What an exciting week we have had at Apedale. Our regular Wednesday working party discovered that the water supply was somewhat less than its usual self. This caused some considerable consternation, since we were heading towards the steam weekend. One thing steam locos need in some considerable quantity is water (if you don't know why, wikipedia is the place for you). As the week progressed, it became clear that no-one (especially the water people) quite understood how the water supply to the site worked, and consternation begain to turn to near-panic. Fortunately, our friends at the Heritage Centre managed to sort out a temporary piped supply, but the root cause of the problem remains under investigation. Meanwhile, we must record our gratitude to the local fire service who turned out to fill the tank on the steam loco "Stanhope". Other heroes of the hour include various locally-based members who turned out at all hours to let in plumbers and other water-related professionals. Thus far, fixing the problem has cost over £1000 and that bill is only going in one direction. You will have noticed the "donate here" buttons on the main wesbite - they are not there for decoration. They are there because every so often, we will have a crisis such as a Drought, which will eat into the reserves and make the Museum project even more challenging. I could say that every donation is a drop in the ocean, but perhaps not in the circumstances. You can see the temporary water supply in the photo. You may also notice something else creeping in, but more about that in a day or two. Contact us here.
