And the winner is.....

Barton Cleethorpes CRP hosted its annual “Santa Special” event on Saturday 6 December and along with the fun and festivities of meeting Santa children also embraced the holiday spirit by taking part in a fun and imaginative “Design Your Best Christmas Jumper” competition, adding plenty of colour and creativity to the day.

We received 67 entries and judging the competition was really difficult as everyone did amazing work. But we did eventually find a winner! Seven-year-old Lilly from Healing. The judges felt her design was fun, festive and imaginative with lots of colour and detail. Well done Lilley and well done everyone who took part.

Santa Special 2025

Barton Cleethorpes CRP proudly hosted its annual “Santa Special” event on Saturday 6 December 2025, bringing festive cheer to families across the region. 

A total of 82 excited children enjoyed a magical onboard visit from Santa during the journey along the EMR route between Barton and Cleethorpes. Each child had the opportunity to meet Santa, share their Christmas wishes, and receive a festive selection box to take home.

The seasonal celebrations didn’t stop there, 125 chocolate bars and 90 mince pies were shared with passengers, offering a traditional treat and helping to create a welcoming, family-friendly atmosphere onboard.

Children also embraced the holiday spirit by taking part in a fun and imaginative “Design Your Best Christmas Jumper” competition, adding plenty of colour and creativity to the day.

A huge thank you to all our volunteers who helped make this such a lovely, fun event, and to EMR, CRN and the George Inn, Barton for their support.”

HUSH!

This year has been one to remember for our dedicated station adopters!  At the 2025 Community Rail Network (CRN) Awards, the team at Habrough Station Adopters proudly took home the Bronze Award in the “It’s Your Station” category; a fantastic recognition of their hard work, creativity, and commitment to improving their local station and community, especially as they had been adopters of the station for less than a year!

Since achieving this wonderful accolade, the group’s journey has continued to grow and evolve.  Building on their success, they have extended their passion for community rail by adopting nearby Ulceby Station.  With this exciting new chapter, the team has come together under a new name, the Habrough & Ulceby Station Helpers (HUSH) Station Adoption Group.

HUSH embodies the spirit of community collaboration, bringing together volunteers who care deeply about creating welcoming, attractive, and sustainable spaces for passengers and visitors alike.  From planting and painting to heritage projects and community engagement, their efforts make a real difference to the stations and the people who use them.

Adding to their list of achievements, this autumn the group also became official members of the Community Rail Network (CRN), strengthening their connection with like-minded groups and gaining access to further support and opportunities to enhance their work.

The HUSH team’s enthusiasm and dedication continue to inspire.  Their story is a shining example of how local people can come together to transform their stations into community assets, places of pride, care, and connection.

Congratulations once again to the Habrough & Ulceby Station Helpers on their well-deserved success, and here’s to even more great things ahead!