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Slough & Windsor Railway Society
Virtual Friday Nights at The Manor
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Programme Changes due to Covid-19
"Friday Nights at The Manor"
Update: 16 January 2022
The SWRS Committee are continually monitoring government guidelines regarding Covid-19.
With effect from 21st January, Friday meetings will recommence at The Manor.
Mindful of the health of our members, the Committee have decided to hold the next few meetings over Zoom (rather than at The Manor).
Please follow current health guidance: take an LFT before attending; wear a mask at all times within the Manor; and respect social distancing.
The availability of our speakers cannot be guaranteed, so please consult the website, or our Twitter feed, for updates.
Our apologies for any inconvenience caused.
The Slough & Windsor Railway Society meets on Friday evenings at The Manor, by Slough railway station. The meeting is open to all, not just members. It usually features an illustrated talk on the subject of railways or some other transport-related theme, often presented by a visiting speaker (see programme below for details). There is a small admission charge to cover costs.
Programme Change
29th November 2024
Please note an alteration to the published programme:
(1) Next week we have the opportunity to see "The Marlow Donkey" film show; the evening on Boat Trains by Matt Francis will be scheduled for a later date.
(1) A Railwayana and Miscellania Auction will be held on 9th
February.
Chris's Super (Railway) Quiz will now take
place on March 29th.
Sadly, Michael Bunn passed away in January. He was scheduled to talk about The History of the Paris Metro on 23rd February. Instead, Frank Banfield has kindly agreed to give another of his popular evenings of Archive 16mm Ciné Films.
Christian Wolmar is unable to give us his talk about the The
Liberation Line on 29th November. We hope to
re-schedule the evening for next year.
Instead, Matt Francis has kindly stepped-in to give us a talk about his
Trip to the Queen and Amtrak.
Confirmation of the talks for November:
- Nov 03 – Christian Wolmar
- "British Rail: a New History"
- Nov 10 – Geoff Warren
- "Victoria Falls to Nairobi"
On Fridays, the Manor is normally open by 7pm, ready for the official start time of 7.15pm. The evening's talk starts at 7:30pm and usually runs to around 9:30pm, with a refreshment break about half-way for tea and coffee (free) or snacks (to purchase).
The Sales Stand will be open for No. 3 souvenirs, books, magazines, DVDs, and other railwayana (as available) and for members to arrange loans from our extensive library of railway books.
There's usually a raffle during the interval; and if you're lucky, someone may have brought in trains to run on the Society's 00-gauge model railway.
Programme Changes
"Friday Nights at The Manor"
July-September 2021
The programme published in Triangle magazine T126 assumed that The Manor would be available for meetings.
Since this has not been possible yet, a revised programme has been prepared.
The situation is under constant review, so please watch this page for updates.
Any last-minute changes will be announced on the SWRS Twitter feed.
The Metropolitan Electric Loco Story, the talk by Charles Horsey, will be re-scheduled once a date is known for the Manor to re-open.
Ian Smith's talk Industrials Galore
has also been
postponed to a future date.
- 16th Oct – Windsor Branch – David Grant
- 13th Nov – New Zealand (Pt 3) – John Fowler
Our apologies for any inconvenience caused.
Traditionally, the Slough & Windsor Railway Society meets on Friday evenings at The Manor (by Slough railway station) for a social evening usually featuring an illustrated talk. Since Lockdown, however, meetings have been held online using the Zoom video conference software.
Zoom meetings allow members to socialise from the comfort of their own home, to catch up on news, and to enjoy an illustrated talk, a quiz, or some other activity. Meetings are organised for most Friday evenings, and instructions for taking part are emailed to the SWRS Members' Mailing List.
There is no charge to take part, but participants are invited to make a donation towards the costs involved in hosting the meeting (eg Zoom subscription and speaker fees).
Slough & Windsor Railway Society is largely dependent on the Friday Night door takings for its income, and these have dried-up because the Manor has been closed during lockdown. The Society still incurs fixed costs, so any donations are warmly welcomed to ensure the future of the Society and locomotive Slough Estates No.3.
UPDATE – January 2022
Where indicated in the programme, certain meetings will be held online using the Zoom video conference software, rather than 'in person' at The Manor.
Zoom meetings still allow members to socialise, to catch up on news, and to enjoy the week's illustrated talk, but from the comfort and safety of their own home. Instructions for taking part are emailed to the SWRS Members' Mailing List.
There is no charge to take part, but participants are invited to make a donation towards the Society's costs in lieu of the usual Friday Night admission fee. (The Society still has to pay rental on The Manor, even if meetings are not held there, and income is largely raised through Friday-night door takings.)
To join the SWRS Members' Mailing List, or for further information,
please email:
info@swrs.co.uk
The current programme is outlined below:
Slough Station
Car Park Closures
Sat 14th Nov – Fri 11th Dec
The West Car Park will be partially or completely closed between these dates.
Please see News Page for further details.
Our apologies for any inconvenience caused.
