HEADTEACHER Colin Cliffe had the ride of his life as a retirement present from St Andrew's Primary School in Ramsbottom.
The train enthusiast was stunned to be told in assembly on Tuesday morning that he would have the chance to experience perhaps the only other job that ever interested him as he stepped down after 26 years at the school. He was told that a limousine was waiting to take him to Bury's Bolton Street Station to be a train driver for the day on the East Lancashire Railway.
That surprise was big enough but Mr Cliffe was bowled over once more when he arrived at Ramsbottom station to find his entire school waiting to board his train.
He drove the pupils to Rawtenstall where they enjoyed a picnic and ball games at Whitaker Park before taking the train back to Ramsbottom where pupils waved off Mr Cliffe as he left to take the train back to Bury.
Assistant administrator Debbie Cummings said: "Mr Cliffe has been here for 26 years and rather than get him a carriage clock parents and teachers decided to do something more special.
"It was a huge surprise for Mr Cliffe and the best day in school ever for the children."

The unusual retirement present was the idea of teacher Annette Rawlinson. Parents and staff worked in secret to keep the treat a surprise for both Mr Cliffe and for the pupils at the Nuttall Lane school.
Mr Cliffe (59), from Bolton, said: "It was the biggest treat I've ever had. I've been in love with trains since I was a boy. This was another very fond memory to take with me."
Mr Cliffe is not planning to put his feet up quite yet. Instead, he is interested in continuing to work in education part-time, possibly in teacher training.

Article reproduced with the kind permission of Bury Times

A BIG THANK YOU
FROM
MR CLIFFE

I am still in a state of shock following my Day Trip of a Lifetime on Tuesday!

I really did have an amazing day and I really knew nothing about it – although it seems most people in North Bury knew about it!  Well done for keeping it such a secret.

I would like to thank you all for your kindness and generosity and thank those who helped with months of planning, and thanks especially to Mrs Rawlinson, for organising every detail of her brilliant idea.

The day contained so many unforgettable surprises:

- Mrs Rawlinson and my lifelong friend Oggie walking into my assembly to tell me I was going out on a trip.

- the long white limo parked outside school and all of the children and staff waving me off from school.

- the lovely tank engine (a Jinty) with Frank Cronin and David Rees-Williams on the footplate – both of whom I know well as parents of children who came to St Andrew’s some years ago.

- the absolutely unforgettable sight of the whole school on Ramsbottom Station waving their St Andrew’s flags and cheering as my train arrived (sorry we were 15 minutes late!

- then everybody getting on to my train as I drove on to Rawtenstall.

I’m told the children enjoyed their play in the park and picnic in the sunshine as I continued to enjoy playing with my full-size steam train.

It was a truly wonderful day.  Thank you once again to you all.

“Steaming off into retirement………”