Sheringham butcher celebrates the great British banger with sausage-themed steam train
The 'Sausage Express' miniature train in the window of M and D Butchers, Sheringham. Photo: Karen Bethell - Credit: Karen Bethell
A Sheringham butcher's shop has come up with a unique way of attracting lovers of the great British banger, by sending a miniature train pulling a cargo made up of a single top quality pork sausage up and down the window.
Debbie Cutting with the Sausage Express' miniature train in the window of M and D Butchers, Sheringham. Photo: Karen Bethell - Credit: Karen Bethell
Model train enthusiast Martin Rowe, who runs M and D Butchers, in Church Street, with his partner Debbie Cutting, came up with the idea for the unusual display after moving on from 00 gauge track, to larger, ride-on 5 inch engines.
'Martin always wanted a train set as a child but never had one,' Ms Cutting explained. 'And when he started collecting three years ago, he ended up filling our spare room with model trains.'
As a member of North Norfolk Model Engineering Club, Mr Rowe spends his spare time riding his engine - which he has christened Hugh - up and down the tracks at Holt Station.
'It's Martin's way of relaxing and getting away from work and, if he's happy, I'm happy,' Ms Cutting said.
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Since becoming a regular feature of the shop window, the 'Sausage Express' has made quite a name for itself, particularly on Mothers' Day, when it was given a floral makeover and for Comic Relief last month, when it rode up and down the track sporting a red nose.
'We have also done a Christmas train and things to link up with events happening at the North Norfolk Railway,' Ms Cutting explained.
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At the end of this month, the sausage will be the star attraction when the couple put together another Poppy Line-themed window display made up of 'all things Thomas the Tank Engine' for the annual Day Out With Thomas weekend, which runs from April 29 - May 1st.
Mr Rowe, who was manager at the Sheringham shop before he and Ms Cutting bought the business from well-known local butcher Icarus Hines two years ago, occasionally swaps the classic engine - which periodically sends out a puff of real steam - for a diesel version.
He is currently in the process of building an even bigger model train from scratch, but has no plans to abandon his smaller engines.
'Having them in the shop is a way to keep them going,' Mrs Rowe explained. 'Children just love it and the number of people who take photos and videos is just amazing.'
