Amidst all the hype surrounding last year’s Oasis lucrative comeback tour I must’ve seen something on YouTube which reminded me of the shooting location for one of their most famous sleeves which just happened to be located within reasonably close proximity to my hometown base on my recent trip back to the UK.

The four singles from debut album ‘Definitely Maybe‘ (1994) were followed by standalone song ‘Whatever‘ and the first release from ‘(What’s The Story) Morning Glory?’ in April 1995 was ‘Some Might Say‘ which became the band’s first UK number one. CD singles may sound like an ancient medium for the younger generation of music fans but back in the day they were fairly sought after commodities, especially Oasis ones which were often backed with three other fairly strong songs.

At that time, music shops were selling three of their singles for £10 which allowed me to update from cassette singles to CD and finally move into the 90s (halfway through the decade!!) by getting their first six singles when I got a CD player ahead of moving away to university. The gold and silver box sets were added in 1996 I think but I can’t remember how much they cost.

The sleeve for ‘Some Might Say‘ was one of my favourites and it featured Liam (on the bridge) and Noel Gallagher (holding a watering can on the platform) as well as the family and friends of artwork creator Brian Cannon at what looked like an old disused railway platform. The station itself is actually still in use though and is Cromford in Derbyshire, one of the neighbouring counties of Leicestershire. The photograph was taken on 23rd January 1995 (thanks Wikipedia!) with the imagery being inspired by the lyrics.

Back in an era when CD singles were popular, this was one of their strongest in terms of the B-sides with ‘Acquiesce‘ being one of the best songs they’ve ever made. I later bought the single again (twice it seems!) when I moved to Japan although it is a slightly different one with a couple of extra tracks and a thicker album-style case. The two extra tracks were a cover of the Beatles song ‘You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away‘ and the demo version of ‘Some Might Say‘ which were both sung by Noel.

When I mentioned the idea of going to Cromford station to my parents my dad showed an interest in the idea as he said it was a really nice place. It was eventually decided that we’d take a day trip there on New Year’s Eve. Our tickets were around £30 each and with changes at Leicester and Derby stations we arrived at Cromford station at about 11:15 am which was 90 minutes after we left. We were the only ones to disembark, and what a glorious sight it with a clear blue sky hanging above the old-fashioned station building.

With a hike awaiting us elsewhere in Cromford there was no time to waste so, despite the freezing conditions, I took off my jacket and sweater to get some shots of myself. I just happened to be wearing my original Oasis ’95 live tour t-shirt which was bought in Duren (Germany) when I saw them for the first time.

My dad got in on the act despite not having any knowledge about the Oasis connection.

My dad thought the bridge which Liam stood on was no longer there, so I was absolutely delighted to see it looking almost identical as three decades earlier.

The ornate waiting room was built in 1855 and stands on Platform 2 which is no longer used by trains.

It is private property nowadays and used as a holiday cottage so is technically closed to the public.

However, there are no obstacles on the bridge preventing you from crossing to take peek.

It is said to have been designed by G. H. Stokes and is a Grade II listed building which presumably means something of great importance to those who know what that actually means!

Cromford station opened way back in June 1849 and is just outside the border of the Peak District National Park area. It is on the Derwent Valley Line not too far (15.5 miles/24.9 km) north of Derby.

My original plan was actually to just go to the station and then take the next train back towards Leicester but going with my dad meant I actually explored the wonderful surrounding area too as well as spending some quality father-son time together.

In 2024 Cromford was named as “one of the five most beautiful and remarkable railway stations in the world” so it is obviously recommended to anyone but if you are an Oasis fan in the UK then it’s a pilgrimage you should definitely (maybe) think about!

Click here to read ‘Oasis Fever Hits Japan as Rock ‘N’ Roll Stars Liam & Noel Return to Tokyo’

Click here to read ‘Getting in the Mood for the Oasis Reunion at the Band’s 30th Anniversary Exhibition in Tokyo’

Click here to read ‘My First Time to See Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds Live in Concert’

Click here to read ‘TF Flashback: Watching Oasis at Summer Sonic ’05 (2005)‘