Recently, our officer, Fiona , was passing through Dumfries Railway Station and noticed how well kept and extensive the railway gardens were. After speaking to Dougie Thomson, station supervisor at Dumfries, this developed into an idea for the station adopters in the Tyne Valley to meet one another and visit the volunteer gardeners at Dumfries.
The visit was planned for Monday 6 October 2025 as Mondays are the day when the volunteers spend time working on the gardens in Dumfries. The day was cloudy but dry. A group of sixteen station adopters from Blaydon, Prudhoe, Bardon Mill, Haltwhistle and Wetheral all met at Carlisle for the ScotRail service to Dumfries.
At Dumfries the group were met by Frank Jones, Lead Volunteer, Dumfries Adoptive Station Gardening (DARG) and split into four groups to tour the station. The station gardens in Dumfries have won numerous awards and are used by the citizens of Dumfries whether passengers or not as a nice quiet place to sit and relax.
Things to be admired were the “shed”, a former parcels office, and the water butts. Carrying water across the tracks is a problem for most
station adopters in the Tyne Valley. There are also a Fairy Glen and slate boards indicating where items have been planted.
Frank explained how the planting has changed over time with perennials giving way to bi-annuals, while plants were grown from seed rather than bought as plants. There was a plant for every type of 
environment. There was a wonderful owl created by a chain saw artist, while on the other platform a box hedge spelled out the name “Dumfries”. At the back of the station where the former “Paddy Line” platforms are a brush hedge and a collection of bug hotels. A former coal bunker has been left as a feature of this garden. Close by is a youth club as it is important to get the younger generation involved.
After crossing the lines by a recently installed lift, there was a visit to the Station Museum created by
Dougie. Here is a collection of uniforms of the various companies since BR days. A selection of scenes which were originally displayed in railway carriages, a collection of books and CD's, and a model railway with lots of engines which have been donated.
Afterwards group enjoyed lunch in the station cafe. Thanks go to Sandra Rutherford, Community Development Executive, ScotRail, Controller at ScotRail Adopt-A-Station organisation, Frank Jones, and his colleagues at DARG and Dougie Thomson, station supervisor at Dumfries.
A very pleasant outing for TVCRP station adopters who asked if they could return in the spring when the plants were flourishing. TVCRP received positive feedback for providing this opportunity with several letters of appreciation. It is hoped the Dumfries gardeners will in turn visit the Tyne Valley at Haltwhistle and firm ties can be established.
Colin Moore, TVCRP Director “made it clear that TVCRP much appreciated the efforts of our station adopters and this was a way of expressing our thanks. It will not be last venture aimed at this important group”.
Frank Jones. Lead Volunteer DARG said, “It was a real pleasure to have you visit our station. It’s good to have the opportunity to meet and spend time with kindred spirits. Every station is different and what we are able to do as volunteers is linked by so many factors over which we have don't have control. However, we are linked by a common bond; the desire to enhance our local station environment. Getting together on occasions makes us realise that we are a wide community with so many things in common”.