Detailed below are events organised by other societies, which may be of interest to our members.
If you have details for future events please send these to: Malcolm Dawes, 52 Rugby Road, Brighton, BN1 6EB or e-mail to malcolm.dawes@btinternet.com
Do please check details before travelling. The details of these meetings and events organised by other groups are only included as a guide and as a service to members. Inclusion here is not intended to be seen as an endorsement.
Steam and working industrial engines. Situated 6 miles from Hastings on A28 to Ashford. For any enquiries email bredesteamgiants@hotmail.com or phone 01424 844882.
Brighton Old Town: twittens and lanes. Meet at Brighton Museum. g.mead@sussex.ac.uk
Monday 5th May
Classic Motorcycle Show
Vintage motorcycles being ridden around the museum and on display throughout the day. Amberley Museum. 01798 831370. www.amberleymuseum.co.uk
Monday 5th May 10:00 am
Open day at the Brede Steam Engines
Steam and working industrial engines. Situated 6 miles from Hastings on A28 to Ashford. For any enquiries. https://bredesteamgiants.co.uk
Tuesday 6th May 7:00 pm
Planes, Trains and Airships
In an illustrative talk by Katherine Buckland exploring Eastbourne’s ties to aviation dating back to 1909.
Eastbourne Local History Society event. St Andrews Parish Hall, 425 Seaside, Eastbourne. www.eastbournehistory.org.uk.
Friday 9th May 8:00 pm
Step back in time
Paul Green will entertain us with a vast array of Sussex Memorabilia including old Sussex Photographs and Rare Sussex Newspapers. Burgess Hill Heritage and History Society event. Cyprus Hall, Cyprus Road, Burgess Hill. Small entrance fee. www.burgesshillheritagehistory.org.uk.
Saturday 10th May
Weekend 10th – 11th May National Mills weekend
See Mills newsletter for further details
Saturday 10th May
National Mills weekend
Weekend 10th – 11th May. See Mills newsletter for further details.
Sunday 11th May
Historic Commercial Vehicles Run, between London and Brighton
Historic Commercial Vehicles Run, between London and Brighton. www.hcvs.co.uk
Sunday 11th May
Open Afternoon at Chichester Model Engineers
Trains running during afternoon. Blackberry Lane, Chichester. www.cdsme.co.uk
Sunday 11th May
Southern Classics Car Show
Southern Classics is now one of the leading independent classic car clubs in the south east. A range of cars from a 1915 Model T Ford through to classic cars of 2000 will be on display. Amberley Museum. 01798 831370. www.amberleymuseum.co.uk.
Sunday 11th May
Historic Commercial Vehicles Run, between London and Brighton.
Historic Commercial Vehicles Run, between London and Brighton.
www.hcvs.co.uk
Wednesday 14th May
The Story of Westgate
Chichester Local Historical Society talk by Dr Richard Brownfield, Local Historian. Non-members £5. New Park Centre, New Park Road, Chichester. 01243 784915. https://chichesterlocalhistory.org.uk
Saturday 17th May
Volks Railway
As part of Railway 200, Volks Electric Railway will be operating a special evening service to commemorate the opening of the Brighton to Shoreham Railway in May 1840.
Saturday 17th May
1940’s Weekend
Event at Kent and East Sussex Railway. Re-enactments, Music, displays at Tenterden and Bodiam Stations. www.kesr.org.uk
Saturday 17th May
Home Front Weekend
Weekend 17th –18 th May. Exhibition of military vehicles with re-enactments, dioramas, and period trains. Also steam train rides operating. Amberley Museum.
01798 831370. www.amberleymuseum.co.uk
Tuesday 20th May 2:30 pm
Sacrifice and Remembrance – the story of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission
West Sussex Archives Society talk by Jeremy Prescott. Non Members welcome. Lavant Centre. www.wsas.co.uk.
Wednesday 21st May 7:45 pm
Brian Jackson with a further selection of photos from the Bill Jackson collection Part 2 1953
Sussex Transport Interest Group event. London Road Station. Non-members £2.50.
Saturday 24th May 10:00 am
Sussex Vintage Model Railway Club Show
Working displays and rare model railway layouts. Plumpton Village Hall, 1West Gate, Plumpton Green.
Saturday 24th May
Laughton Spring Fair
Weekend 24th to 26 thMay. Held on the Heritage Field. Many Steam engines on display. Many exhibitors and traders. www.laughtonshowground.co.uk
Sunday 25th May
James Bond at Amberley
The story of how the James Bond Film was made at Amberley Museum in 1984. Guided tours, displays, the Zoro Train used in the film and
Aston Martin cars on display. Amberley Museum. 01798 831370. www.amberleymuseum.co.uk.
Monday 26th May 10:00 am
Open day at the Brede Steam Engines
Steam and working industrial engines. Situated 6 miles from Hastings on A28 to Ashford. For any enquiries. https://bredesteamgiants.co.uk
Tuesday 27th May
World War Two at Sheffield Park
Memories of the role played by Sheffield Park during the war. Presented by Alan Bradford and Malcolm Lille a volunteer.
