Page 145 - It's a Rum Life Book 3 "Ivy House Tales 1970 to 1984"

(Previous pictures, Station Yard Horncastle, after the Rally, the presentation of Rosettes to
all who took part.)

For the route I had asked for help from the County Council who had developed the old and
disused (since Dr Beeching) railway track from Woodhall Spa into a beautiful long distance
country walk. I had to obtain permission to use the walk for horse drawn vehicles just for
the one day.
Keys had to be obtained to open special gates along the way and ensure they were closed
securely behind us. (A note of interest is that this railway line features in the famous
“Swann and Flanders” song “the slow train”, written at the time of the Beeching closures.)

(Picture of Mrs Sue Goffin and peter Clarke driving down the old railway track. Woodhall
Spa to Horncastle.)

On the actual day we had developed a substantial team of marshals to guide our large
assembly of carts, carriages and horses to Woodhall Spa from Horncastle by round about
route ending at a suitable parking area adjacent to the golf course.

Here we stopped for liquid refreshments. Afterwards came the drive down the old railway
with superb views and incredible quiet travelling thorough ancient “cuttings” and then on to
higher ground, with no other traffic whatsoever except the gentle sound of horse’s hooves
and swishing cart wheels. This was truly memorable, the year was most likely 1980.

OUR OWN TRANSPORT

Our passion for driving horses continued and likewise a keen interest in collecting horse
drawn vehicles of various types and sizes. This developed into a ‘carriages for hire’ for
weddings service the income from which enabled us to continue with our equine hobby
even when ECYB had finished. Fortunately we had also decided that a lorry of our own
was needed to enable us to become independent of the tyre delivery fleet.

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