Thursday 29th November 2007

Summarised by John Day

Appeared in Journal 516

Traditionally this meeting starts with our Annual General Meeting and this year was no exception with a very good attendance. The Minutes of the AGM appear elsewhere in this issue and it is important for members to read and appreciate the business that took place. Other comments appropriate to the AGM also appear in my Chairman’s Message at the start of this issue.

For a number of members there was an additional surprise in store when they arrived to be greeted with the presence of David Love, David decided to surprise us at the start of our 50th Anniversary year and he really achieved that. For those who do not know, David is one of our members and lives in Sleaford. During his “schooldays” David was a frequent visitor to Ipswich during holiday times and became a great friend to many of us, especially the Gippeswyk Park group in the late 50’s/early 60’s.< On a more sombre note, it was reported at the meeting that our member and friend John Wade (again, one of our Gippeswyk Park group) was ill in hospital. Sadly on the day that we were wishing him well John passed away. Chris Hurricks has written an obituary to John that appears elsewhere in this Journal. The funeral was on Monday 10th December and the Society was represented by Graham Hardinge, Chris Hurricks, Ken Hammond and myself as well as other members who also represented other groups in the town.

So to the more sociable side of the proceedings, Roger and Joyce Harrison were recognised for their contribution to the Society as our Meeting and Greeting and Catering team and then after the refreshments we gathered for a short members slide show, the theme being “50 years of The Ipswich Transport Society” with contributions from, Tim Gibbs who showed a selection of slides depicting buses in the Luton and Hertfordshire area’s. Steve Worsley’s slides brought the human interest into the evening with groups of members on various excursions by coach, car and mini bus; Jonathan White always seemed to be the joker in the pack but perhaps the joke was on him when he was photographed wearing a kilt. To put the event into perspective shots showing the late Rodney Hood reminded us of those members who are no longer with us. John Day brought into play some modern traction slides taken on a number of Graham’s “shed bashing” coach trips around the Midlands, the North East and London.

Not forgotten in this sequence were shots of one of our regular coach drivers, Galloway’s own - Gerry Calver, who took coaches to places that coaches never went! Even letting air out of tyres to get under low bridges!! Those were the days. These three sequences were just the supporting act for Chris Hurricks’ presentation that went into the archives starting in 1966 with a picture of Eric and Reg Mouser with Brian Dyes on an ILTS trip to the Isle of Wight. In 1968 and 1971 brake vans tours of Ipswich Docks lines took place so numerous shots were taken at various locations around the Port. We look at the port area today and comparing those heady shots remind us how much change has taken place. One such incident was when some demolition work was taking place and the rubble had to be removed to allow safe passage of the tour. We saw some of the last working steam in the Ipswich area with visits to Cranes Works at the Nacton end of town and the British Sugar Works at Sproughton to see the Industrial Peckett’s in action There were shots of the “cleaning crew” on 32B getting the locos ready for the dock lines tour and Chris’ presentation conclude with a shot of the Society’s Founder H.N.J. at the Leighton Buzzard Railway and of Cyril Owen posing on a Brake Van. A most enjoyable and memorable evening to start our anniversary year.

Front Cover. 82107 is the first to receive the new National Express livery. Photo by Peter Bannister.

Rear Cover Top. Beeston's Scania Omnidekka YN54 OCJ on the 1245 Service 236 from Haverhill to Sudbury in Stanstead on the 31st August 2007.

Rear Cover Bottom. Cedric's Leyland Atlantean H548 GKX on the frequent service from Colchester on arrival at Brightlingsea in December 2007. Photos by Richard Mortimer.