Day Out with Thomas

We have just had a fantastic weekend, mainly due to a little young engine called Thomas!!!

On Saturday, we went to Llangollen where Thomas the Tank Engine was making a special visit to town!! Since Christmas, when Anna received a Thomas the Tank Engine train set from her Uncle Steve and Auntie Carolyne, she has been 'Thomas Mad'!! (Well, almost Thomas mad... she loves pictures, books, the music and anything associated with Thomas except for the programmes which she doesn't show any interest in whatsoever after the theme tune has finished!

Therefore, I thought she might like to see a real-life Thomas. He only visits three times a year so we thought this was a perfect opportunity whilst Anna was still a number 1 Thomas fan. I think James wasn't expecting great things and, although I was keen to see Anna's face, I too was a little apprehensive, wondering whether it would be worth it. (It wasn't the cheapest of attractions).

As soon as we got to the bridge overlooking Llangollen station, we knew it was going to be a great day. Anna took one look at Thomas pulling into the station (we couldn't have timed it better) and a huge beaming smile came on her face as she shouted 'Hello Thomas. PEEP PEEP PEEP' at the top of her voice. Over-excitement then took over and she did not know what to do with herself for the next 10 minutes as she jumped up and down on the spot whilst still shouting 'Hello' to Thomas and waving her little hand very fast! In fact, as we went down the hill towards the station, her little legs were just not long enough to go as fast as she would have liked, in order to get up close to her hero! We then had hysterics when we had to enter the actual station building (in order to buy our tickets). By going into the building, it meant that Thomas was no longer able to be seen on the platform. I tried, in vain, to explain that we would have to go through the station in order to get even closer to Thomas but Anna didn't understand. After scooping her up under my arm as she shouted 'But I need Thomas. Thomas, Thomas, where is Thomas' through the sobs and tears, we emerged on the platform where all noise immediately stopped and Anna just stood in amazement, standing right next to her train buddy!!!

At this point, the excitement got all too much and Anna burst out crying! It has happened on a few different occasions now, where Anna just can't deal with all of the excitement and joy that has suddenly enveloped her so just bursts out crying. Innocent family and friends mistakenly think that it means that she is unhappy or sad about something that they thought would make her happy. In fact, she is VERY happy but, at 2 years old, she just can't deal with all that pure joy!

In this situation, as Thomas continued to stand there smiling and Anna continued to stand there crying, we had to think of something to help Anna focus so James trotted off to get her a balloon, which did the trick instantly as she exclaimed 'A Thomas balloon' as though James had just handed her the entire contents of Toys R Us!!!

We then explained to Anna that the day was about to get even better with a train ride all the way to a little village called Carrog in the Welsh hills. This train ride was going to take 35 minutes on the train called Douglas. Anna thought all her Christmas had come at once!

After Anna insisting that we say 'hello' to Douglas (although the guards kept calling him Blackie so I got a little confused!) and blowing him a kiss to his face, we boarded the train. I was a little nervous as to whether Anna would sit still for 35 minutes, considering that she has never sat that still before (if not being tied in via a car seat etc). However, the happiness she felt at just being on Douglas and in the presence of Thomas meant that she was mesmerised and 35 minutes passed like 2 minutes. It was fantastic to be aboard this old steam train and waving at all the fishermen, canoeists and walkers who all waved back to Anna enthusiastically, with big smiles on their face! (The river runs parallel to the steam railway track, all the way to the village so it is really is a beautifully scenic journey)

I got even more nervous when we entered a very dark tunnel during our journey. Anna used to get frightened when we entered the Mersey Tunnel when travelling to Liverpool and that was light! This was almost black inside each carriage apart from the dim lighting that eventually came on. However, with Douglas being our guide, Anna thought it was wonderful and kept laughing very loudly saying 'More Tunnel. I love the tunnel'.

After a short stay in the village (there was very little to do there without walking boots!!), we travelled back, having a picnic on the train (like most of the passengers). Anna was too excited to eat much and just kept asking 'When is the tunnel again?', which was met with a squeal of delight when we actually entered the tunnel on our return journey.

This photograph shows Douglas/Blackie, who took us on our special train journey.

When arriving back at Lllangollen, we saw Daisy, another train from the Thomas stories.

We were also entertained by the 'Fat Controller' (Political Correctness seems to have been overlooked by Thomas and Friends... thankfully!!). Each hour, 'The Fat Controller' told us a story (adapted from the stories found in the books) and Thomas would act it out. Anna got to listen to the story where Thomas was very naughty and refused to take any more passengers until it snowed! It was very funny to see Thomas drop his carriages and come rolling into the station. Thomas' driver (who faniced himself as a true actor and was milking it a lot... but who was very funny with it!!!) then informed us that Thomas refused to do any more work until it snowed and that Thomas had told him that he was going to go and sit under the bridge until the Fat Controller made it snow. After lots of huffing and puffing from the 'Fat Controller' and telling Thomas how naughty he was (to which Anna kept shouting 'Don't be naughty Thomas'), all the children then had to shout 'I wish, I wish, I wish for snow', in true pantomime style. After getting louder and louder, the snow came falling from the skies (A giant snow machine had been erected above the footbridge on the station platform) and Thomas came chuffing back with loud cheers from everyone.

We then had a special treat as we boarded Thomas and he took us for a ride in his brake vans, shunting us in and out of the station very fast, which Anna loved.

At one point in the day, Thomas and Diesel were having races out of the station and back again and Anna kept shouting 'I love Thomas' and then jumping up and down as she cheered 'Come on Thomas. Peep Peep Peep'. Every time that the Fat Controller had announced that Thomas had won, Anna cheered and cheered, looking overjoyed at the fact that her hero had won... again! I have to admit to having some tears when I saw how much Anna was loving it all.

(The photograph shows me and Anna with Diesel, when he was having a rest from teasing Thomas!)

We finished the day with a walk by the river, which ran along side the station and every so often, we would hear Thomas shouting 'Peep Peep Peep' to us. It seemed a lovely end to our fantastic day!