Calling all little engineers
THOMAS the Tank Engine will be making a special visit to Stephenson Railway Museum in North Shields on June 3, 4, 7, 10 and 11, between 10am and 4pm, for a day of family fun.
Families can meet Thomas himself, take a ride in 1950s’ heritage railway carriages, shake hands and have their photo taken with The Fat Controller and meet Rusty and Dusty, The Fat Controller’s mischievous sidekicks.
Visitors can also take part in a range of Thomas themed activities including face-painting, balloon modelling, storytelling, magic shows and craft sessions. Each day, The Fat Controller will officially open and close the event, will meet children and be available for photos.
Tickets must be booked in advance. For full event information and booking details see www. dayoutwiththomas.co.uk
Tickets for children under one year are free, for children aged one to four years are £8, for children aged five to 16 years are £12 and adult and senior citizens are £12. Family tickets are available for two adults and two children for £35 and a group ticket for any five people is £48. Online booking and delivery charges also apply.
The ticket includes all the above and much more: Thomas the Tank Engine at the museum all day; one 3½ mile journey in 1950s’ heritage railway carriages; Thomas Storytelling; crafts and activities; face- painting; balloonmodelling; Thomas souvenir shop; Day Out with Thomas passport and certificate; Thomas DVD showing.
The Fat Co ntroller will officially open the event at 10.15am, and close it at 3.50pm.
There will be a selection of hot and cold snacks available to purchase on the day from Illies café at the museum. THIS summer the Discovery Museum is hosting an exhibition to celebrate 135 years of the Hoppings, the much-loved funfair held annually on Newcastle’s Town Moor.
The Hoppings was initially promoted as a temperance festival, to provide an antidote to its drunken predecessor, the Newcastle Races which had, up to that point, been held on the Town Moor.
Today, its fame extends beyond the reaches of Tyneside, and it is believed to be Europe’s largest travelling funfair, with show people attending from all parts of the country.
Discovery Museum’s exhibition opens on Saturday, June 3, with a day of activities and events on a fairground theme including children’s fairground rides on the Plaza outside the museum (there will be a charge for the rides), carousel crafts and free balloons and stickers for children.
As well as exploring the origins of the Hoppings the exhibition will also look at the travelling way of life of the generations of showmen and their families who bring the Hoppings to Newcastle, including the language and phrases they use such as: a ‘flattie’ (a member of the public), a ‘gaff’ (a busy fairground); the ‘gallopers’ (a carousel featuring elaborately carved and painted galloping horses) and a ‘living wagon’ (a showman’s caravan).
Visitors will be able to find out about the history of fairground rides from the swing boats – called ‘shuggy boats’ in the North East, which were among the earliest of fairground rides, to later steam-operated rides and, of course, the Waltzer.
A major feature of the exhibition will be more than 50 vintage working amusement machines, from What the Butler Saw (early moving pictures) to pinball and fruit machines, which visitors can play using old pennies which can be bought from the museum – five old pennies for £1. www.discoverymuseum.org.uk