I am currently typing this paragraph on the longest day of 2016, Monday, June 20th, with the window open and listening to the rain falling, another dismal day I’m afraid, but hopefully, warm and sunny days will follow!
The July edition of ‘Spotlight’ is just slightly ‘railway’ orientated, not just because of my interests in such things, but on the 30th June we shall celebrate the 175th anniversary of the first passenger train to travel from London to Bristol through Corsham station and Box Tunnel. I would think that Brunel, and his fellow Great Western directors, were delighted that after 8 years of planning and hard work, the goal had been achieved of rail travel between two great cities in the United Kingdom, London and Bristol. I’m sure if Isambard Kingdom Brunel were alive today he would be very interested to see the progress being made in electrifying his railway, which should be completed, we are told, by 2018.
In September we are again, as a Society, supporting the nationally organized ‘Heritage Open Days’ with a programme of events between Thursday, September 8th and Sunday, September 11th. May I place on record my grateful thanks to Pat Whalley who stepped in as Lead Organiser of our events, at the last moment due my personal family commitments. I hope as many of you as possible will be able to enjoy the programme we have organized this year.
Michael Rumsey