Artistic Phoenix from the ashes
The old Marple station was magnificent, but the 'new' Marple station was a blank canvas just waiting for art. So far we have:
- Miss Marple book covers on the Sheffield platform
- Marple Tiger original refurbished with a copy in the car park
- Paul Gent original painting in the waiting room
- St Mary's School created platform artwork to celebrate our 150th anniversary
- Rotating artwork from other schools in the Manchester waiting room
- Poets' corner in the waiting room. And we've composed a poem about the tiger too!
- Regular carol concerts and other artistic events
Story of the Marple Tiger
Marple Station was demolished in the 1960s and when ‘Friends of Marple Station was formed in 2014 there was nothing – apart from a lone Tiger painted on a cabin. The artist was Dan. We tracked him down.
‘I was pretty interested in making stencils and spray painting them in places. Banksy provided a lot of inspiration. His work is just amazing. I had these big boards at home and they were perfect for practicing on, so one day I just painted the tiger … after it sat in the passageway at the side of my house for a long time because it was massive, I had to find a home for it. One day as I was getting off the train at Marple I knew it would be the perfect place. One night at midnight my friend drove me to the station. We had to put the tiger on the roof of his car and hold onto it and drive down the back streets quite slowly. It was pretty hilarious. Then I screwed it into the wall as well as I could, hoping no-one would see it. It remained for 4, perhaps 5 years. Then it vanished. I was surprised it stayed on the wall for such a long time, but it was doing no harm. I still have the original stencil.
‘At the moment I just paint at home on canvasses. At the time I was quite young, so I had more time on my hands. But it is good to know where it is. It was put there for no particular other than it was just the ideal place.’
Friends of Marple Station repaired and placed the original Tiger in the Manchester platform waiting room. The cabin in the car park has a new version painted by the Friends Group.
‘I was pretty interested in making stencils and spray painting them in places. Banksy provided a lot of inspiration. His work is just amazing. I had these big boards at home and they were perfect for practicing on, so one day I just painted the tiger … after it sat in the passageway at the side of my house for a long time because it was massive, I had to find a home for it. One day as I was getting off the train at Marple I knew it would be the perfect place. One night at midnight my friend drove me to the station. We had to put the tiger on the roof of his car and hold onto it and drive down the back streets quite slowly. It was pretty hilarious. Then I screwed it into the wall as well as I could, hoping no-one would see it. It remained for 4, perhaps 5 years. Then it vanished. I was surprised it stayed on the wall for such a long time, but it was doing no harm. I still have the original stencil.
‘At the moment I just paint at home on canvasses. At the time I was quite young, so I had more time on my hands. But it is good to know where it is. It was put there for no particular other than it was just the ideal place.’
Friends of Marple Station repaired and placed the original Tiger in the Manchester platform waiting room. The cabin in the car park has a new version painted by the Friends Group.
The Marple Tiger now has a poem! (send us yours!)
It sat in the corner understated but bold; The Marple tiger in glittering gold
Alert and stood up, in all it's galore; Ready to pounce and to let out a roar
How did it get there and what is its name?
This amazing creature with black stripes and a mane
Did it arrive on a train that was late?
Just like the detective they apparently state
Perhaps it's a Banksy? Now that would be a find
Unlikely, but possible although we don't really mind
On the huts without meaning it was starting to fray
From the buffering wind, cold weather and rain
The station tiger, a lone shivering thing
Would anyone save it and put him under their wing
In the shadows it sat beneath the grim stair
Waiting for someone to pass by and to care
Then one day the friends of the station did call
To find it a new place to live on the wall
It now has a home in the waiting room space
Looking out of the window, with a much happier face
The cabins have been painted and he now has a mate
With the old one now purring as he is feeling so Grrreat!
Alert and stood up, in all it's galore; Ready to pounce and to let out a roar
How did it get there and what is its name?
This amazing creature with black stripes and a mane
Did it arrive on a train that was late?
Just like the detective they apparently state
Perhaps it's a Banksy? Now that would be a find
Unlikely, but possible although we don't really mind
On the huts without meaning it was starting to fray
From the buffering wind, cold weather and rain
The station tiger, a lone shivering thing
Would anyone save it and put him under their wing
In the shadows it sat beneath the grim stair
Waiting for someone to pass by and to care
Then one day the friends of the station did call
To find it a new place to live on the wall
It now has a home in the waiting room space
Looking out of the window, with a much happier face
The cabins have been painted and he now has a mate
With the old one now purring as he is feeling so Grrreat!
