Mothering Sunday
10 Mar 2013 06:27 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
curiouswombatMuch love to all the other Mums on my friends' list - I know the Moms get their day later in the year, but we celebrate Mothering Sunday today, the mid-point of Lent.
I have had a very special day - I will share a few pictures under the cut.
First was church - a special service as Mothering Sunday is part of the church calendar, not just a secular celebration. Traditionally the children and their leaders take this service at our church - so I was leading, and it all went well. Some churches make little posies for the mothers in the congregation, but we have a big basket of chocolate to give to the mothers - it was nice to have D-d there to take some for me!
After church came my special treat. A steam-train trip and lunch, especially for Mothering Sunday.
We do not have a modern railway system on the island - it is too small, really, these days. But when railway mania was at its peak in Britain in the late nineteenth century we also had a fairly comprehensive rail network built. It carried people to work, took goods and animals around the island - all the usual things. But as road transport grew after WW2 so the railway declined - so that most of the lines were eventually closed and dismantled in the 1960s. However, the line south from Douglas to Port Erin remained - and as we had never been converted from steam to diesel, the old engines also remained. Clearly this is mainly a tourist attraction these days - but when the bus drivers went on strike recently there were trains running to take the children down south too and from school - much to their enjoyment ('Just like Hogwarts' as one of them said!).
Today, though, they were running special trains to give Mums a treat, and D-d got tickets for her and me. So after church we went to her flat first and then walked down to the station. (One of the things she loves about living where she does is the quirkiness of hearing engines getting up steam in the mornings.)
This is our engine;
I have given a full description of her on flickr - but you have to say she's looking good for a lady built in 1895.
The train travelled as far as the first station on the line and back to Douglas - about three miles or so each way. On board we were served with sparkling wine and warm canapés - 'very suitable for train travel' type canapés, too - tiny freshly made pork pies and equally tiny Yorkshire puddings filled with curried beef. And as we travelled along it was snowing - so pretty!
Of curse it is a truth universally acknowledged that where there is a steam train there is a man with a camera - and when we had a designated pause on a piece of line overlooking the sea (whilst the waiter served the wine - neatly organised!) there was, in a field, in the snow, a man with a camera. I should have taken his picture...
Back at the station in Douglas we were served a lovely lunch in The Ticket Hall where D-d and I were personally greeted by the chef when he saw us - it is someone I used to know quite well - so I was the only mum to be given a bear-hug by the chef as part of my day! For the record we both has slow roast pork with a selection of fresh vegetables and roasties, then she had toffee cake with cream and I had a brioche bread and butter pudding - and very good it all was, too.
There was live music, too - really nice live music. Firstly a group playing traditional folk music and then someone playing classical guitar.
Mums were also given a honey cake each, locally made. Here is a picture of mine;
(Is it just me, or does anyone else think 'Eye of Sauron?'!!)
D-d was given one for herself before we left - knowing the chef has certain perks, especially when he also owns the business...
And now I have chocolate and honey cake to nibble on through the evening - all in all a very nice day.
I have had a very special day - I will share a few pictures under the cut.
First was church - a special service as Mothering Sunday is part of the church calendar, not just a secular celebration. Traditionally the children and their leaders take this service at our church - so I was leading, and it all went well. Some churches make little posies for the mothers in the congregation, but we have a big basket of chocolate to give to the mothers - it was nice to have D-d there to take some for me!
After church came my special treat. A steam-train trip and lunch, especially for Mothering Sunday.
We do not have a modern railway system on the island - it is too small, really, these days. But when railway mania was at its peak in Britain in the late nineteenth century we also had a fairly comprehensive rail network built. It carried people to work, took goods and animals around the island - all the usual things. But as road transport grew after WW2 so the railway declined - so that most of the lines were eventually closed and dismantled in the 1960s. However, the line south from Douglas to Port Erin remained - and as we had never been converted from steam to diesel, the old engines also remained. Clearly this is mainly a tourist attraction these days - but when the bus drivers went on strike recently there were trains running to take the children down south too and from school - much to their enjoyment ('Just like Hogwarts' as one of them said!).
Today, though, they were running special trains to give Mums a treat, and D-d got tickets for her and me. So after church we went to her flat first and then walked down to the station. (One of the things she loves about living where she does is the quirkiness of hearing engines getting up steam in the mornings.)
This is our engine;
I have given a full description of her on flickr - but you have to say she's looking good for a lady built in 1895.
The train travelled as far as the first station on the line and back to Douglas - about three miles or so each way. On board we were served with sparkling wine and warm canapés - 'very suitable for train travel' type canapés, too - tiny freshly made pork pies and equally tiny Yorkshire puddings filled with curried beef. And as we travelled along it was snowing - so pretty!
Of curse it is a truth universally acknowledged that where there is a steam train there is a man with a camera - and when we had a designated pause on a piece of line overlooking the sea (whilst the waiter served the wine - neatly organised!) there was, in a field, in the snow, a man with a camera. I should have taken his picture...
Back at the station in Douglas we were served a lovely lunch in The Ticket Hall where D-d and I were personally greeted by the chef when he saw us - it is someone I used to know quite well - so I was the only mum to be given a bear-hug by the chef as part of my day! For the record we both has slow roast pork with a selection of fresh vegetables and roasties, then she had toffee cake with cream and I had a brioche bread and butter pudding - and very good it all was, too.
There was live music, too - really nice live music. Firstly a group playing traditional folk music and then someone playing classical guitar.
Mums were also given a honey cake each, locally made. Here is a picture of mine;
(Is it just me, or does anyone else think 'Eye of Sauron?'!!)
D-d was given one for herself before we left - knowing the chef has certain perks, especially when he also owns the business...
And now I have chocolate and honey cake to nibble on through the evening - all in all a very nice day.
