Shake, Rattle and Roll

Subject: Shake, Rattle and Roll
From: GUEST,John Rouse
Date: 02 Sep 05 - 08:50 AM

Following the demise of Bridgnorth Festival, I hear the North York Moors Railway are considering something similar for Whitby, now the line has been extended to the town. I wonder if it will be as mad as the Bridgnorth one?

Subject: RE: Shake, Rattle and Roll
From: gnomad
Date: 02 Sep 05 - 09:58 AM

Care to expand on that a little, JR?

I am sure I would not be alone in wondering what you have heard, and from how reliable a source.

The line has been in town for many years, but has recently had renovation work enabling heavier trains to use it again, after years of minimal maintenance had reduced it almost to light-railway duty.

BTW, I have heard of Bridgorth festival but have no idea how it died, so a potted history might be of interest too.

Subject: RE: Shake, Rattle and Roll
From: GUEST
Date: 02 Sep 05 - 10:24 AM

Bridgnorth has not so much died, as outstayed its welcome. The site was on two school playing fields, at either side of a quiet residential road. Quite a few new houses were built around the site, and I suspect the local authority searches didn't mention that there was a folk festival every year.

I guess its a bit like those people who move to the country and then complain about the noise of the tractors and the cows.

We used to spend a lot of time talking to local shopkeepers in Bridgnorth, and I think the loss of the festival is going to be a big blow to them.

I went to look at the Shrewsbury site and it is much more public than the Bridgnorth one, being right on the riverside, and with a national cycleway running along one side and a busy main road at the other.

One of the big attractions of Bridgnorth was that you could go into the school and use proper toilets instead of the plastic portaloos.

As for the steam trains, I will keep my sources close to my chest for the time being.