Feedback from our recent events

April 2008
Gloucestershire and Warwickshire Railway Weekend with Black Prince and David Shepherd

It finally proved third time lucky having postponed due to flooding and then David's illness last year. A superb selection of David's p[paintings and sketches (and the man himself signing everything hat moved), could be found on display at Winchcombe Station during the weekend. The highlight for the 150 people who managed to secure tickets for the "Wildlife and Steam on Tour" trip, was David's enlightening and amusing hour-long talk in the Flag & Whistle on the Saturday evening - a real treat.

We raised a record income of £17,000 from this event. Our very sincere and heartfelt thanks go to the fabulous teams of volunteers from both charities; Gary and Val Owen, Ed and Andy, David Rowley, Ian Crowder, Jeff and Ken, Julian, Barbs, Nilla and countless others. Website www.gwsr.com

STEAM AND WILDLIFE TOURS WITH DAVID SHEPHERD

The golden age of steam came to an end on the Southern Regions of British Railways 40 years ago. To celebrate this era, David has given a series of talks and displayed some of his ORIGINAL STEAM PAINTINGS creating a variouis special exhibitions. A variety of prints and other merchandise were sold.In addition to this there was an opportunity to ride on the steam engines throughout the weekend.

Weekend - Bank Holiday Sunday 26th and Monday 27th August - The Poppy Line, North Norfolk Railway, SHERRINGHAM, Norfolk

David entertained over 200 people on Sunday evening at Sherringham Station "My memories of Those Last Days of Steam when he spoke of his joint passions for steam engines and wildlife conservation. Many amusing anecdotes of his "crazy" life were shared . This was followed by a trip on Black Prince, David's steam engine, and a wine reception. It was a weekend which allowed David to enjoy his hobby surrounded by steam engines as well as providing the visitors a chance to meet the great man and share their passion for steam. It was truly a weekend in which the giant steam train helped raise funds for the magnificent and rare species of mammals -a total of nearly £16,000 was raised which was an astounding effort by everyone concerned. Our particular thanks go to Julian and Amanda Birley and their children Tom and James, Chrissie Ramont and Bryan Toovey, Colin Borg , Hugh Harkett, Tony Streeter, Patrick Ridley-Martin and tocountless others including the engine drivers from the Poppy Line. We simply could not have done this without them particularly since we were very short of volunteers. Our sincere thanks go to our two fabulous volunteers, Barbara Hayers and Nilla D'Andrea. It was indeed a very very special weekend www.nnrailway.co.uk or call 01263 820 800 (10am till 4pm)

Weekend of 14th and 15th July - BlueBell Line, Sheffield Park, EAST SUSSEX

It was a gloriously hot weekend and the public were a wonderful support. We raised just over £9,000 in total with Sunday being the busiest day. David's originals were displayed in the Birch Grove Suite and together with the vast choice of pictures we were able to produce a great exhibition over the two days. The sound of the steam engines coming in and out of the station were a constant reminder of " the good old days" and it was sheer delight to see so many families enjoying themselves. It is thanks to Roy Watts and Roger Cruise of the Bluebell Line that this event was so successful. They worked tirelessly both before and during the event. Our grateful thanks to our volunteers Jessica Cater and John Bloom. For further details about the Bluebell line www.bluebell-railway.co.uk

Sunday 19 August - Day of Sales with Talks with David at The Priory Farm, Nutfield, REDHILL, Surrey

Despite the day starting with a very heavy downpour, members of the public continued to flock to our exhibition throughout the day. David gave two talks both of which proved to be entertaining and informative. We are extremely grateful to John and Wendy Shinner, the owners of Priory Farm, who have owned the premises for 50 years. They wanted to celebrate their achievements by raising funds for the Foundation. Their marketing, by Tracy, was exceptional and their staff were extremely supportive in every way. It is thanks to them and of course to our volunteers - Barbara Hayers, Jessica Cater, Babs Emery, John Bloom and John Harris that we were able to sell an astounding £12,500 worth of goods. David worked tirelessly thoroughout the day until John and Wendy whisked him away for lunch and tea. For further details about the Priory Farm which provides wonderful facilities for a day out with the family www.prioryfarm.co.uk

Saturday 4 August 2007 Borde Hill Garden Summer Magic Proms - This was a spectacular night at the Proms and was organised by Motoring and Leisure Association (CSMA). The Foundation was able to raise funds through selling to the 4,000 strong audience. Over £5,300 was raised in total from sales and the raffle. The winners were: Top Prize - Return ferry journey to either Guernsey, Jersey or St Malo - donated by CONDOR FERRIES won by Mr McDonnell; 2nd Prize - Two Tickets for Disney's THE LION KING - - won by Don Beam; 3rd Prize - Framed Limited Edition by David Shepherd - A Moon Bear called Jasper - won by N S Oyns

David kindly donated an original elephant oil to his dear friend Dame Vera Lyn ,still active at 90 years old, who continues to raise funds for her own charity for terminally ill children, in Sussex.

From 6.30pm onwards we were entertained by The Hangleton Band whilst everyone tucked into their picnics and then at 8pm conductor, Frank Renton ( presenter of BBC Radio 2's Listen to the Band programme ), introduced his own creation, THE BRITISH CONCERT ORCHESTRA. As they began to play we saw the arrival overhead of the wonderful GRACE SPITFIRE. Pilot, Carolyn Grace, delivered a breathtaking display of superb flying set to stirring music. Tenor, Richard Coxon and leading Soprano, Deborah Myers sang with gusto with the evening reaching its climax with rousing Proms favourites played out to the backdrop of a fantastic firework display.

Our very sincere and grateful thanks are extended to David Arnold and Ron McGill who both worked tirelessly to allow us to maximise our fundraising efforts. As usual our fabulous volunteers worked tirelessly and special thanks go to Pam Keeble, Julian and Jen Abel, Babs Emery, Rob Singer, Patience and Ian Smith and Joan Boggis.

Birthday celebration success

David's 75th birthday party at The Dorchester raises £140,000 for wildlife. Celebrities and friends joined David and his family for a wonderful evening celebrating David's birthday and raising funds for DSWF projects in Africa and Asia.

For more information, click here ..

April Weekend with David Shepherd at Shillingford Bridge Hotel, Nr Wallingford, Oxfordshire with the Forestdale Hotel Group

About 40 guests spent a weekend with David during which time they were able to meet and talk with him and hear more about the Foundation and David's fascinating life and involvement in the Foundation. The Forestdale Hotel Group hosted the event and provided excellent food and accommodation for a very reasonable price. Everyone enjoyed themselves and we were able to gain 12 new members as well as raising just over £9,000 in sales. Our volunteers, Barbara, Julian, Babs, Maggie and Mike were able to enjoy spending quality time time with the clients and share their expertise. Our very sincere thanks to them as well as to our hosts, Shillingford Bridge Hotel, who made everone feel so welcome.

Bedworth Civic Hall on 22 March with the Nuneaton Railway Circle

Nuneaton Railway Circle celebrated its 21st birthday in style when David was invited to speak during the evening. About 350 guests attended the evening as part of the celebrations. Committee members, Steve Nikols, Russ Watkins, Sharon Chadaway, Andy Stubbs and Bob Blower are to be congratulated on organising such a successful event. It was a busy evening with fans waiting patiently for David to sign their purchases. Thirty one members joined the Foundation and £6500 of goods were sold.
Our sincere thanks go to the organisers as well as to our own volunteers, Maggie + Mike, Babs, Malcolm and Heather, Jeff and Ken and Julian