Brief Encounter station rescued
AT a busy suburban railway station, Laura Jesson unexpectedly meets Dr Alec Harvey in the buffet. Before long, the housewife and doctor fall in love and continue to meet every Thursday, knowing their love is impossible. Later, in one of the most dramatic moments in British cinema, they part under the platform clock knowing they will never meet again. Taken from the 1946 David Lean film Brief Encounter and set in the fictional Milford Junction railway station, the images of repressed love are unforgettable to nearly seven decades of dedicated moviegoers. But, did you know that most of the station shots were actually taken in north Lancashire'? Carnforth station, site of the famous refreshment room and now unused and derelict, has been under threat of demolition. But thanks to the Carnforth Station and Railway Trust (with the Friends of Carnforth Station) and Railtrack, this little piece of celluloid history will continue to be a tourist attraction for years to come. North West Zone is planning to spend about �400,000 on station regeneration works and has added �150,000 to the Trusts's appeal, which aims to raise � l.5m to renovate the station. It is hoped that the Railtrack works, which will include platform, roof and awning work, will be integrated into the Trust's renovation plans and begin in June. Friends of Carnforth Station (FOCS) chairman (21/9/1999 to 26/9/2002) Michael Chorley said: "We are open to ideas about the station's use as a tourist attraction. One such idea would be to renovate the refreshment rooms into a museum that either people could look into and see waxwork models of Celia Johnson and Trevor Howard, or as somewhere to eat and drink. Interest "If we cross the �2 million barrier we would like to provide accommodation for young people and the community, generating new and younger interest in the railway. This station has visitors from all over the world, including Japan and the USA and the visitor book is constantly full." To help with the success of the Carnforth campaign, FOCS has linked up with the Fullerton Railway Plaza Association (FRPA), a similar organisation which preserves the railroad heritage of Southern California. Michael said: "On behalf of FOCS and FRPA, George Barlow, the chairman of FRPA and myself have set out several agreements and links that will help both our respective organisations. "We are preparing to invite schools in each community to 'link', exchange information about their school, their community, their visions of transport needs and the role of railways in the development of their cities."
Brief Encounter station rescued "Track Record" March 2000
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