President:- Judy, Lady McAlpine
Lady McAlpine has had an interest in all things mechanical from an early age, became involved in motor racing in her teens and she and her first husband amassed a considerable collection of classic sports and racing cars, with a view to moving on to older vehicles later in life. Sadly, her first husband died young and while she maintained the cars, found it “not the same” without him. She then met and married Sir William McAlpine and of course her passion for “old vehicles” was rekindled. It is not just the vehicles that matter: she is also passionate about education and helping aspiring young engineers to take up apprenticeships so that the store of knowledge and skills necessary to conserve our engineering heritage is itself conserved to be passed to future generations.
She is very active in Henley local activities and along with transforming the Thames Traditional Boat Festival organises events at Fawley Hill such as an architectural salvage ahow, in addition to the open days each year which many of us (and many thousands of others) have enjoyed
Deputy President and Secretary:- David Morgan MBE TD,Appointed May 1992
Chairman:- Stuart Wilkinson , Appointed December 2000
As well as being our Chairman, Stuart is also Chairman of the Mobile Advocacy Group within the Heritage Alliance and a Trustee of the Brighton Belle. He is also a member of the panel of National Historic Ships. Stuarts interests range from small river-craft to Lancia (he is currently president of the Lancia Motor Club) as well as motorcycles and commercial, military and agricultural vehicles.
Deputy Chairman:- Jerry Swift, Appointed May 2016
Jerry Trained as an electrical engineering officer in the Royal Navy. His transport interests include railways, airlines, naval history and canals. After the Navy he spent 10 years in the airline industry and 20 in the rail industry, including:- Head of Community Rail at Network Rail working with heritage railways on projects such as Sheringham Crossing, clearance of Brighton former Pullman Works, Swanage Railway to Wareham and East Lancs Mainline connection, Member of the Heritage Railway Association and North Yorkshire Moors Railway.
Council
Paul Brook, Appointed June 2017,
Paul retired from the Army in 2010 as a full Colonel after 34 years in both the Royal Corps of Transport and the Royal Logistic Corps. As well as Road Transport and supply in NW Germany he spent time as an Operations Manager in the Tank Transporting world and commanded the Independent Transport Squadron in Berlin. He was the Port Operations Manager and later Commander of the Army's Port Maritime and Railway capability and was Commandant Marchwood Military Port. He served as he head of Media Operations in both Bosnia and HQ Allied Command Europe Rapid Reaction Corps and was Head of Media Operations in the MOD which included running the War Correspondent programme, organising media coverage of major events and major defence documentaries. He was Deputy Commander UK Forces in Kosovo, Chief of Staff of the NATO Training Mission in Iraq and Commander of the Defence School of Transport. He now runs a vintage vehicle restoration company specialising in heavy vehicles.
Leon Daniels OBE, Appointed Nov 2021
Leon is the former Managing Director Surface Transport at Transport for London. Now retired after 40 years in transport including at Department for Transport and FirstGroup plc he acts as a Board Member, Advisory Board Member or Advisor to a portfolio of companies globally. He also is a Trustee of the Rees Jeffreys Road Fund, a member of the Court of the Worshipful Company of Carmen, a Vice President of the Chartered Institute of Logistics & Transport, chairs the Highways Sector Council, is a member of the Government’s Net Zero Transport Board, and is Chairman of the London Bus Preservation Trust. He was awarded the OBE for services to transport in London and in particular the successful transport delivery for the 2012 Olympic Games.
Keith Gibbins, Seconded September 2018,
Keith is the Heritage Director of the Federation of British Historic Vehicle Clubs and also a founder member of the Heritage Alliance Mobile Advocacy Group. Keith’s transport interests are primarily cars and motorcycles.
Chris Heaps, Appointed May 2012
A lawyer and former Traffic Commissioner, Chris has interests in railways and buses.
He is a member of the Railway Heritage Trust Advisory Board 1985, a former director of Porterbrook Leasing and member of the First Great Western Advisory Board he is currently Chairman of the Helston Railway Preservation Society 2014. Vice-President and former chairman of the London Bus Museum and a Director of UK Bus Driver of the Year Association Ltd. He is the author of five published railway books.
Anne Hughes, Appointed November 2021
After studying theology and education in London, Anne’s working life was spent teaching secondary school children with special needs. Anne also ran a Youth Hostel on the North Yorkshire Moors for twelve years and worked as a Field Officer for the DofE Award. Aviation was always a passion and Anne holds a Private Pilot’s License. In later years she eventually became a volunteer researcher for Imperial War Museum at Duxford, magazine editor for a flying club and now Chairman of the Vintage Aircraft Club. She has been project manager for the restoration of the Beagle Pup Prototype, now flying, and is a published author as well as working with young people for the Light Aircraft Association and is a columnist for their monthly magazine. Having spent many holidays on narrow boats, the canals remain a special focus of attention.
Bob Owen, Appointed March 2020
A lawyer who spent his career in aerospace and defence with Rolls Royce, Ferranti, Westland, Thompson-CSF and Thales. He was legal Director of Federation of British Historic Vehicle Clubs (FBHVC), a commitee member of FIVA for many years and is still an active member of the FIVA Legislation Commission. He owns two historic sports cars.
Rob Shorland-Ball, Appointed December 2001
Rob Shorland-Ball was formerly Deputy Head and Project Development Director at the National Railway Museum, York and is currently Museums Adviser to the Heritage Railway Association and Secretary of the Railway Heritage Protection Register. His knowledge of heritage transport extends to roads, canals, ports, standard and narrow gauge railways and he is now a published author, principally on railways.
Peter Stone TD, Appointed July 2003
A railway enthusiast from childhood, Peter and a small group of school-friends rescued LNER dock shunter 985 from scrapping at a Nottinghamshire colliery as early as 1964. It has since been restored and transferred to a Trust and, aged 95, runs frequently in Mid-Suffolk. After retirement (and a long TA career) Peter was heavily involved in canal restoration in the East Midlands, before re-locating to the south coast. He has been a member of Council since 2003 and, in 2007, 'invented' the 'Red Wheel' programme, that has since become such a key element in the Trust's persona.
Roy Watts MBE, Appointed October 2012
Roy was a senior manager with a distinguisher career in Sainbury's. He also lead Bluebell Railway Preservation Society as Chairman and Director for many years - leading their successful project to extend the line into East Grinstead for which he was awarded an MBE.
Peter Waller, Appointed March 2020
An Industrial Archiologist, Peter's career has been in publishing with Ian Allan Publishing where he commisioned and published a wide range of books. He is still writing, editing and publishing books, Director of Online Transport Archive and committee member of National Railway Heritage Awards.
Vice Presidents
Sir Gerald Acher CBE LVO, Air Chief Marshal Sir John Allison KCB CBE ADC FRAeS, John Cameron CBE, Denis Dunstone, Lord Glendonbrooke CBE,
Sir Kenelm Lee Guinness Bt, Tony Hales CBE, Bryan Heatley TD, Rt Hon Lord Hesketh KBE PC, Rt Hon Lord Montagu of Beaulieu, Richard Muir Beddall, Stephen Middleton, Torquil Norman CBE, Lord O’Neill TD, Phil Sampson, S Martin Summers, Pete Waterman OBE, Allan Winn, John Yellowlees