The Bath & Gloucester Steam Express

Saturday 27th April 2024

Join us on this train that will leave London Paddington early on Saturday morning for the scenic journey, with a nostalgic steam hauled train, to the attractive cities of Bath and Gloucester. You can chose to alight at Bath or carry on to Gloucester.

Join us from Slough, Reading and Newbury for a steam hauled trip to visit Bath or Gloucester.

Price from a beachside bar, we headed on to Ffryes Beach, much smaller and quieter which was more our vibe. It was here we enjoyed fresh local fish and shrimps, served with noodles, rice and wedges.

• Standard Class £115 per person – includes a reserved seat usually at a table for four.

• First Class £195 per person – includes morning tea or coffee with a bacon/breakfast roll and a muffin and an afternoon service of tea or coffee with a savoury of the day followed by a scone with butter and jam.

• Premier Dining £295 per person – includes a full English breakfast and a four course dinner freshly prepared on board and silver served at your seat.

We stopped on our way back through St. John’s for a quick bit of retail therapy. Hubby bought a bottle of the local rum while I picked up an Antiguan Christmas decoration, a tradition on any trip we take. We admired the cruise ships in port then headed back off to our little oasis on the hill.

The next day our weather took a turn for the worse. After a month of no rain, the locals were delighted – us not so much. We decided to make the most of our car and just go and explore. We ended up at Devils Bridge and Half Moon Bay, taking in Sir Viv Richards cricket stadium enroute.Back at our homeaway-from-home, a gloomy afternoon always means rum punch and games.

As we had planned to go to Shirley Heights on Thursday but cancelled because of the weather, that became our Friday itinerary, including English Har-

KU bour and Nelson’s Dockyard.

The views from Shirley Heights, the highest point on the island were spectacular. Overlooking English Harbour, we marvelled at the super yachts in the harbour, before heading for Nelsons Dockyard. The World’s Toughest Row, a unique race where teams set off from the Canary Islands in December and row the Atlantic, was finishing in Antigua and we were lucky enough to see the Intrepid 232 crew arrive, breaking the world record for the oldest all-female crew to row the Atlantic!

For our last night we had been recommended a plantation house that had been converted into a hotel and restaurant. The stunning building and grounds were matched only by the service and food. I sampled lobster arancini while hubby had humous and baba ganoush with pitta bread. Always a sucker for pasta, I opted for chicken alfredo and it did not disappoint. With no room for dessert, we explored the grounds and the renovated windmill before heading home.

For our last day we made the most of time by the pool, before heading for the airport. The beaches, food and scenery had been fantastic but from beginning to end, it was the people of Antigua, their warmth and zest for life that made this the perfect winter break.

Saturdays 20th July, 10th August and 14th September 2024

This series of trains from London Paddington to Minehead features haulage by two steam locomotives in one day. One steam locomotive will haul our train from London Paddington to the West Somerset Railway at Bishops Lydeard. The Heritage Railway will then provide a steam locomotive to haul our train to Minehead and back. This provides a truly fascinating day out travelling through beautiful scenery to the Bristol Channel coast Join us from Slough, Reading and Newbury for a steam hauled trip to visit Minehead. Price

• Standard Class £115 per person – includes a reserved seat usually at a table for four.

• First Class £195 per person – includes morning tea or coffee with a bacon/breakfast roll and a muffin and an afternoon service of tea or coffee with a savoury of the day followed by a scone with butter and jam.

• Premier Dining £295 per person – includes a full English breakfast and a four course dinner freshly prepared on board and silver served at your seat.