Cheshire Best Kept Stations

News Item

Station volunteers commended by Rail Minister ….

Sarah Russell MP, Louise Willis FoGS member, on, community rail

News from the Friends of Goostrey Station ….

A few weeks ago FoGS secretary Louise Willis was delighted to represent our volunteers at a special parliamentary reception.   The invitation was the result of FoGS’ success in the national Community Rail Awards. This year we were shortlisted in 4 categories and received a platinum award for our work at Goostrey station plus a bronze award for our photo ‘Keeping Up Appearances’. The photo was included in a rolling presentation during the reception.

MP Sarah Russell also attended the reception. Sarah visited FoGS stall on Rose Day so she already knew much about FoGS’ achievements.

During the afternoon, Minister for Rail Lord Hendy spoke about the importance of Community Rail volunteers and employees across the country.  He was impressed that together we are promoting greener travel, fostering inclusion and transforming station buildings into community assets.

Why not find out more about FoGS and Community Rail during Goosfest?
Please drop into Goostrey Station between 10am and 1pm on Saturday 27 September.
This is part of Railway 200, a national celebration of the 200th anniversary of the start of the modern railway.
As well as looking inside the building which is now Debbie Goldsmith’s art studio, visitors will see historic photos and our plans for further improvements.
At noon, with the help of Goostrey Rose Queen 2025 Rosa Tomlinson and her attendants, FoGS plan to plant an apple tree and bury a time capsule containing items that reflect life in 21st century Goostrey.
Light refreshments will be available all morning.

 

Latest news from Friends of Goostrey Station ….

Our MP supports Friends of Goostrey Station …

What a lovely surprise!  FoGS members were delighted when our local MP Sarah Russell came to our stall during her visit to Goostrey Rose Day. With the two latest awards from Cheshire Best Kept Stations on show and a host of photos, she soon realised what a successful group we are.

A week later, Sarah met FoGS member Louise Willis at the Palace of Westminster and they were able to talk to MD of Northern Tricia Williams.  Guests at the parliamentary reception were addressed by Rail Minister Lord Hendy and by Helena Dollimore MP. Both talked about the benefits of enlisting volunteers to make railway stations part of the community.  It was poignant that the event was held on 7/7, the anniversary of the London bombings which obviously had particular significance for anyone involved in the transport sector. Earlier in the day, Lord Hendy had attended a service to commemorate the victims.

The invitation was the result of FoGS success in the Community Rail Awards last March. We scored top marks in the category It’s Your Station and received a platinum award. FoGS also won a bronze award for our photo captioned Keeping Up Appearances.  During the afternoon Louise was thrilled to see this photo in a rolling loop which showcased the work of Community Rail.

The reception was a celebration of the valuable work delivered all year round by Community Rail. It’s a growing movement with 75 rail partnerships and over a thousand volunteer groups. It’s uniquely placed to support a new era of rail that is focussed on passengers and local issues but it’s also aligned with social, environmental and economic objectives. Community Rail is helping to transform station buildings into community assets. It’s working to remove barriers to rail travel for marginalised groups. And it’s promoting integrated and sustainable transport.

Everyone will have an opportunity to find out more about FoGS and Community Rail during Goosfest.  Drop into Goostrey Station between 10 and 1 on Saturday 27 September. Go inside the restored station building, learn about our future plans and help us to bury a time capsule. This is part of a national celebration of the 200th anniversary of the start of the modern railway.

North Cheshire Community Rail Partnership take on new CRO ….

The North Cheshire Community Rail Partnership have taken on a new CRO and are campaigning for new volunteers ….

Cheshire Best Kept Stations welcomes Chris Kinsella who has taken up the role as the new Community Rail Development Officer for the North Cheshire Community Rail Partnership.  Chris is looking forward forward to liaising with other Cheshire station groups, rail partnerships and community groups on joint ambitions.

Click here to find our more about the North Cheshire Community Rail Partnership.

Click here to visit their new website.  If you have any comments on the website please use their Contact Page to let them know.

