Friends of Glossop Station - Blog

A Very Puzzling Poetry Display!

29/9/2024

IT'S A PUZZLE to sort out the last Poetry Platform display of this year has just been launched with some difficult clues for traveller journeying through the station to sort out alongside our selection of poems.
Celebrating 100 years of the first published crossword in a UK daily newspaper there is an actual crossword on the display with links to the poetry alongside.
Arthur Wynne, a journalist originally from Liverpool, created the first original "FUN's Word-Cross Puzzle" while working in America in 1913. A mistyped typographical error subsequently changed it to the now recognised ‘crossword’ puzzle we now know and love. The first UK crossword was published in the Daily Express in December 1924. The rapid increase in popularity saw crosswords being taken up by other newspapers, including the Daily Telegraph (1925), the Manchester Guardian (1929) and The Times from 1930.
For our display it is a, largely, poetry and literary crossword for you to consider with poems and extracts alongside relating to the attached clues. Enjoy the challenge!
If you would like a copy of the answers please send your contact details to [email protected].
Please note: the solution will not be sent out immediately but towards the end of the display period in December.

Lots of bumblebees sighted on Hadfield Safari!

16/8/2024

A WARM, SUNNY afternoon helped participants in the Bumblebee safari, organised by the Friends groups of Hadfield and Glossop Stations, see lots of bumblebees!
Conscious that numbers of bees appear fewer after our cold and wet spring it was reassuring to see bees in action on the flowers in the planters at Hadfield Station and in the wild area at Bankswood Park. As if on cue a Peacock Butterfly also landed on the platform! Joy from Hadfield Station welcomed everyone and showed everyone around including the planters, gardens, children's mosaic art work and the Heritage Information Board. She also explained her plans to restore the former station garden. Caterpillars were spotted on the nasturtiums in the planters - again a rare sight. Joy is leaving them as part of nature's cycle.
En route to the Park everyone stopped to observe and chat. In the Park the group gathered at one point to read out aloud in turn 20 facts about Bumblebees prepared by Neil Williams from Glossop Station. This resulted in lots of shared information about bumblebees and a few smiles! After about 45 minutes the group slowly made its way back to Hadfield station. There Joy and Neil gave each person a copy of the newly published High Peak and Hope Valley Community Rail Partnership's Bumblebee Safari walks booklet (sponsored by Cross Country Trains) covering family friendly walks from stations on the Buxton, Hope Valley and Glossop lines - part of the ongoing Buzzing Stations project.
Joy and Neil would like to thank Becky Styles, Community and Sustainability Manager at Northern, for her support of this event and permission to meet on Hadfield Station. Thanks also to Paul Marsh for his poster which made us all smile and his efforts to promote this event on local social media. Lastly thanks to the Bumblebee Conservation Trust whose inspiration gave us the confidence to run these safaris.

Bumblebee Safari Hadfield Station Friday 16th August

5/8/2024

THIS SUMMER'S BUMBLEBEE SAFARI will take place at Hadfield Station Friday 16th August at 1.45pm. Organised by Friends of Glossop and Hadfield Stations with the support of Northern and the High Peak and Hope Valley Community Rail Partnership, the family friendly event aims to raise awareness of bumblebees with a little fun too!
Starting our safari by looking at the tubs and gardens at Hadfield station and how they attract bees before taking a gentle stroll to nearby Bankswood Park looking out in the park for bees and the flowers they are attracted to. Stopping en route for a little do you know session before making our way back to Hadfield station. The event is scheduled to last around an hour and fifteen minutes. No bees will be caught nor harmed - we just observe.
The event is FREE - just turn up at Hadfield station from 1.30pm onwards. Connecting train from Glossop leaves at 1.35pm arriving Hadfield 1.40pm. Members of the Bumblebee Conservation Trust are most welcome to join us and we are grateful to the BCT for inspiring us to hold this event. If rain affects the planned walk we will move for an hour instead to the nearby Hadfield Hall for some indoor bumblebee activities.
The event has been fully risk and safety assessed.
Do come along and join us - last year's event was very well supported. We look forward to welcoming you at Hadfield Station!

