TV presenter Chris gets a ticket to ride

TV presenter Chris Tarrant took a ride on the footplate of the Aln Valley Railway’s steam locomotive during a film shoot.
Chris Tarrant and the film crew with Aln Valley Railway volunteers at Lionheart station.Chris Tarrant and the film crew with Aln Valley Railway volunteers at Lionheart station.
Chris Tarrant and the film crew with Aln Valley Railway volunteers at Lionheart station.

He was in Alnwick filming for a new documentary on the importance of railways in the First World War.

During his visit to Lionheart station, he rode on the steam loco Richboro, which was built in 1917 and allocated to the ‘secret’ Q-port of Richborough in Kent, from which supplies were sent to the British Expeditionary Force in France.

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This often involved the world’s first roll-on roll-off ferry.

After a later career in the coal industry in the Welsh Marches, Richboro was restored to pristine condition in Northumberland and now hauls trains at the Aln Valley Railway.

As well as filming at Lionheart, Chris and the film crew, including producer/director Paul Kittel, were at Alnwick War Memorial, outside Barter Books (Alnwick’s old railway station) and Alnwick Castle.

Further filming will be done in France and Germany and the programme, being produced by Elfton Productions, is due to be broadcast this autumn.

Chris recently presented an acclaimed documentary on the links between railways and the Holocaust on Channel 5.