Just what would YOU do with it ???

We have spent hours trying to find a use for the Station Building.

It is there for COMMUNITY use – if only some practical use could be found for it.

Most important – it needs to cover the annual costs, preferably without relying on subsidies/grants.

Cafes have been mentioned – but, is there a shortage in the village?

A lift to the platform keeps getting mentioned – Mytholmroyd is the only step-free station in the area.

Why do we need the expense of a lift when there is a dropping-off/collection point near the short ramp to the platform?

If you have an idea – then formulate a Business Plan – with realistic costings and we will assist.

Over to you ——

The 2012 Community Station Luncheon and unveiling

Thanks for coming to the station Do – hope you enjoyed it. Wasn’t the food good – well those who came earlier enough or unlike me spent too much chatting around the place!

What a great variety of interesting (50+) people are associated with the Station.

Plans are on-going for our 2013 displays!

It will be the turn of Cragg Vale School artists – and we are receiving some interesting pictures of local history.

Keep them coming – anything up to 1980s with local interest please.

 A great selection of photos of the 2012 ‘Do’ are attached.

 The following is the poetic emails between Sue and the lady in Pink. Too clever by half for me……

 Glorious in Pink

A gal with a mission

 

Station Bard – Jean

Dogoil – good for bones!

She moved thru the room

Resplendant in pink – our Bard

She’s done it again.

                          Station Do

 The gardening club party was a reet grand affair

Everyone who was anyone just had to be there

The mayor gave a speech, his gold chain just glistened

And Geoff praised us all, and made sure we listened

The man of the moment was dear Father John,

Tending the bar with his usual aplomb

The buffet was good, but I was really bereft

When I went for my trifle – nothing was left

Still, seeing old friends made it all worth while

The sun kept on shining and made everyone smile

The hard work’s paid off, the station’s a stunner

And will still look lovely through all of the summer

by Jean McKay

 

The Chairman braves the Mytholmroyd sun to welcome our special guests.

 

Click on a picture to see the fine details!

 

Off they step from our ‘beloved’ Pacer

Welcome back stationmaster Harold, and to Brian (ACoRP) Barnsley all the way from the Penistone LIne.

Brand new Deputy mayor of Hebden Royd, Cllr Karl Boggis comes to face his first public engagement.

He is off ! – and what a good start Karl made, most enjoyable.

In between bites of the delicious lunch provided by Lyn of the Shoulder of Mutton and refreshing drinks supplied by Fr John Gott and Hon. Secretary Sue – we heard how our voluntary efforts are apprecited by the wider community.

Bemused whether the red braces will keep the Hon. Chairman decent – Brian barnsley tries to explain the wider role of the Association of Community Rail Partnerships and how Mytholmroyd has fittied in to the national scene.

West Yorkshire stations are like what the Forth Bridge use to be like – non-stop attention. We are lucky to have two super chaps – John and Phil of the station contractors, ISS – who do us all proud.
No sooner have they dealt with Walsden and they are fettling the next station along the line. Mytholmroyd was very pleased to be able to give a small token of their appreciation – thanks John and Phil.

Then the highlight of the event was to see the artwork by the scholars of Scout Road Academy – and the artists themselves.

The artwork has been coordinated by local artist Annie Lawson, a generous grant from the Association of Community Rail Partnerships made the 2012 exhibition possible. The displays themselves are a the result of a landfill grant from the Green Business Network – our extended partnership of community groups.

 

The artistic talent we see here will have the present super-stars of the art world shaking in their designer boots – world poetry in yesteryears what does the future hold for these youngsters?

 

We attract all sorts of folk to our Annual Community Station lunches. They were all welcome and proved very interesting people to meet and know.

At one of the banner is ‘our’ Stuart Greenwood and hold the string at the other end is ‘our’ new Deputy Mayor, Karl. Then we have Perri Webster, tutor at Calderdale College and some of her Landscaping students who are helping the station prepare for 2012 Yorkshire in Bloom.

LOCAL HISTORY – Pictures

Following the unveiling of  our highly acclaimed station displays, it was suggested we collect previously unpublished photographs of Mytholmroyd and district.

Within the first week – we have over 100 new photos!

These will be displayed on the station and hopefully at venues around the area.

We shall also publish them in this Blog.

WATCH THIS SPACE!

AND – if you have any photos lurking in a drawer which you think will be interest – please let us know.

Thanks

email – myt.station@btinternet.com                      Phone (01422) 885154

Click on the picture to enlarge – any comments, names, dates appreciated.

Photographs are credited with either the photographer or the owner who have given permission.

Photo: Tom Foster

Photo: Geoff Mitchell

Photo: Gordon Clarke

Photo: Raymond Stell

 

More photos from the Tom Foster collection to follow in due course…….

