Friends Of Glossop Station - Blog

The Midnight Express! The Yorkshire Rose Kipper special train

31/1/2015

Pathfinder Tours are intending to run a special train consisting of top and tailed Class 37 locomotive hauled carriages to various destinations including GLOSSOP and HADFIELD on Friday 6th March departing from Crewe 23.00 and Stockport at 23.35. Travelling overnight into Saturday 7th March the train will visit a variety of destinations including Ilkley and both Bradford termini. Travelling at night permits access to branches where the intensity of weekday services precludes such special trains.
For Glossop this will be the first time since the famous FA Vase Football train to Wembley in April 2009 that a locomotive hauled train will visit the branch line and station.
For details and bookings contact www.pathfindertours.co.uk

2015 A year for station anniversaries

31/1/2015

At the recent Guide Bridge meeting it became clear that 2015 marks several station anniversaries! Marple and New Mills Central celebrate 150th anniversaries in July - the 4th and the 5th being celebratory days. Special events will be held at both stations and there are plans for a special train too. More details available via the websites of Friends of Marple and Friends of New Mills Stations. Celebrating 170th anniversaries are Broadbottom and Hadfield Stations on the Glossop Line. Again plans to mark these events are being drawn up - more details soon.

Meetings update

31/1/2015

We have been busy with meetings since the start of 2015! Penny attended The High Peak and Hope Valley Community Rail Partnership meeting in Glossop on 14th January. We welcome Andrew Walker the partnership's new project officer. At this meeting Arriva Trains, one of the the three bidders for the Northern Rail Franchise from February 2016, gave a presentation. It is hoped that Abellio and GoVia will be able to offer similar presentations during the year.
At Guide Bridge last week on 27th January Station Friends' representatives from Glossop, Hadfield, Broadbottom, Hattersley, Heaton Chapel, New Mills and Rose Hill met at Guide Bridge with Theo McLauchlan our Northern Line Manager. It was an extremely useful meeting and we were able to discuss a range of topics/issues including our plans for the year. Theo is hoping to have similar meetings every 2 months, the next being set for 31st March. Later that same day Neil from Glossop and Babs from Hattersley attended the SEMCORP meeting at Manchester Town Hall with Project Officer Stephen Forde. Another useful and well run meeting. A common theme to all meetings was of course speculation about the direction of the new Franchise. We await the DfT Invitation to Tender due out in February. On Friday 30th January Penny and Neil attended Friends of Hattersley Station's AGM in Hattersley. We were delighted that Babs Allen has been re - elected as Chairperson!

Baroness Kramer opens new facilities at Guide Bridge

14/12/2014

On Thursday 11th December Baroness Kramer Transport Minister formally opened the new Ticket office/Waiting room and Car Park at Guide Bridge Station. She was accompanied by Alex Hynes Managing Director of Northern, Theo McLauchlan Glossop Line Manager and Matthew Worman Client and Stakeholder Manager for Northern. Friends of Glossop Station had been invited to offer the refreshments at this event by Theo and a splendid spread had been prepared by the indefatigable Bunty Gibson and her team! Also taking centre stage on the table in the conference room was a lovely railway themed floral arrangement skillfully created by Christine Kimpton with the help of her husband John. The occasion was marked by a blue ribbon opening and a plaque unveiling. Alex welcomed the Baroness to the station and thanked Friends of Glossop for its participation. Picking up on this theme Baroness Kramer thanked FOGS for bringing its community spirit down the line! We were happy to do so especially as the Glossop Line is now a designated DfT Community Rail Line. The Baroness was then given a tour of the ticket office backstage before leaving to see the progress of work at Manchester Victoria.
We enjoyed meeting everyone including familiar friends - Joy from Hadfield and Babs from Hattersley and Stephen from SEMCoRP. We met for the first time Alison from Northern and Jackie from Network Rail both of whom had taken a trip to see Glossop Station earlier that morning. We appreciated their interest and kind comments. We would like to thank David Waite and Dawn at Guide Bridge for their practical help and good humour!! And also thanks to Theo for involving us in this interesting occasion. We were pleased to learn that customers using Guide Bridge like the new facilities and that footfall has increased.

New artists at Glossop Station

14/12/2014

Friends of Glossop Station extend a warm welcome to our new artists who have their work on display in the Waiting Room's Station Art Gallery - Marie Brookes and Roselyne Quilis-Edwards. Both are Glossop based artists who have exhibited elsewhere. Roselyne's work feature some dramatic seascapes and Marie's feature woodland scenes and landscapes. All pictures may be purchased. Marie can be contacted on 01457 866581 and Roselyne on 01457 867137. Our thanks to John Kimpton for painting the backdrop and to Northern for their ongoing support.

Christmas tree at Glossop station

14/12/2014

FOGS would like to thank GLOSSOP GARDEN CENTRE for their generous donation of the Christmas tree to the station. Now decorated with handcrafted baubles created by children at the station's recent Christmas Gala and lights switched on by Northern's Managing Director Alex Hynes, the tree provides a cheery and seasonal greeting to all users at the station.

Busiest ever Christmas Gala at Glossop Station!

