In early 2024, the Friends of Handforth Station (FoHS) were delighted to receive two station name totems dating from the era of British Railways London Midland Region (1948 – 1992). They were donated by Scott Dempster in memory of local resident Mrs Jean Smith, and by John Coghlan of the Handforth Model Engineering Society.

Both totems were donated in a damaged condition, so FoHS decided to raise funds for their restoration before displaying them in Handforth Station’s Ticket Office.

Using sponsorship from the Railway Heritage Trust, Wilmslow and District Rotary, Handforth Model Engineering Society and the Chair’s fund of Handforth Town Council, FoHS commissioned the restoration of the totems from Christine Bennett of Middlewich.

Her restoration work was completed in Autumn 2024, and the sponsors were invited to inspect the resulting totems.

On 9th December, Tim Hedley-Jones, Executive Director of the Railway Heritage Trust, visited Handforth and was given a guided tour of the station’s collection of historic running-in boards, signs and name totems. Tim said “I have enjoyed an excellent visit; the Friends are telling the story of the station so well”.

On Saturday 21st December, David Pincombe (Chair Wilmslow and District Rotary) and Susan Moore (Chair of Handforth Town Council) visited, to inspect the newly-restored totems and their display in the ticket office. Both congratulated the quality of the restoration work and the way the totems were displayed.

Rosemary Thomason, Chair of the FoHS, said “We are very grateful to the donors of the two totems, to Chris Bennett who restored them, and to the generosity of the groups who gave money for their restoration. One of the main aims of our group is to maintain heritage items at the station, and we are delighted to be able to show these name totems at their original location”.

The totems can be seen inside the station’s ticket office during weekday and Saturday mornings.