In February 2024, I was kindly asked to join the Watercress Line with the help of celebrating the 200yr anniversary.

Cheekytek & Oakley Stitchers teamed up as one group to create our own individual panels along with many others with the intension of being displayed around the country.

Each Panel has a theme, all with different subjects to capture the 200 year journey of railways.

Oakley Stitchers 

Award winning, Oakley Stitchers, are a group of volunteers who use their hobbies and skills,

to help others who need support. 

Their dedicated charity work helps so many causes and provide people with the support and guidance they need.

The Panel Projects

The cheekytek theme was -  Woman on the Railway.

The Oakley Stitchers theme was - Moving the Goods.

Myself and Caroline, have spent many hours stitching & glueing like crazy with our projects.

The story of how my panel started.

After meeting the group in a chilly February in 2024, we all presented what was then just paper scribbles and a swatch of fabrics to assist with our panels. Though we all had no idea what they would initially would look like or even how they would finally look.  

Caroline from Oakley Stitchers and myself met and with some ideas and with hands in the air and both shaking our heads as a 'what the heck are we doing sort of moment'.  

Later' Caroline sent a email to my inbox stating that we had a proposal of a BR uniform to help with one of these project panels, I suddenly became dreamy like a freight train flying through a station with that full wind behind me with the force of a gravitational pull.

The source of the uniform form that point was kindly donated by a lady that would love to see her loved one's memories carry on, knowing full well he would of been delighted to be remembered in such a fantastic way and being part of the Railway 200 project...  

The smart BR uniform with matching pinstripe shirt and the BR logo branded tie completes the business look for any staff member - we both had a A-Aaarrr moment..

In our meetings we discussed this BR attire, even though this being a male uniform, we decided this would fit really well with the Women of the Railways project to help show the diversity of what women's uniforms would of been like before equality started to change in law from 1970.

Women's rights for equality and pay changed when the Equal Pay Act and Sex Discrimination Act came into force in 1975. This meaning women had their own uniforms and set clothing 

In the early years many younger women wore mens uniform to blend in, just to get the work.

Whilst creating this project I had a positive attitude pulling ideas to fit the theme, I felt a happy energy with this uniform, I though it would be beautiful to have some inside details of who once wore this uniform.

Details emerged which created a loving tribute to both women & men that served or worked as railway worker as well as the support of their families.

Looking back.

A lovely lady called Gillian who offered the uniform from the family home with the consent of its use for the Railway 200 project. As a group when planning we all felt it would celebrate the person who it belonged to.  I added flowers to represent women on the railway and like flowers we grow. Dating back to 1825 to 1850 many younger ladies used to sell flowers i.e. sweet pea for 3D, a way of working and earning moneys through the railways.

The information provided by Gillian was about her partner John Phillips 

John worked for BR between 1969-1993. The railways and his massive enthusiasm for all things related were in John's blood.

As a very fond member of PEAK RAIL (  Preservation Railway ) This re-opened  between Matlock- Rowsley,  John Volunteered at many a weekend until his sad passing in 2007.

John who loved all types of railwayana kept a lot of his many BR uniforms, One of which is seen displayed here for this project.

Gillian mentioned that she was so pleased to see it being displayed to celebrate Women on the Railway and that she knew, John would have be very delighted.

This is with a massive thank you to Gillian for all her support.

My thoughts.

I feel like I have a new friend that I sadly never had the chance to meet, but with his memories and his enthusiasm for his working life as well as his much appreciated volunteering support during weekends at the Peak Rail line as well as being part of this project reflect John's career and to his life once again.