Betcha luxury train is a fashion winner!
Manchester's Victoria Station resembled a fashion parade this week when passengers dressed in their finery boarded a special luxury train for Ladies Day at Royal Ascot.
Women wore expensive designer dresses with fascinators, while several men were resplendent in top hats and tails on the 1930s Pullman-style Northern Belle.
And it was champagne all the way as they were serenaded by the train’s onboard musicians during the journey to the racecourse in Berkshire.
A Northern Belle spokesman said: “It was an absolutely fantastic day out, nothing short of brilliant.
“The atmosphere on board was absolutely buzzing, with everyone dressed to the nines and in high spirits.
“The champagne was flowing like water and, of course, the sun was shining.
“Not everybody won with the bookies, of course, but tucking into a superb six-course banquet during the journey home in the evening, everybody felt like a winner!”
The Northern Belle, once part of the iconic Orient Express organisation, is one of the world’s most famous trains.
Hollywood actor Bill Nighy described it as :the grand dame of luxury travel”.
It will be back in Manchester next Friday (June 27) for a slap-up excursion to Bath with an opportunity to visit the Roman baths.
Then there will be a trip to Edinburgh in July followed by a steam-hauled journey over the spectacular Settle-Carlisle line.
Fares on the train start at £365. For details and to book, see www.northernbelle.co.uk