Some good news and some disappointment for the Friends of Goostrey Station ….

Christina Burgess from the Friends of Goostrey Station reports ….

Let’s start with the good news ….

Friends of Goostrey Station recently heard that our group of volunteers has been shortlisted for two Community Rail Awards – Most enhanced buildings & surroundings and It’s your station. While we wait for the winners to be announced at the award ceremony in December, we are delighted that our working parties have resumed.

We meet between 10am and 1pm on the second Sunday of each month. The enforced break during lockdown has shown what a difference our regular work has made to improve the environment of Goostrey Station.  When we’re sweeping or gardening, we observe social distancing, wear orange safety jackets and use our own tools.

Have you thought about becoming a Friend of Goostrey Station?   New members are always welcome to join us.  For more information, please look at our website friendsofgoostreystation.org.  You can contact Dave Roberts (chair) on sharpshooter1052@gmail.com or 544779; or Craig Sidebotham (vice chair) on 29craimar@talktalk.net or 07526 704218.

Plans to install a cycle rack on the car park are progressing. An award from the Eco Fund of the delivery company DPD will pay for a covered shelter to hold up to 10 cycles.  Northern are keen to promote sustainable travel and FOGS hope that they will organise the installation in the near future.

As pupils returned to Goostrey Community Primary School, deputy headteacher Becky Cowell mounted a new display in the shelter on the Crewe platform. It includes artwork about Peaceful Places and Learning and Achieving Together.  One passenger commented ‘Really enjoyed the positive messages and the beautiful pictures! Well done students and staff.’  On reading phrases such as ‘You are stronger than you think’ and Believe in yourself’ another traveller wrote ‘How lovely and creative. Just what the community needs during such trying times. This cheered me up – well done to all.’  FOGS members hope that rail authorities will soon respond positively to their request to repair the shelter.

And now for the disappointing news ….

This relates to how to ensure that the recently restored Victorian wooden station building is put to good use in our community.  A local resident  who works at Tate Liverpool envisages running an arts education facility there, but at present there are no toilets or kitchen facilities. Our small group of volunteers is reluctant to take on the legal and financial responsibilities of a lease.  However the Rail Heritage Trust have stated that they cannot see any reason for rail authorities to put management time into the building as the structure is neither listed nor in a conservation area.  Their executive director has identified successful community run station buildings in other places, stating that this shows what a determined community group can achieve.

He continues ‘You have been successful in persuading the industry to go far beyond where it normally would in restoring this building externally, but if you don’t take the lead in internally restoring it, I can’t see anyone doing it. Basically I see two options – a community group, yours or some other, leases the building and leads a restoration of its interior and its onwards use or the building will reopen as it is at present, as externally restored shell.’

So now FOGS has created an action list with clear priorities in order to make progress towards their vision.  Help from other members of our community would be very welcome.

 

An artist whose work hit the buffers during the lockdown is now back on track ….

Victoria Holland has created a mural on the waiting room windows at Sandbach Station.

Here she has made her mark with some colourful floral artwork using Posca pens that are a favourite of street artists.

Chair of Sandbach Station, John Scarrott said he was “delighted” with how it had turned out, praising the “super” artist.

He said “She’s a lovely lady and deserves to make a success of her new business. She’s so absolutely super and went out of her way to do two sides of the waiting room for free. We’re hoping to get a grant from Community Rail Network to do something else on the other side.”

The 25 year old from Sandbach has just started up a new business and had offered to create a window mural for free for a business or charity to gather interest in her work and add to her portfolio.

The Friends of Handforth Station (FoHS) have re-started regular Work Parties under strict Covid-19 guidelines ….

At the end of 2019 and before lockdown in March 2020, FoHS carried out extensive planting of spring bulbs and flowering shrubs in the ground alongside the southbound platform.

These gave a very welcome splash of colour during Spring this year, during the lovely weather that accompanied the darkest days of lockdown.

From early July, as government regulations eased, Northern Trains issued “resumption guidance”, permitting Friends groups to resume work at their stations.

Since then, FoHS have worked assidously to improve the travelling experience of rail passengers and to encourage wildlife at Handforth Station.

On the northbound platform, FoHS plan to install four new large wooden planters – the cost of these was generously donated by Handforth Parish Council.

The 1st Handforth Scout Group were planning to help build these planters, but Covid-19 restrictions meant that the FoHS members have had to start the work; the first planter has been constructed and moved into position.

To fill the planters, FoHS members are providing homemade compost from their gardens, which will be enriched by bags of compost donated by Parker’s Garden Centre. An application has been made to the community scheme of another garden centre to provide plants.

FoHS members have started building the second planter; the third and fourth planters will be built by the Scouts when Covid-19 guidelines allow their meetings to recommence.

The planters will contain spring bulbs, as well as climbers such as roses and clematis; these will be trained against nearby supports and into the branches of trees.

Hugh Everett, Secretary for the FoHS, said:
“We’re delighted to be back at work at the station, helping to keep it cheerful and welcoming for all. We plan to meet on the last Saturday of each month between 10am and 12midday; visit our website to contact us if you want to get involved. We always try to involve other local community groups in our work, so we look forward to the Scouts helping to complete our planters soon.”

We are pleased to receive images of work carried out on Altrincham Interchange by volunteers Anne and Bev …

What a tremendous difference this will make to those travelling on the Mid Cheshire Line and the Metrolink into Manchester.