Afternoon Tea on The Gwili Train

What a fabulous day filming for Fusion Inspire with Ollie and his Dad, Rob.

I first met the pair at The Tin Shed Experience in Laugharne when they came to an earlier Fusion Inspire film shoot with me as part of

Swansea Ukulele Group.

They looked so beautiful on camera that I invited them to come to the Gwili Train so that I could film them taking afternoon tea ...

I will edit and use this footage with cuts from the film I made on my last Fusion Inspire visit to Gwili Steam Train, when I was kindly invited to film up front in the engine itself.

It is very moving to watch Rob & Ollie together, Father and son; touching. My heart almost melted watching them through the lense ...

and I wasn't the only one!

When I asked Ollie to put his arms around his Dad's neck and kiss him, all the women on the train taking afternoon tea Awww'd in chorus!

Neither Ollie nor his Dad are actors. In fact, it's the first time they have really done anything like this. But the pair responded to direction brilliantly.

When I asked Ollie to look sad, he looked sad, when I asked them to laugh their heads off, they did! I think maybe the very fact that they are not professional actors works totally in their favour. It is truly magical to be in their company and quite frankly, when it was time for them to leave, and Ollie said they were going to the Park to play, I kind of wished I was going with them!




I have so much inter-film editing to do now ... it's making me a bit edgey! I have stayed on top of editing the films individually, but it's linking them all together and finding a way to project them onto a back drop and deciding how to perform with them ... and and and .... keeps me awake at night!

Oh yes, and these last 3 photo's were taken by Ollie ...

Thank you Rob and Ollie for your kindness in coming for a gloriously sunny afternoon to be filmed eating scones!

Thank you to The Gwili Steam train who were so accomodating. What lovely people they are, and all volunteers.

Certainly, I can say hand on heart, that it is a fabulous experience having afternoon tea on a steam train. Actually, I think I may well call in again very soon ... thanks guys x

All Aboard the Gwili Steam Train!

Until last week, I didn't know how absolutely wonderful steam trains are! What fun!

I had decided that our main character Dafydd should leave the Dance of the Ribbons at The Wind Farm and travel to the next part of his quest on a train .. I have written a banjo piece to represent the chug of a steam train struggling up hill and then racing off into the distance ...

I was coming back from a meeting at The Arts Council of Wales with my Grant Supervisor when I passed a sign for The Gwili Steam Train.

I popped in and the trains run regularly throughout the day (best to look on line and check before you go though)  www.gwili-railway.co.uk

So, the next day I took my cameras and tripod and set off to throw myself back in time. I half expected to meet Poirot on the platform!

I set up myself up in one of the compartments. The Guard was lovely. We chatted about Fusion Inspire, my Individual Mainline Grant & the blog, then about his life before he retired in banking and how he now enjoys volunteering at the station as a Guard.

When we got to the end of the short track the driver, fireman and guard asked me if I would like to film 'up front in the plate room.'

This is the actual steam train bit at the front!
With the fire and the driver! WOULD I!!! WOWOWOWOWOWOW!!!!!

It was AMAZING!!!

It is from this very priveliged vantage point that I have made the film scape to go with the piece of banjo music which will be projected during this part of the story line. You'll be able to see it when you come to the production tour  in January/February next year :)

When I got off the train I immediately joined as a member/volunteer because the money raised by this, goes towards keeping a very beautiful piece of our  history alive.

It is the dedication, passion and love of steam trains from the volunteers that make it happen & live on.

They only have a few miles of track and are raising money to build further lines to link up to others, but even so, the whole experience is magical and definitely worth the £8.00 ticket.

On thursday afternoons, they bring the dining coach out and you can go for afternoon tea on the train for an extra £3.50 .. I quite fancy that, tea and scones on the steam train & will definitely be sipping from bone china in the luxury of a by-gone age!

They also have evenings on the dining coach such as Murder Mystery or 1940's which sound like really good fun.

Here's an information film about the station that I found on youtube:

Thank you so much to the Gwili Steam Railway & in particular the Fireman, Driver and Guard who made me so welcome and gave me a lifetime memory which I will always cherish :)