Worcester News, Worcester Sport, Worcester Leisure - From The Worcester News

Chuffed at success of SVR 1940s weekend

From the archive, first published Thursday 3rd Jul 2003.

MORE than 5,000 people descended on Kidderminster last weekend for a Second World War spectacular.

The first of a double bill of 1940s weekends along the 16-mile Severn Valley Railway line to Bridgnorth went down a treat, leaving organisers hoping for the same response next weekend.

Coachloads of visitors from as far as Holland, Germany and France flocked to enjoy the annual event, which raised more than £140,000 for the railway.

SVR commercial manager Andrew Harding said the activities had gone "fantastically well", despite last-minute changes which saw mock battles scrubbed from the programme as a mark of respect to those who fought in the Gulf War earlier this year.

"The event was received extremely well," he said.

He said an indication of the extravaganza's popularity was that all the hotels and car parks in Kidderminster were full.

"Everyone really entered into the spirit of things, we had people dressed up like Winston Churchill on the dining train" he added.

"We had RAF and Navy costumes, German and American uniforms and a lot of people in 1940s period clothing.

"We're expecting it this weekend as well."

Highlights of the weekend included a Saturday evening concert of Glenn Miller music, attended by more than 1,200 people.

There were also fire-fighting demonstrations to show how blazes were put out after Second World War bombing.

There were "spivs" selling watches and other items to passengers, demonstrations of swing and jive routines by the Festival Jazz Swingers and a Battle of Britain spitfire staged a flypast.

Almost 12,000 people attended the events last year and organisers hope to top the figure after this weekend.

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