12,000 back fight to save flower stall
ACOUPLE battling to keep their flower shop at Moor Street railway station have sent a petition to Chiltern Railways after gathering more than 12,000 signatures.
Alan and Jackie Harley have just weeks to keep the stand which they launched as they searched for a focus to work through the death of their youngest son.
They are running an online tion to keep the kiosk, which took over six years ago.
The petition was handed to a representative from the train operating company on Wednesday ahead of a management meeting that the firm was believed to be holding this week.
Buoyed by support from customers, the couple intend to contact managing director David Penney petithey weekly and to continue to gather signatures for the Change.org campaign.
Mr Harley said: “I’m overwhelmed by the reaction. We must have had thousands of kind comments left on the petition and on Facebook.
“It’s overwhelming, it’s Birmingham at it’s best.”
The couple had traded seven days a week after taking over a vacant shed in the concourse, but say they have been told by Chiltern Railways and a management company to provide some services for free in order to continue with the lease.
Following a meeting at the end of last year, they were given until February 27 to close the business but they fear that a combination of age and limited opportunities in their industry will make it virtually impossible to find jobs.
Mr Harley said: “The customers have said so many nice things and brought back so many memories of things we’ve said and done. It’s not just been from Birmingham, it’s been from around the world.
“We’ve have had comments from Australia, New York and Nigeria and they are still flooding in. It’s the people who have spoken, the people who get off the train and say ‘I’ll have a quick bunch for my mum’s birthday’ or another special occasion.”
Mr Harley, 56, and his wife, 58, took over the stand after losing their son Jacob in December 2009, creating what they say is Birmingham’s largest small florist. They also took responsibility for flower containers and arrangements around the precincts, providing the plants at cost price, and carried out similar work at Banbury and London Marylebone stations.
The couple, from Kings Heath, claim the problems began around three years ago when asset management company Travel Point Trading began collecting their rent, and tried to raise the charge, which they successfully resisted. Travel Point, which is owned by infrastructure giant Amey, is thought to act on behalf of Chiltern.
A spokesperson for Chiltern Railways said: “As a business we can’t comment on individual cases. However, Chiltern Railways aims to provide a wide and interesting selection of appropriate retail facilities at our stations that are able to serve customers year-round. Many tenants across the route are small, independent businesses and we are proud of the success that they have achieved.”