So much to say!!!!

Well it has been a while since I last updated this and so much has gone on since then, some of which I can talk about and some I can't... yet!

To start with, we have been entertaining 2 coaches from the Tanfield Railway, their numbers 5 and 6, in conjunction with 5 days of filming with the BBC for a 2 episode Christmas special of Cranford starring Dame Judi Dench. This was the culmination of 6 months work for a few members and 5 days hard work for a few more! Not much can be said about what was undertaken as we cannot disclose any information that may give away the plot, suffice to say that we all had fun and it was most definitely an experience. Some of us have come away from it with new nicknames, Maddog - you know who you are!

Following on from this we used the Tanfield coaches for the weekend just gone to raise the profile of the North Staffordshire Rolling Stock Trust, running them with the Cambrian van and the Beyer Peacock to give a taste of things to come. Judging by the comments received the restoration of the two Knotty coaches cannot come soon enough and, having had a day with the Peacock on them, certainly this is the case for the smaller loco's. The Peacock was easily master of the job and much easier with the three wooden vehicles than 2 'modern' Mk1 or 2's!

Anyway, things are hotting up on the Gala front, Robert Stephenson and Hawthorn 0-6-0ST 'Moorbarrow', or Backworth 47 as it is more correctly known (I'm reliably informed from our friends in the NE) is confirmed as the visiting loco this year - but there may also be a second visitor, albiet a none working one. If I say it is heading towards Manchester Museum of Science and Industry for their event this August, and there used to be one of it's sister locos not many miles away in Hanley, perhaps you can guess what it is.

Anyway, I will try and keep up to date a bit more with events and happenings, that's if the Foxfield News doesn't beat me to it (well I am going to work on the next edition as soon as I finish here!). Keep your eyes on the letterbox in about 2 weeks time for your, hot off the press, edition.