If there was one thing we were excitedly anticipating this weekend, it was the North Yorkshire Moors Railway’s annual Light Spectacular. An amazing event for the kids, the event features a round trip train ride from Pickering to Levisham (and visa versa for anyone choosing to travel the other way), lit up by hundreds of colourful lights – a truly breathtaking sight for families to enjoy.
Upon arrival, staff members were there to greet families with a colourful wristband each – an accessory that became an interactive part of the journey later on. Looking around, there were plenty of excited children, many lined up on the bridge over the railway track, busy crowds of families all buzzing for the arrival of the Light Spectacular Express. A few passengers were also making use of the cafe by the bridge – the perfect pitstop to warm up with a cuppa before this exciting journey.
The train arrived slowly, allowing passengers to marvel at the illuminations as well as take plenty of photos before boarding! Friendly staff members were there to greet families onto the train and direct them to their allocated carriages.
As soon as the train set off, there was plenty of music and interaction, led by the entertaining, loveable Voiceover Man, who talked passengers through their journey as well as playing the best tunes through the musical decades, everything from the YMCA, to Grease and ABBA. There was plenty of dancing and clapping in the carriages, all lit up by a disco ball to add to the party vibes aboard the Light Spectacular Express!
During the journey, refreshments and tasty pumpkin cookies were served – a lovely little touch, especially for those peckish little ones! Whilst taking time to enjoy the passing scenery, there were also noticeably lots of friendly locals that had come to view the train as it passed, many waving from their back gardens.
As the train approached Levisham, it was then time to head back to Pickering. The journey back was darker, and at this point, passengers were able to marvel at the glowing, colourful reflections of the illuminations projecting onto passing fields, trees and even the sheep! Finally, as the Express pulled back into Levisham, there were plenty of smiles all around and lots of kids left excitedly chatting away about the magical experience.
A fantastic afternoon out for the family, The Light Spectacular Express runs until the 30th of October. For more information, visit www.nymr.co.uk.
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