Flying Scotsman gives Mayor the perfect gift

Bury’s civic ambassador was put in the picture when he received a gift from the town’s famous East Lancashire Railway.

Councillor Mike Connolly, the Mayor of Bury, was presented with a commemorative photograph of the Flying Scotsman, taken when the historic engine visited Bury in January.

The gift, from Tony Holt of North West Photography Courses, was to preview the locomotive’s return – Flying Scotsman is due back in Bury from 13 to 16 October as part of the ELR’s ‘Scotsman in Steam’ event.

Cllr Connolly said: “The Flying Scotsman is one of this country’s greatest icons, and it was an amazing experience to see the famous locomotive back in Bury after all this time. It really grabbed the attention of the nation, and I’m sure it will again when it returns in October.

“I’d like to thank Tony for this wonderful gift, which will take pride of place in the mayor’s parlour for all our visitors to see.”

• The Flying Scotsman will be the ‘focus of attention’ on its October return for the railway’s dedicated photography courses, which will take place each day of the four-day event. The half-day courses are led by North West Photography Courses and will provide a rare opportunity for small groups of budding photographers and experienced shutterbugs alike to access areas that are normally off limits to the public, including lineside, to capture the world’s most famous steam locomotive powering along the line. For details, go to http://www.northwestphotographycourses.com/

For more information, ticket prices and bookings for “Scotsman in Steam” at the East Lancashire Railway, visit www.flyingscotsmanatelr.com. Visit www.nrm.org.uk/flyingscotsman for more information on Flying Scotsman’s return.

ENDS

Press release issued: 1 September 2016.

Picture: Presenting the special Flying Scotsman photographs are (from left) Mike Coupe, North West Photography Courses volunteer assistant;Mike Kelly, East Lancashire Railway chairman; Tony Holt, North West Photography Courses tutor; and Councillor Mike Connolly, the Mayor of Bury.

Note to editors:

The East Lancashire Railway operates a 12-mile route between Heywood and Rawtenstall, using a range of preserved steam and diesel locomotives to haul vintage train services through the scenic Irwell Valley. The railway is the third most popular paid visitor attraction in Greater Manchester and welcomes over 160,000 visitors each year.

In 2004, the National Railway Museum bought Flying Scotsman for £2.3 million. The appeal to keep the steam icon in Britain was supported by a £1.8 million grant from the National Heritage Memorial Fund and the generosity of the public. The restoration has also been undertaken with the help of a Heritage Lottery Fund grant of £275,000. The estimated projected total cost for the restoration of Flying Scotsman is in the region of £4.2 million.