Lichfield Derby Train

Lichfield is a cathedral city in Staffordshire and is located roughly 15 miles to the north of Birmingham and lies between the high ground of Cannock Chase on the west and the valleys of the Rivers Trent and Tame on the east. The city is known for its three spired medieval cathedral and also for being the birthplace of Samuel Johnson, the writer of the first Dictionary of the English Language. Modern day Lichfield retains its importance as an ecclesiastical centre and its city centre has many listed buildings and fine Georgian architecture.

Lichfield has many cultural events which includes the Lichfield Greenhil Bower which is a festival that dates back to the Middle Ages. The festival these days includes a procession from the Guildhall of marching bands, morris men and carnival floats. There is also usually a fun fair in the city centre and another and jamboree in Beacon Park. Also, there is the Lichfield Festival which is an international arts festival celebrating dance, classical music, drama, film, jazz, literature, visual arts, poetry and world music.

Lichfield is served by two railway stations, Lichfield City and Lichfield Trent Valley. These stations are now on the Cross-City Line to Redditch via Birmingham. Additionally, Trent Valley station is on the West Coast Main Line with hourly direct semi-fast services to London Euston, and also to Stafford, Stoke and Crewe and many other local and regional destinations.

The city of Derby is located in the East Midlands region of England and is the United Kingdom's most central city. Museums and galleries in the city include Pickford's House Museum which was built by architect Joseph Pickford in 1770 and was his home and business headquarters. Derby Museum and Art Gallery shows paintings by Joseph Wright, as well as fine Royal Crown Derby porcelain, natural history, local regiments and archaeology. Derby has the first public recreational park in the country to have an arboretum, the Derby Arboretum, which lies to the south of the city centre. The arboretum was set up by the philanthropic landowner and industrialist Joseph Strutt in 1840. The arboretum's website states that the arboretum's design was the inspiration for the vision of great urban parks in the United States, notably Central Park in New York City. Markeaton Park is Derby's most used leisure facility and is the venue for the city council's annual Guy Fawkes Night firework display and contains its own light railway. Other major parks in the city include Allestree Park, Darley Park, Chaddesden Park, Alvaston Park, Normanton Park and Osmaston Park.