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Friday, 5 June 2015

Pontop View Café

Painting the cafe floor on Thursday
The cafe at the side of the carriage shed is due to come into use next weekend, as a practice run before the gala the following weekend.   Thanks to all those who have worked on it in the past few weeks.
There are some jobs in & around the cafe which should be completed within the week.   A corrugated iron pitched roof will be added later, to help the container blend with the carriage shed.

The structure of the cafe has been funded by the Tyneside Locomotive Museum Trust, because it should benefit the Trust's aims as well as the Tanfield Railway as a whole.


The rationale behind the new cafe includes:

*  to be available when trains are running
*  to be available on some days when trains are not running
*  to encourage visitors onto the main site, to view Marley Hill shed & other exhibits
*  to give an opportunity to increase visitor knowledge about our exhibits & aims
*  to encourage visitors to spend more time at the railway
*  to increase visitor satisfaction
*  to increase visitor spend
*  to be allied to tours, displays, talks, exhibitions, etc on the shed site
*  to be available for special & evening events
*  to be open on some school holidays
*  to provide a focal point for group or school visits
*  to be a reception area for special guests
*  to spread the load from trains during peak times as an alternative venue
*  to improve on the temporary tented accommodation at Andrews House station (AH)
*  to expand the variety of hot food on offer from the cafe
*  hot beverages, sweets & cold snacks will still be available at AH
*  tidying the appearance of AH & restoring the grassed area to use
*  to gather statistics as part of a funding bid for improved visitor facilities

Brenda has already shown that hot food is well regarded by visitors and has huge potential.   The other managers & boards are backing her in this venture.   Thanks in advance to all those volunteers who will make the cafe a great success.

The cafe shell in use during May's music event

3 comments:

Lynn_Morton said...

A lean-to roof will look better than a pitched roof in this instance :)

Lynn_Morton said...

I preferred the original name of P&J's. Then again, most people just wouldn't get it!

Derek said...

It will get a single pitch/ lean to roof