MERRY CHRISTMAS ONE AND ALL - LOVE AND BEST WISHES TO YOU ALL

Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas this year, I hope you enjoying a break from work and get to spend time with friends and family. Another disrupted year for so many and this is a time of year to once again spare a thought for those still working as they are doing an awesome job. It's also been a very difficult year for many with the continued variants, tiers, vaccinations and sadly looks set to continue for a while. Therefore I also send out a lot of love to all with thoughts for anyone missing this year, think of them, raise a glass and salute their memory. Though it's the season to "Eat, Drink and be Merry" and then let's go give the trains a run!! 😊 

Missing you so much Dad.

You always fulfilled my wishes, giving me whatever I wanted. Your presence in my life I had taken for granted. After your death my whole world has gone into a frightening void. When I had you, I had it all, now everything is destroyed. This is my repentance, my regret, I know you cannot hear me, but I still want to say, Dad I miss you and I'm sorry ... We had so much still to do together and despite the years that have passed I find it so hard to carry on without your love and influence. 💔

I always think that this time is a moment for reflection and while I hope it's been wonderful for you it may well be that together we have lost a lot of friends and legends so it's time to remember and never forget. Let us also move forwards to the new year, life is only as good as you make it and you have to let yourself live too, although this is something I don't allow myself time to breathe and enjoy life. 2022 needs to see many changes and hopefully I can find some energy and joy. So much to do, lets do more, enough of the excuses make some noise and a change for good now. 

Miss both of you, Mum and Dad xx

Love is always the answer 💕

SOUTHEND TO OXFORD CHRISTMAS MARKET - THURSDAY 9th DECEMBER 2021

SOUTHEND TO OXFORD CHRISTMAS MARKET
Thursday 9th December 2021

SOUTHEND EAST - UPMINSTER - OXFORD

The City of Dreaming Spires is a must-see destination with its world-famous universities and museums. Add to this the beautiful River Thames winding through the city and lovely parks & gardens and the main problem will be deciding how to spend your time. Add to that a Steam hauled special service and what a lovely way to cross the South of England from Essex to Oxfordshire. 

The service should depart from Southend East at 9:05, additional stop at Upminster at 9:40 then due to arrive into Oxford around 14:20. 

The trip is steam hauled by Black Five locomotive 44871 (pictured left) which should prove to be a rare sight on the opening leg of the journey from Southend and Upminster.

OXFORD CHRISTMAS MARKET

We will be travelling to Oxford on the first day of the Christmas Market. Held in the heart of the city on beautiful and historic Broad Street, the market will feature many local artists, designer-makers and selected guests. With the sound of choirs singing Christmas carols, market traders offering unusual and handmade gifts, colourful decorations brightening wooden stalls and the aroma of mulled wine and cinnamon drifting in the air - a visit to the Oxford Christmas Market is a truly magical Christmas experience.

CAROL SERVICE
We are pleased to say that we are also organising a Carol Service in one of the oldest churches in Oxford, located in the city centre, around the corner from the Christmas Market.

LMS 'Black Five' LOCOMOTIVE
Black Fives were known as 'do-anything and go-anywhere' locomotives. The London Midland and Scottish Railway Stanier Class 5 4-6-0, commonly known as the Black Five, is a class of 4-6-0 steam locomotives. Several members of the class survived to the last day of steam on British Railways in 1968, and eighteen are preserved, with several examples still working on the mainline railway.

The first Class 5 locomotive was built for the London, Midland & Scottish Railway in 1934 to the design of Sir William Stanier. The new locomotives when built left the railway works in the standard mixed traffic black livery which soon earned them the nickname "Black Fives" for which they are still affectionately referred to today. The locomotives were capable of handling both express passenger and freight trains and were spread far and wide across the UK railway system. By the time the last Black Five was built in 1951, the class numbered 842 locomotives; one of the most numerous classes of British steam locomotives ever built.

MELTON MOWBRAY VICTORIAN CHRISTMAS FAYRE - SUNDAY 5th DECEMBER 2021

Melton Mowbray Victorian Christmas Fayre

Sunday 5th December 2021

Vintage Trains returns to Melton Mowbray for the annual Victorian Christmas Fayre, a slice of Dickensian Britain with Victorian stalls, street urchins, Santa’s Grotto, street theatre, brass bands and much more – in fact something for everyone. Passengers will have approximately five hours to explore the town before we return to Tyseley.

