A Severn Valley Christmas

Kidderminster station on the Severn Valley heritage line. Kidderminster station was created as a mock up of an 1890s railway station, based on photographs of the long-demolished station at Ross-on-Wye. 

What was I doing there in the dark, just before Christmas? Well, months ago, GG asked me to organize a Christmas treat for us and, like a fool, I agreed. Then she proceeded to tell me that she was not available for any of the 'experiences' I suggested. I ended up booking a 'carol train' ride on the Severn Valley Railway, and a night at a Wetherspoons hotel in Bewdley. GG would drive us there from Stroud. GG would pay.

Earlier this week, GG phoned to say she'd have to cancel because her roof was leaking. I told her that she would not get her money back. She decided she would go, after all. On the way of departure, she phoned at 1.50 pm (we were due to leave at 3.30) to say we'd have to leave as soon as possible as she'd heard the AA saying on the radio that the M5 was congested. I was pretty angry, as we'd arranged to take part in a Christmas Quiz on Zoom at 2.30 and quizzes are important to me. We had a bit of a shouting match. Then we left at 2.20 and completely missed the Zoom because we couldn't get it in the car. Stroud was congested all right, but the M5 was clear. GG's out-of-county  driving is terrifying!

We arrived at the hotel with hours to spare, grrrr! It was pleasant, overlooking a street of black-and-white half-timbered buildings in Bewdley on Severn. Left for Kidderminster station. Got there early, waited for the Carol train. A choir was singing at the station. I was disappointed that they weren't more Victorian looking and were singing Christmas pop songs, with a few carols thrown in. Then we boarded the train, on a very luxurious dining car (but we weren't dining) and tootled up to Highley station. The choir came and sang at us, but no carols! At Highley we went to an engine shed, which had real steam engines in it, and got some mulled wine, and were entertained by another group and the original choir alternately, but again, they weren't singing too many actual carols. Then we all trooped back to the station and we're taken back to Kidderminster. Arrived back at Bewdley at the pub at 22.55, just in time for GG to order fish and chips! I had some dates I'd brought with me. 

Conclusion: I'd love to go back to the Severn Valley railway, but not when it's dark, and definitely not on a carol train. I prefer my carols traditional or folky. Will I go away again with GG? Probably not for more then four hours. Definitely not if I have to do all the organising myself. I have enough of my own stuff to think about without getting sucked into other people's House or Travel Anxiety.