Teddy Bear Weekend at Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway

Furry friends of all shapes and sizes will be heading to Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway tomorrow and Sunday when it stages its Teddy Bear Weekend.

Younger visitors to the line will be encouraged to take along their favourite teddy, and every child that arrives with a bear and a paying grown-up will travel for free.

Along the line there will be teddy bears to spot, while the railway's own Big Ted will also be on hand to meet children and their teddies, and to pose for pictures.

"The Teddy Bear weekend is all about the railway's many family visitors, and a complete change to the successful steam gala we held at the start of the month," said Llanfair Line spokesman Andrew Charman. "We are looking forward to seeing many young visitors to the line, with their teddy bears, of course."

Round trips depart from Welshpool station at 11.15am and 2.05pm on both days, and from Llanfair Caereinion at 10am, 1pm and 3.30pm.

Thousands of people flocked to the railway's annual steam gala earlier this month.

It was mixed weather for the event, which was held over three days for the first time to meet demand.

Star attraction at the event was the Chevallier, an 0-6-2T steam locomotive built by Manning Wardle & Co, Leeds, in 1915. Originally built for a Royal Navy railway in Kent it was later moved across to the Bowaters Paper Mill line in Sittingbourne.

During the gala it hauled special freight and passenger workings between Llanfair Caereinion and Cyfronydd.

More details about this weekend's event, including ticket prices, can be found on the railway's website, www.wllr.org.uk, or by calling 01938 810441.