Carlise Station Waiting Room - picture courtesy Virgin Railways

Firstly, the railway station. Now as stations go, Carlisle is an overwhelming gothic edifice over 260 years old and fully deserving of its full name. Carlisle Citadel. Once you have stared at the outside, the inside is a bit like any other large Victorian station. Not any more. The station is managed by Virgin Rail and they have given it a bit of a makeover. Not on their own. They have linked in with Homebase so that the platforms now have garden furniture for passengers to sit on. The waiting room is now a lounge and a kitchen has been installed. There is even a garden along one platform. Will decking and a water feature follow? Despite my snide comment there, anything that brightens up stations making them more welcoming is a good idea. Airports have done it by creating huge retail areas. An oasis of calm with garden features and relaxation could be just the antidote to waiting for trains. We will see more of it nationwide when an advertising campaign begins in March.
On Saturday, 13th March , there is a torchlight procession through Carlisle at the start of British Tourism Week. This is part of the Welcoming the Light event whereby there will 500 lights stretching along Hadrian’s Wall from one end at Segedunum near Wallsend to the other at Bowness-on-Solway. The lights will be at 250 metre intervals. for more information see www.illuminatinghadrianswall.com.) The event starts at 5.30 pm on the day and will be one of the most obvious highlights of British Tourism Week which starts the following Monday.