Train set memories!.................................................... Oakham Signal Box

The British Birdfair is located in England's smallest county Rutland near to the town of Oakham.

Birdfair is on the banks of our largest reservoir... Rutland Water.

I have been aware of Oakham for most of my life.... this post is to explain why.

Oakham Station.

As children my brother and I had a fantastic electric Train Set... It was a permanent feature in the spare bedroom of our house taking up most of the space.

 As we grew older we started to realise this fantastic toy we spent hours playing with was really... Dads!

We (Dad) had stations with platforms, goods yards and a lovely little signal box... a plastic Airfix model with a sign on the side...."Oakham".

I have been aware of the town of Oakham most of my life because of this little signal box so as I left the Birdfair on Sunday I drove into town in search of the railway station and signal box.

 The little plastic building of my childhood was actually a copy of the real thing.

My father passed away aged just 44 in 1971 a victim of cancer.
(I was just 15 years old)
The train set by then had taken over the loft space of the house... it was his therapy, something to take his mind off his illness and he had great plans for it... unfortunately never completed.

We still have all of this train set in my Mums loft (in boxes as she moved house 25 years ago) and that little signal box is still up there.

I really enjoyed my visit to Rutland at the weekend and am so pleased I made the time to visit the little building that brought back some wonderful childhood memories.