A diary in words and pictures of the restoration of our carriage up to mid February 2021. To view the diary please press the READ MORE button
After that click on this link to the diary
HPHA in conjunction with the Hythe Men’s Shed (at the Pier) has commenced repair work on the Hythe Pier Railway’s Carriage Number 4. The carriage, which has been gifted to the charity by Blue Funnel Ferries, is lying in the Hythe Ferry workshop and will be repaired to full operational and safety standards.
Once this work has been effected it will be placed back on the track, replacing Carriage Number 3 which will be withdrawn for a complete restoration.
This is the start of a proposed full restoration of the tractors and rolling stock that has been running up and down Hythe Pier since July 1922.
The AGM took place on the 30th July 2020. The meeting was limited in scope and restricted to the members of the Board to comply with Government regulations. Another General Meeting of the entire membership will be organised at the earliest opportunity, once the current situation is resolved.
The agenda for the meeting can be accessed by clicking on the title below
The Chair’s report can be accessed by clicking on the title below
The accounts for 2019-2020 with the Treasurer’s report is accessed by clicking on the title below
One item was added to the Agenda in Any Other Notified Business. This is accessed by clicking on the title below
Here are the minutes. Click on the title to view them.
An audio recording of the meeting was taken. Please press the “play” right arrow to hear it.
Dear members, volunteers and to all those who follow and support the activities of the Hythe Pier Heritage Association.
I wanted to share with you our message of support for Blue Funnel Ferries, the operator of Hythe Ferry. I am sure that you are all aware that on April 18th the ferry operations were suspended due to the dramatic turn down in passenger footfall that followed the extraordinary measures imposed by central Government to control the Covid-19 epidemic here in the UK. Blue Funnel like so many small and medium sized businesses is now facing real challenges with great uncertainty and a complete collapse in demand for its services.
As you know the Hythe Pier Heritage Association has been working with Blue Funnel since 2017 in an effort to secure a new future for the Hythe Pier and the Hythe Pier Railway. The plans for the restoration of both of these assets are now taking shape and legal agreements between ourselves and Blue Funnel are at an advanced stage.
With design development for the pier restoration in progress and works to restore the pier railway all set to begin, this national emergency and health crisis could not have come at a worse moment.
The continuation and development of a vibrant and viable ferry operation is essential to the long term success of our community project. It would be a disaster if the ferry operator were to fail.
Our objects and purposes are two-fold, the first is to preserve, protect, restore and redevelop the pier, train and associated buildings and structures for the benefit of the community and the wider public. The second is to share and advance the education of the community and the wider public in the history and heritage of the pier, train and ferry.
This crisis is unprecedented and the circumstances are exceptional. Without the ferry our pier has no central purpose, without the pier the ferry has no landing place, the two are intrinsically linked, right now there is a common purpose and I have today made my own personal contribution. I therefore have no hesitation in asking you to support their appeal and I am sharing it on our face book page.
https://www.facebook.com/HythePierHA/
Peter King
Good morning,
I realise it will be a little early for many of you but I had a moment so thought this as good a time as any to bring you some news. As you know we have recently begun to plan and organise the project to restore our historic pier railway. Well I am delighted to confirm that we have received our first significant financial support with a grant of £10,000 from the Beaulieu Beaufort Foundation. This really is a fantastic start to our fundraising campaign to restore the 98 year old pier railway. As we head towards its centenary of almost continuous operation we have put together an ambitious plan to raise over £200,000 to fund this element of the project.
Of course we recognise that right now our public interest is our common interest and so we have suspended most of our operations and activities during the Covid-19 health crisis. However as soon as circumstances permit we will resume working hard to secure the funding we need to ensure the future of this unique piece of our heritage.
Here is the press release we have issued regarding the grant.
If you would like to help us keep the railway restoration plan on track then email us on info@hythepierha.org.uk or message us here Hythe Pier Heritage Association – HPHA
Enjoy your weekend
Stay safe
Regards
Peter King
Beaulieu Beaufort Foundation grant puts railway restoration plan on track
Hythe Pier Heritage Association has received support for its plans to restore the historic Hythe Pier railway with a grant of £10,000 from the Beaulieu Beaufort Foundation, a charity established to support local organisations and individuals.
Peter King, chair of HPHA welcomed this support saying, “this is a great start to our funding campaign to support the restoration of historic and much loved pier railway. We are very grateful to the Beaulieu Beaufort Foundation for their support and endorsement of our plans”.
He added “these funds will be used to buy the materials we need to begin the work to rebuild the railway carriages which are in a poor state of repair. The work will begin once the current restrictions imposed due the Covid-19 Coronavirus crisis have been lifted “.
The Hythe Pier railway first began operating in the summer of 1922 and apart from a short period following the collision with the pier by the dredger ‘ Donald Redford ‘ in 2003 it has been operating continuously throughout the last 98 years. It is recognised in the renowned Guinness Book of Records as the ‘longest continuously running electric pier train in the world’.
The Hythe Pier Heritage Association was established as a community group during the autumn of 2016 following the announcement by the former operator White Horse Ferries, that the ferry service between Hythe Pier and Town Quay in Southampton might close, It has since registered as a community benefits society in February 2018 and was granted exempt charitable status by HMRC later that year. Volunteers are now working on a plan to secure a long term lease of the Victorian pier and seek major funding to restore and redevelop it to create a community facility for public benefit and to advance the education of the history and heritage of the pier, train and ferry in the community.