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Enjoy a flavour of Christmas in wartime and take in the festive atmosphere. All along the line you will meet wartime history experts and enthusiasts who will be happy to chat to you. Look out for wartime celebrities Churchill and Monty. At Alresford station enjoy wartime songs with Amanda Poyner. The West Country Buffet will be open for food and drinks, catch up on the news with our wartime newspapers and try your hand at some wartime parlour games. Stretch your legs at Ropley with a walk to the Loco Yard and warm up in the Viewing Gallery with the wartime reading room. At Medstead and Four Marks enjoy wartime music with May Blossom. Look out for Just Jane performing along the line throughout the day on the 26th and Stephanie Belle on the 27th.

GI’s who were away from home for Christmas welcomed the chance to spend the day with British families. The American soldiers often came with gifts of food for their hosts called Hospitality Rations. These contained real luxuries such as chocolate bars and tinned fruit and were gratefully received.

THE WATERCRESS LINEDaily Newspaper December 1943

CHRISTMAS LEAVE WILL TRANSPORT YOU BACK IN TIME TO A FESTIVE 1940S RAILWAY

Welcome To The Family – Invite A Gi Home For Christmas

ID Cards Must Be Carried At All Times!Police will be carrying out spot checks throughout the weekend. Missing or faulty cards need to be replaced at stations along the line.

Fun and games at Alresford

PARSLEY AND CELERY STUFFING

Make it a wartime savings Christmas!

Join us upstairs in the Goods Shed for some war time family parlour games. Try out Kim’s Game and draughts, play Beetle, Tiddly Winks or marbles or solve a Matchstick puzzle challenge.

4 oz. chopped celery2 large onions finely chopped4 level tablespoons parsley4 oz. stale breadcrumbsSalt and pepper2 level teaspoons mixed herbs1 oz. melted drippingHot water to mixMix all ingredients together adding sufficient hot water to give a soft consistency. Use for stuffing meat, or poultry. N.B This is enough for a small joint. Double quantities will be needed for a large joint or if stuffing balls are required to cook around the joint.

During the war the National Savings Committee discouraged the public from frivolous spending at Christmas time and promoted public investment in the British war effort. This meant many people made Christmas presents for their families, often from recycled materials or gave practical gifts such as gardening tools. The men and officers in the Royal Navy also used their practical skills to make gifts for their families in the weeks leading up to Christmas. As the war went on rationing increased and less and less was available to buy for an affordable price. Most people made their own Christmas decorations, usually from newspaper such as paper chains. Finding enough postal workers to deal with the extra letters and parcels at Christmas time was a problem, there was also less space available to carry mail on the railways which were at full stretch with war transport.

MOCK CREAM

MOCK MARZIPAN

2 level tablespoons custard powder or cornflour½ pint milk½ oz. sugar1 oz. margarineBlend the custard powder with a little cold milk. Warm the rest of the milk in a saucepan. Add it to the custard powder and return to the pan. Stir over heat till well cooked. Put aside to cool. Cream margarine and sugar together very well; beat the thick custard, add flavouring, and continue to beat until creamy. This makes about ½ pint of cream similar in texture to whipped cream.

1 tablespoon of water1 oz. margarine1 teaspoon ratafia or almond essence2 oz. sugar or syrup2 oz. soya flourMelt margarine in water, add essence and sugar, then soya flour. Turn onto a board and knead well

WEST COUNTRY BUFFET26TH DECEMBER: 10AM-5PM 27TH DECEMBER: 9AM-5PM

BREAKFAST SERVED UNTIL MIDDAY. HOT FOOD SERVED UNTIL 3PM

LUNCH MENU

Selection of Sandwiches and BaguettesSoup and Roll

Cornish and Cheese and Onion Pasties with Chips and BeansChicken Korma served with basmati rice and mango chutneyBeef and Vegetable Stew with Dumplings served with Crusty

BreadVegetable Pie, Chips and Peas