Chris' Day Out in Haltwhistle

On 29th August our Vice Chair Chris took our Northern Volunteer passes and hopped over to Haltwhistle on the Tyne Valley Line to catch up with Fiona, Community Rail Partnership Officer for the Tyne Valley CRP, and Dawn, Community Rail Manager at Community Rail Cumbria.

Chris & Fiona with some of the Queer Cumbria Artwork

Chris and the gang settled in for lunch at the Water Tower Café right on the station — a brilliant spot and a bit of a treat. Over paninis and coffee we shared updates on what’s been going on in the world of Northern Trains, community rail, and all the various projects each of us has been keeping busy with.

Station Forecourt & Water Tower Cafe

Afterwards, Fiona and Dawn took Chris for a look around the station. The waiting rooms have been amazingly restored and now really do the history of Haltwhistle justice, with displays that give a sense of its story and place on the line. Out on the forecourt there’s even a human sundial — yes, an actual sundial that only works if you stand in the middle. Naturally, we had to give it a go.

But the main reason for the trip was to talk about the future. Once we’d walked the station, we dug into how we can join forces on some exciting collaborative projects. Nothing we can reveal just yet, but let’s just say there are some good things brewing.

Watch this space…