Handforth Station has long prided itself on its international flavour.

The station is festooned with signs donated from railway companies beyond these shores whilst recently it became twinned with Malahide Station in Ireland.

A new innovation, to mark the summer solstice, is the installation of a Swedish Midsummer Pole.

This Scandinavian variation on the British maypole is central to Swedish celebrations of the longest day of the year.

Its origins are said to either be from Norse mythology - in which it represents an axis linking us to the underworld - or as a pagan-style symbol of fertility.

The installation of the pole in the station’s Rotary Garden is the brainchild of Jenny Barnes and Linda Bergbom.

Jenny said: "Our family has had a lot of fun celebrating our friends' traditions from around the world. Recently we celebrated midsummer, Swedish style as Linda is from Sweden, originally.

"The event was a lot of fun and the pole was a real eye catching treat. So, we thought we’d put the pole in the station garden in time for the solstice in order to spread the joy and the story.

"We started out our celebrations with a full tutorial on YouTube on how to celebrate."

Friends of Handforth Station, formed in 1996, is a community group dedicated to promoting the station as a gateway to the village.