CHESTER FOLK FESTIVAL MUSIC TRAIN
22nd April 2009
22nd April 2009
How it works
The music train uses one of the regular hourly services on the Mid-Cheshire line. It is arranged by the Mid-Cheshire Community Rail Partnership. The band plays on the train from Chester - we take over a carriage. At Plumley everyone alights to visit The Golden Pheasant for drinks and good food - and there is a further session from the band.
Chester Station is accessible. Parking on the station car parks costs £4.50. Parking outside the Queen Hotel and on City Road is free after 18:00. Plumley Station is accessible. The walk to the pub is 150m. The footway alongside the road from the station to the pub is narrow and not continuous, with poor visibility over the railway bridge. The pub is fully accessible.
There is no charge for the event - just the price of your ordinary train ticket. Your 'admission' is the train fare. Other than drinks and food, there is nothing else to pay. On the return journey there will be a collection on the train for the musicians.
The Music
The Time Bandits (Helen de Lemos - half long bagpipes, saxophone and recorders, Helen Armstrong - violin and vocals, Ian Jones - melodeon and flute, Jamie Matthews - bouzouki and cittern, Phil Sumner - electric bass) play Anglo-European folk and renaissance dance music for concerts and ceilidhs.
Roy Clinging and Neil Brookes hail from Cheshire and still live in the area. Roy's great love is traditional song. Neil is an outstanding dance musician with a distinct English fiddle style. They perform songs, ballads and maritime material as well as items from the folk heritage of Cheshire.
Nick Mitchell is resident host of Chester's Raven Folk Club which has been running for over thirty years. Nick performs a mixture of traditional, contemporary and self written material on guitar and octave mandola. He will be joined by other resident musicians from the Folk Club including members of his band Full House.
The Pub
The Golden Pheasant is a traditional pub in the heart of rural Cheshire serving fresh, quality food and well-kept J W Lees's real ales. It is close to the station (it was originally the Railway Inn) and has recently been refurbished by new management.
It is a popular dining venue with an attractive beamed interior. It serves traditional bar food alongside some great homemade dishes at lunchtime and in the evenings on weekdays and all day at weekends.
The normal menu is extensive and runs alongside a fantastic selection of regularly changing blackboard specials (which use the best of seasonal local produce) to choose from. For the Music Train there is a special selection of dishes as well - The Music Train Menu.
Train Times and Tickets
Train times from Chester to Plumley: Chester 19:07, Mouldsworth 19:18, Delamere 19:23*, Cuddington 19:27, Greenbank 19:32, Northwich 19:37, Lostock Gralam 19:40, Plumley 19:43
(*request stop)
Train times from Plumley to Chester: Plumley 22:03, Lostock Gralam 22:07, Northwich 22:12, Greenbank 22:17, Cuddington 22:22, Delamere 22:26*, Mouldsworth 22:31, Chester 22:45
(*request stop)
Buy your ticket from Chester at the station: Off-Peak Day Return £9.20 (with Railcard £6.10) or Northern Duo (two people travelling together) £6.90 each.
At other stations just board the train and buy your ticket from the conductor.
Example fares from Cuddington: Cheap day return £4.30; Northern Duo (two people travelling together) £3.20 each; with Railcard £2.85.
The Mid Cheshire Railway Line is operated by Northern Rail and provides rail links to the national rail network at Manchester, Chester and Stockport and with the Metrolink Tram network at Altrincham.
More Music Trains
20 May 2009 - Manchester-Plumley - with Smokey Terrain
31 May 2009 - Mid Cheshire Line Festival
17 June 2009 - Chester-Plumley
1 July 2009 - Altrincham-Chester - to Alexander's Wine Bar
8 July 2009 - Chester-Plumley
(Chester Summer Music Festival fringe event)
22 July 2009 - Manchester-Plumley
19 August 2009 - Chester-Plumley
23 September 2009 - Chester-Plumley
Mid Cheshire Line Contacts
Mark Willcox - Community Rail Officer
MWillcox@cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk
Michael Ross - Music Trains Organiser
michael.ross@mross.org.uk | 
