The North Yorkshire Moors Railway is set to hold a new event, Through the Decades: 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s over the weekend of 14 and 15 October.
A Welcome Party will be held on the evening of 13 October to get the weekend to a swing, so visitors should grab their dancing shoes and get ready for a weekend of nostalgia and timeless entertainment.
At Pickering, Levisham, Grosmont, and Goathland stations each era will come to life. Ready to transport visitors to a different decade, with cultural touchstones along the way.
The Welcome Party will be held from 6 pm to 10 pm at The Sidings Inn, and will be compered by Ricky Hunter.
An evening of music through the decades will being with the 1940s and finish with the 1970s. Among those appearing during the evening will be Kitty LaMare, Ricky Hunter, Blade Runner, and the Robert Schmuck Trio. Entry for anyone with a ticket to travel on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway, or £5 per adult on the door.
Pickering will be dedicated to the 1940s, the decade when the four major rail operators were amalgamated into British Railways.
Period vehicles will be on display to marvel at, and Ricky Hunter and Kitty LaMare will be performing live sets to jive along to.
A number of trade stands will offer their goods, including Raven Madd Boutique and A Sticky Situation, which is a Whitby-based company producing jams and chutneys. The Yorkshire Bus Bar will also be serving a wide range of drinks including local ales and wines.
At Levisham, the rural station will be transformed into the 1950s with an agricultural engine display and vintage tractors.
Goathland will be alive with the vibrant energy and spirit of the 1960s for visitors to bathe in a nostalgic journey through one of history’s most influential decades.
Live music on Saturday will be provided by Henry Bird, and by Ross McWhirter on Sunday. Visitors can enjoy a display of 60s classic vehicles, children’s activities, a family station trail, and the temporary Pirate Radio Exhibition. A selection of ales will be available in the tea room.
At Grosmont Station travellers can groove their way through the disco era of the 1970s. On Saturday and Sunday there will be live music including performances by Rock and Roll Gold.
A number of vintage vehicles will be on display, including a Rolls Royce Shadow, MG Midget and Triumph Stag. To coincide with the railway’s Golden Anniversary, the history and opening day of the railway will be remembered with a photographic display at Grosmont station.
A new ticket has been introduced by the railway that gives free travel for 12 months from the date of the first visit. An added incentive to travel is also the Kids Travel Free in 2023 offer for children aged 0-15.
Anyone with an Unlimited Annual Pass will be able to use it at this event. There are discounts for groups of 20 or more, nd can be booked via the NYMR Customer Service Team: [email protected]
For further information about the weekend’s event go to nymr.co.uk/through-the-decades
Next week. the railway is holding a number of free Heritage Open Days events, while on 13 evenings through October and November it will be holding a series of Light Spectaculars.
Responses
Agree with other comments, either do the 40s weekend properly or don’t bother at all. Not sure if it’s the usual -fear of offending’ or if it’s political, but assume it’s a new PR team, fresh out of college with a ‘great idea’ to reinvent the wheel. I can even understand a 60’s weekend given the ‘Aidensfield’ connection, but ‘through the decades’? Dreadful! Trying to appease the regulars whilst cowardly shying away from a minority of dissenters, but in reality, it just dilutes every decade and identity-who wants to see Marc Bolan sharing the scene with Elvis and Churchill?! Not to mention that steam had finished by the 70s, so how is that even relevant!?
Utter rubbish and people WILL vote with their feet. We visited the Great Central Railway 40s event for the first time last year and it was absolutely fantastic, atmospheric, brilliantly organised and drew a real crowd. Take note NYMR, that’s how it’s done.
I completely agree with the above comment. My husband and I have visited Pickering for the 1940’s weekend on numerous occasions before the pandemic and have always had a wonderful time. We told family and friends about the event and this year another two couples came with us. We pitched our caravans at a nearby campsite as in previous years. Even the campsite had played it down compared to other years. We were bitterly disappointed that there was no parade on the Saturday, barely anyone dressed in 40’s clothing and no authentic vehicles. It just didn’t have the same vibe at all. The last time we visited, there was a park and ride as the chances of parking in town were zero. This year (2023) there was ample parking. Unless the 1940’s weekend reverts back to former programme, we doubt whether we will attend again. Very sad.
Hello Roger.
My partner & I went into Pickering over this weekend and I would like it recorded how bitterly disappointing this years 40’s event has been. Based on our 2 previous visits, this was nothing like previous years when the town was buzzing with nostalgia and excitement and all because the event was watered down with bringing in other decades into the mix. My understanding is that the NYMR had washed their hands of the event both last year and this year and perhaps there is some justification for this based on support not forthcoming from others. The upshot from this however is this. So many people we spoke to over the weekend felt the same way and are very doubtful of their attendance next year. I mean to not have the singers and dancers there as in previous years is a recipe for disaster and what you will find is that all the people who are interested in this era will disappear completely from Pickering and go elsewhere. There was always a great effort from so many people before but that spirit now seems to have gone. Lest we forget for all those war hero’s and for me, I won’t forget but it does seem there are others who aren’t that bothered anymore.