FOBS Monthly News - March 09
It's been some time since I've written about the station. This doesn't mean that nothing has been happening. Things happen on two levels.
First, as Station Adopters we work to keep the station tidy. We hope to be able to extend our activity to the weedy, grassy area opposite the Cambridge platform, and the wooded area next to the car park. All we have to do is to get the agreement of the owners of these pieces of land. When we do, it would be nice to have as many people as possible to come down and do some gardening. There is even a possibility of an allotment - but that's not definite yet.
On the other level, we (and I'm sure most of the people in Brandon and Weeting) would like to save the station building and restore it for community and other uses. But we continually run up against obstacles. We are tantalisingly close to getting the lease from Network Rail, but our survey of the station that we carried out last year with a generous bursary from EEDA showed that it's getting to be in a serious condition and if we don't do something soon it is in danger of being demolished. This is one of our most historic buildings. It's been pointed out to me that Brandon was the first town in Suffolk to have a railway station - which is something worth being proud of. We mustn't lose it! But we need great local support to show the powers that be that we want it saved. I'd like to thank our MP, Richard Spring, who has agreed to become our Patron and has been very active on our behalf.
Now for some better news. Two excursion trains are calling at Brandon quite soon, to pick up passengers for a great day out. The first is on 18 April and is run by Nenta Tours of North Walsham. It goes to the West Country and you have a choice of visiting Exeter, Torquay or Paignton - for journey over the Paignton & Dartmouth Steam Railway to Kingswear, and an hour long cruise on the River Dart. This train will be hauled by two vintage Class 47 diesels and tickets range from £55.75 to £132.75 (add-on tours are extra). See www.nentatraintours.co.uk. Then on 23 May the Railway Touring Company have just announced their annual steam excursion (the fourth year running.) This time the engine will be the famous Britannia class pacific, no 70013 Oliver Cromwell. This engine would have been often seen at Brandon in the great days when expresses to London came this way. No. 70013 was the last steam locomotive in British Railways service, of all, and sneaked through Brandon on 12 August 1968 on the way to Bressingham museum - the very last British Railways steam run. Now she's back on the Dorset Coast Express. You can get off at Eastleigh for a tour of the historic railway works, or go on to Poole for an afternoon at the seaside. Tickets start from £79 standard class.
And finally we are planning two events of our own. Dates are provisional at the moment, but we plan another Film Show night on 15 May, and on 21 June a vintage bus trip to Oxborough Hall. There will be a big model railway event there that day, or you can just visit this beautiful house.
Article Written by Stephen Dean:
Tel:01842 815372 or Email:stephendean@decanimusic.co.uk