00:00I'm really going to reiterate what Gus has already sort of passed on really in terms of thanks and sort of what's going on with the railway.
00:08So I've had to write this down, I can't do it off the cuff like you couldn't talk to us, sorry about that.
00:13So it was really sort of from a phone call about six months ago saying we've had a little bit of a landslip, what an underestimation that was.
00:21And little though I know how much that would change, I think, my life for the last six months, but also the railway.
00:30And what a testament to the railway that it's overcome those difficulties and we stand here now ready to...
00:37So I've got to go up and through, I'm sorry, I'm not really.
00:42That we are here now and that is hard work and effort, team effort.
00:48I appreciate Gus's comments regarding my involvement, but this really is a huge team effort involved with this.
00:54So I'm going to just reiterate some of those sort of people that Gus has sort of mentioned.
00:58So first I'm going to mention our issue as a loss adjuster.
01:03Without the claim, I'm confident, again, we wouldn't be standing here today.
01:07It is a huge amount of money that's being spent to get this back up and running.
01:12And I don't think the railway would have been in a position to fund that fully.
01:16So the fact that the insurance company have contributed towards that and made it happen is with great thanks to them.
01:25They've ensured the railway's not out of pocket.
01:27They've provided assistance and guidance throughout the insurance claim.
01:31And to deal not only with the insurance claim but also our business interruption.
01:35This by any way of means is not a normal business.
01:39You know, we don't turn over the same every month.
01:41We don't do the same things every month.
01:43So it has been very complicated.
01:46So testament to them that they've actually been able to get that started.
01:51To network rail.
01:53They immediately came to site after the landslip.
01:56They helped us protect the embankment and made sure that it was all safe.
02:00And as Gus has highlighted, they then had the orange army done by Steve Featherstone, one of our co-directors, who organised for two days a huge number of people and suppliers.
02:13So it's not only sort of SAF-wise, but we had suppliers of plant, equipment, manpower, and we also had a tamping machine, which made us the line suitable that we could run the trains over today.
02:28Interestingly, network rail did actually sign the track off at 90 miles an hour.
02:36I need to have a word with the crew on flying to Costa.
02:39So if you want to hang on to your seats on the way back, we'll see if we can get over 90 miles an hour on the track.
02:44So we've got a superb bit of track, and in fact that extends down to Stearns as well, because they did actually tamp Stearns.
02:51So we're hopeful that that will give us a far better railway.
02:55And this is also producing further advancements with our contacts with network rail that hopefully next year some of the guys who've been here for this work will help us do other work on the railway.
03:06So it's created a really good partnership.
03:08There's also been a huge input from paid staff and volunteers at Seven Valley.
03:16When the crisis hits, Seven Valley always comes to the fore and always makes sure that everybody contributes towards it.
03:24I'm going to mention our P-way team.
03:27It only numbers six people headed by Mr Paul Ingram.
03:31Is he Paul around anywhere?
03:32I don't know whether he's going to Paul's around.
03:34No, he's there.
03:35Oh, he's there, sorry.
03:36They were always there when I needed them.
03:40They always made sure that they were helping out and giving assistance.
03:44So I really do appreciate their help and support during the course of the works.
03:50But also for everybody else on Seven Valley, however small that contribution has been,
03:55it might only be an hour's work or half an hour's work, whatever it happens to be,
03:59those people have all contributed towards us being able to get this railway back open again.
04:03I think we're on page two now.
04:06Hang on a second.
04:06So my final and sort of more important thank you is to the contractor CML.
04:17Everything was actually going really well with his projects until Gus stepped in and said,
04:22I've got flying Scottsman for the 25th of July.
04:26Can you make it happen?
04:30I really wasn't sure at the time that we can make it happen.
04:32I think we had several discussions saying that we are not sure about this.
04:36Whatever you do, that's how Richard calls it out.
04:37No, I'm not sure.
04:40And I'm going to say, even until about four weeks ago,
04:43we were still debating whether this day would actually happen.
04:45And that is testament to CML and their guys who worked on the project.
04:52We did have delays on the project.
04:54We were very tight times-scale-wise.
04:57And in order to make that happen,
04:59it meant that the guys on site had to work long shifts,
05:03sometimes seven, eight o'clock at night.
05:06But they also had to work weekends.
05:08And the last month, they only went home one weekend to see their families.
05:12So, I appreciate that we've already given them a round of applause,
05:15but can we give them a really, really big round of applause?
05:29The dedication of the professionalism they've shown
05:31in terms of getting the repair done in under six months is massive.
05:35I was told when we started this
05:37that we'd be lucky to be completed in nine to 12 months.
05:40And yet, here we are, literally just under six months,
05:43and we're back open and back running.
05:45And that is a testament to the main contracture
05:48and the works that they've done.
05:51There's also one other thing I'm going to say as well.
05:54And this is to probably the unknown people who help out.
05:57And part of this is a personal one as well.
06:01I'd just like to say thanks to all the families
06:03that support everybody that's worked on the project.
06:06I know I've got a huge debt to say to my wife and family
06:10because they've put up with a huge amount while I've been doing this.
06:15And that's the same for everybody on the railway.
06:17There's a big sacrifice, and that sacrifice does affect families.
06:20And I think there's a lot of people that I'm sure you'll go back home tonight
06:24and hopefully pass on my thanks to them
06:27because they're very unknown to the whole railway.
06:31But without their support, we couldn't do this project.
06:33So that really sums up it from my perspective.
06:38I'm just grateful for everybody coming today
06:39and hopefully it shows what a testament to Seven Valley we all have
06:45in terms of the support and also the hard work that we've put in
