In the late 1980s and early 1990s, I remember Tank Engine Club Days. They were well patronised and everyone had a wonderful time. As the years wore on, they began to get quieter and quieter until eventually they weren't running at all. When the railway finally opened to Bolton Abbey, these events didn't take place as they took a long time to organise and that time just wasn't available. When I took over the Embsay Tank Engine Club in August last year, I decided to rekindle these events. I think at that time I was full of ideas and raring to go and perhaps a little over-enthusiastic! The plan was to operate a train of some description, over the full line using one of the smaller locomotives.

Problem number one! Which loco and which train, something interesting but not too expensive? I enquired how much it would cost the railway to run a small engine for the day? Over £100 was the reply. That's too much for the railway to fork out. I know, we'll get some sponsorship. After writing off to several companies asking for some sponsorship, I finally got a letter from Skipton Building Society with an enclosed cheque for £100. Great! The engine was paid for, and by then I had decided it would be good to use the vintage coaches as something 'interesting'. At this point I would like to thank Stephen Middleton for allowing thirty young children to climb over his beautifully restored coaches!

With the day sorted out, we finally had to inform all the members, and it was decided to send out a separate letter with the Spring 2000 issue of the Tank Engine News. At the bottom of that letter was a reply slip for them to send back. There were 300 members in the club, so that was 260 letters to photocopy, stuff into envelopes (with the magazines) and stick address labels on. An absolutely mountainous task! Being at school still does have its drawbacks, one of which is homework, which cuts my spare time to about one or two hours an evening. The envelopes had to be in the post at least two weeks before Easter. I could not possibly get them done in time. At this point a great friend of the family, Dorris Southon, offered to help me out with anything she could help with. I am not quite sure she knew what she was taking on when I arrived at her house with three huge boxes containing envelopes, magazines, letters and sticky labels! Anyway, she did a marvellous job and got them all done within two weeks and the plan was back on track!

Only one week later I started to get a stream of replies which soon amounted from five or six....to twenty odd! As this figure kept rising, I began to be increasing ly worried that there wouldn't be enough seats for everyone. What would happen if they all turned up for the first train?!! I decided that it would be a good idea to produce an activity booklet for the children to entertain them en route. The printing firm Spot-on offered to give me a reduced price, so I had to quickly produce an eight-paged booklet in the space of a day and send it off to the printers as soon as possible. They arrived five days later and all was finally ready!

The day finally arrived, and it was a beautifully hot day. The train shunted into the platform, and to my delight about thirteen people arrived looking very happy. The day went extremely well with the train well patronised, but not too crowded! At the end of the day I handed Stephen Middleton a bag with £114 in hire fees, which was very pleasing. Part of the deal was that I had to clean the coaches afterwards! I would like to thank John Furness for allowing me the use of Annie, Stephen Middleton for the use of the coaches, and of course my Mum and Dad for all their support and advice. I am sure that everyone who came to the event thoroughly enjoyed themselves and I look forward to organising another one. Ha Ha!