Left to right Mrs Sheila Robins,
Jim Smith of LCLR HVT and Major Robins
The Trust's first president, Major J.A.
Robins RE has been presented with a nameplate in cast brass bearing
his
name and regiment-R.E. (Royal Engineers).
The nameplate follows a long standing
military tradition by honouring the C.O. of the unit. This is the
nearest
the Trust could come to following this tradition and
the first time a loco has been named after
Major Robins. The nameplate will eventually be fixed to the Trust's
locomotive,
the former Skegness Brickworks Simplex
donated by our treasurer, Paul Walkinshaw,
which is now awaiting restoration at the Skegness Water Leisure Park
site.
The presentation was made on 20th January
2006 by Jim Smith, accompanied by Chris Bates (both longstanding
members
of the LCLR HVT), in Bridlington at
Major Robins' home. A bouquet of flowers
was presented to Mrs Sheila Robins.
The decision to present a nameplate as
a mark of gratitude for his enthusiastic and loyal support for the
Trust
was unanimously agreed at the 2005 Annual Meeting.
Making the presentation, Jim Smith
emphasised
that had not Major Robins responded so positively to the approach by
the
Trust's founders in 1982 for permission
to house and display its vehicles in the
Museum of Army Transport at Beverley (which at that time the Major was
involved in organising the railway part of the Museum),
then the collection would probably not
have been restored to the condition it is in today.
Jim took the opportunity to update the
Major on restoration to date of the Trust's vehicles and of the work
towards
reopening of the LCLR. The nameplate was cast
by the same firm, based near Ollerton,
that did work for the late Fred Dibnah.
Major Robins has been succeeded as
President
of the Trust by Mr Fred Ellis, chairman of the LCLR Company and a
director
of Ellis Bros. Ltd., owners of the
Skegness Water Leisure Park. His generous
support for the LCLR (Company and Trust) and his keen interest in the
"Skegness
Simplex" are crucial factors
in the encouraging progress being made
at the site.
LCLR HVT 01/06