk to them. If you think a get-together on the subject of SMJ150 is a good idea then we can talk!

I see, at least, an article in local papers. I have a piece written about the line which I could edit to highlight the opening a little more. What else could we be doing? I feel the need to make a logo, anyone got any better ideas than "SMJ150" for a name??

Wrap your brains round the idea and we can start fleshing out the plans here on the forum. I look forward to hearing from you!

 

Andy

[GRAHAM CAMPION]

Andy,

It was myself who posted the item on March 4th.  Certainly think such an important anniversary needs to be promoted, and a logo is a good place to start. My idea - get Great Oakley Brewery at Tiffield or another local brewer to produce 150 commemorative (and numbered) bottles of beer.

Like yourself, I have donated my large collection of SMJ books, photographs and memorabilia to Towcester Museum, so they are not short of display material!

Graham Campion

 

[Andy Thompson]

Graham

That's a great idea! Do you have any sway over at Tiffield, or contacts? Good to hear that someone else has added to the museums collection, they didn't seem sure when they'd get round to putting a display together.

I think I will put together a piece which I can peddle round to the local newspapers. I live in Devon by the way, so it's not such a straight forward thing for me to do. I am coming up in July to saty at my brothers so I will rattle a few cages then.

Thanks for your support

Andy

[GRAHAM CAMPION]

Andy Thompson said:

Graham

That's a great idea! Do you have any sway over at Tiffield, or contacts? Good to hear that someone else has added to the museums collection, they didn't seem sure when they'd get round to putting a display together.

I think I will put together a piece which I can peddle round to the local newspapers. I live in Devon by the way, so it's not such a straight forward thing for me to do. I am coming up in July to saty at my brothers so I will rattle a few cages then.

Thanks for your support

Andy

[GRAHAM CAMPION]

I don't have any contacts at the brewery, but with Tiffield being SMJ land, thought they might see the commercial opportunities.  Also The Walnut Tree at Blisworth has just been made Pub of the Month by the local CAMRA branch. So maybe if we can get it brewed at Tiffield, we could launch it at Blisworth with a bit of a get together.

Bear in mind that Towcester Museum got its Heritage Lottery money on the premise to feature the town's early history, especially the Roman era.  With the lack of display space there, maybe we should think about locating a different venue for a temporary 'Towcester station 150'?

Cheers

Graham

[Peter S Lewis]

Andy,

Since Stratford -upon Avon is part of the name (!!) and at the other end of the line, then a piece to the Stratford Herald would be a good idea too...

Peter

[GRAHAM CAMPION]

I would point out that at the time of opening in 1866 it was the Northampton & Banbury Junction Railway operating the line, the SMJ being a result of amalgamation and not coming into use until around 1910. Therefore, may I suggest dropping the SMJ title and replace it with something like 'Towcester station 150'?

Graham

[Colin Franklin]

Another possibility would be to stage a series of talks to interested railway groups around the region, for example RCTS,LCGB etc from now until the end of the year in order to highlight the anniversary and the SMJR as a whole. How about an article/s in some of the well known monthly magazines for e.g Steam Railway, Railway Magazine, Railway World etc as well?

[Rob Davidson]

Maybe we could have a walk or two along as much of the track as possible?

On another theme, l have recently taken over as Programme Secretary for the Wilmcote Local History Group and am looking to book speakers for 2016 and wondered if anyone out there could give a talk on the SMJ for the evening and also anyone who can give a talk on the Cheltenham to Stratford Line, please get in touch with me at [e-mail].

Thanks in advance,

Rob

[Nick Meredith]

If anything is done involving visiting locations on the line apart from Towcester (possibly the day after something at Towcester) , it would seem worth finding a way of incorporating a visit to the Leamington & Warwick Model Railway Society. Our clubrooms are only a mile or so from the former station site at Northend and by May 2016 we should have some visible progress on our N gauge model based on Kineton.  If nothing else we could provide a coffee and loo break.

[Dick Bodily]

Nick,

I should imagine there would be quite a few SMJR Society members who would welcome a society visit to your L&WMRS headquarters at some point regardless of it necessarily being linked to any 150 years do.

Dick Bodily

[NIGEL]

I agree with Dick.....I myself would welcome a society visit at some time in the future. As regards the 150th anniversary, this date falls on SUNDAY 1ST MAY 2016, and I would be more than willing to lead any tours of the line from Tiffield to Gayton and Blisworth to Gayton for our more agile members. A beer with the name " THE SHAKESPEARE ROUTE - TOWCESTER STATION 150TH ANNIVERSARY " has been put forward to a local brewery. Thinking ahead with other anniversaries on the line e.g. the opening of the line from Fenny Compton to Kineton in 1871, would give us a theme on the route for other brews?

[Andy Thompson]

Graham

I thought of that, but everything else didn't sit right. 

Andy

GRAHAM CAMPION said:

I would point out that at the time of opening in 1866 it was the Northampton & Banbury Junction Railway operating the line, the SMJ being a result of amalgamation and not coming into use until around 1910. Therefore, may I suggest dropping the SMJ title and replace it with something like 'Towcester station 150'?

Graham