Spectacular rainforest mural launched by Kay Crewdon
BBC weather presenter Kay Crewdson unveiled a spectacular rainforest mural created by local children in August 2024. The idea grew out of the ‘Marple Art Trail’ in autumn 2023 when Marple Youth Project (MYP) under the coordination of community artist Helen Middleton displayed work at Marple station. Helen had spotted the talent of 12-year-old Joseph at the Art Trail open day and enlisted his help when asked by FoMS to produce a mural. Joseph was inspired by the ‘Marple Tiger’ painting in the waiting room and decided on a jungle theme for the eye-catching, vividly coloured mural that now brightens up the wall. The project was funded by SEMCoRP.
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New train arrives at Marple!
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'Agatha', our superb new train planter from Men in Sheds arrived on 10 May. What a wonderful creation. It's on the Sheffield platform at Marple and includes a drivers seat where you can have your picture taken!
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Save The Bees! - Mellor School
In 2022, Year Five at Mellor School created this ‘Save The Bees’ display. Children, staff and community are passionate about the environment and looked at the direct link between bees, pollination, the food on our plates and biodiversity. They were appalled to find that the UK bee population has shrunk by a third the last decade, due to habitat loss, climate change, intensive farming and pesticides.
They set up an after school Bee Club and Stockport Beekeepers Association helped children build a bee hive and learn how to manage the bees which arrived in time for the school to celebrate International Bee Day. Year five also made habitats for solitary bees during their forest school sessions.
The children have championed the project and will be actively looking after the bees and hopefully harvesting lots of honey for the local community next year. They found out that bees pollinate much of what we eat and play a critical role in sustaining eco systems here in the UK and around the world. The children wrote to local MP William Wragg, after learning about the pesticide, thiamethoxam, which is currently in use and is particularly harmful to bees. They will also plant a tree from Stockport Beekeepers Association as part of their ‘Trees for bees’ project.
They set up an after school Bee Club and Stockport Beekeepers Association helped children build a bee hive and learn how to manage the bees which arrived in time for the school to celebrate International Bee Day. Year five also made habitats for solitary bees during their forest school sessions.
The children have championed the project and will be actively looking after the bees and hopefully harvesting lots of honey for the local community next year. They found out that bees pollinate much of what we eat and play a critical role in sustaining eco systems here in the UK and around the world. The children wrote to local MP William Wragg, after learning about the pesticide, thiamethoxam, which is currently in use and is particularly harmful to bees. They will also plant a tree from Stockport Beekeepers Association as part of their ‘Trees for bees’ project.
Squirrel Appreciation Day - January 2022
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Cheshire Best Kept Stations - more success
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May 2021 we had a special visit from the Mayor of Stockport (Dean Fitzpatrick) and Mark Barker from 'Cheshire Best Kept Stations' to present us with our award. The station was looking superb - especially the planters full of Spring flowers. This is a testament to the dedication of our small but merry band of volunteers.
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Cheshire Best Kept Stations - more success
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Cllr Malcolm Allen and the Mayor of Stockport received our award in January 2020, This is a tribute to our gallant band of volunteers from 7 to 70 years old who all share a passion to improve Marple Station and make it the centre of the community. We have big plans for the future including a new community hub/waiting room. Watch this space! If you have any ideas, don't just sit there - come and tell us about them.
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Christmas decorations up - and down again!
Thank you to all the volunteers that created, put up and then took down all the wonderful Christmas decorations - they cheered up the station at a dismal time of year. We also created a tree for St Martin's Christmas Tree Festival and it attracted a lot of favourable comment.
Rose Hill - 50 years since Macclesfield Line Closure - should we reverse Beeching?
The Friends of Rose Hill Station marked the closure of the line beyond their station in 2020. The last train ran on January 5th 1970. Should we reverse the closure? A mile or two of tram train along the Middlewood Way could link Marple to Hazel Grove (Stepping Hill Hospital) and Stockport. But the Middlewood Way is incredibly popular and it would be controversial - what do you think?
National Poetry Day 3 Oct - Marple Writers Group exhibition
We were delighted that local poet Martin Delamere provided an exhibition of poems by local writers for the waiting room. Many people told us how interesting they were - what a lot of local talent we have in Marple and The Bridge.
