The hard work of the Friends of Handforth Station (FoHS) was rewarded at the recent Cheshire Best Kept Station (CBKS) Awards as the group received a special Railway 200 award!
This award was added to the annual event to recognise the stations that had arranged imaginative celebrations to mark 200 years of the modern railway in the UK, an anniversary celebrated nationwide in 2025.
The group arranged a series of events over the year, including a display showing the role of the local military railway during wartime, fundraising for Railway 200’s charity Alzheimer’s Research, a gathering of railway poets and poetry displays, a train ride for pupils from the local primary school, and a series of talks to the local Youth Club.
The highlight of their Railway 200 contributions was surely the establishment of a Rail Ale Trail (find more information here). The FoHS and team launched the Rail Ale Trail on 27 September 2025, the exact 200 year anniversary of the modern railway. The CBKS team commented about Handforth: “Ingenuity and campaigning were, as ever, the hallmark of the group.”
Mike Bishop, FoHS President, said: “This award is testament to so many local communities and businesses who helped us to commemorate Railway 200 and raise funds for Alzheimer’s Research. Having our work in 2025 commemorated early in 2026 is a wonderful start to our own 30th anniversary this year.”
Congratulations to this creative and enthusiastic group on the win!