The third instalment of the ‘Haltwhistle is Something Special’ exhibition has officially opened at Haltwhistle Station.
‘What’s for tea?’ is the third exhibition commissioned by Tyne Valley Community Rail Partnership (CRP) as part of their ‘Haltwhistle is Something Special’ initiative, which aims to celebrate the unique cultural heritage of the area, and engage a wide range of community groups in making local stations more welcoming and vibrant places.
The content for the new exhibition was researched by local group Zig Zag, an organisation coordinated by Haltwhistle Partnership, which supports people who feel isolated due to disability, unemployment, or mental health with regular meetings, activities and days out.
The group visited a wide range of local food producers and suppliers, learning about how food is produced, the importance of a quality and varied diet to sustain physical and mental health, and how buying locally supports the community as well as being a positive choice we can make in this time of climate change and biodiversity loss.
With the help of the Haltwhistle Film Project, the logo design was created using images of fruit and vegetables to form the words, and local designer Marcus Byron worked with the group on colour schemes and artwork before finalising the poster designs.
The resulting exhibition is a colourful and informative display exploring topics such as foody favourites, allotments, foraging, food banks and local supermarkets.
Fiona Forsythe, Tyne Valley CRP officer, said: “We are grateful for the support of CrossCountry Trains, Community Rail Network and Northern, and to the enthusiasm and effort of all the members of Zig Zag.”
Ian Davis, Community Rail Network’s community rail support officer for the North of England, said: “Community Rail Network is proud to be able to support this exhibition, meet such a fabulous group and hear the stories of their research. Food and railways are certainly two things which bring people together.”
The exhibition is open daily in the waiting room on Platform 1 at Haltwhistle Station (the Newcastle-bound platform), and there is no admittance charge – so if you are in Haltwhistle, pop in and explore the exhibition.
Keep up to date with future news, projects and events from Tyne Valley CRP via their website.
Learn more about Northern’s work in the community here.
