Changes

::::The '50 years in steam' virtual exhibition, due to COVID-19 restrictions has an image of Santa in a horse drawn cart: "Our very first visit by Santa was on 24 November 1968, when he arrived at Bridgnorth by train and then spent the day seeing children in a High Street store." The exhibition curator is Tony Bending--[[User:Patrick Hearn|Patrick Hearn]] ([[User talk:Patrick Hearn|talk]]) 13:20, 18 July 2020 (UTC)

:::::Tony Bending (20 July 2020): "The very first Santa visit was a staged affair, really organised by, I think, Dillons store in the High Street. They wanted a novel way for Santa to arrive, so the train, then a horse and cart, worked quite well. Actually, from our point of view, all we did was propel a coach just out of the station before the event, and later on, at the appropriate time, we simply rolled back in! It went down well with the locals, and as you are well aware we never looked back after that, and our own Santas have gone from strength to strength. As far as Caernavon goes I personally can’t recall it in use, but it may well have been the loco if the idea was repeated in 1969. As far as 193 is concerned it certainly hauled Santa trains, which in those early days went to a grotto at Hampton Loade. Somewhere I have a slide or two of it at Hampton with Santa on the front of the engine! In the early days before the LRO we offered “day membership” to visitors, but a rival preservation scheme complained to the powers that be that, since they couldn’t operate trains, how come we were doing it? BR therefore had no real option but to stop us as well – spoilsports! I’ll see what else I can find in the archives, and I’ve copied this to DCW since his recollections may also produce some interesting facts." David Williams 23 July 2020: "You were right about the one-coach Santa arrivals at Bridgnorth station from Cleobury road bridge. These were powered by 46443 on Saturday, 21st December 1968, and 5474 Carnarvon on Saturday, 20th December 1969. There is picture of the latter on page 23 of my 1974 book ‘Severn Valley Railway Album’." David's date 21.12.1968 for 46443 does not tie up with the exhibition photo (24.11.68). [[Christmas services]] is updated--[[User:Patrick Hearn|Patrick Hearn]] ([[User talk:Patrick Hearn|talk]]) 18:17, 23 July 2020 (UTC)

==Mystery object==