Week Commencing 15th June 2026
Monday
4 around today , usual 3 plus Chris
We have had over the past couple of weeks quite a few donations of plants and terracotta pots , all to brighten up the station. Kevin and Ian and Chris were seen potting up.
Myself was playing with the brush cutter behind platform 2.
Then mowing behind 1
Bit further down Ian and Kevin started on the platform 1 embankment .
Its a case of platform 1 on Mondays and Platform 2 on Wednesday when the station is open.
Wednesday
A wet start to the day , just the 4 again .
a couple of hanging baskets now hang next to the bridge stair case.
Mark and Ian had a go rubbing down the Fuel shed roof .
This was our mission today , time for the daisies to go .
Daises we going over , hidden within are the brambles , Ash trees and other weeds all getting a foot hold . Both Ian and myself with the brush cutters tackled the job.
More clay pots were filled with flowers and distributed around the station.
In his small greenhouse area decisions were being made , what and where .
Locos around today on a red timetable were " Manston " and 3850 .
Whilst the addition of new pots and planters might ordinarily enhance the station I do feel that it is not in keeping with what the GWR would have had. The station should not be used as overflow for plant donations and should be treated as a living museum, as is stated on the Trust’s aims. What’s the point in spending time, effort and money on accurate canopy recreations and special bricks all for the environment to be adorned with modern, plastic pots and planters. No other heritage railway allows this sort of thing without consultation. As a significant shareholder and donor this is not the sort of thing I was investing in and I think that volunteers, however well meaning, should be mindful of this.
ReplyDeleteAt least there are no garden gnomes yet!
DeleteI get your point, but he did say "terracotta pots". Yes, plastic pots would not be authentic.
DeleteWith regards to 'the living museum' ideal, is it time for our railway to hold regular head of dept meetings to bring our aim together. A firm stamp needs to be put on ALL non-relative intrusions before it is too late, be it flower pots, cctv or red/white plastic fencing. Possibly invite a like minded volunteer to regularly visit stations and the like to report on heritage vandalism back to the board.
ReplyDeleteWhile I also share concerns about the apparent disrespect for heritage which is apparent reading various blogs particularly Jo's, the responsibility for this lies with the directors who don't seem to have a policy or direction on this. The volunteers on the station do a great job in all weathers keeping it clean, maintained and tidy and are doubtless well meaning in what they do. They don't deserve a headmasterly telling off for lack of direction from the board on the heritage matter. The vitriol should be directed at the board. Geoffj
ReplyDeleteThe vitriol should be directed at them.
I am also a significant shareholder, both cash and shares. I live in an Edwardian stone cottage which I have tried to modernise in a "traditional way". Lots of difficult compromises. We have picture rails, hooks and wire from which hang local paintings. I once had a discussion with an influential GWSR board person to suggest an Edwardian makeover for part of the buildings on Broadway P1. I was told that picture rails would collect dust and were unhygienic.?!
DeleteI will write to the chairman as Broadway station is slowly losing it's way. And hats off to the brilliant work on P2 and the lads that maintain the whole station.
Mike Rose.
Hopefully no need for vitriol, that doesn't help anything. But agreed, it needs to be at that level.
DeleteSurely the Station Master should be the herritage co-ordunater for each station, and as such should be knowledgable of what is and is not acceptable to be placed on the station, or indeed, inside it. If the station Master is unwilling to do this, then it's time for a change!
DeleteI agree. There was no consultation with those who built the canopy, and who spent so many hours getting it right. We are supposed to be a living museum, not a plant nursery. There are other places for this.
ReplyDeleteSurely these pots and hanging baskets are not permanent items , just there to enhance the station through the summer months !
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, they don't enhance the station, they make it look more like a Wetherspoons beer garden, with no disrespect intended to Wetherspoons. I agree with the first poster, and the directors of the GWSR need to stop this practice.
DeleteBut that is the problem. It is not desireable to have them seen in the summer months.
DeleteOh dear what a shame that the addition of a little bit of colour has caused so much upset.
ReplyDeleteWould it be an idea to ask the paying customers what they think after all it is them that keep the railway running,sometimes we have to move with the times or risk losing repeat bookings.With the greatest of respect we could end up with only " die hard" enthusiasts and no Joe public to keep the place open.
Should there not be a board director responsible for coordinating matters relating to ensuring that heritage is maintained. Job for you Jo, you seem to be the most vocal and knowledgeable person?
ReplyDelete