Horncastle student’s work burned for celebration

Mayor of Skegness loading Millies 'cake' on to the shovel of fireman Peter Balderston
Photo: Dave Enefer EMN-190716-115629001 — Mayor of Skegness loading Millies 'cake' on to the shovel of fireman Peter Balderston Photo: Dave Enefer EMN-190716-115629001

To celebrate the 10th Anniversary of the Lincolnshire Coast Light Railway reopening in Skegness, the Railway decided to ‘feed’ an iced anniversary cake to their 116-year-old steam engine ‘Jurassic’.

Millie Waby, who works in the Elder Tree Inn at Horsington, next to the home of railway volunteer Chris Bates, agreed to ice the cake, which was actually a chunk off the end of an old wooden railway sleeper.

Chris said: “Millie’s hobbies include baking and icing and she produced a marvellous design, complete with an iced tunnel on one side, lettering to show the anniversary dates and an iced section of railway ‘track’ on the top.

The commemorative head board painted and made by Martin Dales-based traditional signwriter Tim Fry
Photo: Michael Newbold EMN-190716-115542001 — The commemorative head board painted and made by Martin Dales-based traditional signwriter Tim Fry Photo: Michael Newbold EMN-190716-115542001

“As with all celebration cakes, it was surmounted by candles - 10 in total.

“It looked delicious - too good to eat, but we thought it would burn well.”

Millie couldn’t be at the celebration event, to see the cake ceremony led by the Mayor of Skegness, Coun Mark Dannatt.

The Mayor placed Millie’s handiwork on fireman Peter Balderston’s shovel and then loaded it into the flames of Jurassic’s firebox.

The cake goes into the fire
Photo: Dave Enefer EMN-190716-115552001 — The cake goes into the fire Photo: Dave Enefer EMN-190716-115552001

Chris said: “It proved impossible to light any of the candles as it was a bit breezy - or bracing in Skegness-speak.

“However, we could tell by the smell emanating from Jurassic’s chimney that the candles were certainly well alight - as was the rest of the cake!”

Jurassic also has a new headboard to mark the anniversary, which was made and painted by Martin Dales-based traditional signwriter Tim Fry.

The Lincolnshire Coast Light Railway (LCLR) is a 60cm narrow gauge heritage railway, approximately 0.75 miles long.

The train heads out with its new head board
Photo: Graham Miller EMN-190716-115619001 — The train heads out with its new head board Photo: Graham Miller EMN-190716-115619001

It is situated in Ingoldmells at the award-winning Skegness Water Leisure Park.

On summer operating days, visitors can ride in one of the historic railway carriages, pulled by one of the historic diesel locomotives, or on certain days by the Peckett steam locomotive ‘Jurassic’.

The diesel locos are based on designs for WW1 trench railways, which later powered transport for agriculture and industry throughout Lincolnshire and the wider world.

The steam locomotive ‘Jurassic’ was built in 1903 and spent her working life at a cement works near Rugby.

Following restoration at the LCLR she returned to steam in mid 2017

For more information visit www.lclr. co.uk