18th November 2023
morning session 10.00am to Midday
Afternoon Session 1.00pm until 3.00 pm
This popular venture began in November 2007 following an idea developed by Sue and Brian Rowney, who are keen transport enthusiasts locally and members of the church. Together with a group of volunteers, drawn mainly from the church, they put on 2 identical sessions on a Saturday in April and again in November from 10am - 12am and 1pm - 3pm. "Off the Rails!" tries to cater for all age ranges, particularly for those at the younger end of the spectrum and their relatives, with a variety of different attractions on a train theme, including: storybooks, working layouts, puzzles, worksheets and model building to engage the youngsters - whilst railway simulation games, DVDs and display tables are an attraction to older children and adults. The event aims to appeal to all our visitors in some way - especially if they happen to like trains! We're never sure how many people will turn up on the day - it's very much a "suck it and see" situation to encourage "pre-teens" and their families to enjoy a hobby together - hopefully some of those people may spread the word and come back again with their friends and extended family members.
there is a small admission charge which covers fresh fruit & cold drinks for the children at snack time, plus hot drinks for the adults. There are no advance tickets: just turn up on the day. Special train biscuits are available as you leave for a small donation.
All proceeds from the event are given to Mission Helping Hands