Everything's blooming lovely at former station

Green-fingered volunteers at Milton of Campsie continue '¨their remarkable restoration of a dilapidated train station in the village.
Volunteers get to work at the former Milton of Campsie railway stationVolunteers get to work at the former Milton of Campsie railway station
Volunteers get to work at the former Milton of Campsie railway station

The renovation of the former station began three years ago and since then, it has become the heart of the village.

Work has included clearing the area of rubbish accumulated over years of neglect, repointing walls, planting borders, relaying slabs, adding benches, installing fences and adding replica station signs.

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One of the head volunteers Arthur Reid told the Herald: “For some time now, we have had a flowerbed ready to plant up.

“I have recently started to encourage villagers, mainly children, to grow flowers to plant at the station.

“Last Saturday, we had more than 30 volunteers at least half were village children and others from as far afield as Hillhead.

“Within two hours, the soil was moved and all the plants we planted.

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“We have already had a massive response from people in the village and people passing through along the Thomas Muir Way. The station now looks like a proper garden and will continue to bloom all summer.

“I have cut fairy houses into the old tree stumps to encourage the children to plant flowers so more fairies will move in!”

“I realised if we want the station to bloom this year, we would also need a jump start.”

Arthur approached several local firms and they were only too happy to help.

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He said: “Kelvin Valley Turf donated five tonne of top quality bedding soil, Macreat delivered the soil, Silverbirch Garden Centre donated shrubs and Caulders Garden Centre gifted more than 200 bedding plants and bulbs.”

JBS Plant Hire also gave the volunteers use of a dump truck.

Arthur added: “We have been renovating the railway station for three years now.

“While we still have a lot of work still to do to the 
Lennoxtown side of the 
station, the Kirkintilloch side is now a useable village space where people hold community events or just stop for lunch on the way through and admire the work we have done.”

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Alan Harris, chair of 
Milton of Campsie Community Council said: “The community council continues to support the hard-working volunteers with the provision of refreshments and would like to acknowledge the generous support of Caulders Garden Centre who have supplied a large quantity of plants.

“I understand that plans are being developed for a summer concert on the station embankment to follow the successful fun day last year. “

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