Couple own abandoned train station made famous by Oasis cover

By Ed Chatterton via SWNS

A couple bought an abandoned Victorian train station before transforming it into a holiday cottage having no idea it was the scene of one of Oasis' most famous record covers.

Tim Collis, 58, and husband Ryan Phelps, 53, purchased the derelict master house and waiting room at Cromford Railway Station in Derbyshire for £390,000.

But it was only when they got inside their new home and saw the artwork for Oasis' first number one "Some Might Say" that they realized they had purchased a piece of Britpop history.

The Grade II-listed station is featured on the cover of one of Oasis' most famous singles which was released in 1995 and helped shoot them to superstardom.

In the photo, Liam Gallagher can be seen waving from the railway bridge while his brother Noel is sprinkling a watering can on the platform below.

Tim said enquires for bookings had "gone supersonic" since news of the reunion was announced while fans have been flocking there for selfies and to recreate the cover.

And he revealed despite being an Oasis fan, he did not know about the historic building's connection with the band until after he bought it.

Tim, who works in digital services for the government, said: "I'm a fan of Oasis but we had no idea of the link until we bought the place.

"There was a photo frame with a seven-inch Some Might Say cover in the dining room.

"I asked Ryan 'What's this doing here?' so we researched and found out what the connection was.

"The guy who was selling it to us never even mentioned it, but he must have known because he had the photo.

"We've had a lot of Oasis fans coming over the last couple of years and we've seen a big surge since the reunion was announced too.

"It's gone berserk. It's gone supersonic, pardon the pun.

"We've even had the artist who took the photo come here. Apparently, it was a black and white photo which he coloured to make it more atmospheric.

"Many fans come to recreate the photos. We warn our guests about it just so they don't wonder what's going on, but they are all fine about it.

"Some want to borrow a wheelbarrow and we're only too happy to help.

"We weren't able to get tickets for the reunion but I should get Liam and Noel back and do a swap and give them the cottage for the night in exchange for tickets.

"They could come and stay and have a rock and roll party - that would be great.

"Usually it costs £249 to stay for two nights but I think we could accommodate them if they wanted to revisit the scene of one of their biggest singles."

Tim and Ryan bought the station's master house with the waiting room included in the sale back in 2007.

The couple set about restoring the building and it opened as a holiday cottage in April 2009 following a £140,000 renovation.

The restoration was so impressive King Charles visited in 2011, meaning the Gallagher brothers were no longer the most famous people to have visited there.

Tim added: "When we bought the place it was derelict and in danger of falling down. It was on the 'at risk' register. It was just a completely bare shell.

"There was no glass in the windows, the roof had holes in it, there was nothing inside, just an empty shell.

"The whole renovation took about a year and cost around £140,000 and we got a £30,000 grant from the local authority and a charity to renovate some of the old features, like the clock tower, to their original spec.

"Our demographic tends to be train spotters, walkers, cyclists - as it's one bedroom it's usually older or younger couples.

"In 2011 we won a National Railway Heritage conservation award and after that Prince Charles came to visit as he's big into his conservation.

"I thought it was one of my mates pulling my leg when his people called up saying Prince Charles wanted to visit."

Graphic designer and art director Brian Cannon created the cover with photographer Michael Spencer Jones with the photo being taken on January 23, 1995.

Brian told the BBC: "It's such a bonkers scene. It's my favorite of all the sleeves I did for Oasis. I love the record too and it was their first number one."

The location is a reference to the "standing at the station" lyrics while each person in the photo is playing out another section of the words to the song.

Brian added: "The idea was if you're standing at a disused station waiting for a train, you're in need of education, which is the next line of the song."

Liam saluting on the bridge is a reference to "we will find a brighter day" while Noel's watering can represent "in the rain".

Karla Knox, a barmaid from Brian's local pub, can be seen on the tracks with an umbrella strung with pots and pans referencing "she's got dirty dishes on the brain".

The west side of the station is still in use by rail passengers today to get to Matlock and Derby while the east side is used by Tim and Ryan's holiday cottage guests.