On this first day of January may we wish everyone a Happy and Healthy New Year?
 We are very grateful of ongoing support in these challenging times. We would like to say a sincere thank you to our friends at Northern - in particular to Becky Styles our Community and Sustainability Manager for her kindnesses and consistent support of all that we do.
  We would also like to thank Andrew Walker Partnership Officer in his six years at the High Peak and Hope Valley Community Partnership for all that he has done in this post! Andrew has been so supportive of all the groups on the Buxton, Glossop and Hope Valley lines. His calm demeanour and professional attention to detail have been assets which have benefited us all. We thank him too for visiting a number of our Community events at Glossop. Andrew is taking on another post full time for DCC and we wish him continued success!
 I would also like to thank Steve Forde Rail Officer for SEMCRP for all his work on getting the remaining five historic Glossop line information boards created in 2020. We look forward to seeing these installed in 2021.
 Our plans for this year also include the development of the Buzzing Stations project, the tourist promotion leaflet Take a Trip on The Glossop Line and the resumption of community events - all subject, of course, to the lessening of restrictions in the coming months.

We are very pleased to announce that Rizwan Haider and Saeed Mohamed two of our very professional and friendly gating staff team here at Glossop were awarded a 1st prize in a recently held Customer Care Awards evening organised by Northern. We offer them our CONGRATULATIONS! The event was held on line due to restrictions but on a recent visit to the station by Nick Donovan MD for Northern, Rizwan received personal thanks for his efforts.
FOGS too gained a PLATINUM Award for the second year running in the It's Your Station category in the recently held Community Rail Network Awards. Our thanks to all at CRN for this award and all those who have given us support in a very challenging year! Friends of Buxton took the lead award in this category and we offer Dave and our friends at Buxton our congratulations.

The family of the late Peter Glover has kindly donated several framed paintings of Glossop (given to Peter over the years as gifts) to Friends of Glossop Station. We thank them for this and we hope to create a special display of them in the Station Waiting Room Art Gallery later in 2021.

We are delighted to announce the launch of a new book A LONG WAY FROM HOME written by Sandra Delf and Clive Capps featuring 40 Lowestoft evacuee stories. Many of the stories of course feature Glossop as it was the home for over 600 evacuees! The book has taken two years to produce and was launched before Christmas in the newly restored parcels office at Lowestoft Station. The event was organised with the kind help of Martin Halliday Community Rail Officer for Norfolk. The book includes a chapter explaining recent links and commemorations at Glossop Station. It has been created with a lot of care and pride! And is a very good read!
Copies are priced at £11.99 and can be obtained directly by contacting Clive at clivecapps@aol.com
 

Friends of Glossop Station were saddened to learn of the death of Peter Glover in Southport last week. Peter was a strong supporter of the historic links between Glossop and Lowestoft and attended reunion events in both towns. He will be sadly missed but he will be remembered with affection and respect.

We are pleased to welcome Glossop based artist Ailsa Johnson to the Station Waiting Room Art Galley. This is Ailsa's first public display and her paintings are already arousing interest. Ailsa moved to Glossop from Wiltshire in 2006 and is very happy with her new home. Although Ailsa took a course in art and graphic design she did not make this her career. Inspired by the 2018 Hadfield Art Show Ailsa took up painting again also taking evening class lessons with David Woodrow at Glossop Library in 2019. 
Ailsa's paintings can be viewed daily at Glossop station from early morning to late afternoon. CLICK HERE to contact her.

Bookings for 2021 are now available and we invite any local artists/ photographers to get  in touch if they would like to display their work. 
There is no charge for displays and we will help with setting up the displays. By kind permission of Northern, work may be offered for sale.
Contact us by email at friends-of-glossop-station.co.uk or leave contact details at the booking office at glossop station fao Neil Williams.

Recently launched by Hulleys of Baslow is a new daily express bus service between Manchester, Glossop and Sheffield via the A57 better known locally as The Snake - a most scenic route via the famous Ladybower reservoir.
Demand for a bus service link to Sheffield has been growing in Glossop and we wish the new service every success especially during these challenging times. Hulleys have spent time publicising the service and erecting new bus stops along the route the most noticeable being two stops at the Snake Summit! These are already being used by walkers accessing the Pennine Way.
From Glossop buses for Sheffield leave the bus stop in front of the Howard Arms High Street East Mondays to Saturdays at 7.05 8.15 10.15 12.15 14.15 16.25 17.55 19.34 (Fridays and Saturdays only at 21.33 and 00.13). 
Sundays at 9.48 11.48 13.48 15.48 17.48. The Sunday services, apart from 13.48, call via Fairholmes and Bamford railway station offering excellent links to Hope Valley Rail line. Timetables are available at Glossop railway station, on the buses and here on our website.
Please note that buses for Sheffield depart 10 minutes earlier than shown in the timetable and depart not from Henry Street but High Street East.
In the other direction the bus service drops off/picks up for Manchester outside Market Hall in Glossop. Buses are express to Manchester calling only at selected stops to Hollingworth and Mottram then via the motorway to Manchester. All railcards can be used to gain fare reductions and concessionary bus passes are valid at appropriate times.

See hulleys-of-baslow.co.uk for further information

We are sorry to report some damage to the door of our much liked Victorian Postbox situated on the wall by the Waiting Room. As a result Royal Mail has removed the door. We have made enquiries at the Sorting Office at Glossop about its repair. We are very concerned to learn that the box may not be repaired and be taken out of use. We believe it is an original feature dating from 1847. We have written formally to Royal Mail at Glossop urging its repair and reminding them politely that Glossop Station is a Grade Two listed building and that historic features must be maintained. We await a reply. 
We hope we have the support of all users of the station in seeking its restoration.

Our Waiting Room Art Gallery is back in business and we extend a warm welcome to Glossop based artist Gavin Parkin.
Born and educated in Doncaster Gavin studied Graphic Design in Manchester working in IT until his retirement. He returned to painting seven years ago and enjoys experimenting with different techniques. An active member of Glossop Art Society, Gavin has six of his paintings on display. The Waiting Room is open daily at the station from early morning to early evening.
We hope you enjoy his work.
Gavin can be contacted: gavinparkin@btinternet.com