Goostrey – meet the friends keeping it on track. Did you spot this headline on the front cover of the September edition of Cheshire Life? Inside the glossy magazine, there’s a four page article about Goostrey Station!

When they visited last summer, John Hulme (the founder and president of Cheshire Best Kept Stations), Mark Barker (the chair of CBKS) and Kurt Thomas (photographer) were impressed. And FoGS were thrilled to be the focus of attention!

During the morning, chair of FoGS Craig Sidebotham told the visitors about the ambitious work between 2012 and 2019 which resulted in the restoration of the wooden Victorian station building and its transformation into a thriving creative space. Artist Debbie Goldsmith described recent  workshops where enthusiastic cubs and beavers made wind chimes to take home. And she was delighted to point out the unique Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Plaque which she helped pupils at Goostrey primary school to create.

John and Mark loved the colourful displays of flowers welcoming passengers on both platforms, and they were interested to hear how FoGS have increased biodiversity around the station. The area has a rich past as well. In his article, John wrote ‘Passengers waiting for a train today are standing in a place that connects them with almost two centuries of railway history.’

John also included the recognition that FoGS have had both locally and nationally which is ‘richly deserved’. Our 11 awards from CBKS are displayed on platform one. We’ve also received 17 short-listings and 4 wins at the National Community Rail Awards. We’re particularly proud that the wins include the prestigious 2022 Award for Outstanding Contribution to Community Rail; this is presented to the volunteer group which has contributed most during the year.

You can find out more about FoGS by contacting Craig Sidebotham on 01477 544111 or by looking at our website. And you can meet us at Goostrey station during our monthly action mornings. Our volunteers include young people who are part of the Duke of Edinburgh award scheme.

What a memorable evening! FoGS were delighted that, at the end of June, our local Beavers chose to hold their weekly meeting at Goostrey station. Despite the hot weather, the children concentrated on the tasks that we provided and everyone was proud of what they achieved.

Inside Goostrey Art Studio, Debbie Goldsmith showed the Beavers how to make and decorate a wind chime to take home. Afterwards, other volunteers helped the children to fill seven small tubs with compost which had been donated by Wickes, before adding a selection of bedding plants provided by FoGS. Passengers have benefited from the colourful flowers as they have brightened the area near the ticket machine and information board throughout the summer.

Group leader Helen Slevin wrote ‘I just wanted to say thank you so much for having us last week. The Beavers really loved their hour at the station. I have never seen them as quiet as they were during the planting session!’

FoGS is a small group of enthusiastic volunteers who want passengers to enjoy using Goostrey Staton.

We keep the area tidy, tend flowering plants and encourage children’s art. In addition we continue to improve biodiversity in the area and deepen our understanding of the history of our local railway. Extra help from both adults and children is always welcome. You can find out more by contacting Craig Sidebotham on 01477 544111 or by looking at our website

Once again FoGS hired a stall at Goostrey Rose Day.
It’s such a good opportunity to display photos of our work and to encourage more local people to join us. We were delighted that our DoE volunteer was there all day. First he helped the Rose Day volunteers to put up the stall awnings and then he talked to visitors to FoGS stall (who included Sarah Russell MP).
15 people completed our questionnaire. All agreed that it was important to have a railway station in the village, especially as it is on the main line from Crewe to Manchester. Half of them usually walked to Goostrey station and a third used it daily or weekly. One person suggested that Goostrey should be a request stop for the Manchester Airport service. It was good to hear that all had noticed improvements since FoGS was established in 2012. One commented that the flowers look amazing, while another wrote that the work FoGS do, both at the station and in the community, is invaluable.
FoGS is a small group of enthusiastic volunteers who want passengers to enjoy using Goostrey Staton. We keep the area tidy, tend flowering plants and encourage children’s art. It’s also important that we continue to improve biodiversity and our understanding of the history of our local railway. Extra help is always welcome. You can find out more by contacting Craig Sidebotham on 01477 544111 or by looking at our website.