Visitors bathed in the sunshine and nostalgia as the Severn Valley Railway hosted the first of this year’s Step Back to the 1940s Weekends – and it’s now preparing to do it all over again!
A hugely-successful start, the first of this year’s two 40s weekends attracted the highest number of visitors for several years, and now the SVR is hoping for a similar result when the second event steams in this weekend.
Dressed in period costume, visitors of all ages filled the colourful, bunting-decked platforms to enjoy a wealth of re-enactments, displays and live entertainment all along the 16-mile line.
Drawing the crowds were Britain’s Got Talent finalists, the D-Day Darlings, who performed each day at Kidderminster and were among the star acts at the sell-out, evening Big Band Concert on Saturday night.
Generating gasps and much applause, the battle returned with a vengeance at Highley and crowds were treated to a dramatic fire-fighting re-enactment at Kidderminster.
A poignant tribute to mark the centenary of the end of WW1, the Cavell Van, which brought back the body of nurse Edith Cavell from Belgium in 1919 and the following year returned the body of the ‘Unknown Warrior’, was on display at Arley. At Bewdley, visitors could get up-close to a replica of the Mk X1 Spitfire, marking the 100th anniversary of the creation of the RAF.
Some familiar faces, including Sir Winston Churchill and King George VI were among the crowds and passengers enjoyed an intensive service of ‘evacuation trains’ throughout both days.
Paul Bowler, Chairman of event organisers, the 1940s Committee, said: “We were delighted with how the first event went – the sun shone, the platforms were buzzing and there was a wonderful atmosphere throughout.
“It was fantastic to see so many people dressing-up in period costume and enjoying themselves – you really could be forgiven for thinking you had been transported back in time. We are thoroughly looking forward to this weekend’s event and hope that just as many – if not more people come along to experience it for themselves.”
Tickets to the 1940s weekends are available to purchase at www.svr.co.uk. Wristbands for the Big Band concerts cost £12 each and pre-booking is recommended.
Shropshire Live is regulated by 