Plans for Newton Abbot's Brunel 200 celebrations are to be unveiled today when the Museum Link Group meets at the town hall for its latest get-together.
The group consists of nearly 70 former Great Western Railway men, the oldest of whom is 92, and it meets every few months to reminisce about the bygone years. Today it will be joined for the launch by the mayor-elect, Cllr Daphne Watts. The GWR Museum, in the town hall, is already staging a free exhibition which reveals Brunel's connections with the town and includes a working example of the engineer's ill-fated atmospheric railway and a new model of Newton Abbot station as it was in 1848. But throughout the weekend of May 13 and 14 a joint effort by the town council, the museum and Teignbridge Council should result in the celebrations going full steam ahead across the town. 'There will be a two-day celebration in Old Forde House and its grounds and a heritage bus will link the event with the museum,' said curator Felicity Cole. 'There will be an inter-pub tug of war, Mr Brunel will be touring the event and theatre group, Fuse Performance, will act out the Brunel story while stilt walking. 'There really will be something for everybody.' The lunchtime launch party will witness the cutting a celebratory 'train' cake, and plenty of flag waving and whistle blowing.