2025
Thursday 18th September 2025 - 7pm start AGM followed by films Admission free
Thursday 16th October 2025 - 7pm start Rev. Cannon B. Arman A Broad Gauge Journey, Swindon to South Wales
Rev. Canon Brian Arman makes a welcome return in October with a broad gauge journey from Swindon to Swindon via Gloucester, the South Wales Railway and Vale of Neath. One of the stories to be told is how our section of broad gauge was changed over to standard gauge in 1872 over a number of weekends, never having gone through the process of dual gauging, like the south west route.
Thursday 13th November 2025 - 7pm start Ian Boskett A Trip Down Memory Lane: 60s 70s 80s UK Railways
Following on from his Great Train Robbery talk last year, Ian Boskett returns in November. In his own inimitable style, Ian’s "trip down memory lane" includes scenes from the sixties, seventies and eighties, with a mix of his own images and others acquired over the years. Steam, locosheds and early diesels feature.
Thursday 4th December 2025 - 7pm start Peter Brabham The Welsh Borderlands, and the end of Steam in N. England and Scotland (Wiltshire & Chaplin collection)
Peter Brabham makes another visit in December with further dip into the superb Chaplin & Wiltshire collection of mainly colour images. Differing slightly from that previously advertised, the two-part show firstly captures the early 1960s pre-closure years of the lines of the Welsh Borderlands and Brecon, while the second half covers excursions to North Wales, West Midlands, North East England and Scotland, in search of the remaining BR steam locos (1964-1968).
2026
Thursday 15th January 2026 - 7pm start The Festiniog Railway Pt 1 – Up To Closure (1946)
In January 2026, Friends of the Festiniog & Welsh Highland Railway make their inaugural visit to the Society with Part 1 of a talk covering the history of the world’s oldest independent railway, from the beginnings of the Festiniog, up to closure in 1946 . We’ll look to slot Part 2 into our programme during 2027.
Thursday 12th February 2026 - 7pm start MRS Video Films
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Thursday 12th March 2026 - 7pm start David Mathew 1962 Was Only Yesterday
M.R.S. President, David Mathew, will take the floor in March to reflect on a selection of photographs from his personal collection captured during his travels around the UK in the early to mid-1960s and subsequent years. The evening will showcase images from regions that include the Southern, Gloucester and Cambrian lines, Carmarthen to Aberystwyth, Scotland, Cromford and High Peak and South Wales, among others. We can look forward to an entertaining and varied evening, supported by David’s high-quality photography.
Thursday 16th April 2026 - 7pm start Ken Mumford Brecon & Merthyr Railway Pt2 (Pontsticill – Bedwas)
Ken Mumford continues his copiously illustrated north to south journey along the Brecon & Merthyr line. This the second part of presentation taking in the section between Ponsticill and Bedwas.
Thursday 14th May 2026 - 7pm start Roy Kethro 50th Anniversary of Western Region HST Introduction
Roy Kethro joined B.R. at Bristol in 1969 as an apprentice. Within seven years, the HST concept had developed into the train that is widely regarded as the saviour of fast, Inter-City rail travel in the UK. 2026 will be the 50th anniversary of their official introduction (and on W.R. metals). So, it will be fitting that with his frontline, first-hand experiences on the HST Class 43 locos, Roy can tell the other side of the story in May 2026 and the many reliability issues the maintenance depots had to contend with.
Thursday 18th June 2026 - 7pm start Ray Viney Railways in South East Monmouthshire
Our Journal Editor, Ray Viney, will make his regular appearance in June to present another talk on the railways of Monmouthshire, this time focusing on the south-east of the county. Richly illustrated with images drawn from the Society’s collection, Ray's presentation will be concentrating on the railways in the picturesque Wye and Usk Valleys, while making visits to Chepstow, Monmouth and Severn Tunnel Junction. It promises to be another interesting evening filled with memories from the both the steam and early diesel eras in this part of Monmouthshire.