Timetable change

A new national timetable period begins on 14 May. Leaflets for our line are now available from the station; there appears to little or no change to times of Davenport trains; all the annoying oddities remain, such as the 14:05 and 16:35 trains to Manchester being a few minutes earlier than the regular times of :08 and :37, just to catch people out. However there may be changes on other lines - check your journey before travelling.

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Steam to North Wales

This year the Railway Touring Company are running some of their popular 'North Wales Coast Express' steam-hauled trains via a new route from Crewe, calling and Wilmslow, Stockport and Manchester Piccadilly. These are planned for Sundays 22 July, 5 and 12 August, and will take you to Llandudno, Bangor or Holyhead. Full details and booking on the Railway Touring Company website.

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Extreme fare-dodging

A man who climbed over a railway footbridge and pulled down electrical wires to avoid paying for a ticket sparked a British Transport Police investigation. The actions of the man, who climbed from platform one to platform two at Hazel Grove, resulted in more than 445 minutes of delays in the area as the wires he pulled down caused a power cut.

The incident happened shortly after 11am on Friday, 13 April. PC Mark Haviland said: The actions of this man were dangerous and foolish. It is hard to believe that anyone would put their life at risk to simply try to evade paying a relatively small fare. He risked falling onto the tracks and, by bringing down the power lines, severe electrocution – yet it is clear he was determined to avoid paying his way.

'Thankfully neither the man, nor any other passengers were injured, but hundreds of people faced delays and cancellations because of him and it is imperative that we trace the man and hold him to account for his actions.'

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Sunday morning to Macclesfield

A long-awaited innovation which began with week is a Sunday morning train service to local stations on the Macclesfield line. The 08:50 Manchester Piccadilly to Macclesfield calls at Stockport 09:01, then all stations to Macclesfield. The 11:41 Manchester Piccadilly to Macclesfield calls at Stockport 11:51, all stations to Macclesfield, then Congleton, Kidsgrove and Stoke-on-Trent. This is the first time that such trains have operated on Sunday mornings for many years.  Unfortunately connections from the Davenport direction are not good, but cyclists in particular will find the services useful.

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High Peak bus company

A new bus operating company has been formed as a joint operation of the owners of Bowers of Chapel and TrentBarton's Dove Holes-based services, to be known as High Peak Buses. From 1 April they will be operating all the routes of the two companies, including the  'Skyline 199' and 'TransPeak' services which serve Stockport along the A6 Road. No changes to timetables are expected at this stage.

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What next for 'Baccasweet'?

Time for another change to one of Davenport's more conspicuous buildings as the Persis Rug Galleria moves out to its new home in Heaviley on the corner of Hallam Street and the A6. When we first came to live here in 1985, this was a shop called 'Baccasweet' which served cakes and sandwiches to passers-by the workers from the nearby garages, with a smaill antiques business in the extension at the rear. Later, it became a shop selling assorted fancy goods, and then a furniture company.



A business with the name 'Baccasweet' had existed for a long time: the name can be made out in the archive picture (above) taken at the time of the 1933 road-widening works. It appears they also offered a Library service.



However, the building had been converted from ordinary houses a few years before, and (we believe) formed part of the same business as the garages behind, as seen in this 1929-dated view. The white rendering of the frontage dates from that time, when it was maybe thought that people with cars would pay to have them stored in the garages (equivalent to a livery stable) when not in use, and kept maintained. Older residents recall that cars were even parked on the flat roof of the garages. During World War II, the garages were used by the US Army.  Any information about the early days of these buildings and the garages would be welcome.

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Incident at Stockport

Trains through Stockport were all brought to a stand on the evening of Monday 12 March following what the railway's Twitter operators call a 'person hit by a train'. Tragic incidents of this sort - often either suicides or trespass -  as well as level crossing collisions and lorries striking bridges, have become an almost daily occurrence on the railway network, and there is little the railway companies can do about it.

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The Lincolnshire Poacher

The Mid-Cheshire Rail Users' Association tell us that there are still seats available for their next diesel-hauled railtour to Lincoln, Wainfleet (Bateman's Brewery Tour) and Skegness on Saturday 5 May 2012.

In both directions, this train will call at Chester, Mouldsworth, Cuddington, Greenbank, Northwich, Plumley, Knutsford, Mobberley, Hale, Altrincham, Stockport, Reddish South & Marple for passengers in both directions. Full details and on-line booking on on the MCRUA website.



