Severn Valley Railway: Spring Steam Gala 2018

You might look at me and think I don’t look like the sort of person who is interested in steam trains. And you’d be 100% correct – I’m not. But last year, I enjoyed my weekend on the Severn Valley Railway during their Autumn Steam Gala in September so much that I knew I wanted to go again this year, for their Spring weekend. Spring it was not as we were inundated with snow and icy temperatures for two of the days but it was a lovely weekend nevertheless. Although the engines are pretty impressive and yes, you feel like you’re on the Hogwarts express, I just think it’s a really nice, relaxing weekend and a chance to get away from the norm. 

So the Spring Steam Gala on the Severn Valley Railway was on from 16th – 18th March and it featured a lot of big and famous steam engines (which I’d go into more detail about if I knew anymore about them). My boyfriend and I got up super early on Friday morning to drive the 3 hours to Bridgnorth in Shropshire, where we were staying and where we’d start our days over the weekend.

My parents joined us for the day at lunchtime and brought my doggie with them which was lovely – my dog hasn’t really had a holiday before (I know that sounds stupid) so it was so funny to see him on these trains and trotting along the platform. He thoroughly enjoyed it, from what I could see! So me, my boyfriend, my parents and my dog spent Friday going up and down the line and we headed back to their hotel for dinner in the evening, which was nice.

They headed home on Saturday morning but we stayed there all weekend, so we headed to our own hotel on Friday night. The George, which is literally on the other side of the road to the station (perfect location) and I was so impressed with everything about the hotel. The room was big and spacious, the shower was bliss after a long day and the beds were comfy. The staff were so lovely and there was free breakfast included in the price of the room.

Saturday was a long old day but it was also the first day we got a bit of snow. Although nothing settled this day, it was still bitterly cold so we wrapped up as warm as we could. We did a fair few trips down the line on this day – well until it got dark. Then we booked a table in our hotel for dinner that night which was absolutely brilliant. We shared a huge platter for starters, I opted for a smoked salmon and prawn cocktail with salad whilst Carl got fish and chips and it was honestly enough for 3! Again, another thing about the hotel we couldn’t fault. The food was cheap but you got so much of it for your money. 

Sunday was quite a spectacular day because it had been snowing all night long and we woke up to a good 4 inches of snow. Luckily we weren’t leaving until mid-afternoon so didn’t need to drive anywhere whilst the snow was really bad so we just hopped on the train and enjoyed the beautiful, snowy, countryside views. Which were absolutely stunning. 

I really enjoy these holidays because they genuinely give me time to do well… nothing. Which if you’ve read a few of my previous posts, you’ll know that’s something I struggle with a lot. Watching the scenery, reading my book and even chatting to random people sitting in your compartment, it’s a lovely weekend to get away from your normal life for a bit. Bridgnorth is a gorgeous area, one I’d love to explore more of and these trains are a far cry from the frantic and stress of London. It’s a different world and I can’t wait to go back!

Have you ever been on a weekend trip like this? Are you familiar with the Severn Valley Railway? What’s your favourite type of staycation? Let me know!