Committee Meeting, Inverness 18th April 2009

Present: Mike Lunan (ML), Richard Ardern (RA), Iain MacDonald (IM), Bob Barnes-Watts (BBW), Anne Sutherland (AS), David Start (DS), Roger Piercy (RP)

(1) Apologies
Angus Stewart, Gavin Sinclair (GS)

(2) Minutes from last Committee Meeting
Agreed and adopted.

(3) Matters Arising
None

(4) Treasurer Report
Finances are satisfactory.
We have received several donations along with membership renewals and a letter of thanks will be sent to one member. ML to action.
Discussion on Bonds. The Oakley Legacy bond will be 'rolled over' with the addition of interest.
DS to supply RP with the audited accounts for inclusion with the May Newsletter.

(5) Membership Report
156 paid members with 5 Community Councils in membership. 14 further reminders sent out. The Iron Roads books are sold out. RP to remove any mention on FoFNL literature to their availability.

(6) Convener Report
Meeting was brought up to date on the Conferences attended especially a Safety Conference from which it is hoped that a Level Crossing safety DVD will be issued.

(7) AGM Details
There are still doubts as to who will be our keynote speakers. The timings were finalised, and the lunch arrangements discussed. The trip to Altnabreac will be entirely at members' discretion.
John Brandon has offered his nomination for the position of Convener. All those committee members present indicated their willingness to continue in office if elected.
ML to continue firming up speakers.
Address for incoming correspondence will be "Findon Mills etc."

(8) Newsletter Report
Production will be in last half of May. ML to provide Headcode, IM to provide death notice for two rail stalwarts of Inverness, BBW to provide piece on TRU.

(9) FoFNL Records
RP to continue to work on this.

(10) Rail Police Presence in Highlands
RA reported on planned improvements with an increase in numbers following the retirement of Richard Mansfield.

(11) Train Delay Recording
This continues with RA and BBW doing their best to 'catch' all reported delays. RP enters these onto spreadsheet. The first 3 months appear to show an increase in failures. RA will attempt to analyse them in the same way as the report for 2008 for inclusion in the May newsletter.

(12) Communication of FoKL
ML brought the meeting up to date and will report any developments.

(13) Attendance at External Meetings
RA reported on his talk to UNISON.
RA reported on the opening of Arisaig waiting room which will continue to be the meeting place for HITRANS meetings.
BBW will be attending the Rural transport Conference on 5th May and will attend the next RUG meeting.
A volunteer was required to attend a meeting on the 6th May.
RA reported on his meeting with Lord Adonis in Inverness. This was at the invitation of Danny Alexander MP and John Melling, Frank Roach and John Rennilson were also in attendance. Lord Adonis went away with Issue 46 of the newsletter.

(14) Summer and Winter Timetables
GS has provided piece for newsletter. The pocket timetables have our details on them but they are still full of mistakes created after BBW and RA had checked the drafts.

(15) Transport Scotland Response
Transport Scotland did not consider us a Consultee. No reply has been received. ML has pursued this but it will be left to the next Convener to follow up. This also applies to our representation re Rolling Stock.

(16) AOCB
RA reported on progress with the book describing 1960 station closures.
ML reported that a room was possibly available at Invergordon Station. He will check it out when next driving south. Station survey: it was decided that no follow-up was necessary.
ML will liaise with Frank Roach on the whether a donation could be made to encourage the painting of the County march Summit Boards.