Rally Chat Bluebell Line Railway. Possible 2019 rally

[ludo]

Yes please!

 

[SOS]

We would be interested in this. Will keep an eye out for any more info. Sounds great

 

[Wildge]

Interested ....NHS permitting . Please keep us informed Peter..... thanks.

 

[maz]

Hi Peter. We are very interested in this meet, depending on dates.

 

[TinaLes]

Yes please, we would love to come to this steam rally, if there's any room left that is? and we can see the dates when firmed up.
Deposit no problem, await your instructions.
Many thanks
Les & TinaL

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[Shrimp]

We would be interested!

 

[Armytwowheels]

We would be interested in this meet, sounds great.

 

[normanandsue]

Yes interested, if dates fit

 

[pandas]

which camp site is it?

 

[Spriddler]

Apologies if I'm treading on @Wombles toes but I happened to pass by Horsted Keynes station today so stopped to take a few pics.
There is a series of fields rising up from the station which are sometimes used as an overflow car park.
Today there was one water tap in the first field but no leccy except a cabinet with 4 industrial type outlets at 415volts.
The very helpful on-duty Fat Controller told me that they have previously left the toilets open 24/7 for rallies. There is also a manhole cover outside the station 'Gents' which can be lifted for emptying toilet cassettes. Shown here by the gate and behind the green pillar...

This pic taken outside the station building looking up the first slightly sloping camping field / overflow car park

Further up looking back towards the station from where the above pic was taken. (The marquee was being erected privately for an upcoming event)..........

From the two oak trees above looking further away from the station and up the field...

Even further over the rise above is a very sloping field (Gulp! - probably not necessary unless a vast number of Funsters want to go).

You must approach from Cinder Hill Lane to avoid the 8' high railway arch.

and this is the road sign on Cinder Hill Lane at the correct turnoff for the station......

Sign wording more clearly shown below..........

When you take the turn off at the signpost above there is the sign shown below at the start of the approach road. Ignore the height restriction warning as you will enter the station/camping field 200 yds before getting as far as the bridge.

I was told that the new locomotive shed (a very big shed!) at Sheffield Park station (10 mins by Bluebell Line steam train from the camping field) will be officially opened this Saturday 20th Oct.
Perhaps the station makes special arrangements/provides additional facilities for specific organised events but this post is just for interest in what I saw today.

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[BILL 875]

Hi Peter, Would be interested, but is there any proper beer down in those parts.
Bill

 

[Electraglide]

Hi Peter, Would be interested, but is there any proper beer down in those parts.
Bill

No problem getting decent beer down here, it is the mortgage to pay for it that is the problem.

 

[RFS]

Hi Peter

Can I please be entered onto the 'interested list' subject to dates (when confirmed) not clashing with other 'fun' events I've now committed to.

Thanks

Rob

 

[peterc10]

Just want to remind everybody that this is only an expression of interest thread. There is no "official list" at the moment. Please read my first post in this thread for what it is all about.

I had visited the railway before posting. On a subsequent recent visit with my motorhome a problem became apparent. The fields at Horsted Keynes are not suitable in that there is no way you can get a motorhome anywhere near level on them. Bear in mind I was using my levelling jacks, which can lift the motorhome higher than on ramps, and I could not get anywhere near level. When I first looked at the fields I thought they were OK in places and we should be able to get a good few motorhomes on the flatter areas, but that has proved to be wrong. The only flat area is the hard standing car park itself and that would only hold about 15 to 20 motorhomes once they were spaced out correctly.

I have been trying to contact the railway for the last week about this problem as there appears to be a suitable overflow car park we may be able to use at Sheffield Park, but I am not sure whether they will be happy with that or whether or not it has water. Unfortunately my contact has not yet come back to me, but I will keep trying. I hope to wrap things up one way or another and let you all know in the next 2 or 3 weeks.

 

[two]

Best of luck. It would be a shame not to be able to visit.
Shame you cannot make your last post 'sticky' or repeat it it to the top.

