Well, Spring is well and truly on the way, with- I don’t know, Snowdrips or whatever they are- beginning to pop up, and thankfully, Christmas is a good two months ago, and we don’t have to think about it again until at least October, with any luck.
Which is a shame, because that’s precisely what I want to write about. We at Steamworks had a very successful Christmas (or rather, pre-Christmas) in the shape of two successful Santa Specials, pacé my previous post. Those of you who are members and receive the Newsletter will already have seen something of this, and I’m nothing short of tardy in putting together a post about it, but in my defence we have plunged straight into a mountain of BVLR work to take advantage of the January-April window of opportunity. (Of this, more anon.) However, as I’ve temporarily been rendered hors d’ combat (of this, too, more anon) I thought I would at least take the opportunity to update the Blog with some exciting news, or, failing that, news.
The first train of the night- with the Romulus (Corby) in Christmas garb- Russ Gant was very determined she should carry a wreath!
So, back to Christmas. Last year’s Santa Specials turned out to be something of a whirlwind for those concerned, as work started unusually early, at the tail end of August/beginning of September. This was thanks in part to our grand plans to upgrade the Grotto and Santa Halt, as described in my last post, and a need to render the Grotto waterproof once more once the weather was on our side. We also added other refinements, like the arch that Dave North built us to replace the one previously stolen out of my Mother’s garden every year.
Another opportunity that arose this year, which made a huge difference to the atmosphere of the event, was the presence of a stationary engine display- those who visit Steamworks during our Open Days may be familiar with Dave et al, as they generously support us with their time on a few open days each season- running light shows and festoons, and a group of local Craft sellers, who we wedged in the Tram, and who appeared to be (perhaps surprisingly) happy to be there. This last was the initiative of my Mother, who, no doubt carried away by the euphoria of not-having-her-rose-arch-stolen, dragooned Jackie into helping her clean the tram out and bedecked it liberally inside with Christmas cheer.
Craft sellers in the Tram- the Christmas rush hadn’t quite started yet!
Both evenings brought us good weather, which makes a huge difference for the staff- last year we had a devilish damp one, and a couple of years before that, a viciously cold one- and attendance was good, with a lot of new faces. I noticed this year particularly that I was getting enquiries from people who had clearly heard about us via word-of-mouth, rather than online or through posters and flyers, which suggests that our reputation is beginning to precede us. Which is good, obviously. One appreciative family had, I believe, come all the way from Colchester to visit us on the night!
Stationmaster Nick at the improved Santa Halt, complete with his heated cabin. This photo rather makes him look like the inspiration behind Charles Dickens’ The Signalman. He had a great time, really.
It helped that everything ran smoothly- the Romulus ran well, and the uprated Santa Halt looked superb lit up, and meant that Stationmaster Nick no longer had to face the Arctic Blast that tends to play around that outpost of the BVLR. Certainly it was worth the many hours of work that went into it. Those families who have been regulars, particularly, were delighted to see the changes, which is after all why we do it- I believe there’s a phrase somewhere about evolution rather than revolution, which is what it’s about! Grant sold out of his hot chestnuts (sold from a handcart in true Victorian fashion) and Jackie, in her rolé as the Christmas Fairy, kept our young visitors entertained with crafts in the café, enabling their parents to hoover up Jane Bennett’s excellent mulled wine in relative peace. Certainly I saw a few treasured creations going home in sticky fingers. Elves were spotted, candy canes were won, and of course Father Christmas, assisted by his erstwhile Elf did a superb job at the centre of the whole event- as they always do.
Father Christmas himself, in the Grotto Deluxe- with two happy visitors! (Permission was sought to use this photograph in Trust material.)
Not to take anything away from the rest of the volunteers, who always turn out in the freezing cold to make the event happen- and for those working outside, it can be very cold indeed. It takes far greater numbers of staff to run a Santa Special than it does to run a normal Open Day, and everyone’s efforts are much appreciated- not only by those who organise it, but by the visitors, who often comment on how friendly and welcoming the event is. They keep coming back, so it must be true!
The display of engines brought by Dave Cragie and chums- an excellent showing, even if the gen-set did compete with the christmas carols being played at the BVLR station. I must get some bigger valves next year..
In connection with which, a woman I met at a Classic Car show in Thorpeness last year had told me how much they had loved bringing their grandchildren to the railway to see Santa, but that sadly they had got a little too old. It was, she told me, a lovely thing to do- and ‘maybe one day, you’ll see them bring their own grandchildren!’ I answered that if I was still going round and round on that Romulus at the age of 104, then I could be confident that my life had gone very wrong indeed.
I had attended the car show in my classic- visitors to Steamworks over the last two summers may have noticed an elderly and slightly ‘foxed’ green RM Riley in the car park, which I now confess is entirely my fault. I bring this up to return to my earlier point about being hors d’ combat, as a few weeks ago now, after completing some work on it, the damn thing kicked back when I attempted to hand-start it. As a result, I now have a broken wrist, and again as a result, am now free to update the blog, albeit one-handed. It’s an ill wind, as they say..