Interactive working railway designed by Andrew Christie will take visitors on a real train journey at the annual garden exhibition.
Greenfingers Charity is delighted to once again participate in BBC Gardeners’ World Live (GWL), running from 18-21st June at the NEC, Birmingham.
The much-loved industry charity, which funds and creates magical therapeutic gardens for children’s hospices nationwide, has a real treat in stores for visitors to this year’s edition of the GWL: The spectacular ‘Trains in the Garden’ show piece, designed by driver and rail enthusiast, Andrew Christie, located at exhibition space SC6.
This wonderful show garden, which features a working model garden railway, was inspired by Andrew’s love of trains and the many years he’s spent driving the mainline and running model railways. Visitors can look forward to driving the train themselves and being transported on a journey that was inspired by Andrew’s local community and heritage.
Andrew’s live steam locomotive, the G Gauge, ‘Louise’, will be on display in all her glory, whilst the garden itself is the summit of Andrew’s colourful Fox Bank layout at his home. The train is named after Andy’s wife, Louise Christie, who is the keen gardener in the family and a great supporter of Andy in this project.
Speaking to BBC Gardeners’ World Live about his design, Andrew said: “This is my story of how I fell in love with steam engines and climbed the ladder to become an Engine Driver. Watching steam engines tackle the Lickey Incline behind my grandparents’ garden and playing with model railways my father built for me.”
Visitors over the age of 16 can drive the train for 30 minutes at a time, bookable on the day for £25. There will also be a plant and feature sell-off from 4.00pm on the Sunday.
Continuing to speak of his life as a committed rail enthusiast, Andrew said: “I started volunteering with the Severn Valley Railway when I was young, and hands-on jobs – plus the thrill of driving a small steam engine at 12 – set me on the path to becoming a driver. I’ve now spent 20 years driving on the mainline and 15 years with steam, and I work as a driver instructor, passing on what others taught me. My passion continues at home in Bournville, where my family and I enjoy our garden railway and support local community and heritage events”.
Long considered a must-attend events in the gardening calendar, BBC Gardeners' World Live will be buzzing with a series of beautiful show gardens, top gardening tips from celebrity experts and blooming good shopping opportunities for plant lovers, diehard gardening enthusiasts and budding green thumbs alike.
Greenfingers Charity Operations Director, Neil Sewell, said: “We are delighted to be collaborating with Andrew to bring Trains in the Garden to Gardeners’ World Live, an event that’s very special to us as it’s where our own journey as a charity began. While Andrew’s garden tells the story of his lifelong passion for railways and the memories that inspired it, we know from the gardens we create in children’s hospices just how powerful outdoor spaces can be in helping people connect with treasured moments, interests and experiences. We’ve never seen a garden quite like this and I think it will be a massive hit with visitors. In fact, I’m greatly looking forward to having a go at driving one of the trains myself!”
The event is open from 9.00am - 18.00pm on Thursday 18th June - Saturday 18th June and 9.00am - 17.00pm on Sunday 21st June. For more information and to buy tickets visit: https://www.bbcgardenersworldlive.com/visit/
Alongside Greenfingers Charity, Trains in the Garden is supported by Blackcat Bridges, British Garden Centres, Brunel Models, CJS Heritage Engineering, Cross Country Trains, Footplate, Garden Rail Magazine, Garden Railway Specialist, Severn Valley Railway and Thrive. “Trains In The Garden is set to be a big display!” he added in the post.
