Station in line for prizes

Volunteers who keep a railway halt in immaculate shape hope they are on track for national honours.
By The Newsroom
Published 29th Aug 2016, 10:12 BST
Updated 29th Aug 2016, 12:21 BST
Friends of Hindley Station, from left: Sheila Davison, Jim Ellis, Joseph Fairhurst and David CulshawFriends of Hindley Station, from left: Sheila Davison, Jim Ellis, Joseph Fairhurst and David Culshaw
Friends of Hindley Station, from left: Sheila Davison, Jim Ellis, Joseph Fairhurst and David Culshaw

The Friends of Hindley Station are in the running for two categories in the prize-giving run by the Association of Community Rail Partnerships (ACoRP), with local groups working in partnership with them eligible for two more.

The group, whose spectacular floral displays have long drawn the admiration of passengers heading through the borough, are in the It’s Your Station category and could win an award for an afternoon tea and picnic they ran for the Queen’s birthday.

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In addition, pupils from Hindley High School and local business Pye Studios are both in contention for separate awards for art projects they have done at the station.

The volunteers recently welcomed a judging delegation, including a green-fingered expert from the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), to the station to look around the flowerbeds, art pieces and sculptures on the platforms and in the public buildings.

The group has previously entered the ACoRP awards and hopes to add to the prize it won in 2014 at the awards ceremony in Southport next month.

Friends secretary Sheila Davidson said: “We’ve been shortlisted in four categories this year.

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“The high school is also up for its artwork and Pye Studios did some art on the Manchester-bound side and in the ticket hall.

“There are three boards which they put replaceable artwork on. They did a piece in tribute to the Somme and another one for the Queen’s birthday. The judges seemed suitably impressed.

“This is about more than just gardens, it’s being involved in the community.

“We’re pleased to be in for the awards although we didn’t set out to do competitions. One of the station managers put us in for the first one and it’s gone from there.

“We’ve had a lot of success.”

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The group has also recently introduced a number of new features to the station including a train which was recycled from a primary school which did not want it any more and re-decorated with gold livery to mark Her Majesty’s birthday.

The ACoRP awards winners will be announced in Southport on September 29.

Related topics:VolunteersQueen