Pacers are dead. Long live the Pacer!
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A further delay in the delivery of Northern’s new trains meant clapped-out Pacers kept running into 2021. Lucky old Marple was almost the last line in Britain to have the trains.
In 2023 our trains are operated by the new '195' trains with tables and 2+2 seating (generally on the Hope Valley services) and 35 year old '150s' (generally on the New Mills to Manchester services. If you want to see the old Pacers, several preserved railways have bought specimens including the East Lancs Railway at Bury. But do check with the lines as Pacer outings are currently quite rare. |
Back to the future - 'New' trains are on their way!
Northern have just revealed pictures of the 'new' trains due to work on the Marple lines once the hated Pacers are retired. The railcar has been refurbished inside to 'as new' condition, and a new engine fitted that drives an electric motor. The luxurious seats can be turned to face the direction of travel and large windows will give a panoramic view of the aqueduct and the Manchester scrapyards. Top speed is 25mph, but the train is expected to be able to meet the current leisurely timetable.
(This is, of course the recently relaunched 1902 North Eastern Railway railcar, just 17 years old but actually more advanced than our current trains in having an electric drive. Pictured at Bolton Abbey on 18 April 2019.)
Agatha Poster replaced … artwork saved
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March 2019 - Following damage (we think by wind) which snapped one of our fantastic Agatha Christie book posters, we ordered and have put up a replacement. The line of posters looks fantastic once again. Come down and have a look!
We have also removed as much of the artwork as possible from the closed Manchester platform waiting room in advance of the promised new roof from Network Rail. These are now stored in secret locations around Marple (well, various sheds). |
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Marple Station wins another award!
We were delighted to win the TfGM award at the 'Cheshire Best Kept Stations' in February 2019. Marple Station is fast becoming a paradise for art, with more Eamon Murphy posters and a new schools display joining our Agatha Christie posters. Our conscientious objector display provided a different but perspective on World War 1. We’re looking forward to achieve even more this year!’. If you have any ideas, let us know
Christmas comes to Marple station
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Very exciting news! Our tree was voted the Best Adult Tree by people who visited St Martin’s Church over the weekend. It was described as ‘lovely, and very different’. It will be on display at the church for a while (not sure how long).
The waiting room is decorated, the tree is up, and Mellor School booked to cheer up commuters on the platform with carols. Thanks to everyone who helped to make this possible. The decorations made out of old tickets are splendid! All we need now is the trains to run on time, the promised Sunday services to materialise, Pacers to go to the scrapyard and to be replaced with something better than 35 year old Sprinters! |
Workday at Marple Station
Many thanks to everyone who came to the working party today. We got a lot done including general weeding, tidying up the library, bulb planting, library tidy, putting up the last Eamonn Murphy artwork and a repeat of the May 2018 station survey. It was a bit ghostly without any passengers (strike), but we also had a discussion about artwork, more planters, sculpture and a new garden!
Glossop Station - inspirational
In July 2018 we visited Glossop, a neglected station turned into a wonderful community asset by a dedicated 'Friends' group. Under Neil they have transformed the station into a destination that reveals the history of Glossop and its railways, displays local art and is riot of colourful plants. There are a variety of events and a great café too. Stations like this are an inspiration to groups like Friends of Marple station.
Rose Hill against the ghost train - sign the petition and help us to win
The new May 2018 timetable had good changes for Marple (better evening/Sunday services to Manchester, plus an hourly Sheffield service all day and Rose Hill (better evening, although still no Sunday services), but there was one glaring fault. A crowded peak hour service (17.34 Mon-Fri from Piccadilly) was withdrawn due to a path reserved for a works train that runs less than ten times a year, leaving an hour gap. After a campaign, we were successful in persuading Northern and Network Rail to re-instate the train, but we still need a permanent solution.
For more details on the Rail Head Treatment Train and possible solutions click here.
For more details on the Rail Head Treatment Train and possible solutions click here.
What on earth is this?
