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News Item

Jan 20 2021

Altrincham Interchange Platform Poetry ….

You can now enjoy Platform Poetry when you are awaiting the Mid Cheshire Line services at Altrincham Interchange ….

Bev, a volunteer at Altrincham Interchange. writes ….

Last year I was approached by the Friends of Altrincham Interchange to help restore the platform planters when I noticed a couple of redundant notice boards on platform 4.

A platform poetry board immediately came to mind.

Once I had the permission to proceed, I contacted my friend Pam Bradshaw and we selected poems  – train themed for the first display.

We have had success with public poetry displays on nearby Barrington Green in Altrincham which were noted as inspirational by the RHS.

My nephew made up the vintage style sign for platform 4 and local children donated art work.

Pam, who has published a book of poems, set about writing poems about a hare and a rabbit on their train journeys from Altrincham.

To date three of their poetic adventures have been displayed.

Public poetry displays are a welcome distraction, especially in these times.

· Categorized: News Item

Jan 13 2021

The Friends of Goostrey Station

The Friends of Goostrey Station send their latest News for January 2021 ….

More evidence that Goostrey Station is on the right track!

In last month’s magazine, we announced that FoGS had received a special award in the Cheshire Best Kept Station competition.

But in 2020, FoGS was also shortlisted in two categories in a national competition organised by Community Rail. Entries came from groups of volunteers and from people employed by Community Rail Partnerships. This year, for the first time, the awards were announced online and that allowed many more people to attend the event.

Last year, FoGS won the photo category in the national competition.  This year, Goostrey didn’t win but FoGS members were delighted to have their achievements recognised.

The FoGS entry for the Most Enhanced Station focussed on the restoration of the wooden Victorian ticket office because the work has transformed it into a building which a local resident plans to use as a centre for art education. We submitted a 200 word summary, a 600 word detailed description and 6 photos. The category was won by Haslemere station.

The judges for the category called It’s Your Station awarded points for gardening achievements, environmental responsibility and engagement with other organisations. Points were totalled and entries placed in bronze, silver, gold and platinum groups.  The FoGS entry described our displays of flowering plants and the efforts to improve biodiversity and sustainabilty. It also included the work of Goostrey Community Primary School and Goostrey Cubs, the commissioning of artwork for two banners and negotiations with companies such as Network Rail, Northern and United Utilities. Goostrey was placed in the gold group.  Buxton and Handforth were among those stations which achieved the platinum level.

Chair of FoGS, Dave Roberts was impressed that so many station groups across England are working with their local communities. The diverse array of projects included one which encouraged musicians to generate songs to promote travel by train and to highlight safety issues on the railway.

· Categorized: News Item

Nov 25 2020

Watch and enjoy the 2020 Awards Evening ….

The Cheshire Best Kept Stations Virtual Awards Evening was launched on Tuesday 24th November at 7pm and can now be watched by dropping into our YouTube Channel.

We are encouraging you to use  #cbks2020 on social media.

The 30 minute video, is introduced by Jools Townsend, the Chief Executive of Community Network, hosted by Cheshire Best Kept Stations Chair Mark Barker and concludes with a salutary thank you by Her Majesty’s Lord Lieutenant of Cheshire, David Briggs.

Filmed at Hadlow Road, a former Cheshire station now on the Wirral Way, 18 awards were made with 10 commendations.

Click here to watch and enjoy the event

Click here to read, download and print our Souvenir Programme of the event

· Categorized: News Item

Oct 23 2020

Biodiversity at Goostrey Station ….

The Friends of Goostrey Station write ….

Many people would not include the words biodiversity and railway in the same sentence.

But Network Rail states that they take seriously the responsibility to maintain and improve the railway, while being mindful of the variety of wildlife on the surrounding land.

It’s surprising to read that Network Rail manages many Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs). For example, Feltham Marshalling Yards in west London is a nationally important conservation site for two dozen invertebrate species which include bees, beetles, flies and spiders.

Biodiversity means the variety of life – plants, animals, fungi, one-celled organisms, bacteria, viruses – and the habitats they live in.

The rural location of Goostrey Station means that there is a greater variety of plant species than at urban stations.

So there should also be a greater variety of life forms which depend on vegetation.

The rooks which regularly fly around and nest in the trees beside the Crewe platform are easily spotted.

But the identification of other animals needs more patience.

A recent surprise was that numerous woodlice and earwigs were sheltering between the wall and the memorial plaque to the first chair of FOGS, Cyril Caulkin!

Members of FOGS are keen to increase biodiversity around the station.

Plants such as Buddleia have been  added to the bank above the car park and, early in 2019, several bird and bat boxes were put up.

When Goostrey cubs held one of their weekly meetings at the station, they created three bug hotels to increase the habitats for invertebrates.

Later that same year, Goostrey Parish Council recognised the work by presenting a gold Wild About Goostrey Award.

FOGS members have taken the biodiversity project a stage further by using a Geographical Information Service (GIS) to record species and their location.  It uses free Open Source Software to create maps.

Sets of data are stored so users can monitor biodiversity over time.

The information collected can be analysed to see which species of birds are currently using the nest boxes and what types of bugs are living in the bug hotels. This year there’s been an increase in butterfly numbers, possibly because of the planting of butterfly-friendly plant species.

In spring 2021, FOGS members plan to erect more bird boxes and the GIS will be updated by adding the new locations.

Every month, FOGS members create a GIS map which is uploaded into the Wildlife section of the website at friendsofgoostreystation.org.

When these ideas were explained during a recent online meeting, there was interest from other ‘station friends’.

FOGS members hope to encourage other groups countrywide to adopt similar practices in the grounds of their own railway.

· Categorized: News Item

Oct 21 2020

Service Enhancement at Rose Hill ….

The Friends of Rose Hill Station and Goyt Valley Rail Users’ Association have made a case for Restoring and Enhancing the Train Service between Manchester and Rose Hill via Hyde ….

A comprehensive paper has been prepared to make the case for service enhancement on the Rose Hill route.

The groups are asking that this should be brought into the December 2021 timetable for a three year trial period.

A trial period uplift in the service to Rose Hill in 2016 to a half hourly service showed a rapid increase of approaching 50% in passenger footfall.

Click here for further details of this paper

 

· Categorized: News Item

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