Today in the @Heritage_NGOs#SouthernProgress I visited @bluebellrailway along with @HRA_UK colleagues to talk about all things steam. Such an insight into a fascinating & complex site focused both on visitors and preservation. 2nd largest landowners in Sussex. Come for a look 👇
There are 4 stations each along the stretch of the @bluebellrailway (each set up for a different era) - first station to be preserved is Sheffield Park. This is 1880s & houses some great things to see. This station was also featured in Box of Delights. Still has gas lights!
At Sheffield Park there is Steamworks including some great education resources & hands on exhibits funded by @HeritageFundUK
Here also is Stepney, inspiration for Rev Awdry creator of Thomas the Tank.
On site there is a hugely dedicated volunteer force (the trust & membership organisation are both completely voluntarily run) and the Bluebell plc has a mix of volunteers, apprentices & staff - between them they are passing on skills & constantly repairing & restoring.
Also on site at Sheffield Park is the museum covering the history of the Bluebell & with a rescued & restored signal box.
Our first leg was in a 1950s carriage (various trips over the day show different parts of the collection). The line has only run to East Grinstead since 2013 as a part of the line had to be restored. A cutting had been filled with rubble & lines taken up. This took £5m.
Here’s the project to cut through to East Grinstead. This latest stretch enables people to also reach the end of the @bluebellrailway line by train from London.
Heading back up the line, here’s the beautiful 50s style restoration at Kingscote bluebell-railway.com/the-stations/k… which is the third of the 4 stations between Sheffield Park & East Grinstead.
We stepped off the train at the larger @bluebellrailway Horsted Keynes station to have a look at the restoration works. This station is 1920s/30s and is often used as a film set including for the Woman in Black & Downton Abbey
There’s a miniature railways & some great historical interpretation spaces at the station.
Also at Horsted Keynes is an @ace_national funded play area for small children housed in an old circus van and decorated beautifully along the theme.
The listed arts & crafts station buildings at both Horsted Keynes & Sheffield Park are exquisite and at Horsted it is currently undergoing specialist restoration work.
At Horsted we also had the privilege of seeing restoration work underway. There’s several sheds & conservation areas here. This carriage is being restored after (like many of its type) it was sold for housing. These wonderful photos show how they were transported to a beach.
Restoring and painting these carriages is a particular skill & work at sites like the bluebell ensures it is not lost and is passed down through volunteers and staff. These carriages are currently receiving undercoats. The latter will be restored to distinctive ‘blood & custard’
These metropolitan line carriages are stunners. They were also particularly useful during Covid as they are separate compartments & could be run as distinct spaces for family/household groups while rules were in place.
One of the most exciting areas was the new conservation lab for ‘Trimming’ - a specialist skill for re-upholstery of the carriage seats. Only 2 people had the skill & they passed this on at @bluebellrailway and now there is a volunteer force trimming here for other sites too.
On our return journey this 30s carriage was my favourite. Beautiful spaces, reminiscent of period dramas of my childhood. It’s the Box of Delights, Swallows & Amazons… with big pre-war windows making travel a real viewing experience.
It was such an enlightening experience to get out on the @bluebellrailway & hear about the opportunities & challenges even for a large steam attraction. Cost of living crisis affects visitors & volunteer travel, coal availability is critical with the final Welsh mine at risk.
These sites are putting in climate change adaptations e.g. ground source heat pumps & looking at solar panels. Coal emissions are minimal (cleaner coal has to be used but needs to be sourced). Tourism benefit is huge. These sites are complex heritage landscapes not just engines.
Fiscal interventions such as 0% on VAT for repair & maintenance, support with climate adaptations would help with restoration. The #CultureRecoveryFund was crucial (thank you @DCMS) but emerging from the crisis the landscape is more complex with energy crisis & fuel availability.
Kicking off a day with @Historic_Houses at @Sothebys celebrating & reflecting on the 75th Anniversary of the Gowers Report & the formation of the Waverley Committee. Looking at lessons for today. 🧵
Our keynote, shadow Heritage Minister, Lord Parkinson reflects on the need for more sense of history in decision-making. The departure to America of the Blue Boy in the 20s led to public emotion & 90k visitors to its farewell - there was a need to tackle the issue: Waverley
Part of the challenge - acquisition budgets to save items for the nation. Inventive thinking including recent sharing of a Reynolds will be needed in the future. bbc.com/news/entertain…
Out and about today for @Heritage_NGOs in Bath & Bristol. Our first stop of the day - @FairfieldHouse_ home to Emperor Haile Selassie I & now a lively, sacred & historic place of importance for many communities including Ethiopians, Rastafari & Bath residents. 🧵
We chatted to a local charity group who work at Fairfield each fortnight, sewing bags to sell for good causes. A great example of heritage hosting creativity & wellbeing activities. Also on site is the Windrush Centre with an exhibition of community donated items.
So many fascinating connections from WW2 to Selassie to Pankhurst. @FairfieldHouse_ is gradually amassing collections including Selassie’s pianola
Here at the @ACEnterprises awards this evening. It was a real privilege to be a judge this year. First up - great to see our member @DelapreAbbey win catering initiative of the year & @nationaltrust win best e-commerce initiative
Next @The_Globe win best event with inclusive Anthony & Cleopatra. Best publication to @britishlibrary with @ShakespeareBT running up. Best venue hire is @glasgowlife & best ticketing initiative @FoundlingMuseum. Best licensing initiative @nationaltrust for collab w/ Craghoppers
Good also to see @AshmoleanMuseum & @EnglishHeritage running up. The best visitor experience is @GrimmAndCo, the best retail initiative is @MuseumoftheHome, the marketing campaign of the year goes to @CastleHowardEst
Emma & I explored @Heritage_NGOs member via @unibirmingham @winterbournehg today. An arts & crafts house & botanical garden. Come & have a look inside…
Wonderful to join @Heritage_NGOs new member @heritage_crafts at @EnglishHeritage @ElthamPalace for their Heritage Crafts Awards with @RoyalMintUK
Intros from Natasha Kaplinski, @EnglishHeritage Nick Merriman & @heritage_crafts Chair David Clarke - David welcomes @DCMS ratification of UNESCO convention on Intangible Cultural Heritage. Thanks also to @HeritageFundUK for resilience grant.
37 training bursaries announced today for craftspeople of tomorrow - skills ranging from bookbinding & millinery to scientific glass blowing.
Good morning from #HeritageDebate24 - @Heritage_NGOs Chair @CaroleSouter introduces the topic “Balancing the Books - How Should the Heritage Sector Be Funded?” & the angles we will explore - philanthropic, public & commercial. Thanks to @Ecclesiastical & @ArchHFund @HistEnvForum
An opening poll answered by 158 of our 400+ live attendees captured the main source of funding for organisations attending.
We are hearing introductions from our panellists today.