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We are delighted to have obtained one of the original roundels that supported the canopy at the Magnificent Marple Station that was demolished in 1970. We will display it at the station once it is restored. Ours is currently being stripped back to bare metal and the photo on the left is a different one. The colours don't quite look right to us, so if you know what they were, please let us know. The M and S was a joint committee rather than a company, so we don't think there were house colours. Services at Marple were evenly distributed between the Midland and Great Central Railways.
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Marple wins 'Best Kept Cheshire Station' again!
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We were delighted to win another award in January 2018, this time for our artwork. We have spent a lot of time making our functional 1960s station more cheerful. Giant Agatha Christie book covers cover the walls, Posters of local attractions by artist Eamonn Murphy tempt the traveller and a large display of the history of Agatha Christie in the North explains the connection with Marple. Inside the waiting room a swarm of butterflies from All Saints School covers the wall (every child in the school made one), you can read a selection of railway poems, and of course there is the original 'Marple Tiger'. We also currently have a display 'Another Kind of Courage' - the story of the first world war conscientious objector movement which was centred on the Marple area. And we've more planned for 2018.
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Mellor School Choir serenade commuters again
Once again, Mellor School Choir entertained commuters and raised money for their charity with their 2017 Carol Concert on the platform. Hundreds of weary commuters clapped, waved and cheered as the carols flowed. Many thanks to the children, staff and parents who braved a chilly but dry morning from 7am to make the morning commute a little bit more civilised,
Marple Lions planter roars in
Thank you to Marple and Romiley Lions who have funded another two planters to make our station beautiful. They were made by 'Men in Sheds' and put out on a recent workday. They are already planted up with bulbs, ready to burst into flower in Spring. We have room for plenty more, so if you would like to sponsor another planter, please let us know.
Another successful workday
Many thanks to everyone who turned up for the workday on Saturday 2 September. We achieved:
Always more to do, but the station is looking quite nice.
- Planters planted – the existing ones also look great
- ‘Malcolm’s Garden’ is taking shape. The space looks much bigger now it has been cleared.
- Three of the Eamonn Murphy posters put up on the Manchester platform. These are going to be very popular judging by the admiring looks they got while we were there.
- We've started to repair the All Saints School artwork in the waiting room
- We have put up the display about the Conscientious Objector movement (which had it's heartland in Marple/Mellor)
Always more to do, but the station is looking quite nice.
Here comes summer - more planters
On Saturday 29 April we put out two of our shiny new planters at the station, secured them and filled with compost. We have two more to put out, and we need to fill them with plants. Then summer will really have arrived! If you can help, please contact us.
Until you spread your wings you never know how far you can travel ...
Every single child at All Saints school in Marple (over 230) contributed to a stunning new display in the waiting room at Marple Station. A swarm (or should it be flutter) of butterflies in all the colours of the rainbow sweep across the wall. Each child created a single butterfly and different classes used different colours. We hope it brightens up your day. Our thanks to the teachers and children at All Saints who are clearly a very creative bunch.
The All Saints display replaces one created by Mellor School in 2015 that celebrated the 150th anniversary of the opening of Marple Station.
The All Saints display replaces one created by Mellor School in 2015 that celebrated the 150th anniversary of the opening of Marple Station.
Friends of Marple awarded grant to investigate new waiting room
Mellor School Choir charm commuters with carols
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Mellor School Choir sang their hearts out on Weds 14 December 2016 to over 500 commuters as they made their weary way to Manchester. As well as raising a lot of smiles, they raised money for their school charity which provides funds for communities devastated by the Nepal Earthquake. And as if to celebrate, Marple's least favourite train, the 08.10 to Manchester actually turned up ontime!
The previous week Friends of Marple Station decorated the waiting rooms to provide some seasonal cheer, although as related elsewhere, the annual waiting room leak re-appeared. We have submutted an application to Northern for a feasibility study to replace the Manchester platform waiting room. Watch this space! |
'The Leak' returns
There are a lot of annual celebrations - Christmas, Bonfire Night, etc. But increasingly we celebrate the failure to carry out basic tasks. See our campaigns page for more information
Leaf-fall timetable - don't be caught out
The trees are looking beautiful, but soon those leaves will be on the line and our poor little 35 year old pacer rail buses will not be able to cope. So many Marple trains will leave a couple of minutes earlier. Funny how the Germans don't seem to have the same problem...
