A brass band will bring festive cheer to a heritage railway this Christmas.
The City of Chester Bluecoat Band is set to launch Llangollen and Corwen Railway’s 2026 Santa Specials with a performance at Llangollen Railway Station on Saturday, November 28, beginning at 11.30am.
The event holds special meaning for Les Platt, a long-standing volunteer and guard at the railway, who has also been a member of the band for 45 years.
Mr Platt said: "I joined the City of Chester Bluecoat Band in 1981, and it has been a huge part of my life ever since.
"After 45 years, it becomes about much more than simply playing music.
"You build lifelong friendships, share some wonderful experiences and become part of a family.
"There are actually a lot of similarities with volunteering on the Railway.
"People come from completely different backgrounds, and everyone has their own role to play, but ultimately you are all working together.
"I have made some great friends through both organisations."
He said the band’s involvement in the Santa Specials launch is especially meaningful.
Mr Platt said: "To have the band coming to Llangollen for the opening of the Santa Specials is going to be very special for me.
"Christmas already creates a wonderful atmosphere on the Railway and there is nothing quite like the sound of a brass band playing Christmas music.
"It will be slightly strange seeing these two parts of my life come together, but I am incredibly proud of my association with both the band and the Railway.
"I think 28 November is going to be a really memorable day and I am very much looking forward to it."
The Santa Specials are among the railway’s most popular events and part of a wider programme celebrating music and the arts.
David Hennigan, trust manager at Llangollen and Corwen Railway, said: "We have really embraced the arts this year and it has brought another dimension to what we offer.
"There is something wonderfully traditional about arriving at a heritage railway at Christmas and hearing a brass band playing on the platform.
"What makes this one particularly special, though, is Les.
"He has given 45 years to the Bluecoat Band and is also a valued member of our Railway family.
"Bringing those two worlds together on the opening day of our Santa Specials feels absolutely right."
The railway’s Christmas programme will also include expanded Siôn Corn services and the return of its popular Mince Pie Specials.
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