Would You Give Up Your Phone? Inside a Phone-Free Train Event in Peterborough Review
Toot Toot phones away, let’s play…..On Friday evening in the rain, I stepped out onto the platform at Nene Valley Railway, Peterborough, for my first phone-free event with ‘The Analog Hours‘. I climbed up and was welcomed into a double-carriage on the heritage line of NVR for this unique private train journey experience. I wasn’t really sure if I was going to like it, but, do you know? It really surprised me.
After advertising two previous events for Joy and her team at Peterborough’s The Analog Hours this past couple of months, I was actually free for the event on the 27th of February, so booked my tickets in anticipation.
Loving unique events in Peterborough, the description of the event enticed me to want to learn more. I, like some of you, scroll and scroll on my mobile, and time just passes you by speedily. If I go out with friends, my mobile is never in my face, but it’s always nearby with the temptation of picking it up every time something beeps or dings. However, this event was different. You had to hand your phone in to be kept safe in a box! OOOOOh! Phone-free, how am I going to manage?
The whole concept of The Analog Hours it taking you back to human connection going back to talking, doing activities singularly or together, mingling with people you don’t know, and actually conversing with new people. Being phone-free, I felt that it really does make a difference. Three hours later and had I missed my phone? – Read and find out.
The train was expected to depart Peterborough NVR at 6:35pm. We wanted to make sure that we would be all parked up and on the platform for 6:30pm, but in the deluge of rain that happened on Friday evening, we were a earlier because we didn’t want to get drenched if the doors weren’t open on the train. Thankfully, on arrival at 6.20pm it was all open, set up and ready to board. Out from the dark platform were the shining lights of the train carriages welcoming us, so on we got.
We chose random seats and waited for all the other guests to arrive. The Analog Hours team welcomed us all and told us about the schedule for this slow, phone-free evening.
First up was ditching the devices! We all put our phones into a sectional box and were given a numbered disk in place of the phone; so there was no worry of collecting the wrong one at the end of the evening (it’s not compulsory – of course you can leave your turned off phone in your bag for the evening too). We then started off with some free time as the train started and we travelled out to Peterborough station.
Next stop was the drinks trolley for a choice of hot or cold drinks served by NVR staff. Once purchased it was time to decide where to go first. The front section was a reading area on the front seats of the train, where you could fid a selection of different books to read for a bit. Post-it notes and a pen were to hand too, so you could leave your thoughts on it for the book’s owner. I had a quiet 15 minutes to myself working with a puzzle mystery murder book. (which as actually quite good).
Next up came an announcement that there was food at the front and the rear of the train for everyone to tuck into. Included in the price of your ticket, this consisted of an abundant buffet of sandwich triangles, sausage rolls, pork pie, crisps, hummus, chocolate brownies and other cakes. Something for all tastes along with vegan and gluten free offerings too.
After this we were encouraged to try out different areas on the train for set activities. There was poetry with notebooks, painting on a square pre-printed or blank canvas, or bracelet making. Still phone-free I chose to do a little painting while I left my husband making a man’s bracelet with Riverside Beads (this particular activity was quite popular – who doesn’t like to make a bracelet). I hope you like my painted avocado, and if you are wondering…. no, it’s not easy painting on a moving train!
After we started our journey back from Wansford and Yarwell, everyone came back to the front carriage and was told to sit next to someone they didn’t know. Great idea to get your talking with new people. We were put into teams of 5/6 ready for a couple of quiz games. We started off with a crazy game of Dingbats (my team did well all of us chipping in on what we thought the answers were) and then followed a general knowledge quiz. (which was not good – where’s that phone LOL)!
The journey ended when we got back to Peterborough station. Some of us stayed seated and chatted for a bit, still phone-free, and others got hats and coats and started to leave the train experience. Wait a minute! Did we forget something??? Our phones!
Our phones really weren’t something that we needed (well, to be fair, it would’ve helped to score more points in the general knowledge quiz!) and it was enjoyable to have an evening where you met some new people and didn’t have your phone interrupting you. It was fun, we chatted, we did something new, and we weren’t sitting on the settee in front of the box scrolling through Netflix.
The previous two events organised by the Analog Hours were at The Willow in Central Park and at the Chalkboard on the Embankment. February was something unique – it was on a train and we spent some lovely hours travelling up and down the Peterborough – Wansford – Yarwell line in darkness (because of the stormy weather) . Will I be going again? Definitely!
Joy and the team have created something really interesting to do – it forces you to get your eyes off the screen, to be phone-free for some time. It’s not about couples or groups, it doesn’t matter whether you come with a friend or come on your own, you are going to be welcomed to do whatever activities are on for that particular event.
Coming up at the end of March it’s at the Odeon cinema which will incorporate a short film. If you want some more information, you’ll find Analog Hours on both Facebook Instagram and on their own website at www.theanaloghours.com