New Mills Arts Festival 9-25 September 2015
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New Mills Festival is a two week celebration of community spirit including talks, walks, to concerts, exhibitions, trails, quizzes and performances with a spectacular lantern procession through The Torrs Gorge ending in a Community Street Party in the centre of town. More than 150 artists and 67 venues turn the town into a gallery! Artists from across the UK display their work in windows across New Mills during the two week festival.
New Mills Central has two trains an hour (hourly on Sat/Sun) from Marple. More info on the New Mills Festival: http://www.newmillsfestival.com/index.htm |
Hourly Summer Sunday services extended to October 2016
The hourly Sunday train service has been extended this year by Northern to operate for an extra month until the end of October. An additional round trip has been added to the Sunday timetable, meaning that an All Stations Stopping Train will now run every hour from Manchester Piccadilly between 07.44 and 17.40; and from Sheffield every hour between 09.14 and 19.14. (Additional trains run later in the evening but not every hour.) The full Sunday timetable for the Hope Valley Line can be viewed on the Northern website at https://www.northernrailway.co.uk/travel/timetables
Huge improvements to Sunday Services on their way!
Excellent news for weekend travellers is that Marple is going to get a massively improved Sunday service of two trains per hour instead of the usual hourly or every-two-hour trains timetable. Extra Sunday trains will not run before 2017 or 2018, and timetables are still being worked out, but the first Sunday train must arrive in Manchester no later than 9am compared to the dreadfully late 10.35 which is the earliest train now.
We expect there will be additional Sunday trains in December 2016. These were poorly promoted in 2015 and we will bring you news as soon as we can. The weekday stopping service from Manchester to Sheffield via Marple will become hourly throughout the year. No more 2-hour waits!
We expect there will be additional Sunday trains in December 2016. These were poorly promoted in 2015 and we will bring you news as soon as we can. The weekday stopping service from Manchester to Sheffield via Marple will become hourly throughout the year. No more 2-hour waits!
Agatha Christie book cover posters up!
All ten of the giant Agatha Christie posters were put up on our workday on Sat 13 August 2016, and they look great! Many thanks to Matthew James publishing at Goyt Mill for sponsoring them.
We also managed to paint the 3rd board in the waiting room - now let's get something on it.
While we were there a girl from Mellor School came to see if her contribution to the train collage was there - she was delighted to see that it was.
We also managed to paint the 3rd board in the waiting room - now let's get something on it.
While we were there a girl from Mellor School came to see if her contribution to the train collage was there - she was delighted to see that it was.
Four out of five Marple Station users demand action over Brabyns Brow
Four out of Five Marple station users mentioned action over crossing Brabyns Brow as their main priority for station improvements. We are meeting Marple Area Committee and Stockport Council to discuss the evening chaos when cars leave both car parks, and people cross the road. This was easily the most important item raised in our recent passenger survey.
Cycle to Marple Station! Use our new Bike Shed and keep your saddle dry.
Cycle to Marple Station! Use our new Bike Shed and keep your saddle dry.
Best Kept Station Sign goes up!
At our last work day in February 2016, Simon and Chris proudly display our first award. Our small but merry band has transformed Marple station in the last year, and the sign is now proudly displayed outside the booking office. Why don't you come and join us and help make Marple station even better?
At our last work day in February 2016, Simon and Chris proudly display our first award. Our small but merry band has transformed Marple station in the last year, and the sign is now proudly displayed outside the booking office. Why don't you come and join us and help make Marple station even better?
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Marple is 'Best Kept Station'!
