We are delighted to welcome back CHRIS TAYLOR as our artist in the Waiting Room Art Gallery.
Chris' pictures created quite a stir in 2021 as he uses calligraphy and hand lettering in the creation of his pictures. If you look closely you see the designs are like a mosaic of words!
Chris enjoys featuring the natural world in his pictures and often also features poems as part of his work.
There are nine of his pictures currently on display which can be viewed daily when the station booking office is open - from around 7.00 am to 6.30 pm weekdays and 10.00 am until 5.00 pm Sundays.
The pictures are for sale and Chris can be contacted on 01457 857315

THE SATURDAY of the Platinum Jubilee event saw former Lowestoft child evacuees gather together in the restored Parcels Office at Lowestoft station. It is now a remarkable 82 years since 600 evacuees came to Glossop on June 2nd 1940!
Hosted by the Wherry lines Community Rail Partnership and Lowestoft Central project 40 evacuees enjoyed an afternoon tea together in celebration of the Royal Jubilee and in commemoration of their 82 years together. Neil Williams from Friends of Glossop Station represented Glossop and he spoke to the evacuees about recent events in the town including the very successful revived Victorian Weekend.
Martin Halliday, Community Rail Development Officer, then carried out the traditional roll call as to who had attended former schools in Lowestoft. Martin commented, "It was wonderful to see friends reunited and hear some fascinating stories from their time as evacuees."
Martin and team had worked extremely hard beforehand with Platinum Jubilee themed decorations on every table and surrounds. The buffet tea was enjoyed by everyone and Alma Minghay, on behalf of the evacuees, thanked everyone for their hard work. 

PRIOR TO THE REIGN of our current Monarch, the previous longest serving was Queen Victoria whose reign ended in 1901 after 63 years and seven months. It therefore seems appropriate as we celebrate Queen Elizabeth II's seventy years on the throne that we launch our new Poetry Platform display on Glossop Victorian Weekend.
The new display highlights the Poets Laureate who have been in post during those seventy years. Appropriately there have been seven poets who have held the post, acknowledging seven decades of our monarch’s reign from John Masefield (Laureate 1930 – 67) through to the current holder of the position, proud Yorkshireman, Simon Armitage.
Drop by the station and take a look at the display. With brief biographies of each poet and a few lines from their work, it's an opportunity to reflect on seventy years of the Queen through poetry.

HADFIELD OPEN ART SHOW's 10th exhibition takes place from Saturday 28th May to Saturday 4th June at Hadfield Hall, above the library, for Adult exhibitors - 10am to 4am weekends 11am to 3pm weekdays. For children their exhibitions are on display at the Craft Barn, Station Road, Hadfield at the same times. The exhibitions are a fantastic opportunity to see local artists work on display in lovely settings. Workshops for beginners and families, Art Talks, an art trail and Hadfield's first Pro Loco are also available.
For more details click here

Monday 23rd May saw the launch of Community Rail Week, promoted by Community Rail Network. At Manchester Piccadilly station Friends of Glossop Station joined forces with the Mid Cheshire and North Cheshire CRP reps to promote tourist/leisure travel in these areas and the Peak District.
Organised by Danielle Lahan from Network Rail tables were set up with an array of free information to help travellers visit these lines and destinations. This included the new attractive Visit the Glossop Line Banner designed by Catherine and Helen at High Peak and Hope Valley Community Rail Partnership. Becky and Simon, Northern's Community and Sustainability Managers, were also on hand as was Chris McLaughlin Community Safety Officer for Northern. They also provided lots of material for visitors. We had a steady stream of interested people visit us and hopefully some potential new travellers!

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.