First chance I've had to go over today to take a look at the refurbishment and a mixed reaction, I must say. On the whole it's pretty positive, the restoration is pretty good, it looks smart and good, outside looks good with the grassed areas (even if they do need a cut) as do the steps upto the station and the facade looks good with it having a good clean up and some masonry being replaced where it needed it. The windows look good as do the doors. But and there are a few buts, the attention to detail is poor, none more so that in the entrance which looks unfinished up towards the ceiling, in fact its deffo unfinished, the paint work is unimaginative (battleship grey and white) which is already showing marks. At the far end of platform 1 some of the windows haven't been replaced or the door, which is a shame, giving it an unfinished feel and the place looks like it could have done with a good clean, the new canopy is filthy, the window bottoms covered in red brick dust and the entrance area had cobwebs all over it, wouldn't have been hard for someone to whip round with a brush. On the opposite platform there is still vegetation growing out of the brick work too. The benches were left over from the old station, would it have been hard to replace these with some new shiny ones, instead of the red battered ones?
Also where is the ticket office, cafe and toilets? I was under the impression that these were part of the renovation? I noted there was some rooms renovated but empty are these to house the new facilities? Seems a little daft to open the station without any of these promised facilities? On the whole a positive renovation and it looks good aside from the one or two aesthetic issues. Lets hope the ticket office and cafe materialise soon, I was gagging for a cup of tea.
