The author shares her favourite stations to journey to and through.
Hebden Bridge railway station,
West Yorkshire Photo: kevin walsh /
Alamy
Saltaire
This tiny station is a joyful open sesame. You step out beside the gorgeous
and unbelievably long Salts Mill, built in the Italianate style by Sir Titus
Salt, the great Bradford mill owner. The abandoned structure was transformed by
Jonathan Silver in 1987 into cool, spacious galleries of art, books, textiles,
design and more.
London St Pancras
London St Pancras
You couldn’t leave out this “cathedral of railways”. The trains look fabulous
against the brickwork and intricate wrought iron and under William Barlow’s
astonishing single span roof. Gawp at Paul Day’s 30ft-high The Meeting Place and
enjoy watching frazzled travellers apologising to the almost life-size bronze of
Sir John Betjeman as they rush past.
East Midlands Parkway
You must look up when you get to this new, sleek, strangely shadowy building.
On one side there’s open space, but on the other soar the eight massive cooling
towers of Ratcliffe on Soar’s power station. The ticket seller – the world’s
loneliest – claims the place is often very busy, but I’ve never seen that.
Hebden Bridge
This lovely fin-de-siècle station was restored without being ruined in 1997. There are flower tubs, old-fashioned signs and a single line that leads in both directions to wooded valleys – magical in the snow. Hop off and take the relaxing five-minute walk through a park and along the river to the centre of Hebden Bridge.
York
The majestic curved hall isn’t as airy as St Pancras, but the golden stone is handsome. A walkway leads to the old Motive Power Depot where three halls now house the National Railway Museum. This is a joy – bridges, turntables and God knows how many trains. It’s free, and a child can leave clutching something from the cheap and merry gift shop.
Anne Fine’s new book for young teenagers is 'Blood Family’, published by Doubleday Children’s Books
Anne was talking to Iona McLaren
Hebden Bridge
This lovely fin-de-siècle station was restored without being ruined in 1997. There are flower tubs, old-fashioned signs and a single line that leads in both directions to wooded valleys – magical in the snow. Hop off and take the relaxing five-minute walk through a park and along the river to the centre of Hebden Bridge.
York
The majestic curved hall isn’t as airy as St Pancras, but the golden stone is handsome. A walkway leads to the old Motive Power Depot where three halls now house the National Railway Museum. This is a joy – bridges, turntables and God knows how many trains. It’s free, and a child can leave clutching something from the cheap and merry gift shop.
Anne Fine’s new book for young teenagers is 'Blood Family’, published by Doubleday Children’s Books
Anne was talking to Iona McLaren
