Southampton Ely Train

Southampton is the largest city in Hampshire on the south coast of England. The city lies at the northern tip of Southampton Water, where the rivers Test and Itchen converge. The River Test runs along the western edge of the city. It is roughly 75 miles to the south west of London and around 20 miles to the west of Portsmouth. The Port of Southampton is a major cruise ship terminal and ferry port. The ferryport is no longer home to any international ferry operations but it is the terminus for three ferry services to the Isle if Wight. Southampton's tradition of luxury cruising began in around 1840. Many of the world's largest cruise ships can regularly be seen in the port including vessels from Royal Caribbean and Carnival Corporation, which includes brands including Princess Cruises and Cunard Line.

Southampton has two large live music venues, the Mayflower Theatre and the Guildhall. The Guildhall has seen concerts from a wide range of popular artists including Pink Floyd, David Bowie, Manic Street Preachers, The Killers, The Kaiser Chiefs and Amy Winehouse. It also hosts classical concerts presented by the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, City of Southampton Orchestra, Southampton Concert Orchestra, Southampton Philharmonic Choir and Southampton Choral Society.

Located in Cambridgeshire, the city of Ely is roughly 14 miles to the north east of the city of Cambridge. The English King, Henry III, granted the Bishop of Ely a market in the 13th century. Today, the market is open on Thursday and Saturday and is supplemented with seasonal markets held monthly on Sundays and Bank Holiday Mondays from Easter to November. The city is situated on the River Great Ouse, which was a significant means of transport until the fens were drained and Ely ceased to be an island in the eighteenth century. The river is now a popular boating spot, and has a large marina.

Annual events in Ely include Aquafest, which has been staged at the riverside by the Rotary Club on the first Sunday of July since 1978. Other events include the Eel Day carnival procession and the annual fireworks display in Ely Park which was first staged in 1974. The Ely Folk Festival has been held in the city since 1985. The Ely Horticultural Society have been staging their Great Autumn Show since 1927.

Ely railway station, on the Fen Line, is a major railway hub with the Cambridge to Ely section opening in 1845. Five major railway lines emanate from this hub: north to King's Lynn, north-west to Peterborough, east to Norwich, south-east to Ipswich and south to Cambridge and London.