Water feature at Sheffield station

This photograph taken in 2007 shows the large water feature built at the front of Sheffield station. It would be fair to say that the feaure gives visitors to the city a much more positive first impression than the car park and taxi rank that used to occupy much of the area. However, water features seem to be popping up everywhere and it does show a little lack of originality. The "water wall" is quite frequently out of operation and the area at its base is often flooded. The lighting of the feature at night is quite strange and makes even a sober person feel quite queasy. The square in front of the station is still largely devoid of features and is a windswept and cold place on a winter's morning. Overall, I would say the changes in this area are a great improvement but it could have been so much better.

Lazonby Station, 1977

Lazonby station on a very overcast day in August, 1977.

At this time, the station was closed to passenger traffic other than the summer "Dalesrail" specials that ran occasionally at weekends. These services were intended to provide access to the Eden valley for tourists. It was by no means a regular service and I can remember there once being a notice at the station saying "Sorry - no train in August".

The station building on the northbound platform was occupied by the bakers, Bells of Lazonby. They still occupy the premises today. The offices are much neater than in the 1970s and the office workers have a view from across the platform.

In 1977 there was a disused siding on the northbound platform which has since been filled in. The platforms were too low for easy access to the trains and the levels of the platforms are now much higher than as seen in the photograph.

Happily, regular train services were restored in the 1980s and trains stop in both directions on an approximately once every two hours schedule from early morning until early evening.

The station has been much improved and has a much pleasanter appearance than in 1977.

It is to be hoped that with the expansion of Lazonby and the continued interest in the Carlisle and Settle line that the decision to re-open the station will continue to be a success.

Baynards Station, 1979

A disused railway station always seems to provide an evocative image. Thoughts turn to the lost promise of travel, to the men who laboured only for their efforts to count for nought and to the triumph of nature over the designs of man.


Fortunately, this station - Baynards in Surrey - was lovingly restored at the time I took this photograph in September, 1979. I hope that it remains so today but I have not revisited since cycling to this remote location from Horsham nearly 30 years ago.



For those with an interest in disused stations I can thoroughly recommend the website http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/ The site contains many images of disused stations throughout Britain.

Attercliffe Road Station, 1985

This photograph was taken in July, 1985, on the northbound platform of the now closed station at Attercliffe Road, Sheffield.

The station was closed in the 1990's as alternative transport facilities were by then being provided by the Sheffield Supertram.


By the 1980's only a few trains stopped at Attercliffe Road and most of these were early morning services. The services were not well used and it was no surprise when the station was closed.

The second photograph (taken on the same day) shows the view southwards from Attercliffe Road towards the city centre. The Hyde Park flats dominated the view southwards in 1985. The flats were partly demolished and partly refurbished for the World Student Games held in Sheffield in 1991.
Today, only the overgrown platforms remain. The shelter on the southbound platform and all the signs and lighting have long since vanished.

The 2006 Nuremberg Station Mark

I acquired this unusual "coin" in Nuremberg station in 2006. It is the size of a standard Euro coin and was valid as a Euro in the shops in the main station complex in Nuremberg.

In order to get one of these "coins" it was necessary to partake in a game of wheel of fortune that was taking place on the station concourse. The minimum prize was one of these "coins" and the maximum was ten. Needless to say, I just won one of them.

If anyone has information about similar issues, I would be pleased to hear from them.