Trust volunteers (travelling from as far away as Bury St. Edmunds and
Bedford – the dedication of our members never ceases to amaze me) had
three strongly-contrasting tasks today.
The railway-style WC for Wenhaston Station moves on apace, with the body
T&G finished, the door T&G cut ready to be treated and affixed,
the (raised) floor complete, and the roof painted ready for felting. It
is a very strongly-built structure (and none the worse for that) – as
has been said, it’s built like a brick….well, you can imagine the rest!
Sean and his pick-up collected everything from the workshop and company
office that we are going to need this weekend, both for the
“get-to-know-you” day for the village on Saturday, and for our own
volunteers’ and members’ social event on Sunday (all members are welcome
– 10 till 4)
The other picture has a story behind it. In 2000, Wenhaston village commissioned a sign to commemorate Wenhaston Station, showing our locomotive “Wenhaston”: this was erected at the station level crossing, and survived as a popular community asset until it disappeared, cut down overnight by persons unknown, several years ago. It was eventually traced, and has languished in a garage ever since. A few months ago, we wrote to the Parish Council (with whom the responsibility for the sign rests) to offer the services of Trust volunteers to refurbish the sign, in consultation with its original designer. This offer was accepted, and the top of the sign (the rest, having been left lying in the grass for several years, is now rotten), and the historic sign is now at the workshop.
The Trust very much hopes that the sign can be re-erected close to the station, as depicted on Wenhaston’s famous Millennium Map: we have offered to put it up on Trust-owned land, immediately adjacent to its original site.