The Friends of Handforth Station continue to work with many in the community as they plan design enhancements for the installation of lifts to the station’s platforms. Throughout the pandemic they have been holding workshops and other meetings remotely … using Zoom …..

The most recent project was developed from Handforth Grange school’s Handforth gets Global initiative. Local artist Lorna Green was introduced by FoHS to the school, who appointed her to work with their pupils using video-conferencing (this time MS-Teams).

Jenny Barnes, the Chair of FoHS, said “FoHS have worked with local artists for many years, and this current initiative is part of our strategy to connect our network of artists with local schools. Our promotion of online activities like these alleviates some pressure on the timetable and gives everyone a bit of a different creative space.

“I’m glad to say that our Zoom meetings run very smoothly, with no arguments or shouting, and we may try out MS-Teams next time.

“Handforth Gets Global is a great theme and is giving us lots of opportunity to re-connect with the schools and be creative. We’d love to display the result of the school’s work at the station when COVID-19 regulations allow – in the meantime we will rely on our website gallery and social media sharing.”

Jessica  Dolby, Assistant Head at Handforth Grange, said “The children were very keen and produced many wonderfully creative globes. The workshops also allowed the children to show off their knowledge of different countries around the world.

“Any works that aren’t perishable will be kept for when the children return to school, which we now know will be very soon.”

Lorna added “I ran three workshops via MS-Teams which went very well. The children were fully engrossed and made some beautiful, imaginative and thought provoking works in both 3D and 2D using a wide variety of materials sourced from their homes.

“The children are well used to MS-Teams and I found I could see each child individually if the teacher highlighted them, which felt very much like normal one-to-one teaching.”

Friends of Handforth Station are now planning to discuss with other stations on the railway line, as well as their twin station Malahide in Ireland, about involvement in similar projects.

The Friends of Handforth Station are delighted that Northern Trains (who are responsible for Handforth Station) have given permission for them to run the FoHS Spring Quizzes this year …..

When not in lockdown, the Friends of Handforth Station members keep the station tidy by picking litter and maintaining vegetation, and are also responsible for the many international station signs and wide selection of artwork displayed at the station.

Members of the public using the station, and also people in their own social bubble, are invited to visit the station between now and early April to find the answers to the FoHS’s quiz questions.

Hugh Everett, Secretary of FoHS and in charge of the quiz, said:

“While we expect that initially only Handforth residents taking daily exercise in their social bubble will take part, we hope that COVID-19 restrictions will ease enough to allow others to take part before the closing date of Easter Sunday (4^th April 2021).”

Hugh added: “We’re running an Adults’ Quiz and a Children’s Quiz, with a prize for each.

To enter the quiz, simply visit our website, where you can find all details on our main page

We all need to hear and read good news.  And that’s especially true during a global pandemic ….

Friends of Goostrey Station are delighted to report that some of their projects are nearing completion. Soon a new display cabinet will be attached to the Crewe platform shelter. Negotiations to agree terms with the Northern Trains group to allow people to use of the recently restored building are progressing well. And, as part of a wider scheme involving about 20 stations, Network Rail has set out the timescale for installation of a cycle rack, which will be purchased using a donation awarded to FoGS by DPD.

News of our achievements has spread. Recently, Chair of FoGS, Dave Roberts, was contacted by Friends of Broadbottom Station near Glossop. They have a wooden shelter that Network Rail is proposing to demolish but there is strong support in the village for retaining it. Having heard of the success of our campaign to restore the wooden station building at Goostrey, they are seeking advice on how to proceed. We wish them good luck. They’ll probably need plenty of patience!

An ongoing project for FoGS is our website. Gavin Hollinshead set up the site friendsofgoostreystation.org and he continues to develop it.  There’s lots to read and learn – from rail maps and timetables to the achievements of our local group of volunteers.  As Gavin comments ‘Great things have small beginnings’.   The site also has links to the Transport Police and information about ticket prices, inter-rail passes and rail replacement buses.  Gavin also reports faults such as car park potholes, failing lights and missing fence panels. You can find out about the history of Goostrey station with photos dating back to 1891. There are GIS maps recording biodiversity as part of the new wildlife project. And you can improve your general knowledge too. Did you know that siderodromophobia is the fear of trains and railways?

In fact, it was Gavin Hollinshead’s work that led to the foundation of FoGS in 2012.  He became a station adopter, secured a £200 donation from his employer and negotiated with Goostrey Parish Council and Crewe-Manchester Community Rail Partnership. The result was a dedicated group of volunteers intent on improving Goostrey Station so passengers can enjoy using the trains.

After so much good news, it’s disappointing to report that there’s evidence of recent vandalism around the Crewe platform shelter.  This included discarded beer cans and damage to the school art display. Once alerted, PSCO Ade Chadwick visited and he assures us that he will be keeping an eye on the situation. As he commented ‘It’s a lovely station and we want to keep it that way’. FoGS members will continue to ask Northern Rail to install CCTV.

An innovative new sign has been put up at Handforth Station, thanks to a partnership with a sensory loss charity and the Friends of Handforth Station (FoHS) ….

Those who pass by the station can now practice their skills in British Sign Language (BSL) by spelling HANDFORTH using fingerspelling.

The idea was put forward by Mike Bishop, founder of FoHS, to the Cheshire-wide sensory loss organisation, DSN.

Mike said: “We were looking at ways in the first lockdown to continue to work with the community and we thought it would be a great non-contact, socially-distanced activity that people could participate in.”

The BSL fingerspelling boards are on display on the station concourse, easily visible from the road over the bridge. They include information on both FoHS and DSN.

Mike added: “The boards have been very popular even now in the third national lockdown. Local people are using their daily exercise to walk by the boards and practice their BSL – which is exactly what the installation was intended for.”

Whilst FoHS welcome locals to view the new boards, they are encouraging people from out of the area to follow government guidelines and sit tight until it is safe to visit.

Gill Reeder, executive at DSN said: “We have been so pleased to have worked on this project with such a community-focused organisation despite the global pandemic! As an organisation we work towards a world were people with a sensory loss can communicate effectively and live healthy independent and fulfilling lives, and this is one way to help with that mission.”

Gill added: “We very much look forward to when lockdown is lifted so we can all visit and see the community giving BSL a try!”

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.