On 12 Jan 2016 Alex Hynes, MD of Northern Rail presented us with an award for the 'Most Improved Station in Cheshire'. This is a great reflection on our enthusiastic band of volunteers, schools, and others who have helped us. In our first full year we have: celebrated both the 150th anniversary of the station opening AND an Agatha Christie anniversary, refurbished and copied 'our tiger', repainted the cabin in the car park, put up history boards, Miss Marple posters, artwork from St Mary's and Mellor Schools AND Christmas decorations, planted tubs, established a library in the waiting room, lobbied politicians, rail companies and new franchise bidders about services and waiting facilities, carried out a passenger count and survey and promoted the extra Sunday services in December. And we still had time to serve refreshments and cake to commuters. All we want now is a new waiting room (we have the plans!), a coffee shop, hourly Hope Valley service every day all year, a decent Sunday services, off-peak promotions, some new trains and a quicker service... Arriva here we come! |
Mellor School Choir sing carols to commuters - Thursday 17 December 2015
We were delighted that Mellor School brought their choir to sing carols to passengers on their way to Manchester. Several hundred commuters had a happier journey to work as the children, who had got out of bed especially early gave a spirited performance for 45 minutes.
A collection was taken which will all go to the Nepal Earthquake Fund.
Many thanks to the children, parents, teachers - and also to the passengers who encouraged the children and chatted to us.
We were delighted that Mellor School brought their choir to sing carols to passengers on their way to Manchester. Several hundred commuters had a happier journey to work as the children, who had got out of bed especially early gave a spirited performance for 45 minutes.
A collection was taken which will all go to the Nepal Earthquake Fund.
Many thanks to the children, parents, teachers - and also to the passengers who encouraged the children and chatted to us.
Warwick Burton - RIP
It was with great sadness we learnt that Warwick Burton died last week. Born in Marple, his book was the definitive guide to railways in our area. He updated it in 2015 for the 150 anniversary of the opening of Marple Station. He played a full part in the celebrations, providing artefacts for an exhibition in the library and giving a talk to over 200 people about his book. His father Monty Burton was Chair of Marple Council when the station was rebuilt in the 1960s and a young Warwick can be seen in photos next to his father cutting the ribbon.
He is currently in the chapel of rest at Fielder and Sons Funeral Directors in York. The memorial service will be in York Minster at 11 am on 30 December and the ashes will be interred later at All Saints, Marple
It was with great sadness we learnt that Warwick Burton died last week. Born in Marple, his book was the definitive guide to railways in our area. He updated it in 2015 for the 150 anniversary of the opening of Marple Station. He played a full part in the celebrations, providing artefacts for an exhibition in the library and giving a talk to over 200 people about his book. His father Monty Burton was Chair of Marple Council when the station was rebuilt in the 1960s and a young Warwick can be seen in photos next to his father cutting the ribbon.
He is currently in the chapel of rest at Fielder and Sons Funeral Directors in York. The memorial service will be in York Minster at 11 am on 30 December and the ashes will be interred later at All Saints, Marple
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Mellor School brighten up the Manchester waiting room
Mellor School year ones produced some great artwork as part of a project looking at how the coming of the railway changed Marple 150 years ago. Passengers waiting in the Manchester platform waiting room can now enjoy it after it was put up on 5 December. In the picture you can also see the only Agatha Christie lending library in a train station anywhere in the world (now that's a challenge). Hopefully Northern will fix the leak in the roof and we will be able to sit in the dry! |
'Spirit of the Lakes' Charter train at Marple Station - December 2015
West Coast Railway ran a charter on Sat 5 December 2015 from Skegness (starting at 06.20) to Manchester for the Christmas markets. It passed through Marple on-time at 10.40 top and tailed by 2 x class 57s (if you are into that sort of thing!) We have no idea for the train name as the route didn't pass any lakes.
Workday, meeting and a passenger count .. now help with our on-line survey
We carried out a PASSENGER COUNT on Weds 25 November... and Marple is confirmed as one of the busiest stations in Gereater Mancheslter. An analysis will be available soon. We are also carrying out a passenger survey so that we can lobby for the improvements that most passengers want.
Our Next work day is Saturday 5 December 2015, 10-12 am at Marple Station..
Our Next work day is Saturday 5 December 2015, 10-12 am at Marple Station..
