Back in 2023, a team at the Vale of Berkeley Railway in Sharpness conceived a plan to unite the local community around a celebration of the 150th Anniversary of the opening of Sharpness New Dock in 1874, writes Bryan Whitfield.
They formed a special Sharpness 150 Team which throughout 2024 has staged a series of events to highlight the importance of Sharpness Docks to local businesses, industries and people, historically and today. The Sharpness 150 Celebration on Saturday 26th October at Sharpness Sports and Social Club was the culmination of the year’s programme.
A large and enthusiastic audience enjoyed and joined in a specially written re-enactment in words and pictures of the New Dock’s Opening Ceremony, performed by S150 team members who all added to the spectacle with their Victorian costumes.
Amongst the visitors was Stroud MP Dr Simon Opher, who had several conversations with the S150 Team and visitors. He was keen to be kept in touch with the Sharpness 150 Team’s plans to extend their programme into 2025 and invite participation from the community. Details of this will be posted on the 2024 Sharpness 150 Facebook page in the new year.
The event also featured a Sharpness timeline from1100 AD to the present day, plus an original 1180 map of the Docks, displays of historic documents, artefacts, and photographs and a slideshow of rarely seen images of Sharpness.
There were also talks themed around the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal and the links between the Docks, the community and the Vale of Berkeley Railway. Outside, the Stroud Vintage Traction and Engine Club (SVTEC) operated their magnificent locally built Waller stationary engine.
