Anniversary
Things have been quiet on the Dorking Garden Railway recently,as other activities have kept me busy - and this week I put my foot through the rotting decking which highlights the urgency of getting the garden remodelling project to contract tender stage.
Meanwhile my birthday (also the anniversary of the opening of the DGR) came along and we celebrated in style on the Bluebell Railway by hiring the GNR Directors' Saloon for the day and inviting along family and friends to share the three return trips from Sheffield Park to East Grinstead. This was an excellent day out: the railway had three engines in steam and was excellent as ever, the directors' saloon was very comfortable, and the Bluebell cold buffet catering was of an extremely high standard.
To cap it all, my friend Julian kindly negotiated a footplate ride for me on the final round trip, which was a great end to the celebrations (especially as my last footplate trip on a passenger train was a Black 5 out of Manchester Victoria in 1968).
Peter, who lives in New York but would have loved to have joined us that day, managed to capture a video from the East Grinstead webcam of me on the footplate of 80151.
All in all, definitely a day to remember.