Forty Years of the Gosport Railway Society

On the 19^th May we celebrated 40 years since our formation. The celebration was held in Stoke Road Methodist Church and involved guests including Professor Ray Riley and a celebration cake.

The Chairman, Peter Keat, opened the meeting by relating to the members about the formation of the Society. In August 1976 Paul Smith with the assistance of the Curator of Gosport Museum put an article in ‘The News’ asking if anyone would be interested in forming a society with the aim of recording the history of Gosport’s railways and to form a  group to try to save Gosport station. They were amazed when the venue for the meeting, the Council Chamber, was full of people. At that meeting volunteers came forward and between October and December meetings of the steering committee elected the first officers. Paul Smith became Chairman, Peter Keat Secretary and Bob Harrop Temporary Minutes Secretary. Before the first public meeting Paul Smith left the group and Peter Keat took over as Chairman. It was agreed to hold a first Society meeting in  January 1977 and the Revd John Capper offered the hall in Holy Trinity Vicarage at a peppercorn rent and here the Society stayed for 25 years until the Vicarage was sold . Previously the Borough Council had offered us a building on the station site but the demolition contract had been let and it was not financially viable to terminate it.

On 21^stJanuary the first meeting attracted 110 people of which over a third became members. The  programme was a selection of British Transport Films presented by the British Transport travelling projection team and was well received. The programme for the first few months of 1977 was :-

January British Transport Films    February. Geoff Alcock on the History of Gosport Station,  March was Dr. Edwin Course  on the History of Gosport’s Railway   April  was Charles Lewis  talking about the Mid Hants Railway and in May the speaker was Dr Ray Riley

Alan Mellor was elected Vice President in the mid 1980’s and was a much-valued member of the committee. We were all shocked when Alan died suddenly in 1997. He was instrumental in arranging the three John Huntley ‘Bioscope Days’ evenings the Society presented in the Thorngate theatre and ballroom. All three evenings were sell outs and boosted the Societies finances for years to come.

In 2002 with the death of the Revd. Capper and the sale of the Vicarage we were forced to move. Again, another cleric came to our rescue, the Revd, Chris Gardener offered the use of Stoke Road Methodist Church and this has been our home ever since.

2002 saw the 25^th Anniversary and we held a celebratory meal and were very lucky to secure the actor Bill Pertwee as our guest speaker at a very favourable rate. Bill remained a good friend to the Society over the years, although he never visited us again he always telephoned the Chairman each quarter when he received his copy of our Society magazine the ‘Colonnade News’ as well as other times to inquire as to the Society plus Christmas Cards.

Below left Ray Riley our Guest Speaker. Right Our Chairman

One event that the Society is very proud of is that fact that two long standing members Alison and David married, our first and only totally Society wedding. 

Over the years the Society arranged railway history walks within the London area with Dr Edwin Course and Mrs. Joy Lavine plus Portsmouth walks with Dr. Riley.

Apart from the our normal monthly meeting we instigated, for six weeks in January and February, an informal Winter Series on Industrial Archaeology with Dr. Course and latterly ourselves. Over the years we have arranged various coach outings and visits.

The Society has amassed a large Archive collection and now have the most extensive collection of pictures and plans of Gosport's Railways in the country. These archives are often use for talks and lectures in the area. We also are the custodians of two models of Gosport station.  Using the basis of the Archives, the Society has written and produced seven booklets dealing with the history and the working of the Gosport line.

Socially over the years the Society has arranged 39 Christmas Meals, 37 Photo Competitions. It has held 480 monthly meetings and 48 Winter meetings a total of 528 evenings of education, instruction and enjoyment.

The Society magazine, Colonnade News, is published on a quarterly basis and has recently reached edition number 167 March 2017. 

The Anniversary Cake

Going back to the original aims of the Society we have helped to save the station by giving expert advice to the developers of the  station, fulfilling our original aim, that of to save the Station.