Help!

Most of us are now sitting at home and obeying instructions not to socialise. However a few key workers are continuing with the repair to our landslip at Gotherington, as, if we stop now, it will not only get worse, but we will have to pay extra later on. It's better to get the repair done, stop the deterioration, and then be ready to run again as soon as we get the government green light.

The slip repair was j-u-s-t about do-able with what we had in the bank, and a donation from the trust. However, the timing could not have been worse, as it hit us at the end of the non running season with its seasonal negative cash flow, and just when we got started again and money began to flow in once more, we had to stop running. That killed off the opportunity to earn our way out of the cost of the slip repair.

Hence there is now an urgent appeal from the plc, which we repeat below. Please help us pay for the slip!

The full story of the slip can be read here, so that you can see the magnitude of the task:

Gotherington slip repair works

You can help this cause by donating to us either:

- By Bank Transfer to Sort Code 30-90-89 Account 47638368 using the reference ‘LANDSLIP’ plus your membership number (if applicable)

or 

 - By sending your cheque payable to GWRT to The Chairman, GWRT, Churchward House, Winchcombe Railway Station, Winchcombe, Glos GL54 5LD.

In either case, if you are a UK taxpayer and feel able to download, complete, scan and e-mail our Gift Aid form to trust.chairman@gwsr.com we will be able to claim 25% Gift Aid. Alternatively, you can print, complete and return it to the above address.

In the meantime we have all had to stop volunteering. Firstly those with a customer facing role, then all the rest, following government instructions to stay at home and avoid social contact. PWay, the rebuild of the Usk weighbridge and associated goods platform, and the rebuilding of the Broadway footbridge steps and canopy overhang are all on hold. It's a weird, unsettling experience, the diary is suddenly wiped completely clean. No volunteering and the merry discussions over doughnuts, but also no eye appointment, PSA test, B&B break to visit the Swanage railway, the 1975 best man's own wedding (finally!) is off, sons and grandchildren barred from the house, nothing. The diary is a complete blank.

We are allowed a daily walk, otherwise we'll get complete muscle wastage with all the sitting around at home.

This view from the Cotswolds edge not only shows some first born lambs, but also the Weston Subedge industrial estate, which lies adjacent to the Honeybourne extension. If you know where to look, you can follow the line of trees where the trackbed runs.

Not everyone is pleased to see walkers. This sign has nothing to do with the current virus epidemic, it's just a grumpy farmer fed up with people asking the way. Well, if you can't read a map....







We'll keep this blog going say once a week with items of interest, and perhaps it will offer a chance for dialogue as well to those that read it.

A couple of items of interest might be these, from the John Lees collection (not yet on the Flickr site):

In the summer of 2010 this rather dramatic slip occurred on the loop at Gotherington. Here too it was on the Malvern side, but as we have double track at this point, the sleepers went down with it.

We fixed that, but shortly afterwards, in January 2011...

.... came the chicken curve slip, which was much more serious. We fixed that too, but now had to appeal nationwide for help. The Heritage railway movement rose magnificently to our aid, and helped us sort out the problem. John Lees' photographs show that shortly afterwards they were already laying new track at Laverton, so we were on the springboard to Broadway.

Meanwhile there is a bit of work we can do from home. In the picture you can see a dozen timbers for the footbridge steps, which have just received a second undercoat and, as soon as we are allowed, will be assembled to form the sides of the staircases.

In the background is a pair of WAY OUT boards almost competed, and several kits of parts for replica poster boards. Some will replace temporary boards made of plywood in time for opening, and some are destined for the P2 building, when that gets the go ahead. We have to order the woodwork for all this in one go, can't do it in bits and drabs.

And there's a motorbike in hibernation. But not any more! The slip appeal coincided with a return to warmer and drier weather, so the 'Diva' (she is Italian...) was fired up to deliver the very first cheque to the trust HQ at Winchcombe.

An urgent courrier delivery for the GWRT appeal.

Sadly it's not for the full amount, but a humble contribution, and we are fervently hoping that you too will help with what you can give, to help us survive. We need you!

And without the railway there wouldn't be any blogs...