Playtime at Glossop Station?

Well not quite!! On Monday 23rd Neil, with Theo's help, hosted a visit by an Infant Class from the Duke of Norfolk School in Glossop. Emma Harvey, Year One teacher had asked whether a visit and a little trip by train might be possible - transport is a current theme - and thus it was arranged! A crocodile of 29 yellow jacketed 5 year olds, plus Adults - Emma, Marian, Beccy, Oliver's Dad, Madame Harvey and Neil set out for the station at 9.30 from the school. Happy excited children!! And Adults too!! Arriving at the station the children waved to Dave and Keith in the booking office before posing for a Chronicle photo with Editor, David Jones. Boarding the 9.52 to Hadfield and back Emma and Marian made the most of what could be viewed from the windows as well as taking in action photos! The children also had their apples as a healthy snack en route and good habits were inculcated by Emma insisting all cores were put in a bag! On returning to the station the children gathered in the waiting rooms where Neil pointed out some of the relevant historical  pictures. Questions were asked..... Who? Where? Why? and answered and some of the children spotted other faces that they knew in the FOGS' montage - particularly from last year's storytelling train shots. The visit concluded with a look at the famous bell outside the station and, of course, our iconic lion. What do you think we should call him? Neil asked.  "Louise!"  was one answer - as bit different to the expected Leo! Lots of appreciated comments about the attractive look of the station. We think it was a success because by 11.00 that day 2 more teachers had asked for the same trip the following week!! Theo has kindly agreed to this and Neil is to assist along with Matthew. Our thanks to Theo for setting this up and to Dave and Keith's  practical help/support on the day

GLOSSOP STATION BY NIGHT - A NEW FEATURE!

The dramatic night shots of work at Glossop Station reflect the hours of work that Storyrail/ Network Rail personnel  have been putting in over the last couple of months between the hours of 00.30 and 05.30. Our lovely new grey hexagonal blocked paved platform can be seen clearly - there have been many compliments about the quality of workmanship and it seems to be quite a unique surface! Neil is mentally noting platform surfaces now as he travels around - sad!! The final sealing took place last week. New platform edging stones have been laid the length of the platform as has a tactile strip. New lighting has made the canopy a lot brighter. Can we have the same illumination inside asks Bunty?! Painting underneath the Canopy is underway. All metal surafces have been stripped of former paint ready for new. The replacement of the glass panels in the roof is however, apparently proving more problematic and, according to Karen and Chris, additional expertise will be needed to replace these. So we must be patient to see new glass panels and the subsequent improvement in daylight! Our thanks to Karen Davidson at Network Rail and Chris Stirling at Storyrail for keeping us in the picture - to Karen for sending us the photos and to Simon for displaying them.

Recent photos of Glossop station by night showing the work taking place by Storyrail/Network rail personnel - note new platform surface! Pictures kindly supplied by Karen Davidson of Network Rail. More details in accompanying story.

BASKETS!!
No not Foggies! Yesterday Monday Bunty and Neil spent a good chunk of the morning preparing 2 new Winter Hanging Baskets for the Station entrance to sit on the lovely but forlornly ornate brackets. Bunty, "Skimmias, grasses, ivies and bulbs - no pansies!" And thus it was - plants kindly provided by Glossop Garden Centre, wrought iron baskets by FOGS. On a beautiful sunny day we finally landed at the station around lunchtime to put these up. Neil seizing the chance to use a borrowed lightweight Network Rail ladder as opposed to our two ton wooden one quickly got into position to put them onto the brackets with Bunty as always saying only use reef knots!! There are more?? By sheer coincidence a little four person tour was being led around the station by Karen Davidson of Network Rail with Storyrail and High Peak Council reps to view progress on the renovations. It was nice to pass on compliments and hear updates on progress. Karen spent time doing this which was appreciated. Neil then called by on Cezara at the Chronicle with a view to this story about the baskets being featured. Simon's thoughts on this? Non news Neil - now if you were to fall off the ladder this would be news!! Despite this upbeat assessment Cezara was interested and notes were made! Today Tuesday Neil was somewhat surprised to be phoned to say the story was to be made bigger. Could  Neil make a photo session at 12.00 with Richard? This turned out to ge a half hour Hollywood style production involving Richard 12 feet up a ladder looking down on Neil gazing up at said baskets! We may as well take some waiting room shots adds Richard. Poor Cezara - now faced with innumerable shots of baskets, Neil and waiting rooms. Not that big a story she thinks!!

