While it’s true that Britain allows public transport to run without air conditioning in 38.7C heat and has Boris Johnson as its unelected leader, we balance out such niggles with our own unique brand of whimsy. Adopted national treasure Kylie Minogue unexpectedly popping up on a miniature steam train in Scarborough to perform the Locomotion being one of them.

Now, Scarborough has a lot going for it, but the 51-year-old could have been forgiven for breezing in and out of the Yorkshire seaside town during her expansive summer tour. 

Not Kylie. 

Before performing to 8,000 fans at her sell-out concert at the Open Air Theatre, the cherished Australian pop star and her entourage popped into North Bay Railway to make this happen:

The impromptu rendition of her 1988 hit drew congratulations from delighted fans on Twitter:

The railway - as well as the song - holds wonderful childhood memories for some:

Since its multi-million pound renovation in 2010, Scarborough Open Air Theatre has been building its reputation as a major draw for big-name artists. Britney Spears caused a stir when she added the town to her list of tour dates last year and the site’s promoter Peter Taylor has promised it is “just the start” for the venue.

As for the Queen of Pop, there’s no let up. With 15 shows throughout Europe, including last month’s stunning crowd-pleaser at Glastonbury, she’s glittering up to headline Brighton Pride this weekend. She’ll once again following in the footsteps of Britney, who took to the main stage at Preston Park last year.

She recorded her 1987 breakthrough hit I Should Be So Lucky in just 40 minutes.

Kylie’s 1990 classic Better The Devil You Know is played at 12.30am every Saturday night at London’s G-A-Y club.

Those gold lamé hotpants she wore in the video for her 2000 comeback hit Spinning Around cost 50p from a charity shop and are now a part of pop fashion history.

Her public comments about being diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 36 saw the number of mammograms performed in Australia rise by 40% - a phenomenon described as “the Kylie effect”.

Her 30-year career spans TV and film as well as music and she has constantly reinvented her art and radically altered her style to become the icon she is today.

Images: Kylie Minogue/Getty Images