We were delighted to receive a gift voucher from Experience Days for a Premier Dining journey on one of the Cathedral Express specials.  We chose our journey from Victoria Station in London to the cathedral city of Gloucester, pulled by the Battle of Britain Class locomotive ‘Tangmere’.

Arriving at Victoria

It was with great excitement that we arrived in Victoria Station and headed for Platform 1! There sat the magnificent old train which was to be home for the day. There was an air of expectant excitement; people were walking about taking photos of the carriages, and of the locomotive at the front of the train. Helpful staff were on the platform and on the train to help us to find our seats in the Premier Dining Class.

'Tangmere' - Our Carriage

The Carriage

On each seat was a Visitor Guide to Gloucester, which would allow us to make our plans for our visit there later in the day.

Our section of the train offered a luxury carriage with spacious seating, and tables already set for our champagne breakfast, which was to be our first treat of the day.  We had upgraded ourselves to sit at a window table for two people, but tables for four in this carriage were equally comfortable.

The journey

The whistle blew, and the train pulled slowly out of Victoria Station and on its way to the Cathedral City of Gloucester. Brief stops were made at Maidenhead and Reading, where the last few passengers boarded the train, and then breakfast was served.

Our champagne breakfast was a choice of traditional hot main courses served with tea, coffee, freshly baked bread and pastries – and champagne!  Delightful!  This was also a chance to meet our fellow travellers as we settled down for our day’s ride to Gloucester together.

Breakfast was very relaxing, and we were out into the countryside before left our seat to see what was happening in other sections of the train.  First Class included champagne, juices, beverages and a pastry. Standard Class passengers could purchase drinks and snacks from the licensed buffet car, and in both of these sections it was possible to collect a delicious hamper for each leg of the tour.

The Journey

Travel time to Gloucester was about 4 hours, so there was time to sit back and relax, to order drinks or to plan for our visit to the city.  Conversely this was our opportunity to take a look around the train, to put a head out of the window (carefully!) and to savour the feel and smell of the coal and steam – not to mention the smuts in the face!

There are no longer any water towers alongside the tracks on our railways, and in order to take on water our train would draw to a halt on a siding on the middle of the countryside, at a spot which was accessible for a water tanker!  Once filled up our locomotive could set off with renewed vigour.  Occasionally it slowed down, and we found out later that this was due to poor coal.  It seems that the top grades which were once used to drive these steam trains are no longer available to them!

Spectators had gathered at a number of interim stations and crossings, ready with their cameras to photograph the train as it sped by.  We felt like celebrities travelling through in our luxury carriages!

Gloucester

We arrived in Gloucester with about 4 hours for a visit to the city and for lunch if we chose.  The station is just minutes from the old city and walking through to the cathedral area was easy. We were able to tour the Norman cathedral, the old Roman parts of the city, and to wander through the restored Victorian Dockland with its museums and craft shops. There was still time for a look around the city centre for those who wished.

Norman Cathedral

The return journey

There was a short delay to our train as our locomotive had needed to travel all the way to Newport, Gwent, to turn around.  There are no longer turntables on the line, and engineering works had delayed them further.
The station pub provided a welcome diversion for our wait!

Once back aboard our train it drew slowly out of Gloucester Station, and we were underway again.  This time our journey was to include a delicious four-course dinner, and the tables were set with finery in preparation for this.  As the evening drew in we sat back and drank a glass of wine, watching the lights of the world go by, and listening to the comforting sound of the train.

'Tangmere' with Driver

Return to Victoria

The train drew back into Victoria Station later in the evening, and we alighted back into the modern world of diesel trains and serviceable carriages.  There was a last opportunity to take a look at the locomotive that had drawn us on our journey, to take a few more photos, and to reminisce once again about ‘how things used to be’.

For us it had been a step back in time, the opportunity to relax and enjoy the leisurely pace of steam travel.  A truly memorable day, a wonderful opportunity, and many thanks to our benefactor for such a wonderful gift.

