Whitby fish and chip shop puts north yorks railway charity campaign ‘in the black’
Quayside of Whitby’s mascot Finella, swapped shoals for coals today when she helped make a heavyweight contribution to the North Yorkshire Moors Railway.
Finella, the family fish and chip restaurant’s fishy mascot, and the North Yorkshire Moors Railway’s (NYMR) mascot Tracker Jacker, created a black out as they helped shovel part of a 10-tonne delivery of coal into a steam engine at Grosmont Station today.
Champion chippie Quayside made the hefty donation towards NYMR’s ‘Cash for Coal’ appeal, which was set up by the registered charity to help pay for fuel that has doubled in price over the last four years.
The line uses around 2,500 tonnes of coal each year to fuel its steam engines, which run on the 24-mile stretch between Pickering and Whitby. It also needs in the region of £8,000 a day to run an engine and £500,000 to service or rebuild one.
“The NYMR is vital in bringing tourists to Whitby every day, but their daily costs are prohibitive,” said Stuart Fusco, Quayside director and head chef. “We wanted to show our support for the steam engine firemen and drivers that work so hard to make this journey for thousands of tourists and travellers possible.”
In the high season, the North York Moors’ steam trains make three trips to Whitby each day and it’s estimated that the railway brings some £30 million of revenue to Yorkshire as a whole.* Philip Benham, North Yorkshire Moors Railway General Manager, said: “We are delighted and extremely grateful for Quayside’s support. This donation will go a long way towards ensuring the NYMR continues to be enjoyed by future generations. We also look forward to working together more in 2014, when the second platform at Whitby Station opens.”
Janet Deacon, Welcome to Yorkshire’s Area Director for Moors and Coast, said: “It’s brilliant to see two great businesses working together to support tourism and each other. This kind of teamwork helps Yorkshire stand out from the rest.”
