A stream of visitors headed to Brent Knoll’s St Michael’s Church on Saturday, October 5th when it held a railway fun day.
The free event included an exhibition of railway art, photography and history plus model railways for kids to play with, and videos of steam railways.
Organiser Ged Keele, one of the local church members, pictured, said the event had been a “great success” and he thanked all who had attended.
Ged has a lifetime’s experience of steam railways which started 80 years ago when he was evacuated from London to Cornwall in 1944 to escape the doodlebugs that were targeting London.
“My brothers and I were trainspotters in the 1950s, and Johnny became a keen amateur photographer. I have put together a poster display of lifetime experiences and have collated a series of Johnny’s prints of steam engines, which were on display.”
Local priest Eric Petrie, a well-known railway artist, had some of his art also display as well.
A series of home-produced videos will be projected on the church’s new big screen featuring steam on the West Somerset Railway, a preserved South African steam train and vintage steam railways in France and Germany.
Ged adds: “There was also an opportunity for visitors to see, and play with, examples of model railways; a Dublo model railway that we are building with the help of Brent Knoll Primary School children, and Brio for the very young. Mac and Viv Hares also brought their electric model train that runs through their garden.”
Donations were also invited towards the upkeep of St Michael’s Church during the day.
