The weather forecast had been dire for days but Saturday 7th June turned out to be perfect for the third bi-annual Family Fun Day at the Great Cockcrow Railway at Chertsey, courtesy of Ian Allan Group and all their train enthusiasts.

What many people don’t realise is that this miniature steam railway, with numerous stations, engine sheds, tunnels, viaducts and more than five miles of track, because its passengers are fare paying, has to comply with all the rules and regulations applicable to normal railways.

Indeed, on a typical summer Sunday when it is open to the public, with a ‘passenger’ train leaving its main station once every four minutes, it is considered to be the busiest railway system in Europe!

Some seven locomotives had to be commissioned to cope with the multiple rides required by nearly five hundred Middlesex masons and their families in order to avoid long queues.

In any event there were plenty of other attractions to fill time between rides with Whitton Dene Lodge No. 6869 members providing fair ground rides and other amusements, perhaps the most popular the giant inflatable children’s slide. It has to be said that several so called ‘grown ups’ were overheard contemplating the possibility of ‘having a go’ but failed to convince the owner they were under twelve, at least in terms of appearance if not behaviour!

This demeanour was clearly not limited to visitors, for a certain Grand Officer was observed officiating at the train departure platforms, ushering passengers and directing trains, by blowing his little tin whistle like a demented stationmaster, obviously completely immersed in his own little train world. Isn’t it amazing, give a perfectly normal individual a whistle to blow in a public capacity and he is completely transformed. Thank goodness he was only wearing a floppy straw hat; he would have been unbearable given a peaked cap and a little green flag!

A variety of stalls provided ‘wet sponge’ (the sort that’s OK in front of the children) and other amusements plus traditional and oriental food offerings whilst many groups enjoyed their own picnics in the nearby meadow.

The ‘train’ theme was further expanded by the Hornby Society erecting a portable electric Hornby ‘00’ gauge train set which looked proportionally bigger than the main miniature railway, which stimulated considerable interest.

A raffle for the three model train sets, kindly donated by Hornby, was strongly supported, as was that for the surprise ‘alternative’ raffle for a brand new adult mountain bike.

However the event was dependent on considerable support from sixteen Provincial Grand Stewards who were in attendance for over nine hours assisting in all sorts of duties, to whom sincere thanks are given.

Although not intended as a fund raising event, the final proceeds enabled a donation of £750 to go towards the Provincial 2009 Appeal for the RMBI and a further donation towards the Great Cockcrow Railway’s ambitious plans for a brand new station.

Peter Gledhill led the team ably supported by Peter Hyde, Robin Hyde, Brian Guyett, John Briggs with Paul Steventon in charge of graphics.