Some nice blokes turned up today from Consignia or Consortia or somewhere, to rip out the plastic windows and replace them with old fashioned sash windows.  Most people would be happy to replace draughty sash windows with newfangled double glazing, but here in Glossop we're proud of being a bit backward.  Actually it's because the station is listed and  the upvc should never have gone in in the first place.

The chap on the right didn't fancy having his photo taken but I bribed him with the promise it wouldn't end up on the internet.  This is them doing their best efforts to "look like you're doing something".

Poetry Platform
                         Just before Christmas Rob Stevens, Tutor, and a group of local poets from the Writers'group WRITE FROM THE HEART visited the station to see their poems which had been attractively displayed by FOGS' Emma Young. Also present was County Councillor Jean Wharmby who presented Neil with a cheque for £200 towards further work by FOGS. A photo of the group was taken by David Jones, Editor of the Glossop Chronicle, and a nice write up appeared in the Chronicle just before Christmas. FOGS thanks Jean for her ongoing support. Emma intends doing a second display of their poems shortly. This will be followed by a return to a theme which will be poems linked to animals. All contributions welcome - please send in to FOGS!

Network Rail and the Embankment at Glossop Station

                    Network Rail has accepted our risk assessment for the Embankment which means that Neil, on behalf of FOGS, has signed a legal agreement with Mike Franklin permitting access to the Embankment from April to September. This is a huge step forward and it is hard to believe the transformation that has taken place since April of last year. In January 2011 it was still the weed strewn mound so beloved by us all! And the best news is that a fence is not currently needed!

                    Mike is sending our boiler suits and other clothing for us to Guide Bridge. We are all pondering the day glo orange outfits - not wearing that said Simon! He will!!

                    Huge thanks to Pete Gaskell and Mike Franklin and, at Guide Bridge, Russell and Andy, for making this happen!

Natasha's Visit!

Last Tuesday the 10th January Natasha Wilding Northern's Head of Stations at Manchester paid an inspection visit to Broadbottom, Dinting, Glossop and Hadfield Stations. She was accompanied by Theo, Glossop Line Manager. We know Natasha because she kindly switched on our Christmas Lights 3 years ago so Theo said Neil could meet her again at Glossop. Beforehand much much work going on - 5 ISS personnel cleaning and tidying plus Neil in preparation for Natasha's arrival - a bit like a Royal Visit! At one point Neil is frantically fretting over a red mark on the floor of the waiting room knowing he has 5 minutes to get rid of it!! He does just as Natasha and Theo arrive! Natasha is very complimentary about the imrovements - the new Waiting rooms/Booking Office and Simon's displays. She ponders buying one of Tacey's pictures! Neil invites her to find her photo in Chris Strogens' homage to FOGS! She is really taken aback at the Embankment and the changes here declaring kindly that Glossop is now one of Northern's Flagship stations. We are now thinking of putting HMS GLOSSOP over the entrance!

What's going on at Glossop?

Well a lot actually!! Over the Christmas and New Year period Storyrail the contractors for Network Rail have continued to work nearly every night on the renovations to the platform and Canopy. There is now a most impressive new platform consisting of hexagonal grey paving blocks stretching the whole length of the platform along with new edging stones and tactile strip - many deserved compliments about the quality of the workmanship and the overall appearance. Clearly this work has caused a lot of noise in the nearby neighbourhood at night but Simon has hit on the solution of ear plugs to ensure a good night's sleep! Karen from Network Rail and Chris from Storyrail are managing the project well.

Attention has now turned to the Canopy which has not been painted in years! Part of it has now been painted and repairs to the roof, woodwork and guttering are well in hand. New beading to the entrance doors is now in place as befits the station's conservation status. Now that Simon has relocated his camera we hope to share some of these improvements with you soon! We are in particular looking forward to the reglazing which should make the Canopy a lot lighter! The seats returned today and by 10.00 Neil had already asked one person to sit properly - please!! New luminaries - lights in normal parlance! - have arrived for the heads of the platform lights.

We are grateful to Karen and Chris for allowing us to put up our usual Christmas Decorations in the midst of all this work.