Gloucestershire events celebrate 80 years of Thomas the Tank Engine

A line-up of railway-themed events to celebrate 80 years of Thomas the Tank Engine are under way in Gloucestershire.

The animated children’s show was adapted from a series of 26 books written by Reverend Wilbert Awdry, a rail enthusiast who lived in Rodborough for more than 30 years.

Although he died in 1997, Mr Awdry’s legacy lives on in the village in a stained glass window depicting him closing a shed door on the blue train at St Mary Magdalene Church.

Local author Katie Fforde, who wrote a Christmas spin-off Thomas the Tank Engine book in 2019, said: “He [Thomas] has made so many millions of children happy and that’s a great thing.”

The author said she grew up with the rail characters and her children and grandchildren were fans when they were young.

She said the characters in the book and TV series were like friends to the children.

“They’ve got their distinct characteristics, they’re individual, they’re not just engines, they’re people and they’ve got their personalities and they get up to mischief and they have adventures,” she said.

“This does make you very close to them, as a child and as an adult.”

As part of the programme of events, Mr Awdry’s daughter Veronica Chambers is holding a talk at St Mary Magdalene Church later.

Other events in the line-up include a family fun day at Rodborough Church and the Old Endowed School, a story reading session and a chance to meet Sir and Lady Topham Hatt from the series.

A guided walk and a church service exploring Mr Awdry’s connections to the community is also planned.

Ms Fforde said: “Everyone’s gone to so much trouble to put on such a fabulous programme.”

The three-day event ends on Sunday afternoon.