Sussex IndustrialSaturday 21st September, 12 noon to 4pm. Open Day at Crawley Signal Box. Brighton Road,
Crawley. www.facebook.com/CrawleySignalBox
Sunday 22nd September. Autumn Bus Show Visiting and Museums buses on display with bus rides all day. Steam engines running on railway around the museum. Amberley Museum. 01798 831370. https://www.amberleymuseum.co.uk
Weekend 20th – 22th September. Bluebell Railway Beer Festival. Wide variety of beers with food, music and steam. Regular bus service between Haywards Heath and Sheffield Park Station. Bluebell Railway. 01825 720800. www.bluebell-railway.co.uk
Weekend 21st – 22nd September. Model Railway weekend at Spa Valley Railway. Extensive displays at three stations with trade stands. Trains running all day. www.spavalleyrailway.co.uk
Tuesday 24th September, 7.30pm. The Shetland Bus.
Bravery of fishermen fighting the weather between Shetland and Norway during WWII. Danehill Parish Historical Society talk by Gilly Halcrow. Danehill Memorial Hall. Visitors £4. www.danehilhistory.org/programme
Weekend 28th -29th September. Threshing Weekend.
Demonstration of the process of threshing oats using steam powered threshing machines. Transportation of the straw and grain for storage by the Museums horses and carts. www.wealddown.co.uk/events
Saturday 28th September. Tinkers Park Open Day at Hadlow Down.
Traction engines, train rides,Real Ale Tent, working exhibits, veteran and vintage cars, working exhibits, refreshments.. Connecting bus service to Uckfield. www.tinkerspark.com
Sunday 29th September. Land Rover Day.
Celebrate the classic Land Rover. Amberley Museum. 01798 831370. https://www.amberleymuseum.co.uk
Tuesday 1st October, 7.30pm. Lewes from a Newhaven Perspective.
A reflection on the relationship between the two towns by Bob Cairns using his huge collection of photographs. Newhaven Historical Society and Museum talk. Hillcrest Centre, Bay Vue Road, Newhaven. Free parking next to the Hillcrest Centre. Non-members £5. www.newhavenhistoricalsociety.org.uk
Saturday 5th October, 10am to 4pm. Open day at the Brede Steam Engines.
Steam and working industrial engines. Situated 6 miles from Hastings on A28 to Ashford. https://bredesteamgiants.co.uk
Sunday 6th October. Autumn Historic Transport Gathering.
End of season gathering of vintage cars, motorcycles, commercial vehicles, steam engines, diesel and steam locomotives. Amberley Museum. 01798 831370. https://www.amberleymuseum.co.uk
Sunday 6th October. 10.00am Geoffrey Mead’s “Ambles not Rambles” Binsted: ancient woodland and wide open fields. Meet Binsted church (nr Arundel) parking in lane.
Weekend 11th – 13th October. Giants of Steam Autumn Gala.
Visiting locomotives – further information later in year. Bluebell Railway. 01825 720800. www.bluebell-railway.co.uk
Sunday 13th October. Open Afternoon at Chichester Model Engineers.
Trains running during afternoon. Blackberry Lane, Chichester. www.cdsme.co.uk
Sunday 3rd November. London to Brighton veteran car run.
Sunday 3rd November, 6.00pm. Geoffrey Mead’s “Ambles not Rambles”. Brighton by lamplight: the city after dark. Meet at Brighton Museum. g.mead@sussex.ac.uk
Monday 11th November, 7.30 pm. A celebration of Signal Boxes. Southern Electric Group presentation by Andrew Marshall.. £3 non-members. Deall Room, Southwick Community Centre, Southwick. www.southernelectric.org.uk
Wednesday 13th November, 7.30pm. Country House developments in the Sussex Weald 1840-1914. Chichester Local Historical Society talk by Dr Sue Berry, historian and specialist in country house estates. Visitors £5. New Park Centre, New Park Road, Chichester. 01243 784915
15th November to 30th December. SteamLights at the Bluebell Railway. Entire trains bedecked with lights. Lineside Festive Scenes with Sheffield Park and Horsted Keynes Stations adorned with lights and decorations. Timetable and booking procedure on the web site. www.bluebell-railway.com.