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[peterc10]

Hi Peter, Would be interested, but is there any proper beer down in those parts.
Bill

Now then Bill, just remember where all the hops used to be grown! Yes there is plenty of proper beer down this way, including the oldest independent brewery in the UK, Shepherd Neame in Kent. But even better is Harveys Brewery just down the road from the railway at Lewes. Nectar of the Gods. Proper beer mind you, none of the fizzy top pressure crap.

 

[peterc10]

Best of luck. It would be a shame not to be able to visit.
Shame you cannot make your last post 'sticky' or repeat it it to the top.

That sort of thing is beyond my technical knowledge Paul. But I am still hoping we will be able to run it at Sheffield Park Station instead.

 

[peterc10]

[Posted in error

 

[TinaLes]

I noticed a couple of campsites near the railway, one is called Ouse Meadows, looks very basic just a big field with water only.
Might be OK but their website link is under construction.
Theres also Wowo Campsite near Uckfield, however they say they dont like "Large" campers on their site, not sure if its an option as it may be too far away from Railway, as I am not that familiar with the area.
Are these suitable as an idea/option?
All the best.
Les

 

[peterc10]

I noticed a couple of campsites near the railway, one is called Ouse Meadows, looks very basic just a big field with water only.
Might be OK but their website link is under construction.
Theres also Wowo Campsite near Uckfield, however they say they dont like "Large" campers on their site, not sure if its an option as it may be too far away from Railway, as I am not that familiar with the area.
Are these suitable as an idea/option?
All the best.
Les

Thanks Les, but I have already checked for any campsites close to the Stations. Neither Ouse Meadows nor Wowo would take motorhomes.

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[TinaLes]

Hi Peter
Thats a shame, still their loss I would say We are after all a well behaved bunch, aren't we?
Les

 

[denisejoe]

Can you put us down as possible, depending on dates.

Is is MH only or would we be able to bring our caravan as we'd probably want to include it a tour around the area which is better with the caravan so we've got the car to get around.

Denise

 

[peterc10]

which camp site is it?

Not a campsite I am afraid, but a field with water and waste only. Are you interested?

 

[pandas]

Thank you but not this time. We only live a few miles away and were interested as we were thinking of taking the grandkids this half term as it also has good cycling near by. Hope it goes well a very good place to visit.

 

[Stumpie]

Yes interested

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[Bessie600]

Interested
Also Bob Worsley is interested

 

[peterc10]

I AM AFRAID THAT THIS RALLY WILL NOW NOT TAKE PLACE. PLEASE DO NOT PUT ANY MORE POSTS ON THIS THREAD ........ but there is some good news as well as bad news!

In Post No 224 above I set out the problems we were having with the original venue. The bad news is we have been unable to find any suitable alternative venue to hold a Rally at the Bluebell Railway. The Railway did not want us to use their overflow car park and we could not find any alternative places. Sorry about that.

But I hope there will be some good news. I am in the final throws of arranging a rally next to the Kent and East Sussex Railway (KESR), which has 10.5 miles of heritage line running steam trains between the pretty Kent town of Tenterden and the village of Bodiam, close to the stunning moated National Trust property of Bodiam Castle. And to top it all you can do a bit of cycling, canoeing kayaking and fishing if you want. I intend to post a new thread with all of the details in the next few days and I will PM all who have posted there interest here to pre-warn you all.

Thank you all for showing interest in this thread and I apologise that we were not able to organise a meet at the Bluebell, but I hope you will find that what we have got lined up at the KESR is equally as good.

PLEASE DO NOT POST YOUR INTEREST HERE AS I WILL NOT BE MONITORING THIS THREAD FROM NOW ONWARDS. PLEASE WAIT UNTIL I POST IN THE NEW THREAD.

 

[icantremember]

That's a shame Peter, but thanks for all your work in trying to arrange the meet.
If one goes ahead at Bodiam we would like to be there.

 

[Lenny HB]

Sorry to hear that Peter after all your hard work, thanks for the effort.

Looks like we will have to go back to dancing on the platforms at their 1940's weekend to get our free train rides.

 

[Electraglide]

The Watercress Line does have a campsite



I will have a look in.

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