We took Little Nutter to the National Railway Museum today.

Well, he deserved a treat. He has been saving up his Autism Credits, and after more than a week of being a little angel, we thought that an afternoon of excited hyper-stimulation might go down well.

So, with a little trepidation, we descended the steps into the main hall – and there, arrayed in front of us, were at least thirty real life railway engines. Evrything from a copy of Stephenson’s Rocket to the Japanese Bullet Train – with a few thousand models thrown in just for good measure.

He went bananas! There is a heaven reserved for children with autism, and entry is free!

The buggy was disposed of in double quick time, and with his little bucket of Thomas Engines (Little Nutter’s own version of a comfort blanket – absolutely inseperable, if your life is worth living) the exploration began. His little face was a vision of ecstasy!

Leaving every engine was an unbearable trauma – lessened only by the discovery of another engine next to it. Buffers and giant wheels were caressed and adored, fireboxes admired in open-mouthed awe, and every last model display now has his little face-print on the window. The cleaners are going to be very busy in the morning.

The highlight of the day, however, was the discovery of a balcony overlooking the real life York Station. In subzero temperatures, exposed to the wind and the driving rain, Little Nutter greeted every train with a cheery “Hello” and waved it off with a saddened “Bye-bye, train!” Only when the shivering started to blur his vision did he finally agree to come inside and warm up.

We know it was a good day because the tantrum as we left drowned out the tannoy; and the minute we got home, he fell asleep face down on a sofa, still wearing his coat and clutching his bucket of engines.