Weekend 16th – 17th November. Brighton Model Railway Exhibition. Patcham Community Centre, Ladies Mile Road, Brighton. 10.00am to 5.00pm Saturday. 10.00am to 4.00pm Sunday. https://brightonmrc.wordpress.com/exhibition
Saturday 16th November, 2.30pm. The lost theatres of Brighton. Brighton and Hove Archaeology Society, Local History Forum talk by Chris Horlock. £4 non-members. The Fellowship Room, Central United Reformed Church, 102 Blatchington Road, Hove. www.brightonarch.org.uk
Wednesday 20th November. Steam Excursion from London Victoria to Eastbourne. Steam hauled down the Brighton Line passing through Haywards Heath and Lewes. Steam hauled return from Hastings passing through Crowhurst, Battle, Robertsbridge and Tunbridge Wells. Photographic opportunities in Sussex. www.railwaytouring.co.uk.
Wednesday 27th November,7.30pm. First tram rides: South East London. Volks Electric Railway Association talk by Chris Warren. Donations towards cost of running the meeting. Patcham Community Centre, Ladies Mile Road, Patcham. www.volkselectricrailway.co.uk/news/events
30th November to 24th December. Santa Specials at the Bluebell Railway. Timetable and booking procedure on the web site. www.bluebell-railway.com.
Sunday 1st December, 10.00am. Geoffrey Mead’s “Ambles not Rambles”. Firle Park & Charleston: chalk and clay. Meet Firle Village carpark NOT pub carpark. g.mead@sussex.ac.uk
Tuesday 3rd December, 7.30pm. Entertaining Sussex Women. A look at some of the women from the county who have had careers in entertainment, Newhaven Historical Society and Museum talk by Louise Peskett, women’s history author, Royal Pavilion Guide and tour deviser. Hillcrest Centre, Bay Vue Road, Newhaven. Free parking next to the Hillcrest Centre. Non-members £5. www.newhavenhistoricalsociety.org.uk
Saturday 7th December, 10am to 4pm. Open day at the Brede Steam Engines. Steam and working industrial engines. Situated 6 miles from Hastings on A28 to Ashford. https://bredesteamgiants.co.uk
Saturday 7th December, 12 noon to 4pm. Open Day at Crawley Signal Box. Brighton Road, Crawley. www.facebook.com/CrawleySignalBox.
Sunday 8th December. Open Afternoon at Chichester Model Engineers. Trains running during afternoon. Blackberry Lane, Chichester. www.cdsme.co.uk
Thursday 18th December,7.15pm. The Seaton Tramway. RCTS Chichester Branch Talk by Clement Fallows.. Bassil Shippam Centre, Tozer Way, St Pancras, Chichester. https://rcts.org.uk/branches/branch-chr-chichester.
Saturday 4th January, 10am to 4pm. Open day at the Brede Steam Engines. Steam and working industrial engines. Situated 6 miles from Hastings on A28 to Ashford. https://bredesteamgiants.co.uk.
Sunday 5th January, 10.0am. Geoffrey Mead’s “Ambles not Rambles”. Sussex Campus boundary walk. Meet Sports Centre carpark [near A27}. g.mead@sussex.ac.uk
Wednesday 8th January 7.30pm. Some Chichester MPs and what they did for the city – from Crawley to Chataway. Chichester Local History Society talk by Richard Childs, past West Sussex County Archivist. Non-Members £5. New Park Centre, New Park Road, Chichester. 01243 784915.
Wednesday 29th January, 7.30pm. Railways and tram systems of Paris. Volks Electric Railway Association talk by Tony Gwyther. Donations towards cost of running the meeting. Patcham Community Centre, Ladies Mile Road, Patcham. www.volkselectricrailway.co.uk/news/events
Pallant House Gallery, Chichester. The Shape of Things – Still Life in Modern British Art. Until 20th October
2024 Heritage Open Days in September
Many buildings are opened to the public during September as part of the Heritage Open Days event. Many of these buildings have an industrial archaeology interest.
Events outside of London run from 6th to 15th September. Details from www.heritageopendays.org.uk
Events in London will take place from 14th – 22nd September. Details from https://open-city.org.uk/open-house-festival-2024
The Association for Industrial Archaeology Conference. The one day conference and two half day visits are taking place in Cardiff from 4th to 6th October. See page 8
Local Exhibitions of interest
Brighton Toy and Model Museum, Trafalgar Street, Brighton
Age of the Atlantic, 12th October. Special Atlantic running day inspired by the Bluebell Railways launch of Britain’s newest steam locomotive. Other special exhibitions and events during the year. www info@brightontoymuseum.co.uk
Novium Museum, Chichester A small exhibition on Selsey Tramway. Until end of 2025.
Do please check details with societies web sites 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.
Please let Malcolm Dawes know if your society or contacts have a meeting which might be of interest to SIAS members, for inclusion here and in future Newsletters.