Exotic fruits and award-winning floral displays will continue to brighten Bridlington station thanks to the dedication of a self-taught railway worker.
Passengers travelling through Bridlington station will spot an unusual array of crops this summer, with avocados, olives and lemons now growing on the platforms.
The exotic fruits are the latest addition to the railway station, cultivated by sixty-year-old Northern customer service assistant Andrew Loxton.
He has spent the last decade transforming the Grade II listed building into a botanical attraction, filling hanging baskets with petunias, begonias and trailing ivy.
Wooden planters have also been installed across the station, bursting with everything from asters and aloe vera to conifers and giant sunflowers.
The floral displays draw visitors from across the East Riding and beyond, with some local residents visiting the station specifically to sit and enjoy the greenery without catching a train.
Andrew Loxton says he gets in early before his shifts and even visits on his days off to tend to the growing collection of plants. He said:
"I really enjoy watching everything flower each year and finding new ways to improve. When everything starts coming up, you feel a great sense of pride. We have a fantastic community here who really enjoy the displays and there are local residents who come down just to sit in the station and enjoy them."
The station's gardening tradition was originally started by local volunteer Chris Hanson, who tended to the floral displays in East Yorkshire for many years.
Following Mr Hanson's passing, the customer service assistant decided to step in to maintain the displays, despite having absolutely no previous gardening experience.
Andrew Loxton explained how the award-winning project originally began. He said:
"I couldn't just let it all wither, so I started tending to the flowers and picking up some new ones. I had to learn on the job. I didn't even do any gardening at home when I started but it's become a real hobby over the years and it's definitely addictive."
The colourful additions have earned widespread praise within the community and from industry judges.
The station secured a Gold Award in the Railway Stations and Transport Hubs category at last year's Yorkshire in Bloom awards.
While initially paying for the plants out of his own pocket, the sixty-year-old now receives backing from the Yorkshire Coast Community Rail Partnership, alongside frequent plant donations from the local community.
Rachel Osborne, Community Rail Officer at the Yorkshire Coast Community Rail Partnership, praised the ongoing efforts. She said:
"We are so proud of Andrew and all the work that he does for Bridlington station. Every year his flower displays get better and better and are one of the most commented things about the Yorkshire Coast Line, with many people travelling by train to Bridlington especially to see them. Andrew is a community hero and is very popular with the people of Bridlington and as such receives many donations of plants from the community to help towards the displays. Our volunteers also support him in his work, and he is a tremendous support to us too, being an active member of our committee. Andrew's enthusiasm and love for what he does shines out of him and it is obvious that he takes enormous pride and pleasure in looking after the station."
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