
The main picnic was at Hattersley where Babs had an array of attractions including West Indian food, a bouncy castle, an RLNI stall, well-being tests and a tombola. The Mayor of Tameside formally visited Babs, helpers and visitors at 10.30. At each of the stations there was a Welcome Table with soft toys and sweets.
To encourage visitors to move between the stations Northern had kindly provided free train travel for the duration of the event. This proved a very popular offer and we were delighted that several children made their first trips by train on the day!! A royal-themed hunt the teddy on the Teddy Bear Trail, cleverly designed by Paul Marsh, saw teddies and children on the move.
We would like to say a big thank you to Northern for this support and in particular to Vicky Cropper for all her help and assistance. The colouring sheets proved popular. Also a big thank you to the drivers and guards for joining in the fun. Many an announcement saying "This is a teddy bears special" was heard! We also appreciated the visit from Rebecca, Northern's Train Crew Manager, who visited all the stations talking to the children and families on the trains.
Each of the Friends groups and Northern staff received some great feedback and comments as well as donations at all stations. Thank you to everyone for your support - it was a lot of fun!