Russell ‘The Voice’ Watson sings the praises of changes in Irlam!

The UK’s bestselling classical music artist Russell Watson visited his home town of Irlam recently to see the remarkable transformation of the old Station House building at Irlam Station.

Russell lived in Irlam until he was in his mid-twenties and still has relatives living here.

Known as ‘The Voice’, Russell shot to fame in 2001 with his renditions of arias from the great operas and has gone on to build a huge career across the world. He has recently released his new album ‘True Stories’ and will appear in concert at The Bridgewater Hall on 18th February 2017.

He revisited Irlam to meet Neil McArthur, our chairman who gave him a whistle stop tour of Irlam Station and the new wonderful facilities and art on offer. HDT were one of the key partners in the £2m transformation of the station and are proud of one of the areas now key landmarks.

Russell said: “It was a real pleasure to meet Neil and see the work that Hamilton Davies Trust is doing in Irlam. I remember the station building as a real eyesore and I was astonished by the transformation.

 “I also couldn’t believe how my school had changed with the old building replaced with a new one, partly with funding from the Trust. I wish Neil and the charity well and I’ve asked him to keep me updated on all its future activity.”

Neil McArthur said: “It’s wonderful that Russell took the time out of his schedule to see what we are doing in Irlam. I was able to tell him about the work we have done here, and our ambitious plans for the future.

 “We are keen to honour the famous sons and daughters of the town with some new artwork murals as part of the continuing improvements around the Station House, and we will be revealing these soon.”

Irlam Station House is a delightfully-restored working Victorian rail station, featuring a lovely railway-themed café bistro ‘1923’, art installations and a permanent local history exhibition.

The stylish 1923 offers customers a unique opportunity to sit in beautiful railway carriage-style booths and enjoy a tasty snack, meal or home-made cake at affordable prices. The venue also hosts events and is for hire. There is a cycle hub and a 60-space car park, which offers free parking.

If you haven’t visited the station yet – then pop down and take a look. For further information click here or visit the gallery.

Posted on: 6th December 2016