A powerful local wartime story reached new heights on BBC One’s The One Show on Wednesday 22 April, thanks to support from Community Rail Norfolk and Friends of Glossop.
The film showed how rail‑connected communities came together during World War II, with Lowestoft evacuees finding refuge in Glossop, and how that shared legacy continues to be preserved today.
Central to the feature was the long-standing work led by Martin Halliday, Community Rail Partnership Officer at Lowestoft, alongside Friends of Glossop Station, who for more than a decade have worked closely to keep this extraordinary story alive. Their efforts have included organising regular reunions in both towns and ensuring the human stories behind the journey are not forgotten.
Presented by Martin Impey, children’s illustrator and presenter, the film told the story of 600 children, aged six to 14, who arrived by train from Lowestoft to Glossop on 2 June 1940. Every child was rehoused locally, many staying for the duration of the war and some making Glossop their permanent home. Now in their early 90s, surviving evacuees shared memories that were moving, humorous and deeply personal.
Filming took place at locations closely linked to the story, including Glossop Station and on the train journey from Manchester, underlining the importance of the railway both historically and today.
The programme also highlighted the way these stories continue to connect generations, with evacuees answering questions from Year 6 pupils at a local junior school. One of the most poignant scenes saw two evacuees return to a house they had lived in as children, a place they had not visited for more than 80 years.
Neil Williams, Friends of Glossop volunteer said: “I had the privilege of attending the filming sessions and it was a real pleasure to hear the evacuees’ stories — informative, sometimes humorous and often deeply poignant.
“The project, first discussed in September 2025, was developed with great sensitivity and care, with contributors supported throughout. Seeing it broadcast at peak viewing time was a proud moment, not only for those who shared their experiences, but for everyone involved in community rail who has helped ensure this shared history continues to travel far beyond the platform.”
Read more about the joint work of Community Rail Norfolk and Friends of Glossop Station here.
