Aln Valley Railway visitors enjoy soundtrack from the 1940s

Visitors flocked to the Aln Valley Railway over the weekend for a 1940s-themed event.
A quiet moment for some knitting a a cigarette during a brief lull in proceedings!A quiet moment for some knitting a a cigarette during a brief lull in proceedings!
A quiet moment for some knitting a a cigarette during a brief lull in proceedings!

For many, the highlights of the weekend were the performances in the locoshed by ‘The Seatones’, a female close harmony trio from Seaton Carew, who sang a mixture of ‘hits’ from the era inspired by such artists as The Andrews Sisters, Vera Lynn and Glenn Miller. Many visitors danced to the music; others simply sat, enjoyed the music and reminisced!

Thanks to the railway’s links with the Blyth Battery and the Northumberland Fusiliers there were several groups dressed in military uniforms including a representation of the Local Defence Volunteers (‘Home Guard’) who performed military drill exercises.

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There were displays of weapons and even an ‘unexploded bomb’! Many participants attended in 1940s costumes (both civilian and military) to add to the atmosphere!

The Seatones perform their repertoire in the Aln Valley Railway’s locoshed which was suitable decorated for the occasion. Picture by Pat Murphy/AVRThe Seatones perform their repertoire in the Aln Valley Railway’s locoshed which was suitable decorated for the occasion. Picture by Pat Murphy/AVR
The Seatones perform their repertoire in the Aln Valley Railway’s locoshed which was suitable decorated for the occasion. Picture by Pat Murphy/AVR

There was a variety of vintage vehicles on show including jeeps, a fire appliance, and cars and motor cycles from the period.

The steam trains were operated by locomotive ‘Number 60’ which entered the service of the National Coal Board in the 1940s.

The usual attractions at the railway (the model railway room, the shop, the Buffet Stop café, the museum and the bring-and-buy stall) all did a roaring trade and the trains leaving the station were all very full on both days.

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The railway’s next major event, with steam trains running, will be on July 27-28. The summer fair, with some 30 stalls, will take place on Sunday, July 28 in the locoshed and there will be a visit by the Norton Motor Cycle Owners Club.