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Steam and Stories: New Community Mural to be Unveiled at Eccles Station

Steam and Stories Banner

A colourful new artwork created by young people and families in Eccles will be unveiled at Eccles Station at 2pm on Friday 2 October.

Steam and Stories has been co-commissioned by Rocket: All Aboard and FRECCLES (Friends of Eccles Station) as part of FRECCLES’ wellbeing programme, bringing people together through creativity and the area’s rich railway heritage.

Young people and families from The Castle Community Centre took part in a series of artist-led workshops with Humbug Art, exploring ideas inspired by the railway past and present. Steam engines, tracks, railway infrastructure and Eccles’ industrial heritage all provided inspiration, connecting the community with the town’s place in the wider story of railway innovation and travel.

Artwork produced during the workshops was then brought together to create the final design, with additional contributions from teenagers in Humbug Art’s League of Artists group and studio volunteers. The finished artwork has been produced as large panels that will create a permanent new feature at the station.

The project has been funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, thanks to National Lottery players, and supported by Northern  Trains, who is organised the installation of the mural at Eccles Station.

Steam Stories Poster

“This is exactly what Rocket: All Aboard is about, working with partners including FRECCLES, Humbug Art and Northern to give local people the opportunity to explore the remarkable story of the Railway in creative new ways.

“It has been wonderful to see young people and families shape this artwork and create something that belongs to their community, while connecting them to a story that changed the world.”

Dr Paul Salveson, Co-chair of Rocket: All Aboard

The project has also been about bringing different generations together, supporting wellbeing and creating a lasting connection between those who took part and their local station. The original Steam and Stories proposal set out the ambition for participants to have a genuine sense of pride in seeing their collective artwork installed and celebrated at Eccles Station.

The mural will be officially unveiled at 2pm on Friday 2 October at Eccles Station, and everyone is welcome to come along and see the finished artwork.

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