Online Meetings during 2020
| Date | Subject | Speaker |
|---|---|---|
| May 8 | VFNATM Newsletter 7 | |
| May 15 | >>> Zoom Meeting <<< A Railway Passion – Part 2 |
Hattie Frankl |
| May 22 | VFNATM Newsletter 8 | |
| May 29 | >>> Zoom Meeting <<< One Hundred Years of Slough Estates |
Jaye Isherwood |
| Jun 5 | VFNATM Newsletter 9 | |
| Jun 12 | >>> Zoom Meeting <<< Zoom Quiz – Western Region |
Chris Zaremba |
| Jun 19 | VFNATM Newsletter 10 | |
| Jun 26 | >>> Zoom Meeting <<< Transport Mix |
Rob Holder |
| Jul 3 | VFNATM Newsletter 11 | |
| Jul 10 | >>> Zoom Meeting <<< Nil by Air: London to Sydney without flying |
Luke Ripley |
| Jul 17 | >>> Zoom Meeting <<< Zoom Railway Quiz – 'Islands' |
Chris Zaremba |
| Jul 24 | VFNATM Newsletter 12 | |
| Jul 31 | >>> Zoom Meeting <<< Zoom Railway Quiz – 'London Underground' |
Chris Zaremba |
| Aug 7 | >>> Zoom Meeting <<< Miscellaneous Steam |
Derek Spicer |
| Aug 14 | >>> Zoom Meeting <<< Steam, Diesel & Stock Scrap Moves |
Peter Robins |
| Aug 21 | VFNATM Newsletter 13 | |
| Aug 28 | >>> Zoom Meeting <<< History of the Mid-Hants Railway |
Frank Taylor |
| Sep 4 | >>> Zoom Meeting <<< Golden Oldies Worldwide |
Colin Miell |
| Sep 11 | VFNATM Newsletter 14 | |
| Sep 18 | >>> Zoom Meeting <<< Zoom Railway Quiz – 'General Railway quiz' |
Chris Zaremba |
| Sep 25 | >>> Zoom Meeting <<< Sri Lanka Show |
Simon Colbeck |
| Oct 2 | VFNATM Newsletter 15 | |
| Oct 9 | >>> Zoom Meeting <<< Toronto Transport Mix |
Rob Holder |
| Oct 16 | >>> Zoom Meeting <<< Zoom General Railway Quiz |
Chris Zaremba |
| Oct 23 | VFNATM Newsletter 16 | |
| Oct 30 | >>> Zoom Meeting <<< 2020 Observations |
John Coke |
| Nov 6 | >>> Zoom Meeting <<< Zoom General Railway Quiz |
Chris Zaremba |
| Nov 13 | VFNATM Newsletter 17 | |
| Nov 20 | >>> Zoom Meeting <<< Romania 1995 |
Ian Silvester |
| Nov 27 | >>> Zoom Meeting <<< Travels in Ireland during the past 53 years |
Colin Miell |
| Dec 4 | >>> Zoom Meeting <<< In search of Steam around Northern England in the Summer of 1967 |
Derek Spicer |
| Dec 11 |
>>> Zoom Meeting <<< Festive Photographic Competition |
|
| Dec 18 | >>> Zoom Meeting <<< Zoom Festive Railway Quiz |
Chris Zaremba |
| Dec 25 | (Christmas Day – no meeting.) | |
| TBA | ...await further details. | |
| March – Dec |
Published programme suspended during Lockdown... ...await further details. |
|
Online ('Zoom') Meetings during 2021
| Date | Subject | Speaker |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 | (New Year's Day – No meeting.) | |
| Jan 8 | Travelling on Overseas Tours with LCGB | Adrian Palmer |
| Jan 15 | German Railway Signalling | Wolfgang Meyenberg |
| Jan 22 | First Railway to the Seaside The Connection to the Port of Fleetwood in 1840 |
David Evans |
| Jan 29 | Bo'ness & Kinneil Railway Restoration of Caledonian Railway 0-4-4T no. 419 |
Mark Ashmole |
| Feb 5 | >> Programme Change << Zoom Railway Quiz |
Chris Zaremba |
| Feb 12 | A Ticket Inspector's Travels on the Severn Valley Railway |
Jim Seaton |
| Feb 19 | GWR Broad Gauge (To be rescheduled...) | Dave Grant |
| Feb 26 | The Baie de Somme Railway Steam Festivals | Michael Bunn |
| Mar 5 | History of the East Lancs Railway | David Wright |
| Mar 12 | Railways before the War... ...that's The Great War (Part 1) |
Jeremy Harrison |
| Mar 19 | Southern Locomotives Limited (SLL) | Nick Thompson |
| Mar 26 | Slough & Windsor Railway Society – Annual General Meeting | |
| Apr 2 | Narrow Gauge Steam in Nepal and Pakistan |
Geoff Warren |
| Apr 9 | Great Central Railway Reunification Project |
Tom Ingall |
| Apr 16 | >> Programme Change << GWR Broad Gauge |
Dave Grant |
| Apr 23 | Junior Porter to MD in 35 years (Tim Shoveller is MD of Network Rail North West) |
Tim Shoveller |
| Apr 30 | End of Steam Travels 1967-68 | Derek Spicer |
| May 7 | Plagues, Pestilence and Potions (Amanda Bryett is a historian / tour guide in Windsor) |
Amanda Bryett |
