On July 15th another of FOGS' famous Embankment sessions was held with the usual start time of 06.00!! Due to holidays only Eric and Neil were present initially but Chris joined us a little later wearing his Network Rail orange jumpsuit and blue helmet for the first time!. We are all agreed that these are extremely warm and practical garments!! Russell, as always, was on hand to greet us with a smile! We had more plants than ever to get in and it was a remarkable sight to see the platform adorned with so many plants and pots. Eric had the remainder of the primulas from Manor Park as well as plants he had bought - some bargains here! Neil had also bought a range as well as bringing along the plants donated by Les and his wife from their stall on Glossop Outside Market. Les has been a real supporter in recent weeks of our work and I hope he has enjoyed seeing his plants on the Embankment and in the three tubs. We thank him very much!

The focus was to get the plants in and, having done a quick litter pick, we set to work with gusto! Fortunately the weather was kind and good progress was made with planting. We were however conscious that weeding needed to be done and Eric, in particular, set to work with a vengeance on this task using a thee pronged tool from the exclusive Pass range! The rockery end of the Embankment now looks a lot more substantial with height and colour. We have received many kind comments about these recent plantings. Fortunately the rainy days following this work have helped the plants bed in. The comment that pleased most??

"Fantastic!" said Russell as he came at 09.00 to sign us out!
 

Saturday 7th July - the big day! The Teddy Bears' Picnic!! After a dreadful day of rain on the Friday we were all a little apprehensive about the effect of the weather. However we were greeted with blue skies and sunshine for the whole day - a reminder of summer! Preparations began at about 8.30 with a clean followed by the putting up of tables/chairs. Caroline England our Star Storyteller transformed the Victorian Waiting Room into a colourful den ready for her young audience. Martin Peck and friends quickly got the model railway layout up and running. Bunty Gibson and Paul Kiddy got the teddy labelling - a fun job underway at about 10.45 - as Teddies, children, Mums   and Dads started to roll up. And of course the picnics were given out! Thanks to Bunty and Jacqueline for all their work with this!

Matthew Cox as the Fat Contoller brought humour to the Station and, along with Penny Greenwood, set off to add entertainment to the happy scenes at Broadbottom and Hattersley! They were joined by John LeGrove who proved a real asset at Broadbottom in helping young children and prams over the bridge at Broadbottom! Eric Pass as always moved amongst everyone helping in his usual pragmatic and kindly manner! Meanwhile Jacqueline Horne moved in with her coffee and flasks with refreshments - An orange jacket please said she!

A busy busy fun table was the one being run by Andrea Strogen and Lesley Nixon featuring the wooden teddy bears created and kindly donated by Simon Denvers. Children were happily sticking on coloured beads and material to make their own named bears. A real hit! Pictures werealso being drawn. Over at the Story Telling Den Caroline was busy with puppets and props weaving her magic as stories were told!

Neil suddenly found himslf using the PA to announce the Teddy Bears' Specials - a professional job said Keth quietly to him as Neil pondered whether it had made sense!! On the trains lots of happy teddy travellers and families moving between the 3 stations. We estimated that 60 to 70 teddies, children and families moved between the stations from 11.00 to 1.00pm and lots of nice comments about the face painting at Broadbottom, the games at Hattersley were being shared! Also on the trains the guards entered the fun with gusto announcing Teddy Bear special trains and pointing out features en route such as the Viaducts. Many customers were first time travellers!

Theo McLauchlan, our Northern Line Manager, joined us along with his family from 10.00 and we must say a big thanks to Theo for his support of the event and for arranging the free travel between Glossop, Broadbottom and Hattersley Stations. We had many compliments about this!

Our thanks to everyone who came along!! To Dominic and David from the local papers. To John Kimpton for being a roving photographer and to Chris Strogen foran array of photos at Glossop. These can be viewed alongside this review. Contact us if you want copies. Thanks to our Glossop Northern staff Pete, Keith, Dave and Graham for support on the day and with help in publicising it To Paul Marsh for fantastic posters! And to Alison Holt from the newly formed Friends of Dinting for putting up pictures at Dinting station. To Steve Magner from TfGM for financial help with publicity and for joining us on the day! And Neil's thanks to Babs at Hattersley, Steve, Alison and Jonathon at Broadbottom for all their enthusiasm, planning and hard work in makingthe 2012 Teddy Bears' Picnic happen! And the sun shone!!!!!

On Saturday 30th June Bunty and Neil crept down to the Station at 23.30 armed with a flask of coffee and patience! Their mission - to contact the contractors responsible for putting up the pigeon netting that night - a possession had been booked. Expecting a lonely vigil Bunty and Neil were pleasantly surprised to find the contractors under the supervision of our old friends Story Rail already at work. Chris Stirling of Story talked through the work and we asked that the 5 cords for the Hanging Baskets to remain in situ. This was agreed. Chris also said that the platform surface would be sealed, the yellow cross diagonals painted in front of the fire door and the lamp posts painted too.

Returning at 7.45 the following morning - John LeG there from 06.30! - we were very impressed with the quality of the work carried out. Effective but unobtrusive netting had been erected under the Canopy. And in the following days it has been a real pleasure not to have to deal with pigeon droppings on the platform! So far so good! The 5 baskets have been re hung with summer decorations
 
Our thanks to Story, TfGM and Northern for this work.