Celebrating 50 Years of The Thames Valley Traction Engine Club

Next year 2011, will see the Thames Valley Traction Engine Club celebrating its 50th year. To celebrate this once in a lifetime milestone of “50 Golden Years”, the club’s committee is planning a celebration over the weekend of the 16th & 17th July 2011 at Cholsey, near Wallingford, Oxfordshire.

Formation of the Club

The Thames Valley Traction Engine Club was originally formed in February 1961, when a meeting was held to form a club at the Shire Hall Canteen, in Reading, Berkshire.

At that first meeting were interested enthusiasts, who had gathered from the local area, from Appleford to Reading, to Maidenhead. From that initial meeting, the club was formed, with Arthur Napper duly elected as Chairman, Jack Wharton as Treasurer, and Ran Hawthorne, who had instigated the meeting, being elected as Secretary and Membership Secretary. Thirty-five members signed up to be members and paid their five-shilling’s subscriptions. The club has played a vital role over the past five decades in keeping local enthusiasts and owners interested in road steam preservation in the Thames Valley area. The membership has remained consistent over the years and there are nearly one hundred members scattered over the local area, and even some from further afield.

The club was heavily involved in helping organise the hugely successful “Great Steam Fair at Shottesbrook Park”, White Waltham, near Maidenhead, Berkshire in August 1964; the club’s committee was responsible for organising the line up of showmen’s engines that were present. Even today the event is highly regarded as the best Steam Fair ever held in preservation, and nobody has ever bettered it.

The club was also renowned for helping out and supporting the Appleford rallies in the 1960/70's, and club members also supported other rallies in neighbouring counties. Also the club was well known for its steam evenings that were held in the early days of the club - for most, the Thames Valley Traction Engine Club road runs in late May each year, highlighted the start of the rally season and the end of season steam parties held at Arthur Napper’s Farm at Appleford were legendary. These are just some of the notable things and memorable events the club was involved with, but its members also supported other rallies and events across a wide area, often raising considerable amounts of money for local charities. Even today the club’s members support many local rallies and events, and the club still meets on the second Monday of the month at the Englefield Social Club, Englefield, Berkshire, just as it has done for the past forty odd years.

50th Anniversary Celebrations

Plans for next year’s “50 Golden Years” milestone are well in hand, with a gathering of members’ engines and will also involve a celebration day/evening on the Saturday.

Previous Chairmen and committee members and special guests will be invited to this once in a lifetime celebration, and Robert Herring, Chairman of the National Traction Engine Trust, will be the guest speaker on Saturday evening. There will also be a chance to see an exhibition on how the club has remained at the heart of road steam preservation in the Thames Valley area. This will hopefully give members and guests an insight into how the club and the preservation movement have changed over the last five decades. The exhibition will hopefully consist of photographs, past newsletters and lots of information and memorabilia spanning the entire 50 years of the club.

On the Sunday there will be a road run for club member’s engines from Cholsey, Oxfordshire to the birth place of the steam rally at Appleford, Oxfordshire. This will probably be one of the highlights of the celebration and for many this was the home of some memorable steam rallies in the clubs early days and was also the venue where many of the clubs steam evenings took place.

Over the next few months, as the organising and the event takes shape, we will keep the preservation magazines up to date with what is happening.

Can You Help?

Do any Trust member’s have any memories of Thames Valley Traction Engine Club events that they may have attended, photographs that they have taken over the years, or any memorabilia or newsletters connected with the past 50 years of the club? These are required to help the committee put together the exhibition. This is a once in a life time opportunity to celebrate the Club’s 50th Anniversary with something that can be remembered for many years to come.

If you can help in any way, then please contact:-
Trevor Smallbone 11, Ashlee Walk, Woodcote, Oxfordshire, RG8 0SF.
Telephone: 01491 681599.
email: smallbone913@btinternet.com

Any information or photographs leant for inclusion in the exhibition will be returned to the contributor and any expenses incurred will be met by the club. Any photographs or information used in the 50th Anniversary exhibition, the contributor will be given an acknowledgement within the exhibition.