| May 14 | >> Programme Change << 2019/2020 Observations Part II |
John Coke |
| May 21 | The Death Railway (The Bridge over the River Kwai) |
Paul Whittle |
| May 28 | Railways before the War... ...that's The Great War (Part 2) |
Jeremy Harrison |
| Jun 4 | Syria/Jordan - Based on an LCGB tour in 1998 |
Peter Robins |
| Jun 11 | Railway Zoom Quiz | Chris Zaremba |
| Jun 18 | B17 61673 The Spirit of Sandringham | Brian Hall |
| Jun 25 | Guatemala and Cuba | Jim Ballantyne |
| July 2 | Vivarail and the Zero Emission Train (Adrian Shooter is the Chairman of Vivarail) |
Adrian Shooter |
| July 9 | Pop Music – 1960s-90s (with a difference!) | Hugh Rhodes |
| Jul 16 | John Coke Picture Show | John Coke |
| Jul 23 | Passengers No More: lost and forgotten railways of London (a virtual tour, by a real guide!) |
Stephen Benton |
Autumn – Winter 2021
| Date | Subject | Speaker |
|---|---|---|
| Covid-19 Notice |
Meetings are to be held at The Manor, unless stated otherwise. Please confirm this before travelling any distance. Last-minute changes will be announced on the SWRS Twitter feed. |
|
| Jul 30 |
Trainspotters' Barbecue Have a chat and watch the trains go by while enjoying a tasty burger! |
|
| Aug 6 |
Summer Railwayana and Miscellaneous Auction (outdoors!) Our first ever alfresco auction! Bring things for us to sell, and your wallets! (Clink link for details.) |
|
| Aug 13/20/27 | Members' Presentation Evenings | |
| Sep 3 | Fields & Forests to Royals & Railways | Joanna Moncreiff |
| Sep 10 | Preserved Steam Part 2 | John Laker & Keith Spillet |
| Sep 17 | 35mm Transport Slide Evening | John Coke |
| Sep 24 | Back to Big Screen Ciné The welcome return of our evening of vintage transport cinema, after nearly two years. |
Frank Banfield |
| Oct 1 | The Metropolitan Electric Loco Story | Charles Horsey |
| Oct 8 | War & Peace – 21st Century Steam in Sweden and Bosnia |
Simon Colbeck |
| Oct 15 | >> Programme Change << Transport Pot Pourri |
Rob Holder & Frank Taylor |
| Oct 22 | Railfuture Media | Bruce Williamson |
| Oct 29 | Subterranean London | Rob Smith |
| Nov 5 | Preserved Steam Part 3 | John Laker & Keith Spillett |
| Nov 12 | Transport Quiz Evening | Paul Joyce |
| Nov 19 | Maritime Adventures | Colin Miell |
| Nov 26 | Members' Quiz Evening | John Coke |
| Dec 3 |
Winter Railwayana and Miscellaneous Auction Bring things for us to sell, and your wallets! (Click link for details.) |
|
| Dec 10 |
Festive Photographic Competition Hopefully both in The Manor, and on Zoom! (Click link for rules.) |
|
| Dec 17 |
––– Meeting Cancelled ––– Frank Banfield's Secret Festive Cinema (Archive transport 16mm ciné films.) |
Frank Banfield |
| Dec 24 | Christmas Eve – No meeting. | |
| Dec 31 |
––– Meeting Cancelled ––– New Year's Members' Evening |
|
| Sep 4 | ...await further details. | |
| TBD | Industrials Galore (Ian Smith is Vice President of the Middleton Railway) |
Ian Smith |
| Nov – Dec | ...await further details. | |
Programme for 2022
| Date | Subject | Speaker |
|---|---|---|
| Covid-19 Notice |
Meetings are to be held at The Manor, unless stated otherwise. Please confirm this before travelling any distance. Last-minute changes will be announced on the SWRS Twitter feed. |
|
| Jan 7 |
––– Meeting via Zoom ––– New Year's Quiz (...about railways!) |
Chris Zaremba |
| Jan 14 |
––– Meeting via Zoom ––– Travels with My Camera, 25 years ago – that's 1996! |
Derek Spicer |
| Jan 21 | Progress of the Underground Map 1860-1960 |
John Dodd |
| Jan 28 | Travel Video | Ian Silvester |
| Feb 4 | Miscellaneous Transport | Graham Stacey |
| Feb 11 | Health Benefits of Heritage & Railway Modelling |
David Powell |
| Feb 18 |
|
|
| Feb 25 | Preserved Steam Part 4 | John Laker & Keith Spillett |
| Mar 4 | Pictorial Collection of Slough's Railways | John Coke |
| Mar 11 | Crystal Palace [Hybrid Zoom] | Frank Taylor |
| Mar 18 | Teenage Camera of Michael Preston | Mike Fenton |
