A Grand Day Out

Recently we took our train-loving 2 year old to The Train Shed at the Vicary's Winery in Luddenham. Needless to say she was bouncing up and down as we got out of the car and could barely contain herself as we took of the ride on Thomas. Mavis was the first train there as arrived at the 'station' and after looking a little perturbed about not knowing who Mavis was (she hasn't actually seen or read very much Thomas), we climbed aboard.

To add to the drama of the day, we were promptly involved in a derailment on the bend approaching the tunnel - naughty Mavis jumped off the track - but we were quickly set right and headed off again. They have five different Thomas trains and I think all of them were running at some point while we were there. We also had an Ouffer voucher that gave us a free children's meal (4 chicken nuggets and a juice box, but Hannah was happy with that) and 2 devonshire teas for my husband and I. While it was a 'make yourself' tea (or instant coffee - though you could pay to upgrade to a cappuccino/latte), the scones were Huge and they were very generous with the cream and jam (much do the frustration of the self-control for 2 people trying to lose weight...). The staff were really friendly and Hannah loved it. Her only concern was that she wanted to drive the train. We have another voucher, so were looking forward to going some time again before April. It isn't super cheap, with 4 rides (lasting about 7 minutes each) costing $18, but it is a fun morning/afternoon with little ones.

The next train we're planning on riding though, is the Toilet Train(ing), which is sure to be a wild ride, hopefully without too many derailments...