"I chose to alter the original story of somewhat to make it not just The Railway Children adapted for the stage, but a new original musical - yes based on the familiar story - but, hopefully, enriched with new and interesting elements. What kind of life would Mother have had in that situation forced upon her; and how would she have coped with Father's absence not knowing at all how he had been accused of spying and sent to prison?

Edith Nesbit does not provide much information about that. The book focuses almost entirely on the children, leaving questions about Mother - the adult questions - out of the picture."

"Was I entitled to change the E. Nesbit story? Well Shakespeare did it all the time" - Alad Skinner

Romance and hardship enter into the life of a middle-class family when it unexpectedly has to leave its comfortable London home to live in a simple village house. The children have to adapt to the rigours of attending a school.

They prevent a railway accident, help a Russian emigre and are teased by local children. The local GP, the school teacher and the son of the stationmaster are important characters. Bobbie the elder daughter and her mother are drawn into romantic relationships. How they manage to deal with this is a new element added to the original charming story.

Alad Skinner is a playwright who also writes songs and plays jazz piano. He has recently rewritten a musical that he and Joseph McGinley created as young lecturers at an Edinburgh Drama School. Then the title was "Living in the Country". But now Alad has decided to add new scenes and songs, change the ending, and give it a new title, "What Ever Happened to the Railway Children."

"Joe is, alas, no longer with us", says Alad, "but I think he would have approved of the changes I made. I dedicate this to him."