26/01/2026
Can you help put St Albans on the Community Rail Map? Please vote!
Beds & Herts CRP's LIne Officer, Andy Buckley, has once again been shortlisted for this year's national Community Rail Awards in the Photographic Competition, which is now open for public voting.
His shortlisted photo (attached) depicts a bench, previously in his parents' back garden, being delivered to the St Albans South Signal Box museum after being extensively refurbished by Companions at St Albans Emmaus Community and ex-offenders from HACRO’s** ‘Turnaround’ group.
As this is the year of ‘Railway 200’ the bench has been given a celebratory theme using design elements from a workshop with Yr 4s at The Camp school in St Albans, led by Chris Blanch form the St Albans Arts Team CIC (helped by Andy), which were turned into a mosaic design by local artist Audrey Montet of Montet Designs.
The bench has been installed in the signal box museum garden next to St Albans City station, and is open for all to view at the free open days held regularly at the museum.
>>You can support Andy’s entry captioned 'Wait for my signal' with your vote - please have a look at the shortlist here:
https://communityrail.org.uk/community-rail-awards-2026-photography-competition/
but note that voting closes on 30th January 2026
