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Picture: Andy Jones/Southeastern
CELEBRATING two centuries of rail travel in the UK the Rail200 initiative saw Southeastern Railways observe this milestone over the weekend as part of a wider program of commemoration. In South East London, namely Grove Park, families gathered to enjoy the classic tale The Railway Children by E.Nesbit who lived locally and took inspiration from this locality to tell the famous story.
This is Railway Children land.
From indulging in a dressing-up box specially curated with clothing from the period the book was written in 1905 children were treated to storytelling excerpts from this popular read. Station staff were on-hand to show people around the station which features some classic architecture before taking a walk on the specially designed Railway Children walk.
Supporting the event were Hornby, Brio and Plus-Plus each contributing various train themed toys for the kids to interact with and encouraged them to create their own Railway based tales.
“Storytelling at the station, the chance to transform into early 20th century travellers, have pictures taken with the impressive backdrop of original steel bridges that criss-cross the platforms all combined to make this a truly memorable day” Said Lee O’Dwyer of Southeastern Railways. “It’s wonderful to see the station being used to celebrate the magic of early 20th-century rail travel and the rich history that inspired the story.”
The Local Grove Park community centre will provide a walking guide for participants to take the Railway Children walk with a history of the area and highlight where parts of the book were inspired along the way.
Refreshed, inspired and entertained everyone in attendance took away a trio of trains from the toy companies supporting this nostalgic day.
