Article from Fusion Magazine about Ashford Family and Friends Open Day.

We have received this article about the Ashford Family and Friends Open Day where we ran miniature steam train rides.

An excerpt from the article:

“Community spirit shone through in Ashford as colleagues’ families and friends came together for an open day. Children enjoyed a ride on a miniature steam railway, unlimited ice cream and a bouncy castle, while parents brushed up on their knowledge with a tour.

The inaugural Ashford Family and Friends Open Day took place on 28th May, with a hog roast and barbecue keeping everyone well fed.”

Brighton Modelworld

A very successful weekend was had at the Brighton Modelworld exhibition! We had many people making enquirers about our railway and we proved very popular with the public and ‘Crowborough’ (and ‘Anna’) were both kept busy shuttling up and down the track almost non stop for the three days. South Downs Light Railway Society shared the operational duties in the form of taking fares, issuing/checking of tickets, loading/unloading the trains. The takings are still being counted but early indications suggest that the portable railway has made more money than last years static exhibit brought in.

Once the show had shut at 5:00 arrangements were made for the packing up operation of the railway and transportation back to Ingfield. By 18:30 both locomotives, wagon and track panels were loaded onto two of our trailers and headed for home.

Special thanks must go to all at SDLRS for their assistance, particularly Paul Cowlin & Jerry Chivers. Aidan Favell and Roy Harwood for their excellent coordination of packing up the display. Neal Catterall, Cameron Smith, Ben French and Callum Conway for operating the railway as well as packing up and of course to Chris English for making it all possible.

See you again next year!

Ingfield Light Railway Open Days

Here is a list of 2016 Open Days at Ingfield Light Railway.

Thursday 31st March – Easter Egg Hunt, in aid of The Dame Vera Lynn Trust

Sunday 24th April

Sunday 15th May has been changed to Sunday 22nd May

Sunday 12th June – Fete Day, in aid of Friends of Ingfield

Sunday 17th July

More running days to follow. Details will be posted as they become available.

Ingfield Light Railway Santa Special 2015

We have been sent this excerpt about the Santa Special that ran in December 2015 for the School, from the Staff Bulletin at Murgitroyd with full permission to share it with you.

The Santa Special was a brilliant success, we are so glad to be able to run events like this for the children at the school.

The bulletin reads:

‘Sue Catterall has sent photos taken at the Santa Special day, held at Ingfield Light Railway just before Christmas. Murgitroyd donated £75.00 towards the purchase of Christmas gifts for the children from Ingfield Manor School who attended the event.

The school cares for children between the ages of 3 and 19 with neurological motor impairment such as cerebral palsy. The pupils have a range of abilities and associated learning difficulties arising from cerebral palsy. Acknowledged as one of the leading centres for Conductive Education in the UK, the school has a national reputation for work developing communication.

Ingfield Light Railway is situated in the grounds of the school and is run by volunteers and provides steam train rides for the children. The Santa Special is always the highlight of the year and the company’s donation made it possible to run again this Christmas!’

Photograph of the excerpt from Murgitroyd's staff bulletin.

Thank you to Sue and Graham Catterall for supplying us with this lovely article, and to Murgitroyd for allowing us to share it with you.