EIGHTY children and adults from the Westbury area visited the seaside last Saturday July 20 on a trip organised by Westbury Lions Club and the TransWilts Community Rail Partnership.

The children travelled on the Great Western Railway's 'Weymouth Wizard' diesel train on the Heart of Wessex line from Westbury to Weymouth.

They all came from the Westbury Junior School, Westbury Infants School, Westbury Leigh Primary School and Bitham Brook Primary School.

They left Westbury station on the 9.30am train on Saturday and returned on the 5.28pm service from Weymouth, having spent most of the day in the Dorset coastal town.

The trip is an annual outing for parents and children to spend an enjoyable day at the seaside.

Sophie Martin, of TransWilts, said: ""This year was a huge success. The weather was perfect and everyone was incredibly grateful for their free day out.

"GWR are the main sponsors, as they donate a large number of free tickets for the train.

"GWR and the British Transport Police kindly donated ‘goody bags’ for the children and these where a huge hit."

"Once families arrived in Weymouth the day was their own to enjoy the sunshine by the sea. They were notified of the booked return journey timings and we all met at the station entrance before boarding the train.

"TransWilts hopes to collaborate with Westbury Lions Club for future trips. We will be holding ‘Try the Train’ experiences for the community later this year."

If you would like to take part, contact Sophie@TransWilts.org.