Beer On Track

Devotees of our output may well have come across our '92 Squadron', either in cask or more likely in bottle. Well, it's just been brewed and bottled again, and on Saturday 16 June we took some along to be served on a train hauled by 92 Squadron herself, along the North Norfolk Railway. The train was an evening real ale train (ie no lager, a concept lost on some passengers who have now seen the light), with a hogroast & live music at a station along the line. A good time was had by all, and much beer (and wine) was sensibly consumed - no shouting, screaming, fighting or any of the other activities seemingly blamed on alcohol (could it be the people, not the alcohol, that forms such behaviour?).

Only one point of concern - one of us was working the bar (on the train, in a 1930's buffet car), the other went up front to go on the footplate of 92. As the train started to leave, one of us was still working the bar, the other had not re-appeared. Where were they? Had they got on? Would there be trouble later? A glance out the window by the one left working the bar soon answered all questions, as a hairy head wearing a beaming grin appeared, waving, from the cab of the locomotive as we steamed along the Norfolk coastline. Later complaints about hair full of ash fell on some very deaf ears I can tell you....

The whole event was designed to help raise funds to keep the engine in working order, which as might be imagined is not a cheap activity. Much like hurriedly scribbling something on a piece of paper, at the last minute, the night before you had promised to present a logo to the folks running, say, a major sporting event....