| Mar 25 | Members' Hobbies and Interest Evening | |
| Apr 1 | Narrow Gauge and more, from the Smokey Past (Archive 16mm ciné films on a transport theme.) |
Frank Banfield |
| Apr 8 |
Slough & Windsor Railway Society – Annual General Meeting [Hybrid Zoom] |
|
| Apr 15 |
Good Friday Railwayana and Miscellaneous Auction Bring things for us to sell, and your wallets! (Click link for details.) |
|
| Apr 22 | Train Holidays in the United Kingdom [Hybrid Zoom] |
Peter Latham |
| Apr 29 | Reading's Pivotal Role in the Dunkirk Evacuation |
Paul Joyce |
| May 6 | The Masked Gricer | Simon Colbeck |
| May 13 | GB 1971 Travels around Britain, 50 years ago. |
Geoffrey Warren |
| May 20 | Re-thinking Broad Gauge | Dave Grant |
| May 27 | Steam Ciné Finale | John Coke |
| Jun 3 | The Queen's Platinum Jubilee Barbecue | |
| Jun 10 | The Ramblings of a Railwayman Tales of a former Southern Region steam locomotive driver. |
Geoff Burch |
| Jun 17 | Trains and Trolley Buses | Graham Bilbe |
| Jun 24 | West Germany and Zimbabwe | Peter Robins |
| Jul 1 | High Speed Train – 125 Group | Gary Heelas |
| Jul 8 | Members' Hobbies and Interests Evening | |
| Jul 15 | Slough Estates No.3 Evening | |
| Jul 22 | Mystery Rail Trip | |
| Jul 29 | Rail Enthusiasts' Barbecue | |
| Aug 5/12/19/26 | Members' Presentation Evenings | |
| Sep 2 | Memories of "81S" – the Stoke Place Railway | |
| Sep 9 | History of Cliveden | Frank Taylor |
| Sep 16 | Shipwrecks of the Thames | Rob Smith |
| Sep 23 | A-to-Z of Swiss Railways – Part 1 | Steve Ollive |
| Sep 30 | History of China [Presentation in the Manor, via Zoom from Germany] |
Wolfgang Meyenberg |
| Oct 7 | The HS2 Project | Keith Hoffmeister |
| Oct 14 | >> MEETING CANCELLED << Photographic Recollections of Members past and present |
John Coke |
| Oct 21 | Eastleigh – from Railway Junction to Railway Centre |
Gordon Adams |
| Oct 28 | West Somerset Revisited | Keith Smith |
| Nov 4 | Crossrail | Christian Wolmar |
| Nov 11 | Magical Mystery Tour [Note change from previously advertised title.] [Hybrid Zoom] |
Colin Miell |
| Nov 18 | Modern Traction Show | Shaun Bradbury |
| Nov 25 | >> Programme Change << High Definition Photography |
John Laker & Keith Spillet |
| Dec 2 |
Winter Railwayana and Miscellaneous Auction Bring things for us to sell, and your wallets! (Click link for details.) |
|
| Dec 9 |
Hybrid Zoom Meeting SWRS Members' Festive Photographic CompetitionHopefully both in The Manor, and on Zoom! (Click link for rules.) |
|
| Dec 16 | Festive Cinema Party (Archive 16mm ciné films on a transport theme.) |
Frank Banfield |
| Dec 23 | Christmas Eve Eve – No meeting. | |
| Dec 30 | Kaliningrad Kaleidoscope | John Medley |
| Sep – Dec | ...in course of preparation. | |
| Feb – Apr+ | Our apologies that Triangle T128 contains no programme. | |
| TBD | Industrials Galore (Ian Smith is Vice President of the Middleton Railway) |
Ian Smith |
| Nov – Dec | ...await further details. | |
Programme for 2023
| Date | Subject | Speaker |
|---|---|---|
| Covid-19 Notice |
Meetings are to be held at The Manor, unless stated otherwise. Please confirm this before travelling any distance. Last-minute changes will be announced on the SWRS Twitter feed. |
|
| Zoom Meetings |
January 2023 meetings will be held over Zoom. There will be no meetings at The Manor during January. Details will be sent by email to members on the SWRS Mailing List. |
|
| Jan 6 |
Zoom Meeting New Year's Fun (Railway!) Quiz |
Chris Zaremba |
| Jan 13 |
Zoom Meeting Marlow: Railway and River – 1831-1891 |
Adam Baxter |
| Jan 20 |
Zoom Meeting Transport Mix |
Rob Holder |
| Jan 27 |
Zoom Meeting Catching-up after Covid! |
Jim Ballantyne |
| Feb 3 | Commercial and Home Movie Cinema | John Coke |
| Feb 10 | 2000 Travel Log | Adrian Palmer |
| Feb 17 | A Wander Around YouTube | Frank Taylor |
| Feb 24 | Transport 35mm Slide Photo Presentation | |
| Mar 3 | Manor Hall Museum Artefact Talks | |