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Mellor Well Dressing features Marple 150
The 2015 Mellor well dressing unveiled on 27 June featured three superb panels celebrating 150 years since our railway line opened. Well worth a visit! |
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Next meeting - 7.30 Tuesday 16 June, Norfolk Arms, Marple Bridge
Our work days 9/10 May saw us paint the cabins, put the tiger and Paul Gent artwork up in the waiting room and fill the tubs. We now need to move on and decide plans for the 150 celebrations in July 2015. The special train is organised, the MD of Northern Rail and Stockport Mayor booked, but so much more to do ... |
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150 celebrations update - MD of Northern Rail to visit Marple
Plans for the 150 celebrations in July 2015 are gathering pace. Alex Hynes, the Managing Director of train operator Northern Rail will unveil a blue plaque on Weds 1 July. There will also be a full programme of events including a festival in Memorial plaque, music trains, commuter cake, competitions, art work and much more. Contact us for more information. |
New walks leaflet
Friends of Rose Hill have just launched a booklet of local walks ranging from 4 ½ to 9 miles from their station, although of course they are all accessible for anyone living in Marple. We have done a couple of them and they are excellent. Paper copies are available at both Marple and Rose Hill Stations, and also downloaded from here.
Friends of Rose Hill have just launched a booklet of local walks ranging from 4 ½ to 9 miles from their station, although of course they are all accessible for anyone living in Marple. We have done a couple of them and they are excellent. Paper copies are available at both Marple and Rose Hill Stations, and also downloaded from here.
Train on Line
The November issue of ‘Train on Line’ is now available. Plenty of interesting stuff, including news that the summer timetable of hourly Sunday services on the Norwich to Sheringham route has been extended to run throughout the year. If they can do it there, surely we should expect an hourly Sunday service to Manchester all year round, and maybe even during the week towards Sheffield?
The November issue of ‘Train on Line’ is now available. Plenty of interesting stuff, including news that the summer timetable of hourly Sunday services on the Norwich to Sheringham route has been extended to run throughout the year. If they can do it there, surely we should expect an hourly Sunday service to Manchester all year round, and maybe even during the week towards Sheffield?
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FIRST WORK PARTY! - 28th September 2014
Our first work party at Marple Station will be on Sunday 28 September from 10.00 - 12.00. We will start by tidying our storage room on the Manchester platform, place and plant our first two tubs, paint two additional benches and use any remaining time to plan future activities. Everyone is welcome. Come in working clothes - HiVis vests and safety breifIng will be available. Please contact Peter Black or Chris Taylor if you have any questions. |
Marple Station Model - September 2014
Visitors to St Martins Church last weekend were able to get a taste of what Marple station looked like in its 1950s glory days when express trains linked it to London. A model of the mainline station was on show for the Heritage open days weekend. We hope the model will be available next year to help us to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the station opening.
Visitors to St Martins Church last weekend were able to get a taste of what Marple station looked like in its 1950s glory days when express trains linked it to London. A model of the mainline station was on show for the Heritage open days weekend. We hope the model will be available next year to help us to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the station opening.
Friends of Marple Station next meeting - September 2014
Our next meeting will be at 7pm on Thursday 4 September in the Navigation pub, Marple. This will be an important meeting as we will decide on our budget, programme and work days. Just turn up, or you are welcome to contact us before and we will make sure you are made welcome.
Our next meeting will be at 7pm on Thursday 4 September in the Navigation pub, Marple. This will be an important meeting as we will decide on our budget, programme and work days. Just turn up, or you are welcome to contact us before and we will make sure you are made welcome.
ACoRP newsletter online -August 2014
FoMS has joined ACoRP (the Association of Community Rail Partnerships). This is the August newsletter which has a lot of ideas from groups around the country. As a newly formed group it is both inspiring and daunting to see what others have achieved. Happy reading.
FoMS has joined ACoRP (the Association of Community Rail Partnerships). This is the August newsletter which has a lot of ideas from groups around the country. As a newly formed group it is both inspiring and daunting to see what others have achieved. Happy reading.
Consultation open: we want your views - July 2014
‘Northern Rail’ is currently run by a joint venture of Netherlands State Railways and SERCO. Their franchise runs until 2016. The Government (who set the quality and quantity of train services and facilities at stations) are about to invite companies to bid to run Northern and TransPennine and have published a Consultation Paper.
We have an opportunity to comment. Our current thoughts are that we should include: car parking, waiting facilities, train frequency, speed, first/last trains, crowding and rolling stock to both Manchester and along the Hope Valley to Sheffield on weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays. We should also comment on fares and ticketing. A more detailed document will be circulated shortly.