Welcome to Gwen and Amy - new artists at the station

1/8/2024

WE EXTEND A WARM WELCOME to Gwen and Amy Osbaldeston a mother and daughter partnership as our new showcase artists in the Waiting Room Art Gallery with an exhibition entitled 'THREAD AND CLAY'.
Amy was born in Glossop and has worked in and around the Peak District. Machine embroidery has been Amy's passion and she enjoys applying these skills to the beautiful landscapes of the area in her work. In 2023 she won the textiles prize at the Hadfield Art Show.
Gwen is originally from Northumberland but moved to North West England. Here she became captivated by the landscapes of the High Peak. Having taught fine Art and Textiles as her career Gwen now enjoys painting local landscapes.
Both Amy and Gwen enjoy exhibiting their work at local craft fairs and in galleries. They also run art courses for young adults in Glossop.
We are sure that their work, which includes views of local beauty spots such Moorfield, Seven Falls Tintwistle, Bray Clough and Shire Hill, will prove popular with locals and visitors.
Their work may be purchased and Amy and Gwen can be contacted on [email protected]

Retirement for Babs at Hattersley

19/7/2024

Today at Theo McLauchlan's Northern Area Manager's office at Guide Bridge a group gathered to say thank you to Babs Allen Chair of Friends of Hattersley Station as she retires from the post.
Babs has been in post for 12 years and her indefatigable energy has brought about significant changes to Hattersley Station and its environs. Babs was from the outset determined to create an attractive station garden on land outside the station. Slowly but surely this aim was achieved through hard work and patience. Babs sought assistance from every source - councillors, Northern, Network Rail, TfGM....... always inviting visitors to see on site what her plans were. Three years ago a new station building was opened at Hattersley and Babs' work now enhances this building.
Babs has been a staunch supporter of shared community events on the line particularly the Teddy Bears Picnic. Babs' contributions were huge and included a bouncy castle, home cooked food and tombola!
Neil Williams, from Friends of Glossop Station, gave a short speech highlighting Babs' achievements. Particular mention was made of the Heritage Board ( the content and photos created by Babs ) which reflects the social history of Hattersley. Neil presented Babs with a specially designed thank you card created by Paul Marsh which featured an original front cover of the new station building at Hattersley along with a montage of photos relating to Babs' work at Hattersley. Becky Styles, Northern's Community and Sustainability Manager, presented Babs with flowers too. Also present giving their thanks were Sarah Morgan and John Kenny Rail Partnership Officers for the South East Manchester Community Rail Partnership.
It is hoped the work of Friends of Hattersley will continue via the community work team at the Hub in Hattersley guided by Sarah and John.

Poetry Platform celebrates 200 years of RSPCA

30/6/2024

TWO HUNDRED YEARS AGO, a group of people met in a London coffee shop, determined to change animals’ lives for the better. That goal has been the beating heart of the RSPCA ever since.
In acknowledging this special anniversary FoGS has published its latest Poetry Platform display with a selection of animal-themed poems and verses by Robbie Burns, William Makepeace Thackery, Edward Lear, Thomas Hardy and others.
Of special note is a new poem written by Georgia Florence Hutchings from Glossop especially for the display and chosen as the winning entry of FoGS Poetry Platform competition. A beautifully written poem which elicits the love and hope epitomised by the bee visiting our countryside and stations.
Take a moment as you pass through the station to appreciate Georgia's poem and the other works included on the new display.
Congratulations to Georgia and thanks to those who entered our poetry competition. We will announce the subject of the next quarter's display soon and it could be you featuring your poem in October.

The Bears arrived with more than 100 families!

