THE first-ever official National Asparagus Day, marking the start of English Asparagus Season on St George's Day, will be celebrated this year with the unveiling of the Asparagus Express Steam Train - and everyone is invited.

Traditionally, the day is marked by a host of festivities to honour the first-cut round of asparagus, which is then delivered to a worthy cause.

This year, the round will board the Asparagus Express at Broadway Station, being re-opened this year by the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway, more than 50 years after it closed.

After a journey that will include music, entertainment and an aspara-breakfast, the round will be met at Cheltenham Racecourse Station by Bobby the AsparaHorse and representatives from Cotswold Riding for The Disabled Association who plan to auction it to raise money for their charity.

Anyone interested in coming along can buy tickets from www.britishasparagusfestival.org – with the chance to make the first, non-stop steam train journey from Broadway to Cheltenham in more than 100 years.

Breakfast, coffee and entertainment included within the ticket price. The day on Monday April 23 starts at 10am and the train will return to Broadway by early afternoon.