Friday 21st October
         
Bunty and Neil spent two hours at the station today sorting out FOGS' possessions in the old booking office - a very tidy set of shelves is now in evidence with new labels to be provided by Roger.

A FOGS' evening outing is planned on the 6th December to Manchester Piccadilly Power Signal Box kindly organised by PC Julian Gallagher. With significant changes now taking place on the Glossop Line to signalling ie Ashburys box has closed recently and Guide Bridge is set to follow - this visit is most timely!!

Monday 17th October

Neil was the guest speaker at the Ladies' Fellowship - Central Methodist Church evening meeting. He spoke informally for about an hour with photos/memorabilia about the work of FOGS over the last few years. He also had the ladies smiling with some of the more humorous incidents that have taken place! Neil much appreciated the warmth of the ladies' responses and their compliments as to how attractive Glossop Station was these days! They also shared some interesting anecdotes about the station too reminding Neil that FOGS needs a forum for such memories. They have promised toattend the Chistmas Santa Gala on 3rd December!!

Sunday 16th October
 
With Network Rail permission another working party took place on the Embankment from 08.00 onwards. Led by Eric, John LeGrove, John Kimpton, Chris Strogen and Neil four hours of graft were put in! Eric spearheaded the removal of all the grass in front of the sleepers - Grahams' later comment  - you are making a sod of that!! Weeds were removed and Neil planted four heathers in Eric's now famous rockery! There was a much appreciated Buffer buffet at about 10.00 supplied by John K. Neil planted more bulbs and trial sprayed an area of grass - showing signs a week later of turning brown. As always the inspiration of the day was Eric  - barrowload after barrowload of soil and grass was removed by John LeG and Chris. 4 hours of work left the Embankment looking a lot better for this attention!

Our thanks again to Pete for arranging this!

Andrew Bingham MP visited us today, for a whirlwind inspection of our newly renovated facilities, and to eat some cake.  Also present were Lee Wasnidge, Area Director and Theo McLauchlan, Glossop Line Mananger of Northern Rail, and Mike Rose from High Peak and Hope Valley Community Rail Partnership and Becky Pennyfarthing from Derbyshire County Council

Neil Williams, Chairman of FoGS led the party of dignitaries on a tour of the refurbished waiting rooms, followed by a look at the banking.  Then back to the waiting rooms for cake and coffee, supplied by Bunty and Lesley.

There was a panic at the start of the morning when Bunty and Neil attempted to gain access to the old booking office and they found that the key barrel had slipped! Fortunately Bunty had prepared most of the coffee and food at home so she and Neil dashed back to Bunty's to collect some mugs! A swift return to the station allowed arrangements to continue as planned and Neil's pulse rate returned to normal!!

Andrew Bingham showed interest in all the work that had been done and complimented Northern Rail and Derbyshire County Council on their new facilities. He was quite incredulous that FOGS' recent work on the Embankment had meant 06.00 starts on Sunday mornings! He enjoyed looking at Simon's displays and particularly commented on the fact that the FOGS' montage had a smart apps link. He also revealed with a smile that he had been on the famous football special from Glossop to Wembley two years ago!

The visit also allowed useful discussions to take place between Mike Rose of HPHVCRP,Matthew Cox, Paul Marsh and Neil about the provision of tourist information in Glossop and more specifically at the station. Mike is going back to Matlock to look at the provision of a map that best suits the station.

Thanks are due to Bunty, Jacqueline and Lesley Nixon for providing the biscuits and flapjack! And for serving them! And also to Simon and John Kimpton for taking photos for FOGS on the day- overall a very successful visit!

Last week FOGS held its Autumn/September meeting at the station - the agenda covered the recent opening of the new ticket office, the waiting rooms and the Embankment. Appropriate thanks were given to all who had worked hard over the summer to ensure everything was ready for the big day. There has been widespread praise for the improvements from many different people.  Police issues were considered via a BTP meeting that Pete had attended. Plans were made for the Christmas event - 3rd December and the visit of Andrew Bingham High Peak MP on Friday 14 th October. Simon mentioned a Christmas Art Trail for consideration as well as detailing approaches from local artists for display space after Tracy. Theo requested that some Health and Safety issues be addressed in the rooms that we use and Eric and John Kimpton are kindly seeing to these. The mirror in the waiting room is to get a frame and be repositioned flat to the wall - we spent a happy few minutes deciding with John what colour the wood should be stained! Neil welcomed Eve Halbert as a new member to FOGS - Eve had already spent a good part of Sunday morning at the station mopping the floor. Welcome to the happy band of FOGS Eve!!

Simon has now created a website for the station gallery so that pictures currently those of Tracy Cupitt can be bought on line.

www.stationgallery.co.uk