Omicron upsets plans as Alford SWI gives support to Alford Community Railway
What a great plan to try to bring the old Alford Valley Railway back to life! When the members of Alford Scottish Women’s Institute heard that the group steering the Alford Valley Community Railway project were trying to raise funds, they wanted to help out.
A leisure hunt, based on local buildings and interesting landmarks, was ready to use, prepared by Alford SWI members Mrs Isobel Balfour and Mrs Ruth Gibson. During the summer of 2021, groups of puzzled locals and holiday makers could be seen in the Main Street in Alford trying to fathom out the clues. To make it even more tricky and entertaining, the thirty two clues were written in rhyming couplets. And furthermore, the winner of the hunt insisted the prize money should also be given to the Railway project.
The group aiming to renovate the Alford Valley Community Railway has been hard at work creating ambitious plans, securing grant funding and preparing to start on the works at the old railway station in the middle of Alford. A representative from the Railway was scheduled to come to January’s SWI meeting at Alford Men’s Shed, to update members about plans and progress to date. Imagine the disappointment when the January meeting had to be cancelled due to the continued impact of the omicron variant of Covid-19 and the much anticipated talk was necessarily postponed. The cancellation of January’s SWI meeting also meant the cheque from the proceeds of the Leisure Hunt was not able to be handed over.
It was therefore with great pleasure that members of Alford SWI committee met on Friday, 7th January in front of the Alford Railway Station building to hand over the cheque for £160 to John Fincham, Chair of the Alford Valley Community Railway Group.
The members of Alford Women’s Institute are now looking forward to hearing about developments at the Railway at one of their meetings later in the Spring.
