Sensory Garden at Swindon Station

[whole diary]

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the Swindon Advertiser:

Sensory Garden at Swindon Station is set to thrive again


Florist Louise Joachim by the Sensory Garden at Swindon Station

The derelict sensory garden at Swindon Station may soon be rejuvenated. A flower shop owner has begun talks to take responsibility for the upkeep of the garden, which has long been denounced as an eyesore.

Louise Joachim, owner of Wendy House Flowers, is on a mission to make the garden live up to its name once more. She has appealed to First Great Western and the station manager to allow her to fill the garden with a variety of plants which appeal to the senses, including flowers, herbs and fruit plants.

The garden first caught her attention after her young son took an interest in trains. ^He is a bit of a train fanatic,^ said Louise. ^Most evenings we are up there making trips or watching the trains, so having been there quite a few times I noticed the garden looking run down. It has been like that for ages and it is such a shame to see it that way. Having seen the regeneration of other stations they have really put a lot of effort into it. With Swindon being at the heart of the rail network, it is a shame people do not make a big deal about it. We make a lot of our rail heritage, but our station looks like a dump.^

Louise wants to make the garden attractive once again, and is offering her services to make that happen. ^I just think it should be somewhere people can enjoy,^ she said. ^It would not just be pretty flowers ^ I want to make the garden live up to its name. I want it to appeal to all the senses, so I would like to grow flowers, herbs and fruit plants.

^There should be things people can touch and smell, where they can indulge themselves. It could be a quiet little haven where people have a place to enjoy nature. The train station is people^s first impression of Swindon, and I want it to be pretty spectacular.^

Louise started Wendy House Flowers after going through the Outset Project for people wanting to start their own business. ^I wanted to focus on where my passion lies, which is floristry, and I thought this would be the perfect time to make the jump,^ she said. ^I have been doing floristry for years, and it is in my blood to be green-fingered. So I did some courses and developed on those skills.

^I have been part of the Outset Project which is offered through the Job Centre to help people start up their own business, providing us with a mentor and additional funding. They teach you all the aspects of business and it has been amazing, a really valuable experience. Everything has come together perfectly since then.^

A spokesman for First Great Western said: ^We are aware of the garden and some of the impressions surrounding it. If a local business is interested in putting some work into the garden to improve it, that is something we would welcome and take into consideration.^

[bobm]

Not sure when the "thiriving" is supposed to start, but the garden still looks uncared for and currently sports two daffodils which I guess re-grew from last year's bulbs.  Shame.

[grahame]

Not sure when the "thiriving" is supposed to start, but the garden still looks uncared for and currently sports two daffodils which I guess re-grew from last year's bulbs.  Shame.

May be an idea to ask Louise Joachim if she would like "friends of station" help ... under the auspices of a Community Rail Partnership 

Edit to add ... OK - I have details and am asking!

[grahame]

Progressing this one ... will report back ...

[Chris from Nailsea]

From This is Wiltshire:

Sensory garden at train station makes way for police base


Louise Joachim in the sensory garden at Swindon station in 2013


How the area looks now

The long-derelict sensory garden at Swindon train station has now been removed to allow British Transport Police to have a firm presence at the site.

Efforts to maintain the small fenced-off patch of concrete, previously filled with a handful of flower pots and a couple of wooden benches, have failed despite ongoing talks for around two years with a local florist.

The garden has been largely unused for years, and Louise Joachim, of Wendy House Flowers, approached the station manager towards the end of 2013 to offer her services.

At the time a First Great Western spokesman said they would welcome any local business offering to rejuvenate the garden, but after months of enquiries, Louise had no positive offers forthcoming.

Now the garden has been removed as First Great Western plans a number of improvements, including bringing police officers back to the station.

A spokesman for First Great Western said: ^To make way for further improvements at the station, including the return of the British Transport Police to an on site location, it has not been possible to maintain the sensory garden at its current location.^

Florist Louise had been keen to revitalise the area after her son developed a keen interest in trains, and she found herself spending hours on the platforms.

^There should be things people can touch and smell, where they can indulge themselves,^ she said, setting out her ideas. It could be a quiet little haven where people have a place to enjoy nature.

^I just think it should be somewhere people can enjoy. It would not just be pretty flowers ^ I want to make the garden live up to its name. I want it to appeal to all the senses, so I would like to grow flowers, herbs and fruit plants.

^The train station is people^s first impression of Swindon, and I want it to be pretty spectacular.^

The company has indicated there could still be a role for Louise, as developments will include some new cosmetic work.

The spokesman said: ^Recognising the role that rail plays to the local community and to the economy, we will continue to work to ensure that the station remains a bright and inviting environment.^

[bobm]

What looks like a storage unit has now replaced the garden.

[Oxonhutch]

I think it's a greenhouse 

[grahame]

What looks like a storage unit has now replaced the garden.

Not unexpected.  The British Transport Police require(d) a storeroom at Swindon, and that was the non-operational space required for it.

We do have scope for some more robust / community stuff at Swindon (being encouraged by station operator)- discussion for our planning meetings next week.

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the Swindon Advertiser:

Transport police move in to new post at train station



The sensory garden at Swindon train station has been replaced with a new team of transport police officers charged with manning the Wiltshire rail network seven days a week.

Officially opened last Wednesday by British Transport Police Chief Constable Paul Crowther, the team will operate out of two new fully equipped offices, one replacing the former garden.

The move has been made to allow for increased availability of officers and quicker response times to incidents arising not only in Swindon, but also the wider area of Wiltshire and south Somerset, on the rail network.

The station was previously covered by BTP^▸ (British Transport Police) officers based at Reading and Bath, which meant long response times for officers reacting to incidents at Swindon.

Superintendent Matt Allingham, commander of BTP^s Western sub-division, said: ^Swindon sits at a key location between Bath and Reading, along a very busy First Great Western route connecting London with the west of England and Wales. This new post will help us reassure passengers and allow us to provide a visible, proactive policing presence at stations and on trains. This means we can keep disruption to a minimum and keep services through Swindon running smoothly.

^BTP places a huge emphasis on working within the community with our partners like First Great Western, so I am delighted we have been able to strengthen our relationship in this way. As a force we are committed to reducing crime and disruption on the railway and increasing passenger confidence. This new policing post at Swindon will be a big step in the right direction.^

Paula Durrans, head of security for First Great Western, added: ^While total crime across our network continues to fall year-on-year as passenger numbers continue to rise, we very much welcome the BTP to Swindon and look forward to continuing our work with them to maintain the security of our stations and on board our trains.^

The company also moved to assure people the environment of the station would be maintained in the future despite the loss of the garden.

A spokesman for First Great Western said: ^To make way for further improvements at the station, including the return of the British Transport Police to an on-site location, it has not been possible to maintain the sensory garden at its current location. Recognising the role that rail plays to the local community and to the economy, we will continue to work to ensure that the station remains a bright and inviting environment.^