For enthusiasts, researchers and modellers of the Great Eastern Railway

The 2024 Annual General Meeting of the Great Eastern Railway Society will be held on Saturday 16th March at its familiar venue again this year: ACL Brentwood, Bishops Hill, on the corner of Rayleigh Road and Poplar Road, Hutton, Brentwood, Essex CM13 1BD.

Access to the hall for those setting up stalls and tables will be from 8am and, once again, there will be plenty of second-hand books and stalls of other services for you to enjoy and, who knows, maybe even part with some money towards Society funds. Barry Jackson will be there, with the excellent Files Emporium of course, and he always tries to feature a new item.

Part of the actual business of the AGM will be to elect a Treasurer (Neil Pearson having resigned during the year) plus at least one Ordinary Member to the Executive Committee. Names of volunteers, nominations and requests for further information before putting a name forward should be made to the Secretary at Secretary@GERSociety.org.uk or 07939 567838.

Agenda for the 51st Annual General Meeting:

  1. Apologies for absence.
  2. Minutes of the 2023 AGM held on 18th March 2023.
  3. Matters arising.
  4. Secretary’s Report.
  5. Treasurer’s Report.
  6. Chairman’s Statement.
  7. Election of Officers.
  8. Election of Executive Committee.
  9. Appointment of Independent Examiner.
  10. Any Other Business, at the discretion of the Chair.

Four speakers have been booked, commencing at 10am,and this time they will include Alan Neville, Community and Customer Engagement Manager for Greater Anglia. This will be the first time in some years that we have included a representative of a Train Operating Company in the line-up. I have been fortunate to hear Alan at other similar events and can confirm he is extremely knowledgeable and always a very entertaining speaker.

If you want to book rail tickets in advance, Shenfield is the nearest railway station, from which it is a 20 minute walk (it says in my route finder).

The nearest bus route is the number 81 operated by First Bus: the nearest stop to the ACL being Rayleigh Rd Opposite Poplar Drive, Hutton.

If you are travelling by car, please consider car-sharing. As you may know, there is quite a bit of car parking both at the site and in nearby streets.

Please check your travel arrangements before setting off as we live in uncertain times!