THE HISTORY OF MYTHOLMROYD STATION

THE HISTORY OF MYTHOLMROYD STATION by local historian, Michael Allen And the Calder Valley Line 1836, Act of Parliament for the Manchester Leeds Railway, was passed 1840 Trains ran from Hebden Bridge to Leeds via Normanton 1841 summit tunnel opened Stations opened Todmorden & Hebden Bridge 1840, Mytholmroyd 1847, Luddenfoot Sowerby Bridge the original station dated 1840, on the site of the new Tesco supermarket, the second station on the present site, dated 1876 completed 1879 for the Rishworth Branch line Mytholmroyd The contract for building the Mytholmroyd section was given in 1838 to Tredwell & Gerrard. Mytholmroyd Station first station The date of the first station, at Mytholmroyd, 1847 possible timber construction, unfortunately at the present time, the exact location of this station building is not known. Manchester Guardian  23rd May 1846 Manchester and Leeds Railway, announces tenders, for the erection of a passenger and goods station at Mytholmroyd. [Information obtained, from Tom Wray, Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway Society] Public Notice in the Halifax Guardian 1846 History of the second station Manchester Guardian 20th April 1870The Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway announce tenders for the erection of a new Passenger station at Mytholmroyd. Wray L&Y Railway Society.] Mytholmroyd 22nd April New Railway Station    –  according to an advertisement, which in the newspapers, it seems that steps are being taken for providing this village with what it has long wanted     viz. a new railway station. [Todmorden and District News.] Mytholmroyd 6th May 1870, The building of the new station at this place has been let to Mr Wilkinson, contractor of Mytholmroyd, and his work has to be completed by the end of August. [Todmorden and District News] Mytholmroyd 27th MAY 1870 THE STATION – A portion of the foundation stones for this structure have been laid. The building will consist of station-master’s house, booking office, ladies` waiting- room, general waiting-room &c. The platform will still have to be approached by a considerable number of steps. [Todmorden & District News] Mytholmroyd 10th June 1870 THE NEW STATION – From seven o’clock last evening to about the same hour this morning the traffic on the down line has been greatly interfered with at this station, owing to the rails giving way. The first length of the wall backing the platform has been got in without accident, but in excavating for the other part the ground was found to be of that loose and soft kind it could not be keep up. Several large falls of earth took place, and so far weakened the ground which the rails rested that it was considered unsafe to use them. Large openings were discovered on the line; travelling on the down road between Mytholmroyd and Hebden-Bridge had to be “piloted” on the up-line. A number of men under the charge of Mr Uttley, inspector of the permanent-way were brought to the place, and along with the contractor` s men, set to work in filling up the excavation with a portion of the ballast of the railway. The work was continued through the night and this morning the trains were allowed cautiously to pass on in the usual way. [Todmorden and District News] Mytholmroyd 5th August THE NEW STATION? – In the news on the 6th May, it was announced that the building of a new railway station for Mytholmroyd had been let to Mr Wilkinson, contractor, of this place. In three weeks, after we reported that a portion of the foundations stones had been put down. June 10th recorded another item in the news respecting the new station building to the effect that operations were suspended on account of the giving way of the ground. Since the latter date, little or nothing has been done beyond hewing a few more stones. The old station with its rickety steps is still in use without much prospect of any change. The little that has been done towards the old fabric stands as a monument of engineering cowardice. [Todmorden and District News] Mytholmroyd September 30th 1870 THE NEW STATION- After several weeks of fine weather the Railway Company have set about rolling away the reproach they had incurred, by allowing the contractor for the proposed new station to resume operations. The plans have been slightly altered and the fabric is to be built close to the road; in that case, the embankment [the giving way of which put a stop to work] will not have to be disturbed. [Todmorden and District News ] 1870 December , Death of Mr Joseph Macfall station master [ appointed station master 1851] 1871 December the date of the former Station Building opened [Information, Ref: Todmorden and District News dated 22nd December 1871

Local History – do you have any ?

Posters similar to the ones below are now on display on the station platforms – and will be around the village shortly.

Do you have any photos of old Mytholmroyd – even the 60s and 70s will be of interest.

We will scan your pictures, return them to you – then make a poster for station users to look at while waiting for their trains.

Thanks to Raymond Stell

 

Please contact Geoff Mitchell on 885154

or mail them to :-   myt.station@btinternet.com

Please indicate that you have copyright permission for them to be re-produced for our non-profit purposes.

As we are a voluntary organisation, we would appreciate any sponsors for these interesting displays on and around the station.

Thank you

 

Thanks to Hebden Bridge Historical Society and the Jack Utley Collection

 

The Workers – then and now

Photos of Mytholmroyd staff of the 1960s and the present Station Manager.

History photos – 1949 and 1950

The following two photos have come from Gordon Clark – who was last at the station in 1997.

Another one kindly sent by Gordon Clarke

Old Station Building: Displays & Window Art 2010

Photos of the 2010 Window Art below.

Burnley Road School were the artists this year.

The new Mayor of Hebden Royd Town Council, Robin Dixon unveiled the art.

Artist Annie Lawson (l) and sponsor Nigel Oliver (r).

The Community Art is by Betty and Harry Ward.

The new History Displays were researched by Michael Allen and are proving interesting and popular.

Michael Allen, local history researcher

Steamers and other Special Trains

THE YORK YULETIDE EXPRESS

Sunday 13th December 2009

The Railway Touring Company again ran their Yuletide Express from Liverpool to York via Manchester Victoria and Rochdale.

The booked steam locomotive was Stanier Pacific 6210Princess Elizabeth. 

and here it is – spot-on-time.

(Understand it was 5′ early on the return journey….!)

Details here:-

http://www.railwaytouring.co.uk/index.php/the-york-yuletide-express—131209.html 

The following pictures were of the Cotton Mill Express and will be a memento;  

 compo 01

Oldham Loop

 The last train ran on the loop line from Manchester Victoria – through Oldham, Shaw and Crompton – to Rochdale on Saturday 3 October –  nowt but buses for a few years until the Metrolink trams start running.

(Click to advance pictures) 

0909 oldham pdf 11 to 23