An atmospheric steam train journey from London to Sussex for Goodwood Revival brings the past vividly to life.
On an unseasonably warm September Sunday morning, the airy concourse of London’s Paddington station is full of the usual mix of commuters, Heathrow-bound travellers and those setting off on a trip. But among the day trippers are men dressed up in spats and cravats and sporting waistcoats and flat caps and women in demure summer dresses and hats from a very different era.
The sense of time travel is heightened as a diesel engine chugs into the station pulling a set of immaculate wooden carriages. Like catching sight of Narnia through the wardrobe doors, the windows provide a tantalising glimpse of a vanished world of comfortable upholstery, silver service and pristine white crockery. Luckily for us, we’re getting on board and going back to another time…
Waving goodbye to the 21st century
As the whistle blows and we puff out of Paddington, the Prosecco is popped and a bellini kicks off breakfast as we sink into our seats on board the Mayflower steam train. No hard plastic with scant legroom and not even a folding tray table in sight (Thameslink, I’m looking at you).
Once we’ve headed out past the power lines and graffiti-clad walls of West London the journey really takes on a timeless quality, only broken occasionally by an electric or diesel train racing past. It’s a hot day and so we open the windows, which reveals an unexpected hazard that would have been familiar to our forebears, as little flecks of soot blow in from the engine.
It’s a tiny price to pay when you’re enjoying a full English breakfast and the English countryside as the train loops round from Basingstoke through the green valleys of Hampshire. There’s a frisson of excitement every time the train wends its way through a station. Some people are clearly primed for its arrival with their cameras perched on tripods, while others quickly reach for their smartphones to capture a sight they weren’t expecting.
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Driving backwards in time
Having turned eastwards and skirted the waters of the Solent, we pull up at Bosham, where a pair of vintage London double decker buses, resplendently red in the late summer sun, are waiting to transport us to another celebration of vehicles from the last century: the Goodwood Revival Festival.
This is the 25th anniversary of the first Goodwood Revival, which was created to continue a tradition of top-level racing at the circuit – but with the mechanical marvels of the past rather than the present. That has expanded to an immersive experience that also encompasses the fashions and the sounds. The only signs of the present day are the food and drink and the smartphones recording the sights.
A couple of thunderstorms make for challenging conditions for the drivers racing their vintage Porsches and Ferraris, which only adds to the fun. You can see the gleaming cars in the paddocks with some models pushing 100 years of age, and hear the tremendous roar of the engines being fired up. It’s another reminder of how the world used to be.
After marvelling at the machines, getting a glimpse of the legendary racing driver Sir Jackie Stewart on his way to a lap of honour round the track, and checking out some serious moves on the vintage dancefloor, it’s time to make our way back to the bus.
We get back on board at Chichester with the sun now streaming in again. As we make our way back to London the colours out of the window are matched by the colours on our plates as we are served a four-course dinner in Pullman Dining.
Champagne is poured as we munch on canapes as the train pulls away. Couples chink glasses as they celebrate a special day.
There's an assiette of fish to start our meal as we skirt the Solent once again. The main course is chicken supreme, followed by a wonderfully assorted cheeseboard and then plum and almond tart. Great British food served in a great British setting.
As the sky turns orange and then red, we continue to attract attention from the folk on the platforms at the stations we pass through. Full of food and memories, we arrive back in Paddington as night falls.
Everyone takes their final photos of the time machine they’ve travelled in, to ensure they don’t forget the day they caught a very special train.
For further information on Steam Dreams and to book a trip, including Christmas-themed journeys, call 01483 209888 or visit steamdreams.co.uk
Main image: Steam Dreams
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