Wednesday 23 April – Chester to The Golden Pheasant at Plumley
(Leaves Chester at 18:56; return train arrives back in Chester at 22:38)
Full House will be entertaining you on the train and in the pub ‘singing songs and playing tunes, ancient and modern, from the Cheshire plains and beyond’ – a mixture of traditional, contemporary and self-written material on guitar, violin, flute and octave mandola.
Debbie and Chris Lee – Debbie has a fine voice and a winning way with a song, be it a traditional folk song, a contemporary song or a pop classic. Accompanied by the dexterous guitar-playing of husband Chris, it’s a winning combination!
‘Captain’ Andy Hignett – busker, singer-songwriter, teacher, recording artist, multi-instrumentalist – Andy is a familiar face to those who walk the streets of Chester and his distinctive and memorable music is always able to put a smile on their faces!
They are promoting Chester Folk Festival (www.chesterfolk.org.uk), to be held at Kelsall from Friday 24 May to Monday 27 May.
At the Golden Pheasant why not have a bite to eat? They have an extensive menu which you can see online. (www.goldenpheasantplumley.co.uk) You can order online in advance or when you arrive if you prefer. If there are eight or more of you, it makes it much quicker if you book and order in advance so they can get their food to you quickly. If you are eating, just let them know you are with the Music Train so you can get a table close enough to the band to listen to the music whilst you dine.
Programme of Music Trains in 2025
Exciting news for 2025 – we have a FULL programme of monthly Music Trains this year, with the first one on Wednesday 23 April with Full House and friends running through to October.
The programme from Chester
Departs at 18:56 and arrives back at 22:38
| Wednesday 23 April 25 | Golden Pheasant Plumley | Full House and Friends |
| Wednesday 14 May 25 | Golden Pleasant Plumley | Lynchpins and Dave Vaughan |
| Wednesday 4 June 25 | Angel Hotel Knutsford | Epicures |
| Wednesday 2 July 25 | Golden Pheasant Plumley | Nelson Peach |
| Wednesday 30 July 25 | Golden Pheasant Plumley | TBA |
| Wednesday 27 August 25 | Golden Pheasant Plumley | Time Bandits |
| Wednesday 24 September 25 | Golden Pheasant Plumley | Sound Box |
The programme from Altrincham
Departs at 18:36 and arrives back at 23:53
| Thursday 12 June 25 | Alexanders Chester | Pastry Shoes in the train House Band at Alexanders |
| Thursday 18 September 25 | Alexanders Chester | Hound Dog Blues in the train House Band at Alexanders |
| Thursday 16 October 25 | Alexanders Chester | TBA on the train House Band at Alexanders |
So, two bands still to be announced – watch this space!
SOUNDS LIKE FUN? THIS IS HOW THE MUSIC TRAINS WORK!
There is no charge at all for the Music Trains… All you have to buy is your return train ticket in the usual way – online or via the platform ticket machine. Any issues, you can always get one from the conductor after you board the train. We have a collection on the way back for the band and it’s up to you what you contribute to this. There is music on the train both ways and at the pub too!
Also there is no need to book for the Music Trains from Chester – just hop on the train from your local station, after buying your train ticket. There will be signs on the windows to show you the carriage with the music… or just follow the sound! For Music Trains from Altrincham you will need to book in advance – look out for further details of this along with train times in the next newsletter.
It is always possible that train times might change and a small possibility that a Music Train might have to be cancelled at short notice. In that case we will email everyone on the mailing list to let you know – and pop a note on the Community Rail Partnership website and station noticeboards, as well as on our social media accounts @MidCheshire CRP.
THE MORE THE MERRIER!
Groups are very welcome to join the Music Train, in fact we actively encourage it! If you plan to bring a group of eight or more on a Music Train from Chester to Plumley or Knutsford, please contact me in advance to agree the best date to join us. It means we can ensure we have enough room for you all.
If you plan to bring a group on the Music Trains from Altrincham to Alexanders in Chester then just go ahead and book online directly with Alexanders. There is a maximum of 45 places available.
Alongside the open Music Trains, we also work with several groups to organise bespoke Music Trains for their membership. These include
- Chester to the Railway Inn in Mobberley at lunchtime
- Another lunchtime event for a group from Chester to the Golden Pheasant
- An evening Music Train from Altrincham to Alexander’s in Chester.
So, if you are a member of a group and you would like to share this entertainment experience with your fellow members, we are more than happy to help! We can arrange extra Music Trains for groups of 30 or more people on weekdays, either daytime or evening. We can also discuss and consider different starting points and venues to suit your group. The only costs involved are the train tickets and a contribution towards the band’s fee – there is no extra charge for arranging the event.
Interested? Then just get in touch with musictrains@midcheshirerail.org.uk
WHY DO WE DO THIS?
Music Trains are arranged on behalf of the Mid Cheshire Community Rail Partnership to promote the Mid Cheshire Line.
Watch the Mid Cheshire Line website (www.midcheshirerail.org.uk) or subscribe to this newsletter for news and more details. Follow MidCheshire CRP via social media – X, Instagram, TikTok and Facebook – just look for Mid Cheshire Rail.
DON’T WANT TO GET INFORMATION ANYMORE?
If you would like to unsubscribe from these newsletters at any time, drop an email to musictrains@midcheshirerail.org.uk with the heading ‘unsubscribe’ and your details will be removed immediately.
KNOW SOMEONE WHO MIGHT BE INTERESTED?
Please feel free to forward this email to them. If they would like to receive this email regularly then get them to email musictrains@midcheshirerail.org.uk and we will add them to the list.
More information
Music Trains are arranged on behalf of the Mid Cheshire Community Rail Partnership to promote the Mid Cheshire Line.
Watch on this website. Follow Mid Cheshire CRP on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Or, get in touch with is from our contact page
Sign up to our newsletter using the following form:
You can unsubscribe from these newsletters at any time by sending me an email headed ‘unsubscribe’.
Michael Ross
Music Trains organiser, Mid Cheshire Community Rail Partnership
