Return to Awdry's Inspiration (that's Thomas the Tank Engine to you)
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From the conference press release:
The Association for Industrial Archaeology (AIA) returns to its roots this weekend (8th-10th September): Its Annual Conference is in the Isle of Man, where the Association was founded 33 years ago. The island boasts many industrial archaeological treasures, not least its many railways, the inspiration for the Reverend Awdry’s Island of Sodor.
AIA is the umbrella body for the industrial archaeology community in the UK, bringing together academics, professionals, enthusiasts and specialist/local IA groups. Its activities cover industrial heritage in all its guises; from mining to manufacturing, water and wind power to steam and electricity, tracks and roads to canals, railways and airports, industrial architecture to adaptive re-use of industrial buildings and academic research to heritage tourism.
Origins
Though founded in 1973 the AIA has its origins back in 1965 when a group of enthusiasts started an annual Industrial Archaeology weekend in Bath. Key players included the famous canal campaigner and writer L.T.C. ‘Tom’ Rolt, the pioneer documentary film-maker Sir Arthur Elton and Neil (now Sir Neil) Cossons, the first Director at Ironbridge Museum and now Chairman of English Heritage.
By the early 70s there were IA gatherings in Bradford (1971) and Glasgow (1972). At the Glasgow meeting Sir Arthur proposed constituting a formal body – the ‘British Society for Industrial Archaeology’, to be formally created at the next gathering in the Isle of Man.
Sir Arthur didn’t live to see out his proposal, which was duly ratified at the 1973 meeting in Port Erin. The Association for Industrial Archaeology was created, the title change reflecting the view that the body should have an umbrella role for smaller, local IA groups. Tom Rolt was elected President, with Neil Cossons as Secretary. Later that year Tom stood down due to ill-health (he died in May 1974); with his place taken by Angus Buchanan, one of the original vice presidents.
Isle of Man IA – and Thomas the Tank Engine
The Isle of Man is a particularly fascinating place for industrial archaeologists, with an astonishing variety of industries, old and new. Ship-building, fishing and kipper factories might be expected, but the island also has slate and mineral quarries and mines, various water-powered installations, folk museums, industrial villages and relicts of the Victorian tourism industry.
Significantly it also has perhaps rather more than its fair share of unusual tram and railways. These, including the horse trams, the Manx Electric Railway, the Isle of Man Steam Railway and the Snaefell Mountain Railway were part of the inspiration for the famous railway stories by Rev W Awdry (also an active AIA supporter). Awdry’s Thomas the Tank Engine stories are set on the fictional Island of Sodor which, in the stories, lies adjacent to Man and possesses a similar range of railways.
From the conference press release:
The Association for Industrial Archaeology (AIA) returns to its roots this weekend (8th-10th September): Its Annual Conference is in the Isle of Man, where the Association was founded 33 years ago. The island boasts many industrial archaeological treasures, not least its many railways, the inspiration for the Reverend Awdry’s Island of Sodor.AIA is the umbrella body for the industrial archaeology community in the UK, bringing together academics, professionals, enthusiasts and specialist/local IA groups. Its activities cover industrial heritage in all its guises; from mining to manufacturing, water and wind power to steam and electricity, tracks and roads to canals, railways and airports, industrial architecture to adaptive re-use of industrial buildings and academic research to heritage tourism.
Origins
Though founded in 1973 the AIA has its origins back in 1965 when a group of enthusiasts started an annual Industrial Archaeology weekend in Bath. Key players included the famous canal campaigner and writer L.T.C. ‘Tom’ Rolt, the pioneer documentary film-maker Sir Arthur Elton and Neil (now Sir Neil) Cossons, the first Director at Ironbridge Museum and now Chairman of English Heritage.
By the early 70s there were IA gatherings in Bradford (1971) and Glasgow (1972). At the Glasgow meeting Sir Arthur proposed constituting a formal body – the ‘British Society for Industrial Archaeology’, to be formally created at the next gathering in the Isle of Man.
Sir Arthur didn’t live to see out his proposal, which was duly ratified at the 1973 meeting in Port Erin. The Association for Industrial Archaeology was created, the title change reflecting the view that the body should have an umbrella role for smaller, local IA groups. Tom Rolt was elected President, with Neil Cossons as Secretary. Later that year Tom stood down due to ill-health (he died in May 1974); with his place taken by Angus Buchanan, one of the original vice presidents.
Isle of Man IA – and Thomas the Tank Engine
The Isle of Man is a particularly fascinating place for industrial archaeologists, with an astonishing variety of industries, old and new. Ship-building, fishing and kipper factories might be expected, but the island also has slate and mineral quarries and mines, various water-powered installations, folk museums, industrial villages and relicts of the Victorian tourism industry.
Significantly it also has perhaps rather more than its fair share of unusual tram and railways. These, including the horse trams, the Manx Electric Railway, the Isle of Man Steam Railway and the Snaefell Mountain Railway were part of the inspiration for the famous railway stories by Rev W Awdry (also an active AIA supporter). Awdry’s Thomas the Tank Engine stories are set on the fictional Island of Sodor which, in the stories, lies adjacent to Man and possesses a similar range of railways.
The full news release is available here.
posted by Jonathan @ 10:14 pm
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