22 July 2021
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The hugely popular Railway in Wartime weekend, centred around the train station at Pickering, North Yorkshire, has been cancelled.
The disruption caused by constant rule changes from the Government has meant that the requisite planning for the event, which sees the North Yorkshire town turn out en masse in wartime garb, has not been possible, leading to its cancellation. Normally taking place in October, the event is run by North Yorkshire Moors Railway and sees re-enactors at various stops along the train line, pitched battles and stalls at the showground, and a parade through the town itself.
Chris Price, General Manager of NYMR said, “After consultation with, and the subsequent support from Pickering Town Council, we are deeply saddened to announce the cancellation of this year’s Railway in Wartime event. This has been an extremely difficult decision to make and one not taken lightly as it will no doubt come as a huge disappointment to local businesses, but with ongoing concerns of complying with unknown Covid-19 guidelines in October, and the challenges it could present with social distancing, the railway and council have agreed that the safety of our volunteers and visitors to the town must remain our number one priority.
“This three-day event is always a highlight in our calendar each year; however, due to the nationwide lockdowns and delays to our 2021 season-opening, planning an event of this magnitude - which involves months of preparation, and would normally be well advanced by this time of year, not to mention the commitment of significant cost, resources and many volunteers - just hasn’t been possible.”
It’s not the only show going into storage for a year though, the Dig for Victory Show, held near Bristol, which offers a weekend of Forties fun for the whole family has also been cancelled. Due to take place on the bank holiday weekend at the end of August, the organisers released the following statement: ‘We are incredibly sad to announce that The Dig For Victory Show will not be running this year. We continue to follow Government guidelines as visitor and participants safety is of overall importance. We are a family event for all generations and what is most important for us at this time, is to protect the health of our community and support our wonderful NHS. We had a fantastic show planned, so we will put it all in moth balls until there is a clear patch ahead, when we will be bringing back the best weekend of Forties family fun! Please email [email protected] if you have any questions or enquiries.’
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