miss b loves........cream tea on a steam train!

A couple of Sundays ago we enjoyed a cream tea with a difference....on board an old-fashioned steam train travelling through the Lancashire countryside. This was a surprise treat....and I would never have guessed how we were going to spend the afternoon!

We arrived at Bury station to be greeted by a scene straight out of Harry Potter! 

The East Lancashire Railway has been restored to its historical glory and the vintage Pullman style dining carriages retain many of the original 1920s features.......polished wood panelling, sliding windows and plush velvet seating .... the perfect place to enjoy a cream tea....a very English tradition.

The whistle was blown and we were off on our journey.......

 We tucked into our selection of scrumptious cakes.......

Difficult to choose a favourite but .....the carrot cake (with an orange flavoured chocolate carrot) and the stawberry dipped in delicious chocolate satisfied my chocolate addiction! 

Of course there were scones .... with jam and clotted cream ... 

All these sweet treats had been prepared by the award-winning Slattery's a local company. The attentive staff kept bringing us  more tea.....

The only disappointment was the British weather......non-stop rain throughout the journey and difficult to fully appreciate the pretty stone cottages and countryside!!

An hour and twenty minutes later we were back at the station ...

......looking at the old adverts from a bygone era............

Back in the car and typically .....the sun came out and finally we were able to enjoy the Lancashire countryside!!

PS There's a full programme of events during the year here and dining opportunities including lunches, themed dinners and even murder mystery nights(!)here.

Definitely different!