TODAY over 30 guests met at Guide Bridge station to mark the completion of the four year project to equip each station on the Glossop/ Hadfield line with a generic but individual Heritage Information Board. All 12 stations now have these boards!
 The event was hosted and organised by Friends of Glossop Station and Neil Williams, from FOGS, welcomed guests to Guide Bridge. We were able to gather in the newly restored rooms on Platform Two soon to be the home of the WOODHEAD RAIL MUSEUM. Our thanks to Andy Kettle at Friends of Guide Bridge for organising this and his colleague Peter Burchill for opening the rooms and preparing them. Peter's artistic handiwork can be admired all around the station. Note the restored brickwork in particular and the recreated scenes of yesteryear under the road bridge.
Neil gave a speech of welcome to guests and thanked all those who had created contents for their stations from fellow station friends groups. And all who had supported the project over the years. Neil thanked Anne Michaelides of naturesigndesign.co.uk for all her hard work and patience in the creation of the very attractive boards. Anne was presented with flowers. Neil also thanked Eddie Johnson - EM Johnson - who had kindly allowed us to use historic photos from his 4 Woodhead Railway books " Scenes from the past Woodhead series"  - details Foxline Press.
 Neil then paid tribute to the late Paul Abell former Editor of Today's Railways who had played a major role in the project - the board contents at Ashburys and Gorton were created by Paul. It has been agreed with his family that a plaque, currently being designed, will be placed in memory of Paul at Ashburys station later this year.
 Neil then invited STEVE FORDE currently Community Rail Officer for Mid Cheshire, but originally SEMCRP Community Rail Officer based at Stockport, to undo the ribbon on the Guide Bridge board to mark the conclusion of the project. Steve ensured in the days of lockdown that the final five boards were paid for and created. So it seemed fitting to ask Steve to do the honours today!! 
 Guests then moved upstairs to the office of Theo MacLauchlan Northern Station Manager for North East Manchester and High Peaks for refreshments  (an excellent buffet provided by Sizzlers of Carrbrook, Stalybridge) and to view displays of the boards. Theo had kindly let us use his office for this purpose and his colleague, Lynn Norbury SQ Assessor for Northern, joined us too. Also present throughout was Becky Styles Community and Sustainability Manager for Northern who has given the project staunch support. Joining us from CRN was Paul Webster who has been a keen advocate of the work on the Boards. John Kenny current community rail officer for SEMCRP (who helped recover the final 5 boards from store last summer!) joined us for the event accompanied by his co share job colleague Sarah Morgan.
 We hope visitors and travellers up and down the Glossop line will enjoy spotting the boards in situ and when they use the stations we hope they will provide some interesting information about days past on what is now the last remainder of the historic Woodhead Railway route.

A recent addition to Hadfield station is a new hexagonal planter - designed and made by Glossopdale Furniture Project - to help attract bumblebees. The project originated from the Bumblebee safari that took place last summer from Hadfield station as part of the Buzzing Stations project involving selected stations on the Buxton, Glossop and Hope Valley Lines. Riordan and Finnan, two local schoolchildren, accompanied by their mother inspired everyone with their interest and passion for conservation. So much so that Joy Hallsworth, Chair of Friends of Hadfield station, offered the boys the chance to have their own planter on the station to attract bumblebees. This was agreed and over the last few months the project has taken shape. Joy would like to thank Becky Styles Community and Sustainability Manager at Northern for funding the planter, Glossopdale Furniture Project for its creation and Dan Davenport for painting and installing it, with permission, on the platform. This week Riordan and Finnan have planted it with a range of plants including aubretia and lavender to attract bumblebees including we hope our local iconic rare bilberry bumblebee! Riordan and Finnan have agreed to act as ambassadors for the planter and to help with its ongoing care.
Dates of Bumblebee Safaris from selected stations for 2022 are being arranged. Please contact High Peak and Hope Valley Community Rail Partnership for more details.
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 We are delighted to welcome back Karen Heywood for her second exhibition in the Waiting Room Art Gallery. Karen's first showing of her work proved popular and she returns with eight new paintings. Karen was a former illustrator of children's books and also worked on some animated films. She studied Art Psychotherapy at Sheffield University.
Karen enjoys exhibiting her work which focuses on fine art. Her paintings are available to purchase. They can be viewed daily in the Waiting Room at Glossop station  - open daily from early morning to around 5.30 pm in the evenings.
 Karen contact: karenheywood1@btinternet.com

HADFIELD OPEN ART SHOW RETURNS FOR ITS 10TH EXHIBITION AT HADFIELD HALL (ABOVE THE LIBRARY) AND THE CRAFT BARN ON SATURDAY 28TH MAY TO SATURDAY 4TH JUNE.

