New Season Starts

It is a month since I last posted. In that time I have managed to get a few days of leave in. Closed season there is always so much to do.


I was disappointed with the final results from our Day Out With Thomas event. The weather hit us hard and it was really too cold to take out young children but those who did attend had a wonderful time. We are now planning the 65th Anniversary party for Thomas and Friends which we are holding in July. We hope to be really busy for this event and we are already receiving enquiries about it.

In the meantime we focus on this weekend’s Branch Line Weekend which sees the return to traffic of Charwelton following overhaul. The loco is being used on Railway Experience days this week but the first chance to ride behind it will be Saturday. We have a great timetable planned with engine change at Bodiam that always creates a lot of interest. Branch Line weekend is now our way of starting the season but next year I have something spectacular in mind and we are working on that already. Watch this space!

I have been able to secure our second guest locomotive for The Great K&ESR Gala in May. It is Jinty no 47493 which is making a short trip from Tunbridge Wells.

Charwelton will also feature heavily in the gala timetable which will make it a fantastic event for those who make an annual pilgrimage here for what is now well recognised as an innovative and creative event.

Last week we had a very interesting meeting with a mobility specialist and the Chairman of Kent Wheelchair Users Group. We are about to overhaul Petros, our carriage adapted for wheelchair users and are looking at improving the facilities on board. Some interesting ideas were developed. In the interim we have adapted another carriage to carry wheelchairs. We have a reputation for accommodating and looking after wheelchair bound passengers and they are important to us.

Our Cavell Van restoration appeal is now just a couple of hundred pounds of £8k. We have a target of £35k to reach and very little time to do it, and we are hoping a lottery bid will fund most of the balance.

I thought I would leave the best bit until last. Last night I attended the Pride in Ashford and Tenterden Tourism Awards with some of our volunteers and a couple of salaried managers. I was absolutely delighted when it was announced we won the award for the Volunteer Group of the Year. We received a lot of nominations from visitors. We do not make any great effort to win awards but are always delighted when the efforts of our team are recognised. One of our catering staff also received a Highly Commended certificate as a result of nominations she received in the category Hospitality Employee of the year. As she is a part time worker this is a huge result. I have not named her as she will not know until I present her with the certificate this weekend! Just occasionally I do get the best jobs!