A local tradition was recently revived in North Wales when local children travelled by train to the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod.

Over 50 children from Ysgol Corwen and Ysgol Carrog in Corwen and Carrog revived what had been a tradition of travelling by train from their local stations to Children’s Day at the Llangollen International Musical. That tradition ended when the railway line from Ruabon to Barmouth was closed in the early 1960s.

Part of that line is now the Llangollen and Corwen Railway, and in 2019, the Eisteddfod teamed up with the railway to revive the tradition. The children boarded a vintage diesel train at Corwen Station and enjoyed every mile of the trip to Llangollen, where, waving out of the carriage windows, they arrived just after 9 am.

At Llangollen, people from the Llangollen and Corwen Railway and the Eisteddfod greeted the children, and after having their photographs taken, the children sang a few songs before heading to the Eisteddfod field for their exciting day out.

Leading them to the Eisteddfod field were Ian Lebbon from the Eisteddfod and a group of young people from Ysgol Dinas Brân in Llangollen and Ysgol Morgan Llwyd in Wrexham. Each year, children from those schools work at the Eisteddfod as Croesians, which Ian Lebbon says is a great opportunity to boost their future career prospects.

Becky Mollison-white, headteacher at Carrog School, commented that it was an amazing experience for the children from both schools and they were all really excited about it. With Corwen and Carrog having stations on the heritage line, the children were very happy to have the opportunity to travel on it.

The children were fortunate that they were able to travel, as the railway was forced to cancel services during the heatwave at the end of June.

“We see them as hugely important to the people in the communities at the other end of the heritage line, where the railway is part of their daily lives. The railway is, of course, one of the three major highways in the valley, along with the River Dee and the A5 road. Many of these children will never have travelled by train before, especially one as great as the same heritage they encountered today. It’s also good for them to be able to see and enjoy the Eisteddfod. Many of them will be coming to the festival for the first time, and we hope they will become regular visitors.”

Ian Lebbon from the Eisteddfod