The 2017 season is yet to finish at Crich but already their website has been updated with first details of special events for 2018. There are no major changes to the regular pattern of events although the main enthusiast event – now renamed Simply Trams – comes forward slightly in the calendar to Saturday 1st September (unfortunately clashing with the start of the MER 125 events on the Isle of Man).
With 10 months still to go there are no specific details of what to expect from Simply Trams but there will be an intensive tram service using all operational trams from the national collection and there should also be rare trams out in the open for unique photographic opportunities. The theme of the day will be announced closer to the date.
The first big event of the year is, as always, the Easter 1940s Home Front event (Sunday 1st and Monday 2nd April) whilst the 1940s is also revisited in August. The Edwardian period is celebrated in July and a small section of Derbyshire once again goes to the seaside for none days at the end of May.
2018 will once again see Joseph visit Crich to haul single deck horse car Sheffield 15 on several occasions (the first of which is on Wednesday 13th June) and after the success of the demonstration of the R Whetstone models this year there will be another chance to see these in operation in the Exhibition Hall throughout the season.
The full list of events currently planned for 2018 are:
Sunday 1st and Monday 2nd April: World War II – Home Front/1940s Event
Sunday 15th April: Model layout
Saturday 28th April and Sunday 29th April: Conversations and Memories – a celebratory weekend
Sunday 6th May: Beer and Bands at Crich
Sunday 20th May: Model layout
Saturday 26th May to Sunday 3rd June: Beside the Seaside
Wednesday 13th June: Horse Tram Day
Sunday 17th June: Model layout
Sunday 17th June: Fathers Day including Horse Tram Day
Sunday 1st July: Classic Motorcyle Event
Sunday 8th July: Model layout
Saturday 14th and Sunday 15th July: Edwardian Event
Monday 30th July: Horse Tram Day
Saturday 11th and Sunday 12th August: World War II – Home Front Event
Tuesday 14th August: Horse Tram Day
Saturday 18th and Sunday 19th August: Model Tram and Railway Exhibition
Sunday 26th and Monday 27th August: Classic Transport Gathering
Saturday 1st September: Simply Trams including Model Layout
Thursday 6th September: Horse Tram Day
Saturday 6th October: Steampunk Day
Sunday 14th October: Model layout
Monday 29th October to Saturday 3rd November: Starlight Spectacular
Further details of all these events can be found at https://www.tramway.co.uk/whatson/.