Hoppers Lacking in Bucks Fizz?
The tenth Hoppers event at Bodiam over the weekend was rather flat with early indications of passenger and visitor numbers showing a decline on the previous year.
Mind you, the K&ESR was really up against it off the back of excellent summer visitor figures, competition from the Heritage free open weekend across the county as well as a beer and hop festival at the Kent Museum of Rural Life near Maidstone.
And the weather didn’t help by not playing ball on Saturday, usually the busier of the two days for this event – though in compensation, Sunday was a delightful early autumn day.
USA No.65 was in charge of the A-set whilst the two Terriers, off the back of their doubleheaded “Wealden Pullman” the week before, against featured top-and-tail running at Hoppers, this time with a six-coach vintage train on the 11.45am and 2.20pm departures from Tenterden Town.
Rather disappointingly, this rare formation failed to galvanise measurable interest from the so-called enthusiasts market with very few photographers being seen around the railway.
Although there were minor delays due to the complication of watering two engines either end of a train at both Northiam and Rolvenden, this was partly compensated by no need to run round at Tenterden Town or Bodiam; another downside was a truncated luncheon interval between trains for the Terrier crews.
What a sight this train made, weaving its way along the Rother Valley and past former hop gardens; it was too much to hope for both train and Bodiam castle in sunshine at the same time by Ewhurst and so it proved.
Bodiam station was attractively decorated with hops as usual with the recreated huts, camp fire, photographic displays and hopping ephemera the main attractions, augmented by refreshments and side-shows, as well as a vintage bus service to and from the castle.
Though visitor numbers this year hardly justified an alternative service, top-and-tail running does not seem to give the locomotive crews proper breaks between workings on the Red timetable, and also furnishes limited park-and-ride opportunities from Northiam.
Which for a Bodiam-focussed event is a bit self-defeating.
HN-14/09/2010
