A miniature railway will be a star attraction on Saturday, 4 May at a celebration to mark the 150th anniversary of the Arboretum at Walsall in the West Midlands.

A miniature railway used to provide rides in the arboretum, but this time the railway will be running for just one day.

They will be operated by the Portable Railway Club and will run throughout the day alongside a host of other activities, including a long list of live musical acts.

The official celebrations will take place at the bandstand at 12 noon when the Mayor of Walsall, Councillor Chris Towe, will welcome visitors before The City of Birmingham Brass Band starts a day of musical performances.

These will be brought to a close by the world’s first all-female Slade tribute band, Slady, paying tribute to one of Walsall’s most well-known natives – Noddy Holder, the lead singer and guitarist with the rock band Slade.

Throughout the day there will be children’s rides, food stalls and bars, traditional games and boat rides on the lake.

There will be no charge for admission, but an additional charge is payable for the boat rides, and £2 for rides on the miniature railway.

Walsall Arboretum

Walsall Arboretum extends for 170 acres and attracts over 1 million visitors each year.

From 1770 to 1835, the site was used to mine limestone but is now part of the UNESCO Black Country global Geopark.

With a place on Historic England’s National Heritage List for England, the arboretum houses 10,000 different species of trees and shrubs and has the highest concentration of ancient and veteran trees in the entire region.

It is also home to the ‘Devil’s Toe’, which is a glacial boulder carried to the West Midlands from North Wales on an ice sheet around 400,000 years ago.

Sited at the heart of Walsall town centre, the arboretum includes a lake and country park where people of all ages enjoy events such as the annual bonfire and fireworks, funfairs, fun runs, cricket, tennis, bowling, football, walking, cycling, and running.

There are a large number of miniature railways that operate regular services, including Ruislip Lido Railway, and Barnards Miniature Railway near Brentwood in Essex.