Rail wartime weekends will have fly-pasts

Wartime Spitfire, Hurricane and Dakota aircraft will return to the skies above the Severn Valley Railway this weekend as one of highlights of the railway's 1940s Weekends.

The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight will "buzz" the full 16 miles of the railway between Kidderminster and Bridgnorth during the first of two consecutive themed weekends.

About 12,000 visitors are expected to pack the railway over the two weekends, June 28-29 and July 5-6, sporting 1940s clothes as the railway moves back more than 60 years, with the help of hobbyist "re-enactors".

All six of the SVR's main stations will take part.

Attractions will include The Allen Francis Big Band playing its Glenn Miller sound.It will be joined by the Heywood & Middleton Youth Brass Band plus soloists and singers all collecting for the Royal British Legion, and hoping to better the £1,500 they collected in 2007.

When the action begins on Saturday morning, the SVR will be buzzing with some 300 people in civilian and military clothing, 80 period cars, vans and military vehicles, and steam trains arriving or departing every 45 minutes.

And passengers will be issued with identity cards - faithful copies of the actual wartime design - which they will have to show to police.

Even German soldiers are set to appear demanding to see visitors' "Papers!"

For further details and bookings please contact the Severn Valley Railway on (01299) 403816.