Goostrey residents give village station a major makeover (From Knutsford Guardian)
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Goostrey residents give village station a major makeover
6:30pm Tuesday 12th March 2013 in News
By James Wilson
Cleaning the shelter on the Manchester platform. From left, Gavin Hollinshead, Barry Alston and Peter Godfrey
A GROUP of Goostrey residents have got together to give the village railway station a major makeover.
Friends of Goostrey Station, known affectionately as FOGS, has organised monthly working parties and has been busy digging, sweeping and painting.
New plants have appeared on the banks near the road and in tubs on the platform, and the waiting area on the Crewe platform has had its windows replaced and has been painted.
Recycling bins have been removed, creating more space to leave cars in the car park, while autumn leaves have been swept up and the waiting area on the Manchester platform has been cleaned.
Peter Godfrey, parish councillor and vice-chairman of FOGS, said: “We’re delighted with the work of our volunteers, who come from all sections of the local community.
“Everyone is keen to make sure that Goostrey Station reflects positively on the village it serves.
“We regard the building on the Manchester platform, which used to house the ticket office, as iconic – without it the station is just another stop on the line between Crewe and Manchester.
“Recently the London Midland Railway Society identified it as being a Victorian modular railway building of a type built between 1860 and 1920, and only a handful remain.”
A photograph from 1891 with the six station staff standing on the platform clearly shows the current building on the Manchester side and a similar one on the Crewe side. However the remaining building is in a poor state of repair.
“Northern Rail manages more than 450 stations across the north of England, and is very supportive of station adoption,” said Mike Jarvis, treasurer for FOGS.
“Now we are seeking sponsors so we can start to restore the station building.”
There are about 50 friends of Goostrey Station, and they are keen to welcome more.
Volunteers are invited to join a working party on the second Sunday of each month between 10am and 1pm.
