Hexham station

[Mark62]

I would like to congratulate the staff at Hexham station who do a fine job. If you need assistance they will close the ticket office and help you over the tracks to platform 1. They are friendly and extremely polite.
Also I would suggest that hexham station is one of the most beautiful little stations in the UK. From spring onwards, a local lady adorns the station( at her own cost)with hanging baskets and pots of lovely flowers. It really a beautiful sight in the summer. I have many photos of the station in bloom this summer. Sadly northern rail have plans to close the ticket office at Hexham. That would be a great loss.
I wonder how many other stations have such lovely displays. Hexham is lucky as it's roofs and buildings have not been demolished.
Maybe other users here could tell us of other stations in the UK that are bit like stepping back in time and come to life with flowers in the summer.

 

[185143]

Birmingham Moor Street is the definition of stepping back in time!

 

[GrimsbyPacer]

Sounds like Driffield station to me.
Lots of flowers there last time I past through.

 

[Busaholic]

I would like to congratulate the staff at Hexham station who do a fine job. If you need assistance they will close the ticket office and help you over the tracks to platform 1. They are friendly and extremely polite.
Also I would suggest that hexham station is one of the most beautiful little stations in the UK. From spring onwards, a local lady adorns the station( at her own cost)with hanging baskets and pots of lovely flowers. It really a beautiful sight in the summer. I have many photos of the station in bloom this summer. Sadly northern rail have plans to close the ticket office at Hexham. That would be a great loss.
I wonder how many other stations have such lovely displays. Hexham is lucky as it's roofs and buildings have not been demolished.
Maybe other users here could tell us of other stations in the UK that are bit like stepping back in time and come to life with flowers in the summer.

Now that David and Ruth of 'The Archers' are moving to Hexham they wouldn't dare close the ticket office, as the subject would keep coming up in conversation, in fact one or other of them would get involved in a 'Save Our Ticket Office' campaign- you know what incomers are like.

 

[Hardcastle]

Why close the ticket office at Hexham ? at the end of a busy commute it seems madness.

 

[185143]

Why close the ticket office at Hexham ? at the end of a busy commute it seems madness.

Yes, exactly. But let's not forget which TOC is concerned!

 

[MidnightFlyer]

I read 'close' in the OP to mean temporarily in order to help the passenger with access difficulty - IIRC there's no platform staff at Hexham, and anything ex-Carlisle is only accessible via the footbridge usually.

As for the OP's question, Bridlington is very similar in the ye olde world / florist-y regard: http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/SME/html/NRE_BDT/images/photos/800/o1174-0000012.jpg

 

[Mark62]

I read 'close' in the OP to mean temporarily in order to help the passenger with access difficulty - IIRC there's no platform staff at Hexham, and anything ex-Carlisle is only accessible via the footbridge usually.

As for the OP's question, Bridlington is very similar in the ye olde world / florist-y regard: http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/SME/html/NRE_BDT/images/photos/800/o1174-0000012.jpg

Yes this is correct, there aren't any platform staff at Hexham. I dot know if the station is manned only by one person. But if anyone who does need help over the footbridge or if there are prams then them person from the ticket office will close the office and escort the person over the tracks.
Incidentally, the station announcer is often a very young girl, whom it presume is the station masters(or whatever they call them now) daughter. It just adds to atmosphere of a family station.
Hexham bus station has been sold by the county council to a property redeveloper. Apparently they are spending £1.5 millions on a new one that's out of the town centre. The closure was heavily opposed but local democracy failed and it's moving. There were many calls to build and integrated bus/ rail interchange but the county council refused to even consider the idea. This is a missed opportunity.

 

[ChathillMan]

Hexham is a lovely little station. Its a shame its a bit out the way from the town centre.

A shuttle bus ran a few summers back linking the station, the hospital the bus station but it stopped due to lack of use.

The station does have a mini bus interchange, however it is used by infrequent local bus routes.

IMO Hexham is a bit of a "sleeping giant" in terms of Public Transport. With the new Bus Station being built where it is i think an opportunity presents itself to maybe extend some of the terminators from the east down to the Station. Services from the west could run via the Market Place, down to Tesco, the rail station and then the new bus station . The station would then see a massive increase in potential custom.

 

[Springs Branch]

........... Maybe other users here could tell us of other stations in the UK that are bit like stepping back in time and come to life with flowers in the summer.

Hebden Bridge was a nicely maintained old-world station, which had hanging baskets of flowers last time I used the station.

 

[M60lad]

Hindley Station on Manchester-Wigan line always looks well looked after with plenty of floral displays on show and proves a pleasent waiting environment

 

[matto763]

Hindley Station on Manchester-Wigan line always looks well looked after with plenty of floral displays on show and proves a pleasent waiting environment

Hindley has a really active "Friends of" group that has put a lot of time and effort into cleaning and renovation projects at the station. They've unearthed a load of old features like paths and signs that had been hidden by vegetation for many years and encouraged local groups to provide artwork for displays. The station is now so much nicer than it was say 10 years ago and is a really welcoming advert for the town.

 

[Mark62]

I actually had a chance to chat to the lady who decorates hexham station every year with flowers. I thanked her for her efforts. She said her job was being made increasingly difficult by network rail who were imposing more and more health and safely limitations on what she can do without a network rails permission. They insist on doing things such as lifting grates and will not allow her to use a hosepipe. She is being forced to water the plants every day with a watering can which is very hard work for a lady aged 79. Network rail seem very unappreciative of the charity and hard work this lady provides all at her own cost. She plants over 500 bulbs every year.
Incidentally, Saltburn was voted as the best looking station in the North Eastern Region last year according to a Hexham stations generous benefactor.

 

[ian1944]

A few years ago I found Lockerbie a particularly nice station to use, with a blazing fire (it was late autumn) and very helpful staff. I just pass through now from time to time so can't say whether or not it's still as nice, though have heard that they still do all they can for visiting family of those killed in the disaster.