SEVERN Valley Railway was given the Royal seal of approval today when the Princess Royal visited to help celebrate its Golden year.

Fresh from her visit to Worcestershire Royal Hospital, Princess Anne made her first visit to the Kidderminster tourist attraction to help it celebrate its 50th anniversary.

Locomotives were buffed and polished up in preparation for her visit to the Railway, during which she met a range of staff, volunteers, founding members and apprentices, as well as riding on the footplate of one of the Railway’s much-loved heritage steam engines.

A welcome party of local dignitaries and SVR representatives welcomed her and her escort, the Lord Lieutenant of Worcestershire, at Bewdley, where she met an enthusiastic group of pioneers and young volunteers before taking to the tracks.

The SVR are currently celebrating 50 years since a small group of young rail enthusiasts gathered in their local pub and decided to reopen the line, which was closed in 1963, and four of those founding members were on hand to greet the Princess Royal and revealed key landmarks in the Railway’s 50 year heritage.

Nick Paul, chairman of Severn Valley Railway, said: “This is a very special year for Severn Valley Railway, a momentous year.”

She was then asked to unveil a plaque celebrating 50 years of the SVR and signed the anniversary Visitors Book. While unveiling the plaque, Princess Anne thanked the volunteers and the founding members for all their hard work over the last 50 years and thanked them for letting her ride in one of the engines and said it was “a real treat”.

Finally, she was given a behind the scenes tour of the Carriage Works at Kidderminster, and met volunteers and some of the young apprentices on the Heritage Skills Training Academy, one of the range of key products financed by the fundraising efforts of the SVR Charitable Trust (SVRCT) and the Share Offer scheme.

The Princess Royal was shown a practical demonstration of the heritage skills taught through the scheme, which are essential in the on-going programme of coach maintenance and restoration.

Christopher George, one of the founding members of SVR, said: “It was an absolutely fantastic day. She took the time with every single one of us and she was really quite knowledgeable about everything.

“She made a lot of comments about our lovely new station.

“After all our hard work over the last 50 years, to see this today, I can’t quite explain it.”

Columb Howell, a founder member, said: “It’s been an absolutely great day, absolutely incredible. She was amazed at all the old engineering we had kept going.

“She really excelled herself in her knowledge.”

Leonard Warrington, one of the young volunteers at Severn Valley Railway, said: “She was asking me how I started on the Railway and what I do.

“It was really quite moving to meet her. I felt very honoured to be representing the younger members of staff and volunteers here. It was exhilarating.”

Judy Fry, who works on the trains providing the buffet, said: “She was very friendly. She was asking me all about what I did on the train, so I told her what I do and said that’s it. She said it was a very big job.

“I was thrilled to bits to meet her.”