| Mar 10 | Railway Ramblers | Keith Lawrie Kevin Arnold |
| Mar 17 | Train to Frame Learn how to take better photos with your mobile phone. | Mike Swift |
| Mar 24 | (i) Wombles Genre (ii) Thirty-Eight Years at O.A.P. |
Hattie Frankl John Coke |
| Mar 31 | Hobbies and Interests Talks | SWRS Members |
| Apr 7 | Good Friday Railwayana and Miscellaneous Auction Bring things for us to sell, and your wallets! (Click link for details.) | |
| Apr 14 |
Hybrid Zoom Meeting Slough & Windsor Railway Society – Annual General Meeting All members should try to attend this meeting. (Click link for details.) |
|
| Apr 21 |
Hybrid Zoom Meeting Heritage Railway Training(Frank Taylor's advertised talk "The Pitchfork Rebellion" has been rescheduled to take place later this year.) |
Frank Taylor |
| Apr 28 |
Hybrid Zoom Meeting Transport Mix |
Rob Holder |
| May 5 | Coronation Barbecue To celebrate the coronation of King Charles III the following day. | |
| May 12 | Cinema Transport Presentation (Archive 16mm ciné films on a transport theme.) | Frank Banfield |
| May 19 | Watercress Line Over the Years with 1960's steam pictures | Tony Storey |
| May 26 | Members Talks and Films | SWRS Members |
| Jun 2 | Maurice Deane's Branch Line Photography – with Music | Mike Fenton |
| Jun 9 | Rambling Railwayman's Recollections by a former Southern Region steam locomotive driver. | Geoff Burch |
| Jun 16 |
Hybrid Zoom Meeting More Holidays by Rail in the UK |
Peter Latham |
| Jun 23 |
Hybrid Zoom Meeting G.C.R. Reunification Project |
Tom Ingall |
| Jun 30 | Filming Exploits on the Mid Hants Railway | Will Stratford |
| Jul 7 | My Trip to Japan | Chris Zaremba |
| Jul 14 | History of the Cholsey & Wallingford Railway ...and the Maidenhead Canopy | Tony Stead |
| Jul 21 | Cargo and Container Shipping | Matt Francis |
| Jul 28 | Trainspotters' Barbecue Have a chat and watch the trains go by while enjoying a tasty burger! | |
| Aug 4/11/18/25 | Members' Presentation Evenings | |
| Sept 1 | Railways at Home and Abroad | Bob Stonehouse |
| Sept 8 | On the route of The Golden Arrow | Richard Crane |
| Sept 15 | Executions on Tower Hill (Talk by 'Footprints of London' tour guide.) | Rob Smith |
| Sat Sept 16 |
Eton Action Fair SWRS will be attending with a sales stand. 11:00-16:00 – Eton College | |
| Sun Sept 17 |
SWRS Trip – Thames River Cruise Lunch time, from Caversham (Reading), upstream. | |
| Sept 22 | Rare films from 1910 and more... (Archive 16mm ciné films on a transport theme.) | Frank Banfield |
| Sept 29 | Life and Times of 48773 (LMS Stanier Class 8F – possibly Britain's most-travelled preserved locomotive) | Jeff Ryan + Bill Northrop |
| Oct 6 | >> Programme Change
<< Hybrid Zoom Meeting Railways of Albania and Madagascar |
Colin Miell |
| Oct 13 |
Hybrid Zoom Meeting Island Treasure – Railways of the Isle of WIght |
Colin Brading |
| Oct 20 | Transport Travels with the late Roy Miller and Trevor Polding (1960's steam, road steam, industrial, canals, etc) |
Simon Colbeck |
| Sat-Sun Oct 21-22 |
Slough Model Railway Exhibition 2023
10:00-16:00 – at Slough Museum (Trading Estate) and The Manor (by Slough
Station) with a free vintage bus between the two sites! (Click link for details.) |
|
| Oct 27 | >> Programme
Change << Autumn Railwayana and Miscellaneous Auction Bring things for us to sell, and your wallets! (Click link for details.) |
|
| Sat Oct 28 |
SWRS Trip – Gloucestershire & Warwickshire Railway Coach trip from Slough. | |
| Nov 3 | British Rail: a New History | Christian Wolmar |
| Sat Nov 4 |
SWRS Trip – Pendon Museum Minibus trip from Slough. [Cancelled] | |
| Nov 10 |
Hybrid Zoom Meeting Victoria Falls to Nairobi |
Geoff Warren |
| Nov 17 | Indian Railways | Donald Wilson |
| Nov 24 | 60 years of capturing the Sight and Sound of Steam – 1. "GWR Kings & Castles in the last Six Decades" – 2. "Steam in Action from the Lineside" (Professional railway video extracts by the videographer.) | Derek Spicer |
