The Isle of Wight Steam Railway’s Train Story attraction recently welcomed its 600,000th visitor. The heritage railway marked the occasion by rewarding the Shitu family from Binfield, near Bracknell in Berkshire, with gifts and a certificate. Train Story Discovery Centre opened in 2014 and has been a big hit with the Havenstreet attraction’s visitors over the past decade. The National Lottery provided £1.2million of funding for Train Story, where visitors can find displays of Victorian and Edwardian carriages alongside a collection of rare rolling stock, all preserved undercover and protected from the elements. Children can dress up as drivers and guards and re-enact stories from the past. Mum Michelle Shitu said it was the first time the family of herself, husband Mutiu and children Maxwell and Millie had visited the Isle of Wight…although she had as a child. She said:
“It was a huge surprise to be the 600,000th visitors. It was a lovely surprise though and made a brilliant day out even more special. “The children enjoyed dressing up and shovelling the coal in the play train area! “We all loved being up close to the real trains and being able to go inside and take a look at them.”
Michelle thanked the Isle of Wight Steam Railway for their goody bag, voucher and certificate and said they plan to return to the Island, and to the railway, in the Summer. 
An Isle of Wight Steam Railway spokesperson said:
“We were delighted to mark this milestone by giving the Shitu family a gift or two. “To have reached 600,000 visitors in just ten years shows the appetite for living history attractions such as this”.
And of course, by sheer coincidence, ticked all the right boxes for advertising promo.
Same with almost every ad on TV now. I guess that too is coincidence.
No it’s 2024 Britain, have you seen our UNELECTED PM
Larry Fink will be pleased
Do you really think the Isle of wight steam railway would conspire for their 600000th visitor to be a mixed race family just to tick boxes for the media? That’s a bit wacky just my opinion.
a person who is prejudiced against or antagonistic towards people on the basis of their membership of a particular racial or ethnic group, typically one that is a minority or marginalized.
600,000 visitors at the extortionate entry prices, no wonder
the Company is cash rich.
Wow, what was the chances of that happening….
What a lovely, happy family.The children are so sweet, and their parents clearly doing a great job.
No, state benefits, funded by tax payers is ‘doing a great job’
Overly generous child tax credits, child allowance, and, If one of the wonderful parents can be bothered to work 16 hours a week, then thousands is added to their‘wage, along with heavily subsidised rent and council tax.
Breeding is the easy bit, funding the multitude is a tad more difficult
Isnt the budget for benefits only making up 11% of the national budget? Pensions take 56% plus with all the tax and vat on food isnt the benefits given to people in some ways going back to the state?
Oopsie double comment