The Erlestoke Manor Fund
The Erlestoke Manor Fund
The Erlestoke Manor Fund
Jane was appointed Fund Secretary in September 2020 and elected as a Trustee in 2021. Jane was elected Chair in February 2025 when Adrian Hassell stood down from that role whilst remaining a Trustee due to work commitments. She was the Severn Valley Railway’s first HR Manager also ran the Heritage Skills Training Academy from 2016 until 2020, when she became an SVR working member and joined EMF firstly as their Company Secretary. Her career in the public, private and not for profit sector has focused on human resources and governance.
Widening her involvement in the Fund, Jane took on the reigns of Membership Secretary in 2021, along with regularly running the Fund’s sales coach at Bewdley Station and attending Engineering Working Parties in Tyseley where she can be seen with a paint brush or cleaning cloths in hand. She is particularly interested in encouraging young people to become involved in the Fund’s activities through education and learning.
Adrian became involved in the SVR initially on the signalling side, before adding footplate work to his volunteering in the mid-1990s progressing to steam traction inspector. Having been a shareholder for some years, Adrian was Membership Secretary from 2018 to 2021, becoming a Trustee in 2019 including serving as Chair of the Fund between 2021 and 2025. With a passion for all things Great Western, Adrian’s interest and involvement in the Fund has been particularly driven by the hands-on approach in maintaining locomotives 7802 and 7812 in operating condition, encouraging supporters to become involved more closely with the locomotives and the Fund’s planning for the longer term.
Tim was elected as a Trustee in 2020, having volunteered as Treasurer following John Whitcomb’s passing in late 2019.
Tim’s been a heritage railway enthusiast and frequent visitor to the SVR since childhood, a member since his teens and a regular working member (as a signalman) since 2013. Incidentally, Tim’s wife Jane (a GP) is also a working member as the SVR’s Chief Medical Officer. Tim’s other interests include hill walking, sailing & classical music.
Tim is recently retired, formerly a Vice President of Information Technology for a major European energy generation and trading company. He has brought his business experience to bear on the EMF’s finances by migrating the accounts to a commercial cloud-based ledger package which supports robust financial management processes. These include VAT returns, Gift Aid claims, purchase order and invoice management, cash flow management, budgeting, and the production of a comprehensive monthly financial report for Trustees, all of which ensure financial transparency and control.
Terry is a Chartered Civil Engineer whose career was primarily in highway and bridge design, construction and maintenance, rising to senior management roles. Terry is a Trustee of the EMF concentrating on arranging the “hands on” side of the funds locomotives. He is also a steam driver on the Severn Valley and West Somerset railways. For many years Terry served as Chairman, leading the Fund through a strengthening of its relationship with the Severn Valley Railway, successful overhauls of 7812 and 7802, along with a period of mainline running.
Stephen started working on steam locomotives as a young child with his father and grandfather at the local model engineering society. Through model engineering, he met John Hancock (now EMF president), who introduced him to the Fund. Stephen has been a working member of the fund since he was 16, starting off working on 7812 at Swindon Works and more recently on 7802, 7812 and the new tender at Tyseley. Whilst working with the fund, he has also graduated with a Mechanical Engineering degree, and is now a Chartered Engineer working for Rolls-Royce. Stephen is also a driver on the GWSR.
Martin is a qualified accountant currently working for Jaguar Land Rover as a Finance Business Partner supporting Inbound and Logistics. Prior to JLR, he spent ten years working at Cadbury’s in Finance, Procurement and Operational Roles. His career has given him experience in both practice and industry in businesses in all sizes and sectors. Martin’s SVR story goes back to a childhood with regular trips to look around Bridgnorth shed and yard; he is a Board Member of SVR Guarantee Company and a volunteer at Arley Station as well as a regular attendee at EMF Working Parties at Tyseley with his sons Ewan and Dylan. A keen photographer and author, Martin organises photographic charters under the 30742 charters banner. He joined EMF as a member and a Trustee in 2025.
Chris is currently the youngest trustee within the EMF, his first introduction to the world of steam was regular visits to the SVR during the school half term. Eager to become involved with the SVR Chris joined the coal-yard miniature railway at Kidderminster where he stayed for several years. Once old enough Chris joined the SVR MPD at Bewdley, within the first 12 months he met fellow EMF trustee Terry Jenkins, who enlightened him to the fund’s activities with the imminent overhaul of 7802. Chris soon became an active working member and shareholder and assisted throughout the overhaul 7802 and upkeep of 7812. Professionally, Chris has been with a local Train Operating Company since 2013 at Tyseley TMD, currently working as a Reliability Technician.
He is also a qualified fireman on the SVR alongside being a keen model engineer and classic car enthusiast.
Paul has had a lifelong interest in anything related to steam railways, having started his volunteering with the Great Western Society at Didcot in 1976 until the late 1980s finishing the restoration of 5900 Hinderton Hall, before moving on to Castle class 5051 Earl Bathhurst. Having joined the EMF around 20 years ago, Paul became an active volunteer in 2018, bringing his skills to the overhaul of 7812 in recent years. By day, Paul is a Contract Works officer with Birmingham City Council, and when not busy with the EMF is a keen O gauge modeller and railway photographer.
Peter has been a lifelong railway enthusiast moved much more by the sight, smell and sound stance rather than by engineering. He first became involved as an EMF shareholder when Bradley Manor returned to service and, upon retirement, he decided to offer some of his time to the EMF.
He initially took on some events organisation which was part of his working and social background.
Retail work in the Sales Coach at Bewdley plus donning his newly purchased overalls for work at Tyseley and Bridgnorth (both activities being well outside of his previous experiences) quickly followed.
He became a trustee in May 2020 and then took on more general marketing communication roles as well.
His remit now covers communications (including newsletters, press activities and literature), event organisation, oversight of website and Bewdley Sales Coach and printed material plus fundraising lead.
Nigel started volunteering at the SVR in 1979 at the age of 13, working on Bewdley station helping repaint the footbridge. The following year he declined the chance to repaint the platform canopy, preferring to assist with the restoration of GWR Pannier tank 7714. Nigel encountered a number of EMF volunteers with 7802 based at Bewdley. He passed out as a fireman in 1984 and a driver in 1993. When SVR used to operate steam locomotives on the national network, Nigel travelled to many parts of the country on steam locomotive footplates. Since 1990, Nigel has worked for SVR, responsible for the mechanical overhaul and maintenance of the SVR fleet of carriages. Nigel joined EMF in 2022 and became a Trustee in 2026, working at SVR and Tyseley on 7812 and 7802 and more recently 5164.