| Dec 1 | >> Programme Change
<< Transport Mix |
Rob Holder |
| Dec 8 |
Hybrid Zoom Meeting SWRS Members' Photographic Competition( Competition rules here ) |
Guest judge: Peter Robins |
| Dec 15 | Year 2000 Travel log – Continued! | Adrian Palmer |
| Dec 22 | Members' Evening | |
| Dec 29 | Members' Evening | |
Programme for 2024
| Date | Subject | Speaker |
|---|---|---|
| Covid-19 Notice |
Meetings are to be held at The Manor, unless stated otherwise. Please confirm this before travelling any distance. Last-minute changes will be announced on the SWRS Twitter feed. |
|
| Jan 5 | Epidiascope Night (Members' Photographs) | |
| Jan 12 | Slide Night (Members' Slides) | |
| Jan 19 |
Hybrid Zoom Meeting The Marlow Donkey (Film Evening) A rare chance to see the archive film show. |
Adam Baxter |
| Jan 26 | The Yorkshire Wolds Railway | Matthew Brown |
| Feb 2 | ABC of PG's Travels | Peter Greatorex |
| Feb 9 |
>> Programme Change
<< Winter Railwayana and Miscellaneous Auction Bring things for us to sell, and your wallets! (Click link for details.) |
|
| Feb 16 | Titanic Boat Train Heritage Trust | Ian Giles |
| Feb 23 | >> Programme Change
<< Transport Film Show (Vintage 16mm ciné films projected on our big screen.) |
Frank Banfield |
| Mar 1 | The Early Years of the Wycombe Railway (1846–1906-ish) |
David Lane |
| Mar 8 | Talking Turkey | Peter Robins |
| Mar 15 | Graham Bilbé's 'Black and White Night' (or 'Things I wish I had seen!') | Graham Bilbé |
| Mar 22 | Train Ferries of WW1 + WW2 (and associated railways) | Gordon Adams |
| Mar 29 | Chris's Super (Railway!) Quiz | Chris Zaremba |
| Apr 5 | Incredible Flying Boats – from luxury travel to warplanes | Lorimer Burn |
| Apr 12 |
Hybrid Zoom Meeting Slough & Windsor Railway Society – Annual General Meeting All members should try to attend this meeting. (Click link for details.) |
|
| Apr 19 | From Railways to Royalty – An Evening with Jack Boskett | Jack Boskett |
| Apr 26 | Trains Before the Great War – Part 3 | Jeremy Harrison |
| May 3 | Great Western Railway in Preservation | Richard Morris |
| May 10 | Railways of Scotland | Stephen Bigley |
| May 17 | Railway Accidents and Incidents Tales of a former Southern Region steam loco driver. | Geoff Burch |
| May 24 | Railway Scenes in Germany – Berlin - Brandenburg |
Steve Ollive |
| May 31 | Scenic Railways Around the World | John Laker & Keith Spillet |
| Jun 7 | The Great Train Robbery | Ian Boskett |
| Jun 14 | By 'Super D' to Barry Island (Part 1) | Ken Mumford |
| Jun 21 | Over 60 years of Railway Photography | David Canning |
| Jun 28 | A Year in Steam | Simon Colbeck |
| Jul 5 | >> Programme Change
<< Transport Mix |
Rob Holder |
| Jul 12 | Heritage Diesels | Shaun Bradbury |
| Jul 19 | Strictly Freight-Only – Part 1 | Brian Ringer |
| Jul 26 | Trainspotters' Barbecue Have a chat and watch the trains go by while enjoying a tasty burger! | |
| Aug 2/9/16/23 | Members' Presentation Evenings | |
| Aug 30 | Train Spotters' Barbecue Have a chat and watch the trains go by while enjoying a tasty burger! | |
| Sep 6 | Steam in Germany, Service to Plandampf | Bob Stonehouse |
| Sep 13 | Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire Branch Lines | Dick Crane |
| Sep 20 | By 'Super D' to Barry Island (Part 2) | Ken Mumford |
| Sep 27 | Edge Hill and its Complex Railways | George Howe |
| Oct 4 | Medium Gauge Steam – 1: Europe | Neil Kearns |
| Oct 11 | Chasing Elusive Steam in the 70s and 80s – Austria, Italy, Yugoslavia |
Donald Wilson |
| Oct 18 | >> Programme Change
<< Travelling with my Camera in 1994 |
Derek Spicer |
| Oct 25 | Some aspects of the Political Economy of Victorian Railways in Britain and Beyond | Andy Brown |
| Sat-Sun Oct 26-27 |
Slough Model Railway Exhibition 2024
10:00-17:00 (16:00 Sunday) Burnham Park Hall, Burnham, Bucks, SL1 7HR – free vintage bus from Burnham railway station! (More...) |
