Santa Set to “Steam Into Christmas” at Railway Centre
Staff and volunteers at Didcot Railway Centre are working hard to prepare for a very special visitor when the Covid-secure site is able to re-open in December. Father Christmas himself will be at the popular tourist attraction on weekends from 5 – 20 December plus Tuesday 22 and Wednesday 23.
Visitors will be able to take a ride on a vintage train, with a private compartment for each group, to a specially decorated Victorian station where they can meet Santa who is letting his reindeer take a rest ahead of Christmas Eve. Instead, he will be on a special train full of presents and will have a gift for every child, helpers to entertain the family and has arranged a second steam train to take visitors (and their presents) on a festive journey, ready to explore the rest of the 21-acre living museum.
There are seasonal refreshments to enjoy as visitors explore original 1932 GWR Engine Shed. Here, they can see more restored locomotives, access the footplate of some engines and meet Eddie the Engine Driver who will be telling festive tales of the railways at Christmas time. The refreshments are all included in the ticket price and come in the shape of mince pies and mulled wine/non-alcoholic punch which will be served to adults, while for children there’s gingerbread and hot chocolate – with marshmallows of course!
Head of Visitor Experience & Marketing, Graham Hukins said “After a challenging year, we are determined to keep the magic of Christmas alive at the Centre. The experience we have gained operating in a Covid secure way from July to October will be invaluable and we have a Lockdown Guarantee that assures visitors of a free transfer to an alternative date or a refund should national or local restrictions mean we have to cancel any day to comply with Government guidelines.
“Of course, we are continuing to limit the number of people on site to keep everyone safe, so we expect tickets to sell out fast,” he added.
Full details and bookings can be found on the Centre’s website
