Annual Report on 2007

As usual I must caution readers that this statement is written in January 2008, and reviews the year 2007, looking forward into the future. By the time the AGM considers this report in May, events will have overtaken it, and some items may be out of date.

Executive Committee

The Executive Committee has continued with its policy of meeting four times per year, with dates fixed to best suit the needs of the Society business year, and will do so again in 2008. We were pleased confer Life Membership on Ted Oakley, Roger Meadowcroft and John Gillham for their services to the tramway enthusiast community over many years. At one point it looked like we would lose the services of our Model Engineering Secretary, Ron Leach, but due to a change in personal circumstances he is continuing in post.

Tramway Liaison Committee

As in previous years, our membership of the Tramway Liaison Committee is a useful exchange forum between the Light Railway Transit Association, the Tramway Museum Society, and ourselves. Improvements in the TLC joint subscription collection system have encouraged us to continue with its use.

Publications

There have been no new publications this year, but small profits still accrue from earlier works. We have undertaken a trial run of a CD ROM containing photographs of the Llandudno & Colwyn Bay Electric Railway, which we jointly copyright-own with the Omnibus Society.

Models

It was a fairly slow year for new model manufacture, with the situation much the same as recent years. One major addition was that Chris Cornell released his new London E/3 and HR/2 etched brass kits for 00 and 0 gauges. Considering that this prototype had been the most requested item on the last TLRS member's survey, initial sales were not as high as expected. With a little care, this type of construction will produce a very high level modelling standard, as found in the model railway world. Members are urged to give it a try. TLRS now sell these kits on-line.

UK Tramways Progress

As last year the only certain new tramway in the UK is Edinburgh, although there are signs that funds are available for route extensions elsewhere. Plans for the proposed West London tram route have been abandoned, mainly due to local opposition.

European Tramway Visits

Once again, the French put Britain in the shade by opening three new tramways, Le Mans, Marseilles and Nice. Visits there have been made easier by the opening in November of St. Pancras International Station and the last section of fast track to the Channel Tunnel, shortening the journey times to Lille, Paris and Brussels. From London, day trips to these tramways are even easier than before, and by changing trains other tramways become more practical to visit by rail rather than by flying. The St. Pancras station reconstruction is well worth a look in its own right. It is a shame that British development once again lags behind, and we will have to wait a while yet before Stratford International opens to provide the promised good interchange to main line, DLR and Underground for those living to the east of London.

Tramfare

Thanks go to the Editor, Graham Sidwell, for his continued efforts compiling Tramfare, and for producing the printed version of the AGM annual report, and also to Geoffrey Heywood for magazine distribution. The magazine is now full colour, something we have wanted for some time. This year Graham undertook a detailed review of alternative printers. Colin Cross Printers has served us well for many years, but modern technology means that we can get an equivalent product elsewhere for much less, so we are changing. The first issue with our new company, Latimer, who are based in Plymouth, is number 242 in March 2008.

Festivals and Exhibitions

There is something about the Festival of Model Tramways. In 2006 there was a heatwave. For 2007 (see review) it was floods. Fortunately the venue at the Kew Bridge Steam Museum had only minor problems but the aftermath was that travel to the event was problematic. However, TLRS Area Groups and individual members took part, as usual gaining the Society much credit. For the 2008 the Festival will return on 19/20th July to the Manchester Museum of Transport where once more the TLRS will be strongly in attendance. Elsewhere the TLRS was represented by members at a number of model railway exhibitions, with some area groups running their own local exhibitions.

TLRS Website

The TLRS web pages are hosted by my Tramways Information website at www.tramwayinfo.com. The site continues to be a major source of new members. People can join the TLRS and renew subscriptions or purchase publications and models. A new feature is an RSS feed, whereby users can easily be notified of changes on the site, either by browser or email. My continued thanks go to Bob Appleton for his contributions to the website and its management.

Membership

TLRS membership is fairly static, with losses at renewal time being made up during the year with new recruits. However the average age of members still increases. The 2007 AGM agreed that subscription for Senior and Student Members should be raised for 2008 to offset this. We intend to offer a new service to help members prepare for the disposal of their tramway-related possessions after their death. Once again I visited a number of the groups as a guest speaker during 2007 and was impressed by the interest and friendliness shown.

Archives

There has been a continual increase in items donated to the archives and model collection, including additional photographic images, under the careful stewardship of David Voice. Work has continued in the digitization of our negative collection, and we are grateful to Stan Letts for his efforts. The Society is grateful to members who will items to the archive, and from time to time we publish advice on the form bequests should take.

Future Prospects

We had agreed at the 2007 AGM to consider the subscription level for future years, particularly with respect to the reduced price "Senior" level, which needs to be adjusted to cover the cost of the facilities provided. The increase in subscription for 2008 helps deal with this, and the savings being made in our expenditure during 2008 as a result of changing printers should mean that the situation has now been stabilized. The level of "Gift Aid" has been reduced by government, something we have to consider. However, the financial position of the Society remains sound and we can look forward to the year ahead with reasonable confidence.

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