A group of volunteers on the East Lancashire Railway have been celebrated this week after clocking up a whopping 2000 years-worth of service between them.
The heritage railway is a popular tourist attraction on the Greater Manchester and Lancashire border, bringing around 200,000 visitors annually.
It has now awarded its most dedicated volunteers – which its chairman says are the railway’s ‘lifeblood’ – with Long Service Awards.
He added that they had helped the attraction to ‘bounce back’ from an ‘incredibly challenging’ 18 months caused by the pandemic.
Some of the volunteers who were honoured in the Long Service Awards. Credit: Supplied
But not all their volunteers have returned post-pandemic, and the ELR is calling out for people to maintain the railway, run the heritage trains and host events and experiences – basically, to be the ‘cogs that keep the railway running’.
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58 staff and volunteers were recently given plaques for their dedication to the ELR over the last 50 years.
They’ve collectively spent more than 2,000 years working for the heritage attraction, with its longest-serving volunteers working there for more than 50 years.
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Lois Veevers Hatton and Peter Lord have both been with the ELR for 52 years, while Richard Law and Phil Bailey have spent 51 years volunteering.
Some volunteers have worked on the ELR for more than 50 years. Credit: Supplied.
These people are credited with ‘rescuing the railway from disappearing’ back in the late 60’s, preserving it for future generations.
Ten further volunteers were given silver awards for more than four decades of service, with the remaining honoured with bronze awards.
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East Lancashire Railway chairman Mike Kelly, a fellow volunteer himself, said: “Our volunteers have and continue to be the absolute lifeblood of the heritage railway.
“Put simply, without them, we could not function, so it’s only right that we step out to salute their incredible selfless and unwavering service.
“Our Long Service Awards provided the perfect opportunity to celebrate their contribution and to thank them for their dedication that stretches back decades.
“This was more important than ever after the last 18 months which have been incredibly challenging for the railway due to the coronavirus pandemic, which put our future in jeopardy.
“With the help of our super staff and volunteers, the railway has been able to bounce back and continues providing magical moments for everyone who visits.
“But not everyone has returned from our pre-pandemic teams and we aren’t quite up to full strength. We desperately need more people to join our fantastic teams.”
Perks for volunteers include free trips on the line, a free family trip per year, and discount rates on all other journeys – as well as getting to go behind the scenes of this popular attraction.
Featured image: Facebook – East Lancashire Railway
Kids & Family
A unique Manchester attraction is offering FREE entry to anyone who shares its ‘birthday’ month
Emily Sergeant
One of Manchester’s most unique attractions is offering free entry for two weeks to celebrate its first birthday.
But there’s a catch… free entry is only granted to people born in one specific month.
Museum of Illusions – which is is one of the largest and fastest-growing private museum chains – is celebrating the first birthday of its debut UK attraction in Manchester this September by giving away free tickets to anyone who shares its birthday month.
Since opening on Market Street in 2024, Museum of Illusions has welcomed more than 200,000 visitors through its doors to experience the dozens of mind-bending illusions and interactive exhibits inside, and has quickly established itself as one of the city’s top attractions in what is a very competitive market.
Manchester’s Museum of Illusions is celebrating its first birthday / Credit: Supplied
Loved by locals and tourists alike, the museum blends fun and education for visitors of all ages, and is fully-accessible too, ensuring everyone can enjoy the fun.
Manchester‘s Museum of Illusions is not only the first in the UK, but it’s also the second-largest in Europe, just behind Copenhagen – so yes, it’s a pretty big deal.
To mark the milestone and celebrate its first anniversary, visitors born in September can enjoy free entry to the museum from Monday 22 September through to Friday 3rd October (excluding weekends).
All they need to do to access this offer is show a valid ID when they arrive.
The museum will also be dressed for the occasion too, adding a birthday touch to its already-captivating mix of optical illusions and immersive exhibits.
“Manchester has truly embraced the Museum of Illusions, and we’re so grateful for all the support we’ve had in our first year,” commented Steve Buchan, who is the General Manager at the Museum of Illusions in Manchester.
The unique attraction is offering free entry to anyone who shares its birthday month / Credit: Supplied
“Welcoming over 200,000 visitors in just 12 months has been incredible.
“Free tickets to anyone celebrating their birthday in September feels like the perfect way to give something back. It’s our way of saying thank you for the incredible support, and of course, to invite even more people to experience the fun, curiosity, and wonder the museum brings.”
Is your birthday in September? You can visit the Museum of Illusions in Manchester anytime from Monday 22 September – Friday 3rd October (excluding weekends).
Featured Image – Supplied
Kids & Family
Didsbury favourite Rustik has confirmed its will sadly be closing this month
Danny Jones
West Didsbury favourite Rustik has sadly announced it will be closing for food after a decade at the end of this month.
The beloved Burton cafe and bar has been a staple of the tight-knit foodie neighbourhood since 2015, but now the independent Irish eatery has confirmed that the business will be shutting down permanently in less than a fortnight.
Confirmed on Wednesday afternoon, 17 September, the casual Manc restaurant and hangout informed their loyal followers of the unfortunate news.
Unsurprisingly, their social media has been awash with condolences, collective sadness and support for the local institution.
Posting across all of their accounts, Rustik wrote: “After an unforgettable 10 years on Burton Road, the time has come to close our doors. It’s hard to believe how far we’ve come — never in a million years did we imagine Rustik would grow into what it became.
“From the bottom of our hearts, thank you to every single one of you who walked through our doors and supported us along the way. We poured everything we had — our time, our energy, our lives into making Rustik a space for everyone. And what a ride it’s been.
“From the chaotic, beautiful brunch shifts to late nights dancing on tables to ‘Wagon Wheel’, pushing through the challenges of COVID and helping our community with meals during hard times— we’ve done it all, together.
“To our amazing staff, past and present: thank you for your hard work, your dedication, and the love you brought every single day. You helped build something truly special, and we’ll never be able to thank you enough.
“To the incredible musicians who filled our space with life — keep doing what you do. The noise complaints? 100% worth the unforgettable nights.”
The team go on to detail that the official closing date is Tuesday, 30 September, reiterating that it is “business running as usual until then” and urging fans to “come down, grab your last Rustik fix, and raise a glass with us one final time.”
Signing off with an emotional farewell, they add: “Lastly, a message close to our hearts: please support your local cafes, bars, and independents. Hospitality is tough right now, and they need your support more than ever.
“Thank you for the most incredible decade of our lives. It’s over and out from us.”
It goes without saying that we’re gutted to see Rustik go and know how much it meant not only to the Burton Road community, but also to the Didsbury community, Chorlton and many other Greater Manchester natives.
Daisy Jackson -
15th November 2021 
