Tom Rolt centenary events

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11 February - The Talyllyn Railway
The Talyllyn Railway is a historic narrow-gauge steam railway, set in the beautiful Mid-Wales countryside. Running from Tywyn to Abergynolwyn and Nant Gwernol, the line passes the delightful Dolgoch Falls.

Tom Rolt was the inspiration for the preservation of the railway (the first preserved railway in the World).

A number of events will take place throughout the year, including a special commemorative journey to mark Tom’s birth on this day in 1910. For further information visit www.talyllyn.co.uk.

Throughout February - Tom’s books
The History Press is re-issuing The 'Balloonists', 'Sleep No More' and 'Victorian Engineering' to accompany the other Tom Rolt titles that it publishes:

• 'Narrow Boat'
• 'Railway Adventure'
• 'Red for Danger'
• 'Thomas Telford'
• 'Brunel: A Pocket Biography'
• 'The Landscape Trilogy'

www.thehistorypress.co.uk

24 April - The Rolt Cruise
Departing from Tooleys Boat Yard in Banbury, narrowboat Heron will be joined by others as it retraces Tom Rolt’s 1939/40 cruise around England’s canal network, which led to the publication of his hugely influential book 'Narrow Boat'.

Visiting many towns, villages and festivals along the way, the cruise will finish at the Inland Waterway Association’s National Festival at Beale Park on the River Thames in August.

Towpath and boating visitors are welcome along the way. Narrowboat Heron will have a tracking device on board so you can follow its progress on the Inland Waterways Association’s website.

Ron and Mary, owners of narrowboat Heron say that “any help through the dozens of locks along the way will be much appreciated!”

For further details email oxfordshire@waterways.org.uk.

Early May (exact date tbc) - The Rolt Cruise
At the beginning of May narrowboat Heron will be at Foxton Locks for a themed 'Rolt' waterways celebration in association with Foxton Inclined Plane Trust.

5-6 June - The Rolt Cruise
In June, narrowboat Heron will be at the junction of the Trent & Mersey and Caldon Canal in Staffordshire for another ‘Rolt’ themed celebration.

26-27 June - Tom Rolt Centenary Celebration Rally, Chester
Chester was Tom Rolt’s birthplace. The Chester Branch of the Inland Waterways Association welcome all to their Centenary Rally at the city’s Tower Wharf.

The organisers hope to have significant numbers of vintage cars as well as the possibility of an appearance by the Tom Rolt Steam Locomotive (on a low loader). There will also be traders, a live brass band, children's activities and refreshment stands.

For further information visit www.waterways.org.uk.

7-8 August - Prescott Hill Climb
Tom Rolt was a particularly active vintage car enthusiast. He was pivotal in the purchase of the Prescott Estate, Gloucestershire, by the Bugatti Owners Club in 1937. The club has hosted meetings at the estate since May 1938.

The Vintage Sports Car Club’s August Hill Climb meeting at Prescott will include a memorial ceremony to name one of the track’s corners in Tom Rolt’s memory.

Details of the venue and event can be found at www.prescott-hillclimb.com.

28 August - The Rolt Cruise
Heron arrives at Beale Park for the IWA’s National Festival (see below).

28-30 August - The IWA's National Festival & Boat Show (Tom Rolt Centenary Celebration)
To celebrate the centenary of Tom’s birth, The IWA will be holding their 2010 festival in his honour.

The event is to be opened by Timothy West, the well known actor who is also a great waterways supporter. Tom was passionate about the working boats on the waterways and as one of the many attractions on site, festival organisers plan to have a replica wharf, with office, crane and freight, alongside a display of historic working narrowboats.

Tom was also a vintage sports car enthusiast and there will be displays of these lovely vehicles along with steam traction engines which will reflect Tom's early years as an engineer working with steam powered agricultural machinery.

For further information visit www.waterways.org.uk.

8 September - 'Reflections on Green & Silver' talk
Oxfordshire IWA are hosting Gillian and Peter Bolt, IWA members, to give their talk entitled "Reflections on Green & Silver", at Kidlington Sports Hall, Oxfordshire.

This talk is based upon Tom and Angela Rolt's visit to Ireland in 1946, which resulted in his book 'Green & Silver' – considered to be the Irish equivalent of 'Narrow Boat'. Certainly the formation of the Inland Waterways Association of Ireland was credited to their visit, and inspired the IWA's campaign against the lowering of bridges over the River Shannon, which would have seriously impacted upon navigation.

Throughout 2010 - The National Railway Museum, Shildon

Tom Rolt was on the panel in the late 1960s which helped established the National Railway Museum.

There is an exhibition running throughout 2010 that features Tom Rolt’s two-seater Alvis motorcar within a Great Western Railway Mogo Van. Interestingly, this was the car in which Tom was the first to drive up M1 motorway in the late 1950s during the motorway’s construction.

For more information visit www.nrm.org.uk.

TBC - Newcomen Society
Tom Rolt was a long time member and vice president of the Newcomen Society - the world's oldest learned society devoted to the study of the history of engineering and technology.

The society is based in London and is concerned with all branches of engineering: civil, mechanical, electrical, structural, aeronautical, marine, chemical and manufacturing.

The society will be celebrating Rolt’s contribution to industrial heritage – details to follow.

For further information visit www.newcomen.com.

Photo courtesy of Martin Hancox and The 58, the Worcester & Birmingham Canal Society Magazine.

Last updated: 15/02/2010