St George's Day in New Romney

Published: 26 April 2022

The 'Civic Express' set off from New Romney station, en route to Dungeness for a traditional fish and chip lunch. This service, on the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway, was a specially booked event jointly hosted by The Right Worshipful the Mayor of New Romney and Speaker of the Cinque Ports, Cllr Paul Thomas, and The Worshipful the Town Mayor of Lydd, Cllr Martin Sweeney, for guests including Kent Mayors, dignitaries and locals to celebrate St George's Day.

The event provided an opportunity to showcase Romney Marsh at its best. Danny Martin, Operations Manager welcomed guests to the worlds’ smallest public railway and gave them an insight to the challenges faced in running a steam railway in the 21st century. Nick, who is curator for the Model Railway Exhibition, provided a guide to the exhibits and was on hand to answer the many questions.

The ride to Dungeness Desert was exciting, our own very special unique headland and a National Nature Reserve. Owen Leyshon from the Romney Marsh Countryside Partnership spoke of the opportunities and challenges he faces in managing the estate on a daily basis. The overriding message was we all need to work to raise awareness and look after our environment - no two days are alike, but variety is certainly the spice of life!

Fortified by an excellent and traditional fish n chip lunch, the guests returned to New Romney, waving their St George’s Day Flags. They left with very happy memories of a day on Romney Marsh.