We start this week’s blog with the sad news that life member Tommy Rawlings of Lancaster passed away suddenly last Wednesday aged 80. Tommy was a regular attendee of working parties at Haverthwaite in the early years of the Lakeside Railway Society and very much a larger than life character who will be fondly remembered by those that knew him. Tommy worked with Royal Mail for many years and then, on early retirement, followed his father in becoming a coach driver. There are as yet no funeral details pending a post mortem examination. We offer our sincere condolences to Tommy’s wife, Margaret, son John and daughter Wendy.
We do also have some happier news – FRT Trustee Jim Kay married Jean last Monday. We are told that it was not a ‘shotgun wedding’, even though they wore masks!?! We wish Jim and Jean the very best for a long and happy marriage.
Back to current activities and we can report that a successful working party was held at Bury last Tuesday to prepare 5643 for the re-bore of its valve liners, which is due to take place at the end of this month.
As can be seen, it has been necessary to remove the front buffer beam.
John Dixon, Sam Middleton, Keith Brewer and Adrian Tomkinson pose for the camera, which appears to have been ‘photo bombed’ by the gas cylinders.
5643 has also undergone its last cold boiler exam before its ten year boiler certificate expires at the end of the year. Arrangements are being made to renew a couple of stays which are relatively easy to access on the backhead of the boiler.
Back at Preston we are sorry to have to report that Anne Burton, who has been working on the upholstery on Royal Saloon GER No. 5, has suffered a broken arm when slipping on mud whilst out walking. We wish her a speedy recovery. 
Meanwhile John Dixon has uncovered some lincrusta wallpaper on the ceiling of the kitchen compartment in GER No. 5 whilst removing the water tank. It was suggested that this may be an opportunity to reinstate the lincrusta, but it has to be said that John didn’t seem too keen on reviving his lincrusta papering skills that he learned when the North London Railway carriage was restored at Appleby!
Finally, it is confirmed that Furness Railway locomotive No. 20 will be visiting the Buckinghamshire Railway Centre to appear at its Spring Steam Gala on Sunday, 1st and Monday, 2nd May this year.