Page last updated 26th November 2023
The Society has Branches throughout the United Kingdom
Details of Branch Organisers and Meeting are detailed below.
The Society is holding its next “Virtual Branch Meeting” which will be open to all members, friends and those interested in Swiss Railways, on Sunday 21st January 2024 at 20:00. The speakers will be Mike Baldry and the talk entitled “Switzerland in the Snow”. This meeting will held using “Zoom” – works on Windows, Macs, Tablets and Smart phones. Details of how to log-on can be found on a link from the home page of the “Members Area” of the website or email: meetings@swissrailsoc.org.uk. Join at 19:45 for a chat before the presentation and there will be time for questions and answers afterwards. Past meeting can also be viewed on the same webpage. We do not have any speakers after this meeting. If you want these monthly meetings to continue we need volunteers, assistance can be given. Please contact Paul Russenberger.
Future Meetings:
2024
Could you give one of these talks? We urgently need volunteers for 2024. We will give help in using “Zoom” and arrange a practice meeting if you wish. Please contact Paul Russenberger.
All meetings start at 20:00 UK time and last for about 1 hour.
Bristol and Bath
Branch Organiser: James Henderson
20 Bloomfield Avenue, Bath BA2 3AB
Email: henderson@timicomail.co.uk
Venue: Jack Pugh Room, Bath Scout Headquarters, 7 Grove Street, Bath, BA2 6PJ. Meetings start at 19.30pm. Non-members are welcome at these meetings.
We ask for a donation of £2 to help cover the cost of room hire.
2024
12th January: Stephen Painter – European Miscellany.
9th February: Peter Over – Swiss Nostalga from the 80’s and 90’s.
8th March: Chris Dyke – Rhätische Bahn ( Chris lives at St. Nicklaus, in the valley on the way up to Zermatt).
12th April: Chris McMahon – A US Miscellany.
East Midlands
Branch Organiser: Glyn Jones
Alpiglen, 13 Welland Close, Burton–on-
Email: east.mids@swissrailsoc.org.uk
Venue: Brunswick Inn, Railway Terrace, Derby (almost opposite Derby Station) at 19:00
Click here for the branch’s web page.
Meetings are held on the last Thursday of the following months: March, April, May, September, October and November.
2024
28th March: Martin Fisher Swiss Alphabet Letters T to Z. Presented by Glyn Jones with audience participation.
25th April: Rob Morrey – “All over Switzerland – Well Nearly!”.
30th May: Glyn Jones – Pot Pourri 1 – Glyn Jones.
London
Branch Organiser: Jonathan Fisher
10 Runnymede Court, High Street, Egham, Surrey TW20 9AA. Tel: 01784 435622. Text only 07795 560236
Email: london@swissrailsoc.org.uk
Meetings start at 18:30 on the 2ndWednesday of the month and will be a mixture of meetings held via Zoom and meetings held at our new venue, “The Bishops Finger PH”, 9-10 W Smithfield, Smithfield St, London EC1A 9JR.
https://www.thebishopsfinger.co.uk/
Food is available at this venue after 17:00 and members are invited to arrive in sufficient time for some refreshment.
Details of a walking route between Farringdon Underground/Thameslink Station can be found here
A donation will be requested from those attending to cover the cost of hiring the venue.
Please note that from the October meeting onwards, meeting will commence at 18:30
13th December: Our Seasonal Christmas Quiz, this year by Paul Russenberger.
2024
10th January: Roger Jones will be making a presentation to us via Zoom.
14th February: Subject to be advised. This meeting will be via Zoom.
Volunteers to make presentations are always welcome, even if it would only be a small presentation, I am sure we can make a meeting up of short members presentations, that is to say a “Members Evening” If you wish to make a contribution to a future meeting please contact: pstatham@blueyonder.co.uk. We would like to plan one for one of our Zoom meetings from July to September. It would involve members letting me have images to display either by some means of file transfer or transferred from a memory stick at a previous Bishops Finger meeting
Manchester
Branch Organiser:
Email: manchester@swissrailsoc.org.uk
Venue: Friends’ Meeting House, 6, Mount Street, Manchester. [Behind Central Library.] (Metro – St.Peter’s Square.) Please note that meetings now open at 18:45 for chat etc. although the room is available to us anytime after 18:00. The presentation starts at 19:15 and meetings close shortly before 21:00. Please note the time changes. Check our website: http://www.swiss.nwrail.org.uk for further details/changes.
6th December: Slides by Brian Ainscough and Christmas Quiz. This may bre our last meeting at this venue, lease make every effort to attend.
2024
There is no meeting in January.
7th February: Zoom Meeting at 19:00 – Title to be announced
6th March: Zoom Meeting at 19:00 – Title to be annolunced.
West Midlands
Branch Organiser: Richard Shaw, email: west.mids@swissrailsoc.org, Phone 0121 552 5148 (Home) 07804126706 (Mobile).
Meetings are mainly held in Kidderminster Railway Museum on last Wednesday of Month at 19:30 from August to April, except for the December event (Most convenient date for members).
Click here for the branch’s web page.
29th November: To be arranged.
2024
31st January – Bernard Davis – “In search of my citizenship”.
28th February – To be arranged.
27th March – To be arranged.
26th April (Friday) Pre AGM Meeting -Sholto Thomas – Those Little Swiss Things.
Could you give a presentation to the Branch? If y -ou would like to please contact the organiser.
West of England
Branch organisers: Jonathan Collinge & Colin Stone
Email: wofe.branch@swissrailsoc.org.uk
The branch normally meets at 11:15 on the second Saturday of the month from October to April. Please contact the organiser if you would like to attend.
Venue: The Keyberry Hotel, 17, Kingskerswell Road, Newton Abbot,TQ12 1DQ.
Click here for the branch’s web page.
A new proprietor has taken over at The Keyberry and we have booked our usual room there for Autumn 2023. Because of personal commitments we are meeting twice this Autumn as follows:
2nd December: “Switzerland north of the Alps” by Mervyn Kendall.
2024
All meetings to be arranged.
Yorkshire
Branch Organiser: Philip Lockwood. Tel: 0113 2532176
Email: yorkshire.branch@swissrailsoc.org.uk
All meetings at the Middleton Railway, Engine House, Moor Road, Leeds LS10 2JQ and commence at 13:00 on Saturdays.
Click here for the branch’s web page.
2024
3rd February: The Bernina line by Philip Lockwood and a photo shoot with steam on the FO pictures from the late David Roger’s.
4th May: Australia Pt 2 by Diana and Richard Combs.
3rd August: Trains and Trams abroad by Peter Holden.
Our October meeting date subject to change
Have you thought about forming a branch of the Society in your home area?
The Committee will give you all the help they can, please contact Hywel Rees for more information.