The recent dire weather conditions in Derbyshire have had a very negative impact on Crich Tramway Village, at a time of year when the main opening season should be getting underway. As announced previously, the museum was unable to open to visitors last weekend following heavy snow falls, and has remained closed throughout the following week as well, with an expected re-opening date of Friday 29th March. However, the unseasonal weather may also have negative implications for Beamish Museum…
Thankfully, work to clear snow from the Crich Tramway Village site is now progressing well, to the extent that staff and volunteers are confident that they will be ready to welcome paying guests once again from Good Friday onwards. This is a huge relief, as Easter Sunday and Monday will see the attraction host one of its popular 1940s themed events, and is normally one of the most profitable weekends of the whole year. Although the wintry weather is likely to have an impact on visitor numbers, hopefully the popularity of the event will ensure that a reasonable number of visitors will come to enjoy the extra attractions on offer over these two days.
However, whilst things are looking up for Crich, the same cannot be said of Beamish. The heavy snow falls have caused serious blockages of many small roads in Derbyshire, and therefore Scott’s Heavy Haulage have understandably been unable to move the trams required for the ‘Our Friends Electric’ event at Beamish. Lisbon 730 had been due to make the move from Birkenhead to Beamish on Monday 25th March, but this has now been postponed once again, along with the return of Leeds 6 to Heaton Park. It is not known when either car, or Glasgow 1068 from Crich, will be able to move by road – but with the Beamish tramway 40th anniversary event just a week away, there must be some doubt as to whether both of the expected visiting trams will actually make it to the North East in time. This event has already been struck by a series of misfortunes, most notably the cancellation of Stockport 5‘s planned visit, and the event organisers must be wondering what they have done to deserve so much bad luck! Hopefully the weather will now improve sufficiently for both 730 and 1068 to move to Beamish within the next few days, and ensure that there won’t be any more disapointment at what should hopefully be the best tram event of the year.
Fingers Crossed. Getting Increasingly less optimistic. Still look forward to it. but certainly lost its shine.
I suspect that Abu Qatada has put a curse on the whole country!
The most important thing Crich can do is ensure that they are in touch with Derbys C C as to which roads are open.
I couldn’t get further south on the A6 than Taddington on Sunday, or over the Pennines at all between the M62 and the A50, so access up and along side roads like the approaches to Crich must have been a near impossibility.
If Crich knows that the public can access the museum – or not – then they could flag that up on their website.
Surely religion has nothing to do with trams!
I was on duty at Crich on Good Friday and despite pockets of snow about the site. Quite a few families came through the gate and a three car service was mentained throughout the day. The cars in service were Leeds345 Leeds399 Blackpool 630 and Berlin 3006 was also on service. Many reenactors started to arrive for the 1940 weekend