I wanted to post a few pictures from the A1 Annual Convention at Barrow Hill yesterday.
The day started with my dad and I sitting on a bank on Pride Park in Derby waiting to see Duchess of Sutherland taking a train to London at 7.30am but she didn't leave until 8.15 so we were freezing our nuts off!
Then we walked down to the station to catch a train to Chesterfield and then a bus to a rather posh hotel for the convention where we had coffee and biscuits laid on before the meeting. It was a superb presentation by the board detailing Tornado's last 12 months and her plans for the future. The board are incredibly enthusiastic and the Chairman, Mark Allatt, I swear could sell ice to eskimos!
After the presentation, raffle tickets were drawn to determine which 12 people had won a footplate ride on Tornado while she hauled a train up and down the running line at Barrow Hill later in the day. Alexa Stott, the sponsorship and events manager, read out the numbers and when she read mine out I almost fell off my seat! After the meeting had ended we all made our way down to the roundhouse for some lunch. I couldn't get there fast enough. We were taken out in pairs and greeted by the crew who were very friendly and more than happy for us to take pics and look around the cab. The last time I saw her was right after painting into apple green so to be in the cab while she was running was amazing. Ok it wasn't the mainline but I'll probably never have the chance again!
After the ride was over I spent the rest of the day taking pictures and was lucky enough to have a chat with Alexa and with Mark Allat who despite talking to 200 odd people between the meeting and my footplate ride took the time out to call me over and ask what I'd thought.
My thanks go to the staff, crew and board who no doubt had a very late night! It was a fantastic day.
Sorry the pics aren't my best, I'd like to say it because of the resizing but its probably just me being a bit pants with a new camera!
Who says men can't multi-task??
A very lucky man.
2009 or 1969??
The little tank on the back that made light work of 3 coaches and a few hundred tons of steam loco.
Kind Regards
Ant
