At a special lunch at Bentham station in North Yorkshire, The Friends of Bentham Station (FOBS) recently celebrated the 11th anniversary of its foundation and the 6th anniversary of its twinning with Mytholmroyd Station Partnership (MSP).

The occasion was enjoyed by over thirty guests, with The Friends of Bentham Station and the other local rail bodies being joined by representatives of the rail industry, Community Rail, and Mytholmroyd Station Partnership.

The Friends of Bentham Station had previously organised a number of community activities including a coffee morning and supper quiz to raise over £1,000 towards the cost of a defibrillator for Bentham station.

A safe for the defibrillator was provided by the Friends with the support of the Leeds–Morecambe Community Rail Partnership (CRP) and Northern Trains, and the defibrillator was commissioned on the day.

Gerald Townson, CRP and FOBS Chairman said: “It is great to see so many defibrillators along the Bentham Line, from Heysham Port to Leeds, at many of the stations or nearby in the villages, but there are still a few stations which lack one of these life-saving devices. It would be great to have a ‘full set’, providing extra care for each of the communities we serve and the 1.5 million passengers using our line. It is good that both Northern and the local communities have come together on this initiative.”

Another celebration on the day was the installation of a new commemorative bench on the platform at Bentham. The bench was in memory of David Alder, and was unveiled by his partner, Doris Rohr, and Pete Myers of Northern Trains.

David sadly died in April, but for many years he was Bentham’s postmaster and was also a life-time supporter and advocate of the Railway, especially the Bentham Line, and was extremely knowledgeable about railways. David was involved with the Leeds-Morecambe Community Rail Partnership, Friends of Bentham Station, and the local Lancaster and Skipton Rail User Group, and through those groups and his quiet and hard work on many projects he helped to make the Bentham Line the success that it is today.

Doris recalled David’s many commitments to the town of Bentham and his many interests, including history, music, and the railways, and asked all present to ‘raise their glasses’ in his memory.

A further presentation was made by representatives of the Mytholmroyd Station Partnership, and Sue Mitchell of MSP and the Mayor of Hebden Royd, Councillor Jane Hoyle, presented gifts to mark this first ‘in-person’ event since the pandemic.