 

St Benedict’s School children take their first ever train journey ….

2025 marks the 200th anniversary of the birth of the modern railway. In September 1825, the first public railway to use steam locomotives was opened, between Stockton and Darlington. See the web-site https://railway200.co.uk/ for information about how this anniversary is being commemorated nationwide.

The Friends of Handforth Station (FoHS) and Northern Trains have helped the Reception Class of St Benedict’s Catholic Primary School, Handforth, to understand some history of this 200th anniversary and make what was, for some of the children, their first ever train journey.

Rosemary Thomason, the Chair of the volunteer group FoHS, visited the 4- and 5-year-old children at their school, and told them a little about railways and trains. She included the history behind Railway 200 and Handforth’s role in railways over the two centuries – and then gave the children some information about being safe at the station.

The next day, Mrs Ogden, Reception teacher at St Benedict’s, and her helpers walked the 25 children from the school to Handforth station, where they took the train to Alderley Edge. After some time playing in the park, they visited St Philip and St James Church for a quick singalong with Reverend Pye … and then took the return train back to Handforth and their school.

Jo Everett, Assistant Teacher, said “Many thanks to Northern Trains for providing our train tickets, and to Rosemary of the Friends. It was very much appreciated. Some of our children hadn’t been to a station before, let alone on a train, so it was a valuable opportunity for them to experience something new.“

Rosemary Thomason added “It was wonderful to see such excitement and joy from the children as I prepared them for their visit to Handforth Station. Our Friends group loves inspiring children – and others – to use our railways. We look forward to welcoming the next group, in a couple of weeks’ time.”

Exciting News for our Cheshire Best Kept Stations ….

We have some exciting news to share!

If you’re heading to your local supermarket, be sure to pick up the July edition of Cheshire Life.

The front cover says it all:

“Action stations – Our railway series departs at Delamere.”

This is the first in a bi-monthly series of articles celebrating Community Rail at our Cheshire stations — our very own Cheshire Best Kept Stations!

Written by our Founder and President, John Hulme BEM, the series shines a light on the people and stories behind our stations.
John says:

“It’s been a great privilege to write for Cheshire Life, but none of this would be possible without the hard work of the station groups and the dedication of our rail staff to the stations.
Without your care, I wouldn’t have stories to tell.
We begin with Delamere on the Mid Cheshire Line – winners of the Cheshire West and Chester Award 2024.
It may be a small village station, but it has a remarkable story.
Thanks to the support of the Cheshire Life photographer, Kirsty Thompson, we’ve captured some fantastic images to bring it to life.”

👉 Click here to take a sneak peek at the six-page spread.

Coming up in the series:

  • September edition: Nantwich Railway Station – our 2024 Overall Winner
  • November edition: Altrincham Interchange– marking Remembrance and stories from the Great War

We’d love you to pick up a copy, have a read, and let us know what you think.

And if you have a story to share about your Cheshire station — we’d love to hear from you!

The magazine is available at supermarkets and newsagents across Cheshire, North Wales, and what many still call “Old Cheshire” – Warrington, Wirral, and Stockport.

If you’re outside the area, why not grab a copy when passing through a Cheshire station with a newsstand?

Or better still — subscribe!

Subscriber benefits:

  • Just over £3 per copy with a 12-month plan
  • Use code LOVE25 at checkout to get a £10 voucher (redeemable at Amazon, M&S, John Lewis, Waitrose and more)
  • Home delivery, plus exclusive invites to Cheshire Life events and newsletters
  • Access to the digital edition on smartphone, tablet and desktop
  • Explore 100’s of previous issues to browse and share
  • Subscriptions starting now will receive the September edition (and possibly August, depending on timing)

👉 Click here for full subscription details.

We’re very grateful to Joanne Goodwin, the editor of Cheshire Life, for inviting us to contribute to Cheshire’s top monthly magazine.

And finally — please help spread the word by sharing this exciting news on your own social media channels.