SUPER, fantastic, stunning are just some of the words used to describe the celebrations of 100 years of rail between Bere Alston and Gunnislake at the weekend. Commemorative plaques were unveiled at Gunnislake, Calstock and Bere Alston and platforms at the three stations were packed, as people joined in the festival atmosphere and travelled on the centenary trains. There was live music, an Edwardian fair, maypole dancing by primary school children, stalls and marquees. Events began a week earlier with exhibitions, film archive, talks, walks, a railway show and an interactive arts project. A whole host of dignitaries attended on Sunday — the centenary day —including MPs for the area Colin Breed and Geoffrey Cox, the chairman of First Great Western Charles Howeson, the leader of Devon County Council Brian Greenslade and five members of the family of the leading engineer involved in building the line in 1908, J Charles Lang. The celebrations concluded with 150 people taking part in the first official walk across Calstock Viaduct on Monday. Chairman of Bere Alston Parish Council Bev Slaughter said the weekend was 'brilliant'. 'We had a super day. The platform was crammed for the naming of the centenary train the 'J Charles Lang' and among the engineer's family attending was a great grand-daughter who had flown over from Canada,' he said. Mr Slaughter said there had been more than 12 months of planning for the rail celebrations and a lot of hard work had been put in by a lot of people. He said: 'I think everyone had a fantastic time and it did the area a whole heap of good — as well as the moves to get the railway built into Tavistock.' Robin Clinkard, who was co-ordinating the celebrations in Calstock, said there was a huge crowd cheering the centenary train and all the stops had been pulled out to make the event a great success: He said: 'People dressed up in Edwardian costume, we had a marquee serving refreshments, moustache waxing, an old fashioned sweet store, a unicyclist show and the Calstock Rubber Band playing Cornish songs. It was a great day.' At Gunnislake a donkey from the Tamar Valley Donkey Park delivered panniers of local daffodils to be loaded on the first train with the help of people dressed as Edwardian pickers. Chairman of Calstock Parish Council Jerome Irons and parish clerk Julia Massey took the flowers down the line to present them to visiting dignitaries as a symbol of the Tamar Valley and a reminder of the days when the railway line took local horticultural produce to market. Cllr Irons said: 'The weather was kind to us all and I believe the level of festivities showed how important this line remains in the 21st century to the people of our part of Cornwall. It is a pity that the line does not continue to take Cornish produce to England but long may it continue to take commuters, shoppers and schoolchildren and bring visitors to walk in our beautiful valley.' West Devon MP Geoffrey Cox said he was 'delighted and privileged to take part': 'The day was a wonderful celebration of the railway line and hundreds of people came out on both sides of the Tamar to show their appreciation of their railway,' he said. 'I was also very pleased to be able to discuss the future of the Tamar Valley Line with the new chairman of First Great Western, to hear of his firm commitment to the services on the line and of his interest in extending the railway to Tavistock.'