Alan spent his entire life at Sheffield Park. Danehill Parish Historical Society event. Danehill
Memorial Hall. Visitors £4 with tea/coffee and biscuit. www.danehillhistory.org
Weekend 31st May – 1st June. Traction Engines in steam, vintage vehicles, narrow gauge railway and the famous collection of organs. www.tinkerspark.com
Sunday 1st June 10:00 am
Geoffrey Mead’s “Ambles not Rambles”
Hove and Aldrington: 19th Century change. Meet King Alfred carpark. g.mead@sussex.ac.uk
Tuesday 3rd June 7:30 pm
A turbulent history in the pub life of Lewes
This talk will take an intriguing look at the landlords, landladies, customers, and the highs and lows of the pub trade. Newhaven Historical Society & Museum talk by Mathew Homewood. The Hillcrest Centre, Bay Vue Road, Newhaven. Free parking next to the Hillcrest Centre. Non-members £5. www.newhavenhistoricalsociety.org.uk
Trains running during afternoon. Blackberry Lane, Chichester. www.cdsme.co.uk
Wednesday 11th June 7:30 pm
The Battle of Birdham Bridge : the bare-knuckle All England Championship fight of 1824
Chichester Local Historical Society talk by Roger Thomson, Local Histiorian. Non-members £5. New Park Centre, New Park Road,
Chichester. 01243 784915. https://chichesterlocalhistory.org.uk
Thursday 12th June 2:00 pm
Behind the scenes visit to the Archive Room, Artefacts Store, and Library at the Weald & Downland Museum
West Sussex Archives Society event. WSAS members and their guests only.
Booking essential. www.wsas.co.uk
email contact@wsas.co.uk.
Friday 13th June 8:00 pm
Windmills of Sussex
A member of the Sussex Mills Group will tell us about local mills. Burgess Hill Heritage and History Society event. Cyprus Hall, Cyprus Road, Burgess Hill. Small entrance fee. www.burgesshillheritagehistory.org.uk
Saturday 14th June
Festival of Chichester
24th June to 20th July.
Full programme will be available on the website.
To include 29th June, 2pm. Guided walk “Elegant Entertainment in Georgian Chichester” led by Alan Green, themed with the concert at St John’s Chapel “An Excursion to Vauxhall Gardens”, at 4.30pm.
13th July, 10.30am A walk around Georgian Chichester led by Alan Green.
Weekend 14th –15th June. A wide collection of emergency vehicles , both vintage and modern, on display. Demonstrations by Fire Brigade. If
visiting on the Sunday bring Dad along for Free on Father’s Day. Also steam train rides operating. Amberley Museum. 01798 831370. www.ambereleymuseum.co.uk.
Sunday 15th June
Open Afternoon at Chichester Model Engineers
Trains running during afternoon. Blackberry Lane, Chichester. www.cdsme.co.uk
Wednesday 18th June 7:45 pm
Keith Goodsell travels in Switzerland in the 1960’s
Sussex Transport Interest Group event. London Road Station. Non-members £2.50.
Sunday 22nd June
Sadcase Car Show
Storrington and District Classic and Sportscar Enthusiasts is a nationally known award winning club with over 1650 members.. They will be
displaying sports and classic cars around the site. Amberley Museum. 01798 831370. www.amberleymuseum.co.uk.
Thursday 26th June 2:00 pm
Discovery Day – Roadside Signs
Examine the Museum’s collection of roadside signs and find out about the processes involved in designing
and creating the signs. Amberley Museum. 01798 831370. www.amberleymuseum.co.uk
Saturday 28th June
Model Railway Weekend
Weekend 28th – 29th June. Variety of layouts across the railway stations. Bluebell Railway. www.bluebell-railway.co.uk
Friday 4th July 6:00 pm
Geoffrey Mead’s “Ambles not Rambles”
Warminghurst; USA and Sussex. Meet at Warminghurst church. .g.mead@sussex.ac.uk
Saturday 5th July
Large Steam Show
Weekend 5th – 6th July. Large scale and full-size working steam engines on display around the Museum. Also Steam train rides operating. Amberley Museum. 01798 831370. www.ambereleymuseum.co.uk.
Classic motor vehicles from 1954 to 1994. Open to anyone to display their classic car Booking essential. Amberley Museum. 01798 831370. www.amberleymuseum.co.uk
Saturday 19th July
Southern at War
Weekend of 19th – 20th July. Re-enactors, displays, military vehicles and aircraft. Bluebell Railway. www.bluebell-railway.com.
Saturday 19th July
Rail Gala Weekend
Weekend of 19th – 20th July. Steam, diesel, petrol and electric locomotives on display with rides on the trains all weekend. Amberley Museum. 01798 831370. www.amberleymuseum.co.uk.
Thursday 24th July 2:00 pm
Discovery Day –The Railway at Amberley
Join the curator for a site tour looking at the impact of the standard gauge railway on the development of the site. A special event Celebrating Rail 200. Amberley.Museum. 01798 831370. www.amberleymuseum.co.uk
Novium Museum, Tower Street, Chichester
Small exhibition on the Selsey Tramway including some items loaned by Alan Green.
Exhibition on until end of 2025.
Hastings DMU’s. Opportunity for viewing the DMU train in action and booking a Sussex Tour.
Many members will have attended Jim Gibbons talk on the Preserved Hastings DMU a year ago
and there is the opportunity of seeing the train in action in Sussex and also booking a tour on the
train.
On 17th May there is a tour from Hastings to the Bluebell Railway and it is likely that the route
will be via Eastbourne, Lewes and Brighton. Discussions are also taking place for the train to
be used for Railway 200 on the Bluebell Railway during July and August. Details of the route,
timings and booking procedures will be available on https://www.hastingsdiesels.co.uk/railtours/
RAILWAY 200 Events
Little information available at time of printing. Worth searching web sites during the summer.
One event currently detailed is the visit of the “200 th Anniversary Touring Exhibition” to the
Bluebell railway from 23rd to 29th July. This unique touring exhibition train will be visiting
locations throughout the rail network to promote the past, present and future of the railway.
Further information will be available at www.bluebell-railway.com.
Dates for Diary
Association of Industrial Archaeology Society Conference to be held at Bradford 6th – 10th
September.
Sussex Industrial