29/6/2024

WITH OVER 100 families visiting for Saturday's Teddy Bears Picnic it made for a hectic day at the three participating stations - Glossop, Hadfield and Guide Bridge - our busiest ever!
Our thanks to all children and their bears who attended and brought along their grown-ups, many who were first time visitors to the stations having not travelled by train previously.
The event, organised by the three station friends' groups along with Northern, was a great day enjoyed by everyone.
The groups thank Northern for their ongoing support, in particular Becky Styles, Community and SustainabiIity Manager, for organising the free travel, which was much appreciated, and for singlehandedly putting up posters at every station en route! Thanks also for their involvement and cheery support from the Guards, Drivers and station staff.
Paul Marsh, who designed and produced the publicity material for the event, had us all scratching our heads identifying his car names theme in the Find the Teddy Bear competition!

The Bears are back! Teddy Bears Picnic '24

13/6/2024

We are delighted to announce that the bears are back - TEDDY BEARS PICNIC '24!!
The event is on SATURDAY 29TH JUNE from 11am to 2pm at GLOSSOP, HADFIELD AND GUIDE BRIDGE STATIONS. FREE TRAVEL FOR ALL CHILDREN WITH TEDDIES/SOFT TOYS AND ACCOMPANYING FAMILIES BETWEEN THESE STATIONS - courtesy of Northern.
There will be activities at each station - colouring in, find the Teddy Bear..... And we will offer some simple refreshments for teddies and children.
At Guide Bridge visit the soon to open Woodhead Railway Museum, Or the Memorial Gardens adjoining Platform 1, the school garden on platform 2. Take a stroll to the fully accessible canal nearby.
For those visiting Glossop and Hadfield you might want to take teddy for a wander into town!!
Do come along and join in the fun - have a free train ride!
First free train from Hadfield to Glossop and Guide Bridge at 11.14 then every 30 minutes until 14.14
First free train from Glossop to Hadfield at 11.05 then every 30 minutes until 14.05
First free train from Glossop to Guide Bridge at 11.22 then every 30 minutes to 14,22
First free train from Guide Bridge to Glossop and Hadfield at 11.09 then every 30 minutes to 14.09
We regret free travel is not available from intermediate stations.
Our thanks to Becky Styles and Theo McLauchlan at Northern for their support. And to Sarah Morgan and John Kenny at SEMCRP and Mark Angelucci at TfGM. And to Paul Marsh for design of attractive posters!

Glossop Celebrates - Lowestoft Remembers

1/6/2024

WHILE GLOSSOP celebrated in the glorious sunshine at the town's Heritage and Victorian Weekend, 25 former Lowestoft evacuees, some of whom came to Glossop on 2nd June 1940, met at Lowestoft Railway Station on Saturday 1st June for a reunion event hosted by the Wherry Lines Community Rail Partnership and Lowestoft Central Project.
With the youngest evacuee present at 89, Neil Williams, representing FoGS. spoke to the group about Glossop including the Heritage Event taking place over the weekend. He concluded his talk by reading out a poem by Kathleen Barber on her gratitude towards the people of Glossop for giving 600 child evacuees safe family homes during the war years.
Martin Halliday Community Rail Officer, who organised the event, his thanks to all for attending and for all the help received with the arrangements and for the buffet lunch enjoyed by all present.

Lowestoft features in D-Day Heritage display

31/5/2024

THE OPENING WEEKEND of June sees the return of Glossop's Victorian and Heritage Weekend.
With the 80th Anniversary of D-Day on June 6th, Glossop's Heritage Trust have put together a special display which illustrates and tell of the events in the town during World War 2 up to VE and VJ day. Part of the display features the story of the Lowestoft evacuees when, on 2 June 1940, six hundred children and their teachers arrived at Glossop station from the Suffolk coastal town.
Alma Mingay arrived in Glossop as a six year old along with her older siblings, sister Miriam (8) and brother Joe (11). The Heritage display shows Alma, who maintains her links with Glossop, visiting the station in 2023 alongside the waiting room display celebrating the Evacuation.
The display can be viewed in the old NatWest Bank builing on Norfolk Square until Sunday. Other opportunities to view it will be announced when arranged.