The NWR Stories | Festivities & Fire Engines

At Christmas, Butch and his Driver only ever find more work to be done. This year, a familiar face might just help them to see things differently... CHAPTERS 0:00 - Christmas 0:50 - Cold Morning 1:40 - Cocoa Relief 4:04 - More Work 5:47 - Christmas Eve 6:10 - The Crash 6:57 - Winter Rescue 8:35 - Warm Night 9:25 - End Credits Almost inconceivably, it's been a whole year since my last story. It's been a busy twelve months for me, and when I have found the time to make something I often haven't felt like it. Amazing what the real world does to your sense of fun! Regardless, with Christmas fast approaching, I thought it'd be a shame to break the relative tradition I've had of uploading something on the 25th each year. At first I did have doubts; no ideas stuck, and ultimately I'm not quite sure where this one sprang from, but I really loved the idea of the kind of character dynamic we have here and eagerly set to work. It was a very last minute affair; I started on the script in late November and didn't start filming or editing until a week ago. Furthermore, most of this was edited properly in the last couple of days! In spite of the rush, I'm actually rather proud of what I've ended up with. Much of this is due to the wonderful cast, with the three leads more than willing to put up with my nagging and record lines when time was short. In addition to holding the story together, Matt and Stuart were also the first people to go through the script properly with me, and for that I am very grateful. After their enthusiastic reading aloud, it was hard to see anyone else playing Butch or his Driver. Haydn was also on-board to spruce up Norramby's dialogue here and there (his fab Norramby images were also reused), and after our collaboration last year, I'm more than happy that he gave approval on the script. With the Earl of Sodor on the brain, a thanks, in no small part, is owed to Jake for his characterisation. Last year, his portrayal was so brilliant that I was sure he'd reappear the next year and, being here now, I find myself feeling very much the same. Jake fully embodies the dialogue and there were distinct times where I had to stop editing because I was laughing so hard at the delivery. It's practically unanimous that this year has been a downer, maybe my output is also reflective of that. But here is a story that I had a lot of fun with, as we charge into a new year one would hope is better for all of us. Merry Christmas everyone, and a Happy New Year. George