Planting the Station Approach in June

Hi Everyone,

In the recent June Sundays, we have met each week (except for the one where we got well and truly rained off) and have continued to dig and plant the grassed/weeded/littered area on the approach to the ticket office.

The area was best characterised by cigarette butts and unkempt foliage that was a refuse for small items of discarded rubbish and was generally speaking, a bit of a mess, dull, drab and certainly not very pretty. If you view this previous blogpost, you can see pictures of what it was like, just a couple of months ago.

Here are a few snaps of the Friends taking action over the past month to improve matters:-










So following many weeks of dedicated digging, planting and weeding, along with a weekly clearance of fresh litter and butts, it feels like we have got on top of this particular corner of the station and that the bulk of the work for this project is now behind us.

Today we have another small area ready for planting, so hopefully very soon I will be able to publish some snaps of the finished article before we move on to our next area of improvement.

Introducing the Friends

Truly not a prank, 10.00am Sunday April the First 2012 was the official time that the Friends of Hadfield Station group (henceforth to be abbreviated to FOHS) was finally born. This was when we held our inaugural platform meeting, with a view to surveying  what jobs and affectations could be undertaken in the here and now to begin the process of  improving and enhancing the station and its environs.

The above photo was taken on the occasion, during that fantastic spell of warm spring weather, as indicated by Darren sporting shorts and t-shirt which normally would have been considered unseasonal wear.  Aah, see how the sun shines on the righteous!  Also pictured are Jake, Darren's son (and a real train enthusiast) and standing, is Eric Igo who has been a real spur, motivating us from stationary to station platform.

The Gang of Four at this inaugural meeting was completed by myself, Steve Bagshaw, hidden from view , by virtue of being the photographer. For future reference and to avoid the further necessity of my mugshot appearing on these pages, below (far right) is a photo of yours truly, posing for the Glossop Chronicle last summer, when the notion of a Friends group was first mooted.

Having sojourned the platform and given it the once over, we have come up with a few jobs to be getting on with and have some ideas for the future, which I'll share in the next blogposts. If you'd like to have future posts sent to your inbox, so as not to miss one, then please enter your e-mail address in the large box above and it will be done. Consider yourself a friend!