|
| Nov 1 | Class 91 Presentation | Ben Denton-Cardew |
| Nov 8 | Euston to Carlisle in the 50s and 60s – a black and white slide show | David Cross |
| Nov 15 | Both Sides of the Tweed | Dennis Lovett |
| Nov 22 | Snow and Scandinavia | Geoff Warren |
| Nov 29 | >> Programme Change
<< A Trip to the Queen and Amtrak – (Matt's US trip to see the Queen Mary) |
Matt Francis |
| Dec 6 |
Hybrid Zoom Meeting SWRS Members' Festive Photographic Competition(Click link for rules.) |
|
| Dec 13 | Year 2001 Travel log | Adrian Palmer |
| Dec 20 | Members' Evening | |
| Dec 27 | Members' Evening | |
| Jan – Dec | 2025 Programme is prepared. Watch for updates soon. | |
Programme for 2025
| Date | Subject | Speaker |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 3 | Members' Presentation Evening | |
| Jan 10 | Members' Presentation Evening | |
| Jan 17 | Members' Presentation Evening | |
| Jan 24 | Members' Presentation Evening | |
| Jan 31 | Slough Estates No.3 (Members Evening) | (SWRS Members) |
| Feb 7 | Stories from a Career in Flying | Lorimer Burn |
| Feb 14 | Rhapsody in BR Blue – a celebration of diesel power in the 1970s and 1980s |
(SWRS Members) |
| Feb 21 | Scenic Railways Around the World – Part 2 |
John Laker & Keith Spillet |
| Feb 28 | "Carry On Steaming, Again!" – 2023-2024 A photographic essay of steam power on road and rail. |
Simon Colbeck |
| Mar 7 | Looking Back at 2024 in Motion Professional video of mainline and preserved steam |
Derek Spicer |
| Mar 14 | For a Few Rupees More (Part 1) Steam locomotives at work in India in 1981 and 1987 |
Peter Robins |
| Mar 21 | That Was The Year That Was – 1962 | Geoff Plumb |
| Mar 28 | 35006 Peninsular & Oriental S. N. Co. (Preserved rebuilt Merchant Navy Bulleid Pacific) |
Chris Ardy |
| Apr 4 | After the Grouping (Photos covering 1923-29 from the Ken Nunn Collection) |
Jeremy Harrison |
| Apr 11 |
Hybrid Zoom Meeting Slough & Windsor Railway Society – Annual General Meeting All members should try to attend this meeting. (Click link for details.) |
|
| Apr 18 | >> Programme Change
<< Train-spotting: 2024-style (Good Friday meeting) |
Matt Francis |
| Apr 25 | Ashford to Hastings Revisited | Dick Crane |
| May 2 | Inter City 125 High Speed Trains – an enthusiast's perspective |
Richard Morris |
| May 9 | Railways of South Wales | Stephen Bigley |
| May 16 | 21st Century Steam Please note earlier start time (7:15pm) from this week... |
John Day |
| May 23 | When the Railways came to Guildford Told by a Southern Region steam locomotive driver. |
Geoff Burch |
| May 30 | Strictly Freight-Only – Part 2 | Brian Ringer |
| Jun 6 | By 'Super D' to Barry Island (Part 3) | Ken Mumford |
| Jun 13 | Yank Tanks USA Locomotives in Britain During WW2 |
John H Bird |
| Jun 20 | The Changing Face of The Berks and Hants Line: Reading to Newbury | David Canning |
| Jun 27 | Railway Journey: Mongolia-China | Nick Teale |
| Jul 4 | That Was The Year That Was – 1963 | Geoff Plumb |
| Jul 11 | Around Japan by Limited Express – exploring the classic (3'6") railway network |
Geoff Warren |
| Jul 18 | Broad Gauge Journey – Brunel's original GWR between Paddington and Swindon |
Rev Canon Brian Arman |
| Jul 25 | Trainspotters' Barbecue Have a chat and watch the trains go by while enjoying a tasty burger! | |
| Aug 1 | Pendon Museum The standard-setting model recreation of English countryside life in the 1920s and 1930s | Chris Webber |
| Aug 8 | Members' Presentation Evening | |
| Aug 15 | Members' Presentation Evening | |
| Aug 22 | Trainspotters' Barbecue #2 Have a chat and watch the trains go by while enjoying a tasty burger! | |
| Aug 29 | Members' Presentation Evening | |
| Sep 5 | Mainly Steam at Home and Abroad | Bob Stonehouse |
| Sep 12 | Transport Mix | Rob Holder |
| Sep 19 | Route of the Yorkshire Pullman | Richard Crane |
| Sat Sept 20 |
Eton Action Fair
SWRS will be attending with a sales stand.
