Victorian Weekend

Visitors to Havenstreet station were quite literally transported back to Victorian times over the weekend of Saturday 31st May and Sunday June 1st.

The Isle of Wight Steam Railway has always prided itself in celebrating the life of the Island's original railway network via its incredible preservation of 5 miles of the original 54-mile route. This special themed weekend, which is held annually, succeeded in intensifying the visitor experience even further by allowing people to actually relive the magic of the railway as it would have appeared and operated all those years ago.

Taking a journey back in time

The unique atmosphere of the Smallbrook Junction to Wootton route with stops in both Ashey and Havenstreet, has been perfectly preserved throughout the years by the largely volunteer-based team of dedicated individuals at the Steam Railway. All of the carriages and locomotives that can be seen here today have spent much of their working lives on the Island and since the Steam Railway opened as an attraction in 1971, have been painstakingly restored to pristine condition. The oldest locomotive was built in 1876 and several of the carriages date back as far as 1864.

As part of their entrance fee, visitors were able to ride in the superb Victorian and Edwardian carriages and complete the fascinating journey along the line. With all staff and volunteers at the main Havenstreet station dressed in full Victorian attire you could be forgiven for thinking you'd escaped to completely different time zone! Soldiers, ladies in bustle gowns, Victorian/Edwardian maids, guardsmen, pearly kings and queens and even Sherlock Holmes himself did not look out of place at the Steam Railway this weekend and the meticulously-kept site lent itself beautifully to the sudden change of era.

In addition to the un-missable and enduring opportunity to experience the thrill of the steam trains as they were in their hay-day, classically trained soprano Fiona Harrison was also on hand to delight crowds on the nearby the platform edge.

A patriotic performance from a superior soprano

Performing in authentic Victorian costume, Fiona Harrison took the audience on a trip down 'memory lane' with nostalgic music from a series of bygone ages. Completing three shows per day throughout the two-day event, many of her hit songs included a mixture of music hall gems and operatic arias, plus great British classic such as 'Land of Hope and Glory,' 'We'll keep a welcome in the hillside' and 'Royal Britannia.'

For the grand finale, spectators were issued with Union Jack flags and were invited to join in with the rousing song lyrics. Audience members took to their feet united with a true sense of pride, history and appreciation for the glory days of the 1800's when the pace of life was slower and travelling by train was an exciting new revelation.

Throughout the year Fiona Harrington performs around 250-300 shows including four major theatrical productions and 10 cabaret shows and never fails to surprise and delight her audience with her crystal clear voice and her amazing vocal range. Her vast repertoire includes Grand Opera, musical theatre and modern popular classics and her presence at Havenstreet this weekend was a real treat for everyone who saw her.

A living, breathing historical experience

Punch and Judy and photographic displays and were also a feature of the weekend's line-up of entertainment as were a series of Victorian stalls containing a whole wealth of treasures including Victorian-style cutlery, jewellery, children's toys and ornaments. Interested collectors were asked to give a donation to 'Help for Heroes' - a charity raising money for the wounded in Britain's current conflicts.

The Victorian weekend set the tone for the ever-popular forthcoming 1940's event, which is due to take place this summer from July 5 - 6. For the sixth consecutive year the Isle of Wight Steam Railway and the Isle of Wight Military Vehicle Group will present a re-enactment of the railway during wartime, featuring various re-enactment groups. Havenstreet Station will be dressed for wartime with military and civilian vehicles, National Army Museum locomotives, wartime goods train, gas drills, period music and evening dance.

Please visit the official Isle of Wight Steam Railway website for further information including ticket prices.

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