Community Rail Lancashire (CRL) participated in Community Rail Week at the beginning of June.
Monday 1 June saw CRL celebrating 25 years of community rail across Lancashire and details of the event can be seen on this link: https://communityraillancashire.co.uk/news/community-rail-celebrates-25-years/.
Tuesday 2 June saw events at St. Paul’s Primary School & Hippings Primary School in Oswaldtwistle where local author Susan Brownrigg did a reading of her new book Wrong Tracks all about the Rainhill Trials in 1829 and the children were able to dress up in clothing appropriate to the era.
Wednesday 3 June saw two events on the South Fylde Line. The first was the official unveiling of the new Ansdell Heritage Trail dibond that has been installed on the Overbridge close to the station entrance.
The second event was the launch of a brand new Kirkham Heritage Trail which starts and finishes at Kirkham & Wesham station and takes in the history of Kirkham. The 5.5 km trail has a leaflet that can be used as a self guide walk and the leaflet can be downloaded here Kirkham Heritage Trail – SFL Walks 5 – 2 pages
Thursday 4 June saw staff from CRL along with members Arts2Heal and the South East Lancashire CRP were at Manchester Piccadilly supporting Network Rail’s Community Day.
Thursday 4 June also saw CRL’s Dave Savage taking a school group from Bispham Endowed CE Primary School from Blackpool on a train journey to Hebden Bridge. From there, we walked along the canal to Todmorden before taking the train to Accrington for a guided tour exploring what makes the station an Eco Station. The group were then accompanied back to Blackpool, where they split into two teams and raced back to their school in Bispham, completing a series of challenges along the way.
Friday 5 June saw CRL’s Shahiesta Iqbal being interviewed by Radio Lancashire for their breakfast programme, at the crack of dawn, to discuss the Station’s of Welcome Group, the first all Muslim women to adopt a station.
Friday also saw CRL staff back at Manchester Piccadilly to support Network Rail in a careers advice day on the station concourse.
Although not technically during Community Rail Week the Lancashire Rail Ramblers led a circular guided walk on Tuesday 9 June from Clitheroe station. Around a dozen people braved the weather including Dave Savage and Caroline Holden from CRL.
