Final weekend to catch "All Aboard for the Waveney Valley Line!" at Harleston Players

Harleston Players' community production "All Aboard for the Waveney Valley Line!" reaches its final weekend on Thursday, 17th and Friday, 18th July.

The play follows a typical "railway" family as they work their way along the Waveney Valley Line, from Tivetshall to Beccles, charting its story from its opening in the 1850s to its closure a century later. The script draws on extensive research, contemporary newspaper reports and interviews with local people who remember the line when trains were still running.

The production brings together a cast of local amateurs spanning an age range of nearly seventy years, whose day jobs include teachers, nurses, social workers and sports instructors, to tell the story of an important part of the region's heritage.

Adrian Ramsay, MP for Waveney Valley, attended a recent performance and praised the production:

"I really enjoyed watching 'All Aboard for the Waveney Valley Line'. Congratulations to Harleston Players on a fantastic play, beautifully delivered. Eileen Ryan's extensive research of our local history enabled them to tell the story of the Waveney Valley line from its hopeful inception to its sad closure a century later. It was such a big part of the fabric of our wonderful area, and we can see the history around us today.

"The closure of so many railway lines in the 1950s and 60s was one of the most short-sighted political decisions ever. These lines today would be popular, financially viable, and have clean trains taking people around our communities.

"The play is funny, entertaining and educational, and I would recommend others to watch."

ENDS