The following was written as a reflection on the life of Queen Elizabeth II, in the days after her death on 8th September 2022.
Queen Elizabeth the Second's remarkable life of service and dedication to our country, and the enormous changes which occurred during her reign, have rightly drawn much comment in the days since her death.
It is of note that:
- the Middleton Railway has now operated during the reigns of no less than 11 monarchs, starting with King George II;
- the late Queen’s Diamond Jubilee was the second Diamond Jubilee through which the Railway has operated; and
- when our Railway received its first Act of Parliament in 1758, America was still a colony and Jane Austen was not even a twinkle in her parents' eyes.
In 1812, during the Regency, the Middleton Railway ushered in 'The Age of Steam'. Then, in 1960, the year in which President John F Kennedy was elected, the Middleton Railway became the first standard gauge Heritage Railway in the country.
The Middleton Railway has served the community of South Leeds for 264 years of the 956 years since the Norman Conquest in 1066 – an unparalleled period of continuous service.
The Middleton Railway wishes King Charles III a long and successful reign and we look forward to continuing to serve South Leeds throughout his reign and beyond.
During the period of National Mourning, our home page carried the following image in memory of the late queen's life of service to the nation.
