Chairmans Blog

Michael Ross, who coordinates our series of Music Trains along the Mid Cheshire Line writes: -

***************************************************************************
We had our first Music Train of the summer last Tuesday – a daytime trip from Chester to the Greyhound at Ashley. It was for the Wirral Branch of Parkinson’s UK and they brought 36 people. A good test of the Ashley arrangements and it went well.

The first ‘public’ Music Train is this Wednesday evening, 25 April, from Chester to Plumley – it’s the popular Chester Folk Festival one with three bands.

The first ‘To Jazz in Chester’ Music Train is the following week – 2 May – booked in advance via Alexanders – 16 bookings already.

Through the summer we will have three a month.

We have changed the publicity arrangements so there will be one poster a month announcing the next few Music Trains rather than an individual one for each Music Train. I will shortly have all the details of the series settled and we will then publish the full programme.

Michael Ross
Music Trains Organiser
Mid Cheshire Community Rail Partnership
musictrains@midcheshirerail.org.uk
***************************************************************************

So that’s 3 music trains a month.

Last year was our best year ever. The Plumley evening trains averaged 33 with a few each time who came from the east or drove. The Plumley daytime trains averaged 20, pretty good since this was its first year of operation and since they were only bi-monthly. The Chester Jazz trains averaged 25, this being their second year of operation and again these were bi-monthly.

This year, as it’s proving so popular, we’ve decided to go monthly from Spring through to Autumn and we’re also running some “private” trains for parties where they’ve requested this, the first one being last week as in Michael’s note.

Thus, 2012′s programme is: -

One from Altrincham to Chester on the 1817 from Piccadilly, but with the music only starting from Knutsford as the train is too full for musicians to play until Knutsford. This ties in with a transfer to Alexander’s Jazz Club for the music to continue and a return on the 2248 from Chester. The Alexander’s element needs to be pre-booked.

One evening train from Chester to The Golden Pheasant at Plumley on the 1907 from Chester, the band then playing at the pub, with a return on the 2203 from Plumley.

And one lunchtime train from Chester on the 1207 to The Greyhound at Ashley, the band then playing at the pub, with a return on the 1452 from Ashley.

Once we have the full details, I’ll add them to this post. So if you’re interested, make sure you “Subscribe” to the Blog and flag this post as one you want notification where comments are posted.

Come along and join us if you can. It’s great fun!