Railway Children
Mindfully Bertie is proud to announce that Railway Children is its chosen charity. We encourage all our readers to read what follows and consider if they can support this wonderful organisation. This is how the charity started:
Dev Patel supports Railway Children
All charities have to compete for funds. Like any other commercial organisation, they need marketing skills to succeed. Bobby freely admits that he was seduced at first by their attachment to trains and stations. The very name evoked vivid memories of Jenny Agutter running along the platform through the steam, crying “Daddy. My Daddy”. What a wonderful film of E Nesbit’s book that is.
He admired their artwork and fell in love with their Christmas cards that inevitably featured evocative steam engine paintings depicting scenes from the past. Seduced or not, he quickly learned what the real purpose of the charity was. The safety of vulnerable children. He has been a supporter virtually since the charity started and now encourages everyone to consider joining him and Mindfully Bertie.
The absolute pinnacle of the attachment to the story was the two productions of the Railway Children so imaginatively created on the platforms at Waterloo and Kings Cross stations. As you can see from the photographs, he and Diddley took grandchildren Sonny and Layla to Waterloo in 2011.
Diddley, Bobby, Layla and Sonny at Waterloo Station. Notice the production supports the charity.
What a great day that was!
Stirling Single built 1870.
The engine came on just before the interval and totally blew you away. How beautiful can engineering be! The audience was split between two platforms, with the play using the running track to wonderful affect. Possibly the best theatre production we have ever seen. You will also see that the profits from the production went to Railway Children. Some years later it was the turn of grandchildren, Giselle and Daisy-Mae, with their parents at Kings Cross.
Please Note
And now here we are facing a pandemic Christmas. We had already decided in previous years to go back to the time honoured tradition of posting Christmas cards. All from Railway Children. If you are on our list, this is what you will get. If we miss you, or you feel left out, get your address to us and we will send you one. All we ask of you is that you make a donation to Railway Children. That’s all.
Merry Christmas from Mindfully Bertie.
Just a few of the many Christmas cards on sale. Just check out the Railway Children website.
Lighting a candle to Diddley and all the Railway Children
Get your hankie ready. It brought tears to our eyes fifty years later. On Waterloo and Kings Cross stations it did just the same.
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Excellent stuff Dad
Thank you