Wartime Britain will return to the Severn Valley Railway on two weekends in June when it holds another of its popular Step Back to the 1940s events.

On Saturday and Sunday, 7th/8th and 14th/15th June, the Severn Valley Railway will once again be full of fun when it holds a special event with a 1940s theme.

Nostalgia will be to the fore, with music, dancing, food, displays, vehicles, and costumed re-enactors recreating the sights and sounds of the British home front in the 1940s.

For this year’s event, the railway will only be operating between Kidderminster and Hampton Loade because of the landslide near Eardington between Hampton Loade and Bridgnorth.

Throughout both weekends, all trains will be steam-hauled, and visitors can hop on and off the trains as often as they like.

Special events will take place at stations across the line, including speeches by Winston Churchill, singers and dancers with a 1940s theme, a wartime wedding, vintage vehicles, and fun jitterbug sessions.

At Highley, The Engine House will be open with traders selling vintage goods to help visitors look the part and experience the era in style. The Engine House at Highley will also be the best place to view a flypast of a Dakota from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight’s Dakota, which takes place at 1.20 pm on Sunday, 8th June, subject to operational availability.

At Kidderminster Town station, living history displays will include a wartime police station, shops, and domestic interiors. A Big Band Show will take place on the station platform on the evenings of Saturdays 7th and 14th June.

Further information and ticket details are online at svr.co.uk.

“Our 1940s events are always a joy to visit. It ‘ all about celebrating the spirit of the Home Front during wartime and capturing the glamour and style as well as the grit and determination of the country during the 1940s. Of course, nowadays, most of our visitors are too young to have experienced those years for themselves, and our events are helping to promote awareness of the Second World War, as a defining period of British history. But naturally, we make sure it’s great fun for all the family!”

Lewis Maddox, the SVR s visitor engagement manager.