7/12/2014

On Saturday 6th December Friends of Glossop Station held their annual Christmas Gala.
Father Christmas, arrived promptly on the 11.47 Northern train from Lapland was greeted by the largest crowd of children and adults since the event began five years ago! Moving to the waiting room Father Christmas greeted each child personally before handing over a free gift. Over 100 gifts were given along with satsumas and sweets given out by FOGS' Jacqueline Horne At the end of the session Santa's face was redder than the pictures of him seen on Christmas cards! (Click here for pictures of the day)
Our other special guest was Alex Hynes, Managing Director of Northern Rail. We were delighted to welcome Alex as it was his first visit to Glossop station. With the help of his young nephew Ned, Alex switched on the Christmas tree lights at around 11.30. He then made a short speech complimenting FOGS on its work at the station as well as stressing Northern's commitment to Community involvement. Alex was then given a short tour of the station ahead of Santa's arrival which allowed him to explore the station's features and recent developments such as the newly established Twig cafe. His eye was caught in the waiting room station Art Gallery by the new paintings of Glossop artists Marie Brooke and Roselyne Quilis-Edwards. Alex stayed for over two hours and chatted to many people proving to be a most amenable and interested guest. On his departure he was given in a presentation box a gift of Bunty Gibson's famous rocky road cake and a framed montage of Glossop station images created by Paul Marsh.
Folk Group SPINDRIFT provided seasonal music and Glossop Model Railway Society provided a popular interactive layout for the children. Christine Kimpton's Craft making stall allowed childern to make decorations for the station's tree and their own homes. Nearby Chris and Barbara cheerfully manned the raffle with a first prize of a Northern Rail Day out.
FOGS would like to thank everyone for their support. In particular Theo McLauchlan Glossop Line Manager and all the FOGS' backstage team who made this event possible. To Ian Dalton, Janet, Dave, Graham and Claire - our local Northern Staff our thanks for their patience and active help! Much appreciated! And of course special thanks to Father Christmas and Alex for joining us on the day.
To view photographs of the day click here. Please check local papers including Glossop Chronicle and Buxton Advertiser for news too.

Christmas Santa Event at Glossop Station Sat 6th December

19/11/2014

We are delighted to announce that our annual Christmas Santa event will again take place at Glossop Station on SATURDAY 6TH DECEMBER between 11.00 and 13.00. Father Christmas will arrive on the 11.47 train and there will be a free gift for every child!

There will be seasonal music from SPINDRIFT - making a welcome return!- and Glossop Model Railway Society will have one of their ever popular working layouts on display. Andrea Strogen and her team will be offering children the chance to make Christmas tree decorations either for our tree at the station or to take home. There will be a Christmas Raffle with assorted prizes. Refreshments will be available at the newly established Twig Station Cafe.
Our Northern Rail guest this year is ALEX HYNES Managing Director of Northern Rail and we look forward to welcoming Alex to the station. Alex will switch on the Christmas tree lights at around 11.20.
FOGS hope to decorate the station in the first week of December and we are again grateful to Glossop Garden Centre for offering us a Christmas Tree!
There is no charge to join us at the Station so whether you are a returning guest or a new visitor we promise you and your children a warm welcome on the day!
Our thanks to Northern Rail and our Glossop Line Manager, Theo MacLauchlan, for their help in organising this event.

Andrew Bingham High Peak MP visits Dinting and Glossop

9/11/2014

On Friday 6th November Andrew Bingham High Peak MP made his scheduled visits to Dinting and Glossop stations in very wet conditions! (click here to see the pictures in our photos section) Andrew was welcomed on arrival by Alison Bowry, Coordinator of Project Earth at High Peak Community Arts, Theo McLauchlan Northern Rail's Glossop line Manager and Neil Williams from Friends of Glossop station. Accompanied by Dinting High Peak Councilor Jean Wharmby, Andrew was able to admire - with some umbrella protection! - the 5 ceramic murals created by the vulnerable adults of Project Earth working with Glossop ceramicist Adrian Holt. Several of the group were present and were able to explain to the MP their motivation for quite different and distinctive designs. Back in the drier conditions of the waiting room Alison was able to show the developmental stages of the project by using Pam's excellent photo album. Alison also explained to everyone how she sought funding and the difficulties she is currently facing following an Arts' Council cut in grant.
The group then moved on to Glossop where Neil showed Andrew the development of the embankment garden, the newly installed historic perimeter railings and the two new sash windows. Penny Greenwood then showed the MP the commemorative First World War poetry display and explained her poignant choice of poems. Andrew then had a look at the current art work on display before concluding his tour with a welcome cup of coffee in the station's newly established Twig cafe. Here he met and spoke to Mike, one of the co -proprietors. FOGS woud like to thank Andrew for his interest in the stations and his patience and good humour with the weather! We would also like to thank Theo for his ongoing support and commitment to our work at both stations. Additionally we would like to say a thank you to Janet at Dinting station for her all her help with this visit.

Andrew Bingham High Peak MP to visit Dinting and Glossop

29/10/2014

Andrew Bingham, MP for High Peak, is to visit Dinting and Glossop Stations on Friday 7th November. He has been invited by Alison Bowry of Project Earth/ High Peak Community Arts and Neil Williams, Friends of Glossop station to view the ceramic murals at Dinting and the Embankment Garden at Glossop. Both projects were recently shortlisted in the national ACoRP community awards held earlier this month. We also hope to show him the commemorative World War One Poetry Platform display and the newly established Twig cafe.