We have just had a fantastic weekend celebrating “Thomas & Friends”™ 65th anniversary party. We were sold out both days. We were very sorry to have to disappoint a number of potential customers, some of whom had travelled relatively long distances, but those who pre-booked were not disappointed and they were two great days.




Thomas is always very popular with children (of all ages!!) and of course we regularly run “A Day Out With Thomas”™ events but it was great to see so many smiling faces last weekend. This event was quite different to our normal DOWT days and I am grateful for the help given to us by HiT Entertainments who chose us to host the only 65th Anniversary Party in SE England.



The visit was spoiled for a couple of our visitors who found our car park full and who erroneously chose to park in the car and coach park in Station Road. One of the car parks is turned into a coach park for the summer season, and quite a lot of money was put into improving it last year by Tenterden’s Town & Rural Partnership. Now I have to say that there were no coaches parked there that I saw, but drivers who parked there were given on the spot tickets by the council’s traffic warden. Although this car park is clearly signed that it is the coach park, once somebody parks a car there, and the car park opposite is full, others follow. I am concerned that a visitor to Tenterden can park their car there, put money in the ticket machine and get issued with a parking ticket even though they cannot park there. The tariff board is clearly displayed and the machine takes the money and issues a ticket. Although Ashford Borough Council will state that they issue the ticket under the terms and conditions of parking, should they be taking money off visitors who are not allowed to park? Is this obtaining money by deception?



I recently attended a seminar at ABC to help the council decide which services to cut and which not to cut in their 2011/12 budget. They have to save £1 million. It would be easy to suggest parking wardens as somewhere to start but I seriously hope they do not reduce the service of the TIC at Ashford, or close the public toilets in Tenterden, or cut back on refuse collections. These are important issues for tourism businesses in the borough.



Still with the Council, we recently attended a planning appeal associated with ABC’s new Local Development Framework. We feel it is important that the LDF contains specific policies that will support the development of K&ESR, as the Borough’s leading tourist attraction. Some of ABC’s planning department do not agree – so we will see what the Inspector thinks.



I am pleased to report that we have raised our first £10k towards our Carriage Shed Appeal. Our Board and I put the first £1000 into the kitty, and it is great to see our members responding to the Appeal sent out in our in-house magazine. Thank you to those who have contributed, but we have a very long way to go.



We are working on our event programme for 2011. On 19th and 20th March 2011 we plan to run trains over the newly laid part of the Rother Valley Railway between Bodiam and Junction Road. That will be fun.



RVR have done very well in getting comparatively quickly to Junction Road. The next couple of miles might prove a little more difficult. Our Board and I attended a garden party at Udiam Farm to see the new piece of track and hear about their plans for the remainder of the missing link to Robertsbridge. I hope the landowners currently owning the old track-bed will help RVR in their efforts. In the meantime before K&ESR runs to Robertsbridge we have a number of important infrastructures to address of which the Carriage shed extension is just the first. The whole shopping list may take a while to complete.



I recently met with the owners of what next year will be the new Toy and Pedal Car Museum at Northiam. This is an interesting project and once it open K&ESR will become even more of a great day out with two tourist attractions en route.



We continue to have a busy season. Now we are into the peak tourist season, if you are planning a visit please ensure you arrive at our stations in good time for departing trains. The 11.45 vintage train departure continues to be very popular, as is its return from Bodiam at 3.25pm. The 1.15pm off Tenterden usually is a little more spacious and has higher capacity.