Chris Bowden: has completed almost 20 years of very active volunteering on the South Devon Railway, covering work in Carriage and Wagon, Plumbing, Welding, Tiling, Walling, Cutting Back, Totnes Group member, Digging Cesses, Permanent Way, Firing, Driving and making countless Headboards.

Eleven years ago he challenged the then Editor, David Kelland, by having this published in Bulliver 159:-

With reference to the local West Country weather forecast sponsored by JAG mobile phones, our Editor is heard to say “that seems like a good deal, if it gets any colder, I’ll light a fire”. Perhaps if he turns up at Buckfastleigh on a cold winters morning at 6.00am, then he can be shown how to do it with just one match!” It is not known whether the Editor ever took up this challenge but the early hour probably presented a problem.

From then on he was known as “one match”, but got caught out on occasions by this proving to be too big a challenge – and even to this day, resorts to using a gas torch!

The full list of the Patron’s Cup recipients is:

• 2004 Bob Saunders
• 2005 Jo Stokes
• 2006 Allan Lovegrove
• 2007 Peter Dunning
• 2008 Nick Perring
• 2009 Mike and Gill Comben
• 2010 Chris Woodland
• 2011 Trevor Stokes and Ted Parrott
• 2012 Ron and Margaret Reynolds
• 2013 Trevor Hodgson
• 2014 Chris Bowden

The guest speaker this year was Michael Chequer of BBC Radio Devon