Friends of Glossop Station - Blog

Spencer Harrison - new display in Waiting Room

20/1/2025

WE EXTEND A WARM WELCOME to our first exhibitor of 2025, Spencer J. Harrison. Spencer has presented a photographic display in Glossop Station's Waiting Room Art Gallery and is his first display with us.
Spencer has studied in both Nottingham and Helsinki. His work has served as a visual journal throughout his life, documenting the subtle, often overlooked details of his surroundings-whether people, landscapes or architecture.
In recent years his focus has shifted towards rock and stone formations in the landscape, particularly ancient sites. His photographs aim to capture the unique, mysterious atmosphere these places evoke.
In 2021 Spencer moved to Glossop. Since then he has immersed himself in the local landscape which he feels has always been his true home.
Spencer's work can be viewed every day at the station - from early morning (10.00 am Sundays) to around 17.30 in the evening.
We hope you enjoy Spencer's display.

Anyone wishing to have a display in the Waiting Room Art Gallery is invited to contact John Kimpton of Friends of Glossop Station 01457 859128. John will make a booking in our diary for you and help with the putting up and taking down of the display. All displays are courtesy of Northern Trains Limited.

Winter Wandering Children's Prose for Poetry's Platform

22/12/2024

SOMETHING A LITTLE different for a very special edition of our Poetry Platform for Christmas and the coming New Year.
In conjunction with Glossop Bookfest it features some of the work entered in a writing competition for local school children.
For the competition Bookfest invited children to submit up to 500 words on the subject of a "Winter Wander". That which has now gone on display is 'Part 1' and a small selection of those entries received.
A further selection will feature in a second edition during February.
The Poetry Platform - in its usual format - will return in the second quarter of 2025.
Thank you to Bookfest for organising the competition, to Northern for their continued support of our work at the station and special thanks to all the children who submitted entries.
For those of you who want them CLICK HERE for the answers to the crossword on our Crossword Anniversary Poetry Platform display!
Wishing you all a very Happy Christmas and best wishes for 2025.

Eleven days to go!

20/12/2024

Railway 200’s profile is on the rise with just 11 days to the start of the anniversary year celebrating 200 years of the modern railway.
Railway 200 is a year-long nationwide partnership-led campaign to celebrate 200 years of the modern railway and inspire a new generation of young pioneering talent to choose a career in rail.
As part of the rail community, FoGS along with other groups is involved.
At noon on 1 January 2025, there will be a collective blast of whistles and horns led by members of the Heritage Railway Association, with the mainline railway and community rail groups also taking part.
CLICK HERE to find out more about Railway 200

Platinum level shortlist award for Friends of Glossop Station

13/12/2024

We were delighted to learn on Wednesday that we have been shortlisted at PLATINUM level in the 2025 Community Rail Network Awards - Category: It's Your Station. These awards are held annually. Our entry submission was made in September with evidence of the areas in which we work at the station ( including for the first time a short video made by Chris Strogen ) - these included gardening, art displays, the Poetry Platform, Community events like the Teddy Bears Picnic, monthly newsletters....... All entries are judged externally and points are given in relation to the judging criteria. The final number of points determines the level- bronze, silver, gold or platinum. We are very proud of this shortlisting!
The Awards Evening will be held in Newcastle in March next year. Newcastle has been chosen as 2025 marks the year long railway celebrations of the first train service between Stockton and Darlington RAILWAY 200.
FOGS very much appreciates the support for its work within Glossop and the rail industry. We thank Northern, Network Rail and the High Peak and Hope Valley Community Rail Partnership for their ongoing support.

Christmas arrives at Glossop Station

25/11/2024

CHRISTMAS has arrived a little earlier than in previous years - along with the trains - at Glossop Station!
So far the station is graced with a most attractive Christmas tree kindly and generously donated by Glossop Garden Centre which, after only two days, has already drawn many compliments. Alongside the LED lights local children's hand-made decorations created from past festive art work sessions at the station have been included. A Christmas star kindly provided by Linda Newman, founder of FOGS, will be placed at the top of the tree this weekend.
Also in place nine festive Christmas flower arrangements in the window boxes created by Pat, Chris and Jean from Glossop Gardeners. Over the next week or so we will add Christmas wreaths and garlands to complete the displays.
Our thanks to Theo McLauchlan, our line manager at Northern, for permission to put up up these decorations. To John and Pete for a lot of hard work getting the tree in place and erecting the compound.. And to Mike at TWIG for his support.
We hope you enjoy these Christmas decorations when you visit the station.

New artist Helen Gerrard on display

25/11/2024

FoGS extends a warm welcome to High Peak based artist Helen Gerrard whose work is now on display in the Waiting Room Art Gallery at Glossop Station.
Helen's work is widely known in the area and we are delighted she has decided to present some of her work at the station. Helen's pieces are colourful imaginative recreations of some of Glossop's best known buildings such as Partington Theatre. All feature an animal too! As one viewer said today," They are fun!" Do come and have a look. The pictures can be viewed daily from early morning to early evening.
All the pictures can be bought. To contact Helen email [email protected]
Examples of Helen's work can also be found at Glossop Craft Centre or click here to visit here Facebook page
Our thanks as always to John Kimpton for his help and expertise in setting up these displays with the artists. If you are interested in having a display at the station please contact John on 01457 859128

Embankment Garden Autumn session

28/10/2024

WITH THE CLOCKS going back our volunteers had a final session of the current season's gardening on the Embankment Garden. Work on the garden opposite the platform took place from 7am to 9am and involved much weeding!
With more planting of primulas and bulbs in readiness for Spring we hope you notice and enjoy the improvements.
A big thank you to Network Rail Track and Protection Unit for organising these sessions especially to Andy Griffin, Paul Schofield and Ian, our Supervisor, at Glossop. Your ongoing support is much appreciated!
Additionally, we are currently in the process of renewing and refreshing the hanging baskets under the canopy on the platform. If you spot a couple missing they are just receiving some much needed tlc!

Georgia's verse is in the frame

15/10/2024

IT WAS a great privilege to be able to present Georgia Hutchings with her prize this morning for winning our RSPCA Poetry Platform competition.
Our third quarter display celebrated 200 years of the work of the RSPCA and featured Georgia's winning entry as part of the display. Paul Marsh, editor and designer of FoGS Poetry Platform, presented Georgia with a framed copy of her poem alongside an acknowledgement of her win and photograph of the display.
Georgia, who loves creative writing and commented that she writes daily, was thrilled to be our winner and have her entry acknowledged and published on the platform display.
Our thanks to all who entered and congratulations again to Georgia for her winning entry.
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The current display features something a little different - and certainly more challenging! - marking 100 years of the first published crossword in a daily newspaper. Along with a selection of poems the display also features a crossword to be solved. Copies of the crossword itself are available from the station staff or by clicking here to dowload a PDF copy. Answers will be available by sending your contact details to [email protected].
Please note: the solution will only be issued towards the end of the display period in December.

THE NEXT POETRY PLATFORM will be a very special display to start the new year in January. Our first quarter display will focus on poems and pictures from local schools who will be invited to submit competition entries from their pupils. Watch out for more details which will be available soon and have your entry ready!

2025 will be a very special year celebrating 'Railway 200' being the 200th anniversary of the modern railway. Alongside various national and local events, FoGS Poetry Platform will also be marking the occasion with special displays and writing competitions. More details will be announced from January and throughout the year.

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.