Young Brits ditch booze for trainspotting due to viral TikTok star
TikTok star Francis Bourgeois – real name Luke Nicolson – has put trainspotting on the map with younger Brits after one video of him reacting to a GB Class 73/9 locomotive called Dick Mabutt went viral
Young people are ditching booze and going trainspotting. More and more people in their teens and 20s are turning to the hobby.
Once seen as the preserve of solitary old men with notebooks, it is now cool to keep a look out for trains with an Instagram account and a GoPro. The number of young people spending hours at their local station and then documenting their finds online has spiralled.
Instagram has dozens of trainspotters in their teens and many more in their 20s. It is thought many have been spurred on thanks to Francis Bourgeois, a 24-year-old trainspotter whose videos initially went viral in 2021.
One which gathered an astounding 12 million views featured Frances – real name Luke Nicolson – at Brighton railway station reacting to a GB Class 73/9 locomotive called Dick Mabutt.
He became known for reacting joyously to trains with a fish eye camera on his head, giving a hilarious bird’s eye view of the action.
The success of his videos led to him gaining millions of followers and he was offered lucrative modelling contracts with brands including Gucci and the North Face.
He later realised a dream of becoming an ambassador for GB Railfreight.
One follower summed his account up when he commented: “I don’t like trains at all but watching him get so much joy out of this is awesome.”
It is thought young people are turning to more sedate hobbies as they ditch traditional pastimes like clubbing and drinking.
Those aged 18 to 24 are now the biggest consumers of low and no alcohol drinks, according to a January 2024 YouGov poll of nearly 2,200 UK adults.
And almost four in ten now don’t drink alcohol at all, the survey found.
Robert Burch, of the Locomotive Club of Great Britain (LCGB), said: “We certainly have quite a few young people that have recently become involved.
“We own a train and many of the people interested in that are between 20 and 35.
“I think Frances is quite a flamboyant character and he has done wonders in attracting a younger crowd.
“We would really like to encourage more young people to get involved as it’s a fantastic hobby.”
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