Creative Hub: Sketchbooks, Station Stories, and a Mermaid or two

A couple of weeks ago I joined Creative Hub who are based at Arad Goch Theatre in Aberystwyth on one of their trips to visit Aberystwyth and Borth railway stations. They were one of the beneficiaries of our Railway 200 Community Grant Fund, and I was keen to see how the project was progressing (and, as everyone knows, I love a trip on the train).

When I arrived the first group had already been at the railway station for a while. They’d been in the Wetherspoons next door, studying the historic photos on the wall, and each person had been given a special sketch pad to document their adventure. I met Helen and Pat, who had kindly invited me along after we met at the All Change event in Borth, and learned they’d been in touch with Transport for Wales about the possibility of having the group’s designs displayed on boards at Aberystwyth and maybe Borth railway stations, pending permissions. They were excited to scout potential sites.

Creative Hub are a user-run group of Welsh and English speakers who face health challenges, and supported by an art therapist. The project is called Off the rails / Oddi at y cledrau. The participants are working collaboratively using photography, paint, collage, textiles, and found objects to reinterpret vintage railway posters.

We boarded the train with the first group. I sat with Helen and Moth who were taking photos as we travelled; I chatted with Moth and before we knew it we were at Borth.  One of the group, whom I’ve met before through them volunteering at Borth Museum and who is also part of Creative Hub, met us off the train.

At Borth we explored the station, took photos, made sketches, and did rubbings. The return train arrived sooner than expected, so we hopped back on and headed back to Aberystwyth. On the way I sat with Gwen, who told me fascinating local tales: a mermaid sighting in 1826 near Llanychaiarn and the legend of Cantre’r Gwaelod, a lost kingdom beneath Cardigan Bay. I knew about the sunken forest at Borth but hadn’t realised it was linked to that legend. Cantre’r Gwaelod is traditionally described as low-lying land protected by a dyke; the story tells of Seithenyn, a prince whose neglect of the floodgates led to the kingdom’s drowning. I had to look the story up when I got back to the office, it’s one of those local myths that makes the coastline feel alive with history.

We had an hour before the next group arrived, so I wandered around the town and then returned to the railway station. The second group turned up, were given sketchbooks, and Helen took a playful portrait of me on a funky little camera while we waited. On the second trip I sat with Gwyneth and Helen; Gwyneth had a scooter.  I didn’t get off at Borth that time and continued on to Newtown, reflecting on how welcoming and diverse the Creative Hub group had been.

It was an absolute pleasure to spend the morning with Creative Hub. The mix of photography, sketching, local stories, and the possibility of seeing community artwork displayed at the railway stations made the trip feel purposeful and joyful. I’m looking forward to seeing the finished project and where their creativity will appear next.