FoCT | 2005 Anniversary Event

Friends of Chatham Traction

2005 Anniversary Event

Saturday 1st October 2005 was, to the day, the 50th anniversary of the absorption of Chatham Traction into its parent Maidstone & District (and the 75th of its first day of operation as tram replacement). In November 2004 Roger Davies, Norman Kemp, Mike Hodges, Roland Graves and Richard Bourne met at the Stile Bridge Inn in deepest Kent to consider the viability of a suitable commemorative event. Would it attract enough interest? Would anyone remember Chatham Traction? Could we stage something worthwhile? From soundings in various quarters the consensus was a "Yes", and actions were put in hand to organise "Chatham Traction 50/75".

	As a lead-up to the event, Norman offered to paint one of Nu-Venture's Leyland Titans in C&D livery to draw attention. B97WUV duly appeared in brown and green, complete with silver roof, and was "launched" at the Historic Dockyard Chatham on Saturday 9th April 2005.

B97 was photographed at a number of locations around the Dockyard, taking advantage of some photogenic locations!

The main 1st October Anniversary Event was also held at the Historic Dockyard Chatham.

On a rather less than ideal day weather-wise it drew an encouraging response from enthusiasts, former employees and the public in general.

	Support in the form of a gathering of locally-preserved buses representative of the area was organised by Phil Evans of the M&D and East Kent Bus Club with assistance from Roland Graves and the North Kent Vehicle Preservation Group.

Inside the Dockyard's Victory Centre a display of photographs depicted the Chatham Traction story. This supplemented a longer slideshow version shown in the Centre's lecture theatre.

	Of the many artefacts which appeared was this contemporary model of one of Chatham Traction's Leyland Titan TD1s of the 1930 start-up fleet. It had been hand-made from food cartons, the original package markings being visible on the unpainted parts of the model.

Several items of genuine Chatham Traction origin also appeared, courtesy of former Conductor Brian Smith and the late Frank Wright. Examples are the used ticket box from No. 870 (GKE 64) shown with a ticket rack and paper ephemera, and a fare chart case. The hand seen holding up the fare chart belongs to Paul Winter, then the owner of GKE 68. Paul had travelled down specially from Barnsley with his family for the event.

Nu-Venture's Titan ran a couple of trips during the afternoon along former Chatham Traction routes with photocalls at once-familiar locations where this was possible. For these excursions it was fitted (very carefully) with a genuine ex-CT destination blind, and showed the appropriate destination.

The Strand still has a gas holder for a background, but the smell has gone!...

	Gillingham Green terminus is also still accessible, although it's become a lay-by.

The Mayor of Medway Councillor Ken Webber, seen with his wife Anita in front of the Titan, paid an official visit to the event. He toured the displays and the assembled vehicles, and was presented with a copy of the book "'ere Comes ve Brahn Bus, Duck" which was published on the day.

The authors Richard Bourne and Roger Davies are seen making the presentation.

The event gave rise to some valuable local publicity, as a result of which interested folk began to make themselves known. Overall it was a worthwhile demonstration of the level of interest in Chatham Traction that might be harnessed in support of the restoration of GKE 68.