A North Yorkshire town's proud railway heritage will take centre stage with two special events this month.
Held at the Kirk Theatre in Pickering, the events celebrate the people, stories and steam locomotives behind the North Yorkshire Moors Railway (NYMR).
With one of the country’s best-loved heritage railways right on the town’s doorstep, the two very different speakers will to share their stories, from three decades of life behind the scenes at the NYMR to the remarkable preservation story that helped shape the railway as we know it today.
First, on Thursday, October 8, Paul ‘Piglet’ Middleton brings Tales from the NYMR, offering audiences the chance to hear from the man who has become one of the railway’s most familiar faces thanks to Channel 5’s The Yorkshire Steam Railway and Channel 4’s Steam Train Diaries.
Paul began work at the North Yorkshire Moors Railway at the age of just 16. Paul has gone on to become Foreman, Depot Manager and, in 2017, Traction and Rolling Stock Manager. He also continues to volunteer as a fireman on the railway. The evening will draw on his encounters with railway royalty, working with historic locomotives and his experiences filming two popular television series, followed by a Q&A.
The railway theme continues with A Marriage of Convenience - The Story of the North Eastern Locomotive Preservation Group in its Diamond Jubilee Year. This event will take the form of an illustrated lecture by John Hunt on Saturday, October 24.
Kirk Theatre Director Luke Arnold said Pickering is the perfect setting for the two events.
He said: “The railway is such an important part of Pickering’s identity, so it feels particularly fitting to be bringing these stories to the Kirk Theatre.”
Luke said Paul's event coincided with the publication of Paul’s first book, ALL ABOARD!, released on the same day.
“It brings together many of his stories, and during the evening Paul will share some of the heartwarming and often hilarious stories from his first thirty years on the line.”
“We’re also really looking forward to hearing John share the story of the North Eastern Locomotive Preservation Group (NELPG) and its long-standing relationship with the North Yorkshire Moors Railway.
"Back in 1970, the two organisations found themselves in circumstances which proved ideally matched: the NELPG had two mainline steam locomotives but nowhere to run them, while the NYMR had a railway line but no suitable steam engines.”
"That ‘marriage of convenience’ has endured for more than half a century. The talk promises to be sometimes serious, sometimes amusing, and rich in the events which have shaped both organisations."
Luke added: “There is something very special about hearing these stories here in Pickering. Across the two evenings, audiences can hear both Paul’s personal, behind-the-scenes experiences of life on the railway and John’s wider history of the people and locomotives that have helped preserve this remarkable heritage for future generations.”
Paul ‘Piglet’ Middleton: Tales from the North Yorkshire Moors Railway takes place at the Kirk Theatre, Pickering, on Thursday,October 8.
A Marriage of Convenience – The Story of the North Eastern Locomotive Preservation Group in its Diamond Jubilee Year takes place on Saturday, October 24.
Full details and tickets can be found on the Kirk Theatre website at www.kirktheatre.co.uk/events/