Two Dukes, One Celebration: A Birthday Bond at Lappa Valley

Lappa Valley near St Newlyn East had a unique celebration over the weekend as it marked a special occasion for one of its iconic locomotives – “The Duke.” The 10 1/4″ gauge railway engine turned 10 years old, but what made this milestone truly special was the presence of a young fan who shared the same birthday weekend.

A Special Visitor from Europe

Kaiden Duke, also celebrating his 10th birthday, made the long journey across Europe with his family to be part of the festivities. Kaiden’s family, currently relocating from Spain to Lanlivery, made a special return to the UK a week early to make sure Kaiden could celebrate his big day at Lappa Valley.

His mum, Amy, explained how the unique connection was discovered: “We’re moving back to Cornwall and we gave him the option of either spending his birthday in Spain or coming back here – he chose Lappa Valley!”

While browsing the Lappa Valley website, Amy realised the coincidence: “I went onto the website and I saw that it was The Duke’s 10th birthday too, so I thought, wow, it’s fate, isn’t it?”

A Day to Remember

The team at Lappa Valley invited Kaiden to be the guest of honour at the celebrations, where owner Keith Southwell led a group of well-wishers in singing “Happy Birthday” to both Dukes.

Keith shared his thoughts on the special event, saying: “Two Dukes with their tenth birthdays at the same time is such an incredible coincidence – and a great excuse for a double celebration! It was a pleasure to meet Kaiden and the whole Duke family. Thank you for being a part of our weekend of celebrations, and thank you to everyone who joined us.”

A Locomotive with History

For those unfamiliar with “The Duke,” the locomotive was originally built for the now-closed Wells Harbour railway. It has been part of Lappa Valley since 2021, transporting tens of thousands of passengers along the Newlyn Downs Branchline every year.

Kaiden, reflecting on the experience, said, “It’s pretty good having all those people singing to you, but it’s confusing having the same name as a train!”

It was indeed a birthday celebration like no other – with two Dukes sharing the spotlight.

For more on Lappa Valley’s attractions, visit the Lappa Valley website.