Cheshire Best Kept Stations

John Hulme

Sandbach Waiting Room refurbishment …..

The Friends of Sandbach Station have sent some lovely pictures of their work on their Waiting Room refurbishment and new murals …..

A fantastic job done by Victoria and funded by Sandbach Town Council.

Cheshire Best Kept Stations AGM ….

The Annual General Meeting of Cheshire Best Kept Stations will be held at Stockport Station conference room, located at the south end of platform 3, at 10.15 on Monday 11th July 2022.

The meeting will receive an annual report and annual accounts and elect the positions of Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer, President and up to four Committee Members.

Attendance is open to individuals and organisations taking part in Cheshire Best Kept Stations or supporting the work of it.

Due to capacity constraints we would be grateful if attendance could be confined to one person per organisation.

I would be grateful if you could reply to intouch@bestkeptstations.org.uk if you plan to attend.

In the event of a rail strike taking place on 11th July, the meeting will take place by zoom, and a further message will be sent with a zoom invitation.

Wilmslow Cubs visited Handforth Station to Learn its 180 Year History ….

During May the Friends of Handforth Station (FoHS) created a display to commemorate the 180th anniversary of the Manchester to Sandbach railway line. This triggered a request from the 1st Wilmslow Cub Scouts to visit Handforth Station.

Accordingly, FoHS arranged for Northern Trains to provide the cubs with a complimentary return rail journey to Handforth. Accompanied by their leaders, the cubs boarded the 19.16 train from Wilmslow to Handforth.

On arrival at 19:19 the cubs were met by two members of FoHS who provided platform safety instructions before giving them a guided tour of Handforth station.

The cubs admired the station’s vintage running-in boards, planters made by the 1st Handforth Scouts, sculptures and totems in the Rotary Club Garden and the various posters and banners celebrating both the 180th anniversary of the railway line and the recent Platinum Jubilee.

FoHS then took the Cubs to Handforth Youth Centre, where they heard more details about the 180-year old railway line (see “Cubs Talk” on www.handforthstation.org.uk). The cubs asked some particularly searching questions during the presentation.

After being presented with a souvenir commemorative train headboard, some photographs and some certificates, the cubs caught the 20.25 train back to Wilmslow.

Georgina Dunn, Leader of 1st Wilmslow Cub Scout group said “Our cubs enjoyed learning about the history of the rail line in this 180th anniversary year. The station looks immaculate and is testament to the great work done by the Friends of Handforth Station for the benefit of the local community”.

Manchester’s Urban Poet to lead another “Ged’s Guided Walk ….

Ged Austin, known in Manchester as “The Urban Poet”, will be running another of his Guided Walks on Sunday 3rd July 2022.

These walks are typically gentle strolls over a 3- to 5-mile distance with plenty of stops, and they can take 3 to 4 hours.

The latest Guided Walk that Ged has prepared will be a Handforth Circular route, starting and ending at Handforth train station. It will be a “timeline walk” exploring the history of the area. It will feature Ged’s poems and some stories about the area, to which all are welcome to contribute.

Ged advises, “Expect adventure, history, nature, a few giggles, and walking and talking. Bring plenty of liquid and your snack in a backpack , and wear sturdy footwear and clothing appropriate for whatever the weather provides.”

The Friends of Handforth Station are organising this series of walks, and Hugh Everett, Secretary of FoHS, says “Take the train ! This walk is designed to suit travel using Northern Trains: the service from Manchester via Stockport gets to Handforth at 10:16, and the service from Crewe via Wilmslow gets in at 10:25.”

This Guided Walk will start from Handforth train station at 10.30am sharp, on Sunday the 3rd of July. No booking needed; just turn up before 10:30.

For more information, contact Ged Austin on 07506-392731 / jediaustin@hotmail.co.uk.