Reddish South, which famously sees just one 'ordinary' train per week, was visited last year by the MCRUA's excursion, and over 30 passengers joined there, as pictured above by Michael Enefer. The station has a very active Friends Group.

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Updates

The reason for the 'front two coaches after Disley' (below) is that the platform at Whaley Bridge is being rebuilt.

As for the 'mixed-up train' 150 210 shown in the view lower down the page, the picture is already historic, as this train has now been repainted in full Northern Rail colours, while retaining its rather tatty Central Trains interior furnishings.

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The message 'Travel in front 2 coaches if travelling beyond Disley' has been appearing on the displays and announcements for even peak trains bound for Buxton. Apparently the other half of the train will be locked off on deparure from Disley. Why, we have no idea - and the displays at Davenport give no such information for people travelling towards Buxton ...

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Bullock Brothers, Photographers

A new article in our local history section tells the story of the Bullock Brothers, whose photographic and postcard business operated in Stockport from the early 1880s to 1907.

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Chettle on show

If you were interested in our research about Davenport-based painter James Patchell Chettle, you may be interested to know that one of his works, 'Above the Valley' is uncluded in the current landscape exhibition 'A Green and Pleasant Land' at Stockport War Memorial Art Gallery until June 2012. Visit the Gallery website for opening times and other details.

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Mixed-up train

The Class 150 trains recently transferred to Northern Rail were a mixture of two variations of the Central Trains / Network West Midlands colour scheme, and some of them were in 3-car formation. Re-arranging them into 2-car sets for use in our area has resulted in at least one pairing - 150 210, seen above at Manchester Piccadilly - with its two cars in different colours.

Some of the hand-me-down units have now received Northern Rail names and logos, but with the franchise due to end in September 2013, will they be repainted in Northern colours?

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Fare increases - and some tips

As has been reported in the media, train fares have been increased from 2 January. Below are some examples of the new fares, all valid on day of issue only:

Davenport to Manchester return (before 09:30 Mon-Fri) £5.40
Davenport to Manchester return (all other times) £3.10

Davenport to Stockport return (before 09:30 Mon-Fri) £2.20
Davenport to Stockport return (all other times) £1.40

Davenport to Buxton return (before 09:00 Mon-Fri) £13.50
Davenport to Buxton return (all other times) £8.80

The cheaper fares apply all day on Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holidays. Note that southbound they can be used the 09:09 train from Davenport to Buxton on Mondays - Fridays. Note: the train is much cheaper than the bus for an off-peak journey to Stockport, where a free bus (every 12 minutes weekdays) will take you from the station to points in the town centre.

Regular commuters travelling before 09:30 should consider buying a weekly, monthly or annual Season Ticket, or a System One Travelcard if your journey also involves a bus.  These give a saving, and can be used for leisure journeys as well.

There are some ways in which you can travel even more cheaply at off-peak times. The Northern Duo scheme, for example, for two adults travelling together, gives two return tickets for the price of 1½ between selected stations, e.g. Davenport to Buxton return £13.20 for two. If you are travelling after 18:30 and outward before 21:30, Cheap Evening Returns are available to most local stations at half the normal price, valid for return until the last train of the day. So if you travel into Manchester on the 18:37 train, for example, and return on the 23:10 from Piccadilly, the return fare is only £1.55. If you are travelling beyond Manchester, the Greater Manchester Rail Day Ranger at £4.80 gives a day's unlimited rail travel after 09:30 anywhere in Greater Manchester after 09:30 (all day at Weekends and Holidays), and also has a half-price evening version for £2.40. This can sometimes usefully be combined with another ticket from the boundary station if travelling further afield, particularly towards Southport and Blackpool, provided your trains stop and the boundary station.

The Greater Manchester concession pass for the over 60s is the equivalent of having a free Greater Manchester Rail Day Ranger every day - and gives free travell on trams and buses as well!

Many other options are available - the Transport for Greater Manchester website is a good place to look, or just ask for advice at Davenport station booking office which is open Monday - Saturday mornings.

Tickets for any National Rail journey can be bought from Davenport station, 'on the morning' or in advance, but as there is only one person on duty it's a good idea to arrive at a quiet time if you have a complicated request. Quarter to, or quarter past the hour, is ideal.