Pot Luck

This group is about running visits to interesting places as time and interest permits.

If you have an idea for a visit, please let me know. Members are encouraged to run visits for the group. I can be the clearing house for visits, managing the communications, etc. in the same way that we do for the walking group.

If you would like to join the group and have not already let me know please email u3apotluck@rectory-cottage.co.uk and I will add your name.

Chris and Sue B.

0116 2793678

Wine Tasting at Brixworth

3rd September 2026

Stephen Poyzer organised a visit to Fleur Fields vineyard in Brixworth to see how the grapes are grown and sample some fine English wines. This was a particularly good outing as we had door to door bus service on the X7.

Bill Hulme was our host for the afternoon and regaled us with stories about wine growing and life in general whilst plying us with some of his finest wines.

We were treated to a trip around the vines to see the grapes which were ready to pick, a discussion on rare breed chickens and the finer points of house building. Cleanliness and the need for constant attention to the vines are the corner stone of good wine which is borne out by the 50 odd awards he has won for his wines over the years.

For those of us with an aeronautical bent, we were treated to an air display by a Mk I Hurricane in full Battle of Britain paint scheme.

We tried 8 wines in all and were glad of the bus ride home!!!

This was a really good day out and well worth the £30 fee. Looking forward to next year Stephen!

Pictures by Barbara, Trish, Stephen and Chris

Here's Bill in full flow

Great Central Railway Visit

11th June 2026

Following the excellent talk given by Tom Ingall, 14 members of the Potluck Group visited the Great Central Railway at Loughborough for a day of nostalgia and steam.

We also managed a ride in 1st class on a diesel railbus. The weather was none too accommodating but it didn't dampen our spirits.

Sadly, the engine shed was off-limits to us.

Pictures by Stephen Poyzer

BRITISH RAILWAYS CLASS 2 2-6-0 78019

Designed by R. A. Riddles as part of the BR Standard fleet, 78019 is a modified version of the Ivatt Class 2, similar to locomotive 46521. It is one of 65 built and one of only four preserved today.

78019 was built at Darlington and emerged in March 1954. It spent its early years working in the northeast, later moving to the northwest, before finally being allocated to Willesden (1A). There, it worked empty stock trains out of Euston until the end of steam operations at the station.

After withdrawal in 1966, 78019 was sent to Woodham’s scrapyard in Barry, South Wales. It was the 35th locomotive to be purchased from Barry for preservation. Initially moved to a private site, it later spent over 20 years at the Severn Valley Railway.

In 1998, a deal between 78019’s owner, Charles Newton, and the Loughborough Standard Locomotive Group Ltd resulted in joint ownership of the locomotive. Following this, 78019 was moved to Loughborough and restoration work began.

The locomotive returned to traffic for the first time in 2004 and operated until 2015, when a burst main steam pipe prematurely ended its running season.

After another overhaul, 78019 re-entered service in 2022. That year, it ran alongside its sister engine, 78018, marking the first time two Standard Class 2 locomotives had run together in preservation since their days with British Railways.

Information courtesy of Great Central Railway.

Here's a selection of photos from Great Central Railway website. Many thanks to GCR for allowing us to reprint here.

Visit Great Central Railway for more information and plan your visit.

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