Only the Few

Wednesday 29th January 2020

Numbers are dwindling , volunteer wise , a grand total of 3 on Monday and 4 today. luckily Neal and John were around on Monday to keep the trio company , but we had Neal by himself on the Wednesday.

Ian headed to the relative warmth of the tea room , to touch up the places he missed on the running in board.

The Carpentry team have been given a task off site at Toddington Station. At the entrance there is a small brick building which houses the gas meter. The surround has seen better days , in places completely rotten. The Louvre doors except for a few places are sound .  

Dave was by on his own but by the end of the day he had rattled up a new frame and given it a coat of primer.

Wednesday 

Ian headed back to the tea room , where Peter and Dave had flipped the running in board over , just the back to be done in Light stone and the top to be touched up in black.

We will give it a few more days to dry and then if enough volunteers turn up back up it will go.

Early on saw Peter and Dave head down to Toddington to retrieve the doors from said Gas Box. Door on the left was de-flaked of old paint then rubbed down. It was the better of the 2 , only small areas of rot. The right one was a different matter , the top length of wood needed some attention , with the corner area with deep rot. Above Peter starts the removing and cutting out . 

Clive finally finished the treating of the fence at the top of drive.

The only other person on site as said was Neal , now working just past the landing.

And that was it, sorry nothing exciting happened to day , it was just another day at the office.

PS 

A message for Peter K , they're here !!! so you're going to be busy for the next  couple of months .

It was a Cold and Frosty Morning

Monday 20th January

The story begins, where is the first train, the line and station are empty. Oh no trains today, not till the end of March. Well one could wish!

Dave and Vic had collected stuff for a bonfire.

Ok Dave I'll carry the other box. This is one way to get warm. We were soon joined by Keith.

Well it was soon down to the nitty gritty. Here, Dave is planning and fitting a shelf in the Station Master's Office.

Don't press to hard on the pen when signing in!!


In the café, work was progressing with the Running in Board. Peter and Ian discussing what is next and I then caught Ian with a left hand paint brush in his hand again.

The footbridge duo were at work, Neal up on the bridge and John sorting out pieces of timber.

What can they hear? Neal and Dave looking down the line? I think nowt was the answer.


We had a number of visitors come to find what the latest news.

Vic was busy down the drive, two ladies enquiring what are being planted. Gladioli, hoping for a Summer display.

Keith was doing a where's Wally. I could not find him to take a photo. Missed him.


Broadway Bric a Brac Shop - Marguerite

It was with sad news we learnt today of the passing of  Marguerite. A stalwart fund raiser and supported for Broadway Station.

Marguerite outside her shop in Dec 2011.


Marguerite on the right receiving a bouquet of flowers Dec 2014.

Wednesday 22nd January

It was misty, wet and warm today, 11C. Ten volunteers came in to Broadway some to work, others for a visit.

Following a request from the C&M manager, a team of four, Peter Q, Dave, Brian and Ray set of for Toddington to look at the refurbishment of the gas meter box. They soon returned later to gather up the required kit to commence the small project.
Peter K also went to Toddington where he was trying out some hand rail supports, prior to manufacturing the actual items.

Ian was back in the café adding more paint to the Running in Board.

In the Mess Room Ian, Brian and Neal discussing world events.

Next door in the wood work shop, Dave is busy making another leaflet holder.


One of the flower display pots suffered with the recent frost, so Vic purchased a new one and transferred the soil and plants.

Some pruning of Laurels and collecting of Pine branches was carried out by Vic and added to the general tidy up of items for the bonfire.

Some colour is now appearing in the gardens, Snowdrops and more Shrubs.

Neal was the only one in today working on the foot bridge. Trial fitting the top pieces for the side panels.

Three other visitors today was Chris H updating safety requirements, Tony who is recovering after his knee op and Julie still stock checking in the Goods Sales Shed.

General Maintenance and a sad loss

Wednesday 15th January 2020

Monday saw , I wish I could say a warm and sunny day but it was far from it. Storm  " whats it " brought wind and rain. Plus it blew along a fair number of volunteers.

Mike the only painter today, set about the first spear fencing panel which Peter K had constructed last Wednesday

.

A bit of rust removal in the first picture and in between the showers he managed to apply the first coat of primer.

Another person keeping out of the wind and showers was Ian , who was also painting. This time two more of Dave's creations.

More Leaflet and Pamphlet holders for the Tea Room. Ready to be taken up to the tea room to dry.

Another job between the showers involved our various bird boxes around the station, the first had fallen upside down and needed refixing , the second our Kestrel box had been sited too low and as we had the ladder out we raised it to a reasonable height . Our local Kestrel keeps having a look maybe this position will be more tempting .

Wednesday we had the threat of a dry day , so less volunteers were around !

Peter Q and Brian had an equipment move in the Kitchen, the trouble it left a nasty stain mark on the floor. Dont let your wife see this picture Brian, on your hands and knees scrubbing the floor.

Meanwhile outside Clive was lifting the drain covers , he was joined later by Brian and Peter to sweep the drive for the umpteen time .

Pat found himself a spot in the sun to do some maintenance on the grass cutting and brush cutting tools. 

The Platform 1 running in board is having a bit of a refurbishment , the bottom showed signs of water damage. It was left in the tea room ( with permission ) to dry out . Dave had rubbed most of it down on Monday , another coat primer and undercoat was applied, soon after .

Wednesday saw it brought inside, then Ian gave the rubbed down surround a white top coat, finished off the day by repainting the letters.

The new Pamphlet and Leaflet holders are now dry and in their positions.

And is was today we heard the sad news of the death of Bill Britton.

Bill at the front in the days of the first wall

Bill had been one of the originals who was there at the start of the construction of  Broadway Station, without his drive I am  sure we wouldn't be here today.

                                                                          RIP Bill

A New Decade

Monday 6th January 2020

Christmas and New Year celebration have come and gone. So what now at Broadway Station?
There were 10 volunteers in this morning looking to see if active work might reduce some of the extra weight their bodies are carrying.

First off was to place all the station furniture back under the canopy. This was carried out by Dave, Keith and the two Mikes.

The two painters Mike S and Mike T set about applying top coat to two bench seats.


Dave and Ian were in the wood work shop Dave reshaping bits of wood for another project. Ian had a paint brush in his hand not seen that before.

The footbridge team were in again, John and Neal working away and Jo always giving his advice.

Vic the head gardener upgraded the GWR sign, planted a flowering shrub and was back at moving top soil along the drive.

The station is of course closed to travelling public and will reopen in March.

Wednesday 8th January.

Another reasonable turnout of volunteers. In the station Peter Q and Brian were planning requirements to store items for the running season. Dave and Ian were using the café area to dry out a Running Board before sealing and painting.

The application of fence preservative was with Clive, here he is now near the top end, not far to go.

John and Neal were working on the footbridge with ever more bits of timber being shaped or painted.

Julie was in the Broadway Goods Shed removing surplus stock and giving the shelves a good tidy.

The manufacture of spear fencing for platform 2 has commenced. Here Peter K with help from Ian when required selecting the pieces to take to the welding shop.

A sign has been placed on the lamp hut, there were lots of bits in the hut but no lamps!

Pat the strimmer was clearing the lower parts of the cutting, down in the wagon storage area.

We had an attack of Vine Weevils in one of our flower pots, Vic sorted this and potted a new shrub.
He also moved the last of the top soil, planted pansies and two firs.

Well that's all folks, Dave will write next weeks blog.