Lowestoft Railway Station hosts numerous events over coming weeks to mark the Platinum Jubilee of HM Queen Elizabeth II and the 175th Anniversary of the railway reaching Lowestoft.
On Friday 27 May the stations restored Parcels Office hosts the premier of a new exhibition by acclaimed railway photographer David Pearce. Featuring over 90 images of the railway scene in Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire taken over the past five decades, ‘Last Train Gone’ takes visitors on a journey around the region with a host of never-before-seen photographs detailing rolling stock, stations, people and infrastructure. The exhibition which is free to enter will be open on Friday 27, Saturday 28 and from Monday 30 May to Friday 4 June from 10.00am to 3.30pm daily.
Celebrations marking 175 years since the railway reached Lowestoft continue on Saturday, 28 May with a special opportunity to board and tour one of the brand-new trains now in service across the region as the Wherry Lines Community Rail Partnership and Lowestoft Central Project host a special Try a Train open event. Running between 11am and 3pm, one of train operator Greater Anglia’s new Swiss-built Stadler 755 bi mode units will be on display in platform 4 offering the public a special opportunity to take a tour of the train, learn more about the advanced features including step free boarding, accessible toilets, wifi and electronic information screens. Members of Greater Anglia staff and volunteers will be available to answer questions and those with mobility issues are especially welcome to try out the facilities along with families and children.
On Sunday 29 May vintage buses connecting with train arrivals and departures will call at the station bus interchange enabling passengers wishing to attend the 50th Anniversary event at the East Anglia Transport Museum.
On Saturday 4 June from 12 midday to 3pm, the Parcels Office hosts the Summer Reunion of former Lowestoft Wartime Evacuees offering a chance to catch up with old friends and reminisce with a number of photographs and other mementos along with special guests attending including friends from Glossop, one of the Derbyshire host towns. The event will include a complimentary Jubilee Tea courtesy of the Wherry Lines Community Rail Partnership and former evacuees are welcome to bring a friend or family member with them to the event. Last year two large arched panels were unveiled at the station telling the events of the day in June 1940 when over 3000 local school children were evacuated away from the danger of bombing and invasion.
175 Anniversary events continue on Saturday 11 and Sunday 12 June as the station Parcels Office hosts a special railway postcard display from the extensive collection of Richard Mundy and local aviation historian Bob Collis hosts talks detailing how the station and its surrounds were affected by, and ultimately survived, enemy bombing during the First and Second World Wars. The exhibition of postcards is open from 12pm to 4pm each day with the Wartime talk taking place on Saturday at 2pm. On Sunday at 2pm a walking tour around the area combining the wartime talk will take place and will depart the station at 2pm.
Bookings for indoor and outdoor stalls have also now opened for the stations first Brocante taking place on the weekend of June 18 & 19. The event, set to be one of the largest staged at the station to date, will feature a wide range of goods available including local produce, antiques, books, vintage clothing, railwayana and crafts. Stallholders wishing to reserve a place are advised to email lowestoftcentral@gmail.com or call into the station shop and tourist information office.
More information on all the events taking place as part of the Jubilee and 175 celebrations are available from the station shop and tourist information office open Mon – Sat 10am to 4pm daily (10am – 1pm Thursdays). The volunteer run facility raises funds for the Lowestoft Central Project and stocks a wide range of books, souvenirs, railway related goods and refreshments in addition to stocking public transport timetables and a wide range of literature featuring walks, tourist attractions and museums.