In particular, we may want to concentrate on car parking, the need to replace the four-wheel ‘Pacers’ and the desperately poor Sunday services as a priority. If you have any thoughts – please email or speak to Peter Black as soon as possible – by 21 July 2014 at the latest so we can feed them into a joint response with other Friends groups.
‘Northern Rail’ is currently run by a joint venture of Netherlands State Railways and SERCO. Their franchise runs until 2016. The Government (who set the quality and quantity of train services and facilities at stations) are about to invite companies to bid to run Northern and TransPennine and have published a Consultation Paper.
We have an opportunity to comment. Our current thoughts are that we should include: car parking, waiting facilities, train frequency, speed, first/last trains, crowding and rolling stock to both Manchester and along the Hope Valley to Sheffield on weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays. We should also comment on fares and ticketing. A more detailed document will be circulated shortly.
In particular, we may want to concentrate on car parking, the need to replace the four-wheel ‘Pacers’ and the desperately poor Sunday services as a priority. If you have any thoughts – please email or speak to Peter Black as soon as possible – by 21 July 2014 at the latest so we can feed them into a joint response with other Friends groups.
Folk Trains - June 2014
Details of all the local folk trains running over the next few months can be found below.
Marple - Hathersage
The next Manchester-Hathersage FOLK TRAINS will call at MARPLE at 12.10 on 12 July, 9 August and 13 September 2014. Just buy a return (currently £10.30, discounts available) and hop on. A band will already be playing on the train and will get off and continue to play at the Little John Hotel, Hathersage, returning on the 14.32 train from Hathersage. Beware, these trains can get quite crowded in the summer.
One World Festival
A band will play on the 12.10 from Marple on Sat 5 July, getting off at New Mills for the One World Festival.
Chinley Folk train
Chinley gets its own Folk Train on 20 September 2014, calling at MARPLE at 12.10, with the band playing at the Old Hall Inn, a Good Beer Guide listed pub – a great place on a sunny summers evening.
A leaflet (yellow cover) is available showing these and other folk trains, plus a programme of guided walks connecting with trains along the Hope Valley line.
Details of all the local folk trains running over the next few months can be found below.
Marple - Hathersage
The next Manchester-Hathersage FOLK TRAINS will call at MARPLE at 12.10 on 12 July, 9 August and 13 September 2014. Just buy a return (currently £10.30, discounts available) and hop on. A band will already be playing on the train and will get off and continue to play at the Little John Hotel, Hathersage, returning on the 14.32 train from Hathersage. Beware, these trains can get quite crowded in the summer.
One World Festival
A band will play on the 12.10 from Marple on Sat 5 July, getting off at New Mills for the One World Festival.
Chinley Folk train
Chinley gets its own Folk Train on 20 September 2014, calling at MARPLE at 12.10, with the band playing at the Old Hall Inn, a Good Beer Guide listed pub – a great place on a sunny summers evening.
A leaflet (yellow cover) is available showing these and other folk trains, plus a programme of guided walks connecting with trains along the Hope Valley line.
Timetable changes - May 2014
The current timetable (May to December 2014) has no major changes, but many services along the Hope Valley towards Sheffield are re-timed by a few minutes in each direction. Make sure you check before you travel.
The current timetable (May to December 2014) has no major changes, but many services along the Hope Valley towards Sheffield are re-timed by a few minutes in each direction. Make sure you check before you travel.
The Friends meet for the first time - April 2014
Fifteen people came to our first meeting a the Navigataion pub in Marple in April 2014. We agreed a constitution, committee and bank account, and that our first actions should be to improve the waiting room on the Manchester platform, and provide planters on the platforms.
Our next meeting will be in early September 2014. We hope to agree details of our first projects and when and how we will do them.
Fifteen people came to our first meeting a the Navigataion pub in Marple in April 2014. We agreed a constitution, committee and bank account, and that our first actions should be to improve the waiting room on the Manchester platform, and provide planters on the platforms.
Our next meeting will be in early September 2014. We hope to agree details of our first projects and when and how we will do them.
