The cute miniature railway with £2.50 rides families have loved for 40 years

It was 40 years ago when the cute Brookside Miniature Railway first became a favourite with families. And a loyal team of volunteers are continuing to keep the adorable mini railway service running from Thursday to Sunday every week.

The mini trains head out on a picturesque loop around the Brookside Garden Centre site in Poynton, and families love that it still costs just £2.50 a ticket. The ride takes in river views and weaves through tunnels and an adorable 'fairy wood' for passengers to look out for on the way.

The railway has also just bagged a starring role in the new music video for Stockport band Blossoms' song 'Gary'. Pop star Rick Astley also guest stars in the video, and is seen riding around on the Brookside railway amid a chase to find the Blossoms' boys who have run off with a giant gorilla called Gary.

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A team of railway enthusiasts took the railway over after it was at risk of closing forever six years ago. They tend to the tracks and the steam engines, paint the gates, the mini railway station and signal boxes to keep it looking picture perfect when it opens every week.

They created a fairy kingdom with castles and bridges through the woods that the track weaves through. It then leads out to a gnome garden with a wealth of mini statues donated by local residents.

Now, volunteers at the railway are hoping for the support of customers this weekend with a special charity day at the railway. Proceeds from every £2.50 ticket purchased on Sunday, June 23, will go to Francis House Children's Hospice.

There will also be a mini fairground, charity raffle, and fairground organ playing throughout the day. The fun will all start at 10.30am, and run through to 4pm on Sunday.

The train navigates its way over wooden bridges across the Norbury Brook as well - giving passengers a unique journey straddling the Cheshire and Stockport border.

The miniature railway was first opened back in 1984 by the former owner of the garden centre, and it has delighted families ever since. But in 2018 it appeared to be at risk of permanent closure, until a group of local railway enthusiasts teamed up to take it on.

Retired police officer Chris Mackenzie MBE and Lee Oxley joined forces as the directors of the railway back in 2018. Chris, 63, says: "I've always been a railway enthusiast so I always knew about it here, and when we had a young son he loved it, and of course we were there every weekend.

"When we heard it was closing down, there was a public outcry. We decided it was too good to close down, so we formed a local company, a lot of us got together and here's where we are now, a few years later.

"We didn't realise how run down it was, so a lot of work has gone into it and without the volunteers we wouldn't be where we are now."

Dozens of volunteers help out to maintain the railway and man the trains and generally make it a lovely time for all involved. Meanwhile the train station manager is popular local TV star Andy Prior.

Band leader Andy was famous for his own BBC show, The Andy Prior Big Band, in the 1990s and continues to bring smiles to the faces of young and old with his role at the miniature railway. He gamely dresses up for the themed events at the railway, which include special Santa trains at Christmas times and an Easter egg hunt over Easter.

And the railway has found themselves in the spotlight after being tagged in by Blossoms fans who spotted the location in the video, released earlier this month.

Chris even jokes: "I'm sick to death of people sticking their head around the corner of the shop saying: 'have you found Gary yet?".

He says station volunteers were excited to have the band and Rick Astley join them at the mini railway for the filming. Chris adds: "We were sworn to secrecy about the video when they were filming here.

"They rang up from the garden centre and said 'a group want to come and film, they're a local band'. They came in dead early on a Sunday and stayed late one night.

"It turns out Rick Astley knew Andy Prior our station manager as he had his own TV shows back in the day. It was brilliant."

On the train itself are covered sit-in carriages, with each named after volunteers' family members and even Chris's beloved, late pet dog, Daisy.

The station itself also features a shop - which boasts a range of Thomas the Tank Engine toys and ice creams. And there's also the original signal box that came from a real station - Aughton Road near Southport.

Staff have worked hard to restore the historic building, although not much of the signal works in the top floor survives. But downstairs has been converted into a staff room.

How to get there

Brookside Miniature Railway is at Brookside Garden Centre, London Rd N, Poynton, Stockport SK12 1BY. It's just at the junction of the A555.

The railway is open every week on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday and also on bank holidays. Opening times are 10.30am to 4pm.

Tickets are £2.50 for adults and children aged over 2. You can also buy 10 rides for £25.00 and get an extra 2 rides for free.