This tour boards at Tyseley, Coleshill Parkway and Nuneaton on its way to Melton Mowbray. Two steam locomotives will be used here with 7029 Clun Castle (page top) and 5043 Earl of Mount Edgcumbe (pictured below) booked to provide the motive power.

In another Vintage Train’s tradition, while passengers visit the Melton Mowbray Victorian Christmas Fayre, others can take the lunchtime journey out to Corby and back which takes us twice across the famous Harringworth Viaduct with its spectacular views across the valley. Also known as the Welland Viaduct as it crosses the river of the same name, this is the longest masonry viaduct across a valley in the UK. 30 million bricks were used in its construction, the now Grade II listed structure opening in 1878. At its peak, 3500 people and 1200 horses were working on the site.

Clun Castle - 7029

The locomotive which started it all. Clun Castle is a relative newcomer having been built in 1950 by British Railways to the famous Great Western Railway Castle class design. She was modified towards the end of her career and fitted with a four row superheater and double chimney, enabling her to compete with new diesels being introduced on fast trains. And compete she did, taking the record for the shortest timed point to point journey from Plymouth to Bristol in 1964 from the previous record holder, City of Truro. This epic run by the last of her class in every day service ensured 7029’s preservation and she came to Tyseley to begin a distinguished second career in preservation. She powered the last express steam train on the GWR’s northern route to Birkenhead, the last steam train out of both Birmingham Snow Hill and Moor Street stations, so making a trilogy of lasts as she was also the last steam locomotive to run out of Paddington, hauling the last steam train on the Western Region. Not content with that, 7029 hauled the first ‘Return to Steam’ celebration run ending the infamous BR steam ban and was the first steam locomotive to return to Cornwall, a highlight of the 150th anniversary of the GWR. In 1988 she was driven part way to Tyseley by HRH The Prince of Wales in celebration of the 150th anniversary of the London & Birmingham Railway.

Earl of Mount Edgcumbe - 5043

The second member of the Castle class on the roster built in 1936 and so an authentic GWR locomotive, named after one of the Directors of the GWR. She was also fitted with the same modifications as 7029 and ran some of the Western Region’s top expresses including The Bristolian, being shedded at London’s Old Oak Common depot. When withdrawn, she was consigned to Barry scrapyard but found too good to destroy. Tyseley Locomotive Works rebuilt 5043 to exacting standards and she has run far and wide for Vintage Trains, including unfamiliar territory such as Stirling and Edinburgh in Scotland. 5043 has recorded some remarkable performances in preservation, including several non-stop runs, recreating The Bristolian, The Cheltenham Spa Express and The Inter City.  More recently, she ran on the Plymouth to Bristol route and shaved a few minutes off 7029’s own record. So now we have two record breakers in the collection. Returns to action in the second half of 2021 after a 10 year boiler overhaul.

MERRY CHRISTMAS ONE AND ALL SENDING LOVE AND HAPPINESS IN A DIFFICULT YEAR

Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas for this year, I hope you enjoying a break from work and get to spend time with friends and family. Spare a thought for those still working as they are doing an awesome job. It's also been a very difficult year for many with the lockdowns, Coronavirus and lack of entertainment for most of the time. So I also send out a lot of love to all with thoughts for anyone missing this year, think of them, raise a glass and salute their memory remember to "Eat, Drink and be Merry" and then let's go play trains!! 😊 

Missing you so much Dad.

You always fulfilled my wishes, giving me whatever I wanted. Your presence in my life I had taken for granted. After your death my whole world has gone into a frightening void. When I had you, I had it all, now everything is destroyed. This is my repentance, my regret, I know you cannot hear me, but I still want to say, Dad I miss you and I'm sorry ... We had so much still to do together and despite the years that have passed I find it so hard to carry on without your love and influence. 💔

I always think that this time is a moment for reflection and while I hope it's been wonderful for you it may well be that together we have lost a lot of friends and legends so it's time to remember and never forget. Let us also move forwards to the new year, life is only as good as you make it and you have to let yourself live too, although this is something I don't allow myself and it is now time to do more, stop making excuses and make some changes for the better this year. 

Miss you Dad, miss you Mum xx