Chairman’s Report – Spring 2026
By Steve Rowland
Dear Members
As time moves on and spring has finally arrived, we have already enjoyed a few fine days of weather and can hopefully look forward to more in the coming weeks.
I would like to reflect on our front cover photograph. In a very short space of time, we have lost three valued club members, 
friends and relatives. Many of you will have known them far longer than I did and will have built up many fond memories over the years. Let us therefore take a moment to remember Ian Sampson, Richard Amos and David Carpenter.
Richard, as we know, was the S.E.A.M.S. historian. In addition to holding a near-complete collection of Stationary Engine magazines, he amassed numerous duplicate copies, along with a wide range of photocopied engine instruction manuals and various books. He also had the photographic albums from the late Charles Hudson, which many of us have had the opportunity to view at previous Faygate club nights. These items will now be returned to Alan Harris, the original custodian. Later in this newsletter, David Ralf provides further detail. We extend our thanks to him for collecting the materials from Christine, cataloguing them, and bringing a selection to Hassocks.
At last year’s AGM, John Foster (Vice Chairman) and Philip Sampson (Events Secretary) stepped down from their roles. We thank them both for their dedicated service. Luke Huckle has since taken on the role of Vice Chairman and Andy Headings that of Events Secretary. Together, they are planning a range of new events alongside our established programme; please refer to the Events List for further details.
We began 2026 with our traditional New Year’s gas-up on the 7th January, which saw around ten engines in attendance, along with a good number of members.
I was chief cook for the free S.E.A.M.S. BBQ and catered for 30 people. I am pleased to report that all the food was enjoyed, making it a successful occasion. I did, however, miss my usual partner in crime, chef no: 2 but I believe things remained under control and fully edible. As normal the event concluded with a club raffle. Our thanks go to all who contributed prizes, attended and brought along engines.
S.E.A.M.S. next event was our breakfast morning and Gas-up at Hassocks Garden Centre on Sunday 29th March. Please see separate report.
On a personal note, I am just completing the modifications and refurbishment of my old trusty trailer, which some of you will remember for its Land Rover sized wheels. This will allow me to exhibit my larger engines which have not been out for quite some time.
My contact details are on the list of committee members on the back page, please either phone and email me if I can help with any matters. Luke and Andy’s contact details are listed on the committee members page also.
This will be the last newsletter that you will receive if we do not receive your renewal of membership. The membership form is enclosed with this newsletter or can be found on our website: www.seams-stationaryengclub.co.uk. I would like to end by saying that I hope to see you on the rally field and be safe during the events in the 2026 season.