11:00-16:00 – Eton College Volunteers needed to help, please, at least for some of the day. |
|
| Sep 26 | To China for Steam | Simon Colbeck |
| Oct 3 | >> Programme Change
<< Transport Mix |
Rob Holder |
| Oct 10 | Members' Presentation Evening | |
| Oct 17 | Travels in India | Jeff Bower |
| Oct 24 | Members' Evening (for those not involved in preparation for Model Railway Exhibition) | |
| Sat-Sun Oct 25-26 |
Slough Model Railway Exhibition 2025
10:00-17:00 (16:00 Sunday) Burnham Park Hall, Burnham, Bucks, SL1 7HR (More...) |
|
| Oct 31 | For a Few Rupees More (Part 2) Steam locomotives at work in India in 1991, 1994 and 1996 |
Peter Robins |
| Nov 7 | (All New!) Transport Mix | Rob Holder |
| Nov 14 | A Mystery Selection | Donald Wilson |
| Nov 21 | The Breakneck and Murder Railway | Ken Mumford |
| Nov 28 | A Walk Down Memory Lane… | Ian Boskett |
| Dec 5 |
"Hybrid Zoom" Meeting SWRS Members' Festive Photographic CompetitionHopefully both in The Manor, and on Google Meet! (Click link for rules.) |
|
| Dec 12 | RailTrails USA Tour (October 2024) | Adrian Palmer |
| Dec 19 | Festive Members' Evening | |
| Dec 26 | Boxing Day Members' Evening | |
Programme for 2026
| Date | Subject | Speaker |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 3 | Members' Presentation Evening | |
| Jan 2 | 53 years Driving with London Transport and National Express | Ray Bradford |
| Jan 9 | That Was The Year That Was – 1964 | Geoff Plumb |
| Jan 16 | Community Rail | Richard Crane |
| Jan 23 | Atmospheric Railway | Paul Garnsworthy |
| Jan 30 | Heading North for Rail 200 | Gordon Adams |
| Feb 6 | The Breakneck and Murder Railway, Southwards | Ken Mumford |
| Feb 13 | ELAN VALLEY - Railway Navvies, inventors and more! | Ken Mumford |
| Feb 20 | Scenic Rails Around the World – Part 3 (High definition professional video, with live commentary) |
John Laker |
| Feb 27 | A Touch of Winter | Peter Robins |
| Mar 6 | Flying from the Pilot's Point of View | Lorimer Burn |
| Mar 13 | The Heritage Scene ...from the Naughties to Today |
Robert Stonehouse |
| Mar 20 | Steam in South America | Simon Colbeck |
| Mar 27 | English Electric Class 50s | Joe Burr |
| Apr 3 | Member's Evening? | TBC |
| Apr 10 | UK Locomotives Operations | Karl Watts |
| Apr 17 | Steam in Western USA | Chris |
| Apr 24 | That Was The Year That Was – 1965 | Geoff Plumb |
| May 1 | British Steam in the first of the 21st Century | Jeremy Harrison |
| May 8 | Britain's Railways in World War II | Dr Richard Marks |
| May 15 |
Hybrid Zoom Meeting Slough & Windsor Railway Society – Annual General Meeting All members should try to attend this meeting. (Click link for details.) |
|
| May 22 | Volunteering GWSR | Richard Morris |
| Jun – Dec | 2026 Programme is being prepared. Watch for updates soon. | |
| Sept – Dec | ...in course of preparation. | |
| Nov – Dec | ...await further details. | |
| Oct – Dec | ...await further details. | |
| [date] | [TBC] | [speaker] |
Please note that this programme may be subject to change at short notice.
Check website or
Twitter
feed
for announcements.
Download programme poster (Jan-Apr 2020) [PDF]
Admission Charges
The Friday Night admission charge helps the Society cover the running costs of The Manor and any expense associated with the visiting speaker:
- Non-members:
- £6.00**
- SWRS members:
- £5.00
- SWRS members (*concessions):
- £4.00
- Under 16s (accompanied)
- Free
*Concessions: disabled, OAPs, unwaged
**Non-members: £6.00 for evenings with visiting speakers, £5.00 otherwise
Please Note – Admission Charge Increase:
With effect from 24th April 2015, admission charges for Friday Nights at The Manor have been
increased by £1 – the first increase since 2006. Charges were reviewed as a
result of commencing a new tenancy agreement with Network Rail.
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Upcoming Events
- April-onwards 2020 Virtual Friday Nights at The Manor (VFNATM) Online activities for members via the SWRS Mailing List.
- 29 May 2020 >>> Zoom Meeting <<< One Hundred Years of Slough Estates Jaye Isherwood
- 26 June 2020 >>> Zoom Meeting <<< Transport Mix Rob Holder
-
10 July 2020
>>> Zoom Meeting <<<
Nil by Air:
London to Sydney without flying Luke Ripley - 10 July 2020 >>> Zoom Meeting <<< Zoom Quiz: Islands Quizmaster: Chris Zaremba
-
20 Nov 2020
>>> Zoom Meeting <<<
Romania 1995
Ian Silvester - Spring 2021 Virtual Friday Nights at The Manor (VFNATM) Weekly online meetings for members via Zoom.
- Future Highlights
- 17 Mar 2020 SWRS meetings and trips have been cancelled during Lockdown. Please consult SWRS website or Twitter feed for further announcements, and the Programme page for details of online activities.
See Programme page for further details.
Latest News
See News page for details...
- Frank Taylor RIP A brief obituary. 19 Sept 2023
- Slough Estates No.3 – Overhaul Latest progress report has arrived, see No.3 News 6 Jan 2023
- 2023 Programme Jan-Apr details now online. 5 Jan 2023
- Slough Estates No.3 – Overhaul now under way Please follow progress on the No.3 News page 20 Apr 2022
- SWRS Privacy Policy View the data protection document online. 17 Mar 2020
- SWRS Mailing List Using email to keep in touch with members. 17 Mar 2020