1st Class Steam Train Journey for Two
Premier Class Steam Train Journey for Two

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Experience Days is proud to announce that it is now working in partnership with Brooklands Retreat and Health Spa to bring you a fabulous selection of heavenly spa days, just in time for Christmas.

With a reputation built over 25 years, the Brooklands Country Retreat and Health Spa has been recognised as the destination spa for relaxation and quality. Being set in a stunning location and surrounded by 5 acres of magnificent woodland, you are able to truly escape and be indulged with one of our faultless spa days.

Brooklands Health Spa provides you with a host of facilities for you to enjoy - a fully equipped gym, steam room, sanarium, indoor heated pool and hydrotherapy pool.

With treatments galore and lunch included in every spa day we offer, we have met all budgets to bring you the perfect gift for Christmas. All that’s left is to decide between;

• Pamper Day at Brooklands
• Refresh and Revive at Brooklands
• Mother-to-be Day at Brooklands
• Ultimate Indulgence at Brooklands

Thoroughly recommended - Enjoy Luxury with the ultimate spa day….

Experience Days is now proud to be in partnership with the exclusive Hotel, Restaurant and Health Club in Birmingham known as Fairlawns. With adult exclusivity throughout this sactuary, this is a place for luxury, rest and relaxation. Or as we at Experience Days would like to refer to it; A Perfect Gift.

We have featured Fairlawns in our ‘Famous Spas‘ section as it’s reputation precedes it. Ensuring that Fairlawns Spa provide luxury and we provide competitive prices and the perfect gift for that special someone.

Within the Fairlawns Spa, we are offering;

* A Spa Day for One * This is a limited period Special Offer*
* A Signature Spa Experience for One and Two
* An Exclusive Spa Experience
* A specialist and rare Mud Chamber and Spa for Two

Facilities in this spa are second to none and will ensure a heavenly stay; you definitely won’t want to leave! Facilities include - Spa Lounge, Sauna Suite, Infrared Sauna, Aromatherapy Rooms, Relaxation Lounge, Hydrotherapy Suite, Crystal Steam Room, Floral Steam Room, Foot Spas, Heated Loungers, Feature Showers, 18m Swimming Pool, Classic Gym, Tennis Courts- with complimentary racquet hire. You will have a complimentary robe, towel and slippers for use throughout your day and some of our spa experineces offer bespoke choices of treatments so that you can make this special day your own.

Also, we are offering the excellence prodvided in the Award Winning Fairlawns Restaurant in the form of ‘Twilight Together with a Four Course Meal’. With full use of the spa facilities as the sun sets and then indulge in a delicous four-course meal, this is a sumptuous experinece to share.

We throroughly recommend the experineces offered with Fairlawns and hope that you enjoy our great range, newly offered to you by Experinece Days.

Experience Days is now proud to offer a superior way to dine in splendor on the River Thames.
Cruise down the Thames in style, seeing all the sights, relaxing in a beautiful boat and enjoying a delicious lunch or evening meal. This cruise is unique as it combines gliding past London’s best sights, including The London Eye, Tate Modern, Shakespeare’s Globe, Tower of London and Tower Bridge with a sumptuous luncheon or dinner, all cooked and prepared on board.

Combining fine dining, world-class entertainment and spectacular river views, the unique Thames restaurant cruises capture the excitement of our great city.

On board the Symphony

With daily cruise departures from the newly designed Embankment Pier, guests are offered a dedicated reception area, easy access to boats and cloakroom facilities, making your cruise experience even more memorable.
Held on board the Symphony or the Naticia cruise boats, you can be assured luxury dining in beautiful surroundings (without even including the stunning and unique views of our capitol!). The Symphony is famed for its floor to ceiling glass windows and the Naticia for its luxurious royal blue and dark wood interior that brings classic charm to your experience.

Experience Days can offer you a choice of luncheons, dinners and the highly sort after Sunday Lunch Jazz Cruise, which provides an exceptional live jazz band to accompany your delectable meal.

Experience Days Thames Cruises