On Wednesday 13th April Neil Williams from FOGS gave a 60 minute talk to Tameside History Club at the Local Studies and Archives Centre in Ashton. His topic was the recent completion of the four year project to equip all 12 stations on the Glossop Line with a Heritage Information board. The project was completed in December 2021 so Neil was able to explain its origins, the creation / design processes and the installation of the boards at the various stations en route. Neil wishes to thank Jill Morris at the Centre for arranging this talk and to the audience for its interest.
 Next Friday 22nd April at Guide Bridge station at 11am there will be a formal launch of the final five boards with guests to mark the completion of this project.

WE WERE DELIGHTED to welcome back to the station today former Lowestoft evacuee Alma Mingay accompanied by her son Steve. It is now a remarkable 82 YEARS since Alma first set foot on Glossop Station arriving as one of 600 child evacuees from Lowestoft on June 2nd 1940.
It was a real privilege to witness Alma pointing out landmarks of the station along with her memories to Steve. It was his first visit.
In 2017 Alma, along with the late Bryan Howard, unveiled a commemorative plaque at the station marking the arrival of the evacuees. This was at an event organised by FOGS to bring together at the station the many local people with links to Lowestoft.
 Alma has, over the years, visited Glossop to see family and friends. However lockdown restrictions in recent years have prevented such trips. So to be able to return this week was very special for Alma.
An informal gathering of former Lowestoft evacuees is planned at Lowestoft Station in the restored Parcels Office Community Space on June 2nd this year.

We have recently installed three replacement wooden barrel tubs on the open platform. These replace the existing ones which, after 10 years of Glossop weather, had started to deteriorate. We would like to thank Councillor Jean Wharmby for a generous donation towards the cost of these tubs. Soil has been sieved and drainage/compost renewed. We look forward to new plants thriving in them!
Spring has also returned to Glossop station with new attractive floral displays inside the station bringing some welcome colour and cheer. We thank Pat, Chris, Teresa and Linda for their time in creating these displays! We hope you enjoy them.

On Thursday 10th March TfGM held a thank you event at Wigan Town Hall for community rail groups within its area. The event was organised by Mark Angelucci Rail Officer for TfGM. After a two year gap of this event due to Lockdowns it was good to be back in the company of fellow rail volunteers. There were a number of interesting presentations some from well established groups such as Hindley and ones from new groups such as Orrell. Mark did a sterling job in organising pictures to accompany the talks.
Neil Williams from FOGS gave a presentation focusing on the recently completed Heritage Information Boards now to be found at every station on the Glossop line. Neil also brought along the new Visit the Glossop Line banner created by Catherine Croney and Helen Wright, Partnership Officers, from the High Peak and Hope Valley Community Rail Partnership. It stood in place as an attractive backdrop for all the presentations and was the focus of many compliments. Neil also gave out the new HPHVCRP Visit the Line leaflets for the Glossop, Buxton and Hope Valley Lines. They attracted much interest.
We thank Mark for organising this event and the hospitality.
There will be a formal launch to mark the completion of the Heritage Boards project at Guide Bridge on April 22nd.

 The reduced weekday timetable on the Glossop Line is likely to continue to May. Northern has stated that return to a 30 minute weekday service will happen when resources permit. Please check train times carefully. Some Sunday services from 20th March onwards will be replaced by buses due to engineering works.
Current weekday train times from Glossop: 5.53SO 5.54SX 6.13SX 6.19SO 7.17SX 7.22SO 7.52. 8.52 9.22 10.22 10.52 11.52 12.22 13.22 13.52 14.52 15.22 16.22 16.52 17.5218.22 19.22 19.52 20.52 21.22 22.22 22.53
Piccadilly to Glossop Weekdays: 6.24SX 6.30SO 7.03SO 7.07SX 8.03 8.33 9.33 10.03 11.03 11.33 12.33 13.03 14.03 14.33 15.33 16.03 17.03 17.32 18.32 19.03 20.03 20.32 21.33 22.00 23.29

Today we welcomed Susan Eversfield and her work to the Waiting Room Art Gallery at Glossop Station. Susan has, in the last year, moved from Devon to live in Glossop.  Having had exhibitions in France, Devon and, more recently, galleries in Buxton, we are very pleased that she has chosen the station to exhibit some of her paintings.
After a fulfilling career in Primary Education Susan now has the time to explore her world in creative ways. She is inspired to paint by the environment, a love of the sea and by life and culture in other countries - in addition by reactions to life's surprises!
Susan likes to paint in themes using different media such as charcoal, pastel, paint and ceramic. Eight of her paintings are now on display some featuring local High Peak scenes and some of which are also available as limited print editions or in greetings card format.

Contact Susan: susaneversfield@gmail.com
07503 231223
Instagram: EversfieldArt
 
Any other artist/photographer wishing to exhibit their work at the station should contact John Kimpton on 01457 859128

 The temporary reduced weekday service on the Glossop line, as outlined in the previous bulletin, will continue until further notice. We will, of course publicise details when the full timetable resumes.