AN extraordinary Northwich woman was centre stage during a unique production staged on a passenger train.

As part of the Heritage Open Days festival, 18th century food writer and entrepreneur Elizabeth Raffald – once the housekeeper at Arley Hall – was one of the characters featured in a piece of community theatre.

Performances of 'From Station to Station' took place on a Mid Cheshire Line train and at Manchester Piccadilly.

The production, inspired by Alison Uttley’s 1939 novel ‘A Traveller in Time’, was based on an imaginary meeting between Alison Uttley and Elizabeth Gaskell in the modern world due to a time-slip.

Their meeting was interwoven with appearances from many other amazing women connected by the Mid-Cheshire Line, including Mary Fildes, Elizabeth Raffald, Charlotte Bronte and Emmeline Pankhurst.

Commuters and guests were treated to a 90-minute performance involving three professional musicians, outstanding mobile scenery, a cast of actors dressed head-to-toe in period costume, and Eccles ‘patties’ baked to Elizabeth Raffald’s 250-year old recipe donated by Arley Hall.

From Station to Station was the flagship of this year’s Knutsford Promenades annual Heritage Open Days-linked festival of culture and heritage, which had Extraordinary Women as it national theme to reflect the centenary anniversary of the first women getting the right to vote.

Sarah Flannery, chairman of Knutsford Promenades, said: “Collaborating with Mid-Cheshire Community Rail Partnership’s fantastic ‘Discover Amazing Women by Rail’ project was pivotal to the scope and success of our ‘From Station to Station’ programme.

“Being able to link two of Knutsford’s most extraordinary women with other women from Chester to Manchester and perform the play on the train that connects them all, bringing it all together in Manchester, was inspirational.”

“In the six years since we established Knutsford Promenades to raise the profile of our cultural powerhouse, this has been our most ambitious project to date and it has been fantastic to see so much support for our vision, which is all about boosting the visitor economy and our cultural profile.”

Sally Buttifant, Mid Cheshire Community Rail Partnership Officer, said: “From Station to Station was first performed at Brook Street Chapel, where Elizabeth Gaskell is buried.

“Watching it being performed on the Mid-Cheshire Line was very special. Not only was it a literal journey through time and space, it was wonderful to see so many of the women featured in our ‘Discover Amazing Women by Rail’ project brought to life in such an inventive and memorable way.

“Although the performances are over, we hope that many people will take the train to explore the towns where these amazing women once lived and worked.”

From Station to Station was written and directed by Steven Downs, with the musicians led by Clare ‘Fluff’ Smith, the mobile scenery and props devised by artist Russell Kirk and costumes supplied by Davenham Players and Altrincham Little Theatre.