"Freedom All the Way"

8 January 2024

60s

Here comes the fuzz.

The railways love a puppet mascot, don't they? First we had Miles, a purple creature from parts unknown, big up East Midlands Railway. Now we have Eleanor, a free-spirited puppet with a red afro, line up for London North Eastern Railway (LNER)

She may not be the first puppet to travel by train, but she would thrash young Miles in a dance-off, at least. That's because Eleanor knows how to move like Christopher Walken in the legendary promo for 'Weapon of Choice' by Fatboy Slim. As soon as she starts, you can tell that director Tom Kuntz and his crew have done their homework.

Whether her fellow passengers like it or not (so long as there are no delays, we doubt they'd kick up a fuss), Eleanor chucks herself up and down the carriage as if possessed by the thrill of rail travel. It's not a sensation that many commuters have felt since privatisation, but LNER hope passengers blow go with this.

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