Have you seen the new exhibition of art by children at Goostrey Primary School in the platform shelter at Goostrey station?

With the title ‘Air and Sea’, it features Spitfires from World War 2 flying over shimmering blue water.

The planes were drawn by year 5 pupils and the sea pictures by children in year 6. The display was created last June specifically for Goostrey’s D Day +80 commemoration.

But deputy headteacher Becky Cowell thought it was so lovely that it was right to place the pictures where a wider audience could appreciate them. FoGS are delighted that local children are helping to ensure that Goostrey station is a place that our community can be proud of.

Recently FoGS members Debbie Goldsmith, Louise Willis and Vicky Worsley welcomed a group of Rainbows and their leaders as they arrived by train from Holmes Chapel.

Once inside Goostrey Art Studio, the children enjoyed a lively session making hedgehogs, either from clay or from card and natural materials collected from the station gardens.

Afterwards the young people inspected the bug hotels on the grassy area near the car park.

With obvious concern, one child wanted to know who checked the bugs in for the night!

As they left for home, each Rainbow received a copy of Arlo’s Adventures, a book designed to teach them about safety on the railway.

All of the children who come to Goostrey station love seeing and hearing the trains.

But the excited screams of Holmes Chapel Rainbows in response to a driver sounding the engine’s horn will be hard to forget!

 

The Friends of Altrincham Interchange share their Remembrance Day Displays on Platform 4 and Platform 1.

They include knitted poppies, RBL poppies and a selection of poetry.

Poignant and respectful displays.

We will remember them.

The Friends of Handforth Station (FoHS) were founded on 30th November 1996. From the start, founder member (now President of FoHS) Mike Bishop recognised the flights of 35 steps leading down to each of the platforms of Handforth station as a formidable barrier to rail travel. “They are virtually unusable by physically disabled persons and by those encumbered by pushchairs or awkward luggage,” he says. Mike therefore began a campaign to provide alternative means of access to the platforms.

Mike’s campaign gained support from many, including from members of Handforth Town Council and from the local MPs. The campaign reached a successful conclusion in April 2019, with the award of a grant (then estimated at around £2 million) under the Government’s Access for All scheme.

The past five years have seen surveyors conducting detailed surveys at the station, the drilling of exploratory boreholes next to the northbound platform, the months-long deactivation of a high voltage electricity cable on the southbound side of the station, and more..

On Wednesday 11th September 2024, officers of FoHS attended a status update meeting chaired by Rory Kingdon, Senior Sponsor with Network Rail. Rory presented a draft plan (Figure 1) for the lift installation at Handforth station. New elevated lift access walkways will be constructed as side branches from the existing walkways that lead to the platform staircases.

Due to space constraints imposed by the site, the lift on the northbound platform (lift 2) will be slightly smaller (capacity 13 persons standing) than lift 1 on the southbound platform (capacity 16 persons). New footpaths at platform level will provide access routes between the platforms and the lifts.

The lifts will be powered hydraulically from motor rooms located south of the lift shafts. The installation of the lift motor rooms will result in some reduction in the size of the Rotary garden adjacent to the northbound platform. It will also lead to the removal of the existing waiting shelters and the siting of new waiting shelters further down the platforms.

Mike Bishop commented on the plans: “We hope that the new waiting shelters will be equipped with guttering and downspouts, to permit the collection and storage of rainwater for platform planters.”

Network Rail has also provided a draft timetable for the lift project. It is hoped that the outline design of the works will be complete around the end of December 2024. A daytime/evening public information meeting is planned for early in 2025. The detailed project engineering should be available around May 2025, with construction work expected to start later in the summer. It is anticipated that lift installation will be completed in the Spring of 2026.

Mike Bishop said: “While FoHS have been the main proponents of the lift project, we gratefully acknowledge the financial support of Handforth Town Council. They provided a grant of £5000 towards the costs of a ‘GRIP 2 Study’ – an essential prerequisite for any application to the Access for All scheme – and £150 for an assessment of station accessibility by disabled persons.”

Mike added:: “As the cost of installing the lifts is now currently estimated at around £4.5million, Handforth Town Council seems to have made a wise investment in helping FoHS with our campaign. Our station badly needs this substantial infrastructure, which will be much valued both by Handforth residents and by visitors to the town. “

To celebrate the national Heritage Open Days (6th to 15th September), the Friends of Handforth Station will be flying their historic British Railway flag.

In addition, the original British Railways running-in boards cared for at the station by the Friends have been spruced up.

The one shown in the photo above has been formally “Designated for Preservation” by the Science Museum Group.

These, along with the many other items at Handforth Station’s “Platform for Art” provide an interesting heritage tour that even some local people are not aware of.

A full description of all the enhancements can be downloaded from the FoHS web-site (https://tinyurl.com/FoHSPlatformForArt ).

This is also on display on the station platforms and on the concourse, providing a self-guided tour of the station.

The Friends group are currently restoring two original Handforth nameplates (see above) which were donated by local residents earlier this year.

Mike Bishop, the founder and President of the FoHS, said: “We invite anyone who has mementos or unusual souvenirs of the old Handforth station to contact us with details. We will also be delighted to entertain any other suggestions for enhancing the station.”