Platinum Jubilee: Day out on train makes one feel like royalty
From bunting, banners and blooming displays of flowers, Severn Valley Railway has gone all out to celebrate the Queen's Platinum Jubilee.
It was a sunny Thursday morning as the start of the four-day Jubilee celebrations commenced, with a jam-packed programme of attractions on offer to visitors.
The day featured a Lancaster bomber fly-past for the Battle of Britain memorial, as well as a big wheel and a classic car display at the station in Bridgnorth.
It was a nostalgia trip for many on the Severn Valley platforms, which had been decorated in the colours of red, white and blue, transporting people back to the 1950s.
I have not been a passenger on a Severn Valley steam train since I was around six years old when my grandparents took me as part of the Day Out With Thomas event.
But I certainly felt like royalty yesterday, 16 years on, when I rode the Elizabeth II for the first time and sat admiring the beautiful Shropshire scenery from a vintage carriage.
There was a hustle and bustle on the Bridgnorth platform at around midday as people took out their cameras and selfie sticks to capture a glance of the purple locomotive as it came in to the station.
The Severn Valley Railway's 34027 Taw Engine has been named as the Elizabeth II and was painted purple to mark the occasion of the Queen's 70 years on the throne.
For the Jubilee, the purple locomotive had been adorned with a large wreath and a purple bow and it steamed into Bridgnorth station.
Visitors took steam trains throughout the day between the stations of Bridgnorth, Hampton Loade, Highley, Arley, Bewdley and Kidderminster, while some even enjoyed a spot of afternoon tea.
The Engine House at Highley was busy with visitors who enjoyed looking into the carriages and cabs of the old steam trains, browsing the gift shop and eating lunch at the upstairs cafe.
There was a photography exhibition entitled Railways to Royalty by professional photographer Jack Boskett available to view, showcasing 75 pieces of the railway industry.
Young children and families took part in the interactive activities in The Engine Room, which involved acting as an overnight mailman – putting post into the right pigeon hole.
Pop up cardboard cut-outs of the Royal Family and a unique collection of brick models by BrickLive also attracted attention as people stopped to get photographs of the pieces.
It was a wonderful experience to be transported back in time and there could have been no better occasion than on the Queen's Platinum Jubilee.
