Oasis fans flock to station turned holiday cottage from Some Might Say cover

The former station master's house at Cromford Railway Station in Derbyshire is a haven for trainspotters - and Oasis fans.

Ross McGuinness
Updated ·4 min read

Watch: "We bought the train station from famous Oasis cover- fans flock here for selfies"

A couple who had no idea they had bought a train station that featured in an Oasis record cover have said fans flock there for selfies.

Tim Collis, 58, and husband Ryan Phelps, 53, purchased the derelict station master's house and waiting room at Cromford Railway Station in Derbyshire for £390,000, then turned it into a holiday cottage.

However, at the time they didn't realise the train station featured on the cover of Oasis's number one single from 1995, Some Might Say.

The Grade II-listed building is the main focus of the iconic cover, created by graphic designer and art director Brian Cannon, alongside photographer Michael Spencer Jones.

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

Tim Collis with his holiday cottage at Cromford Station, used as the location for Oasis’s single artwork for Some Might Say. 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 single 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 at saw the artwork for Oasis' first number one Some Might Say that they realised they purchased a piece of Britpop history. The station is featured on the cover of one of Oasis' most famous singles which was released in 1995 and helped shoot them to superstardom.
Tim Collis outside Cromford Station in Derbyshire with the matching cover of Oasis single Some Might Say. (SWNS)
Tim Collis with his holiday cottage at Cromford Station, used as the location for Oasis’s single artwork for Some Might Say. 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 single 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 at saw the artwork for Oasis' first number one Some Might Say that they realised they purchased a piece of Britpop history. The station is featured on the cover of one of Oasis' most famous singles which was released in 1995 and helped shoot them to superstardom.
Some Might Say was the first number one for Oasis. (SWNS)

Collis said booking inquiries for the holiday home had "gone supersonic" since the Gallaghers announced they had patched things up and would go on a reunion tour next summer, while fans regularly turn up outside the property to take selfies and recreate the cover.

Despite being an Oasis fan, Collis, who works in digital services for the government, said he had no idea about the building's musical history until he bought it.

"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.

Tim Collis' holiday cottage at Cromford Station, used as the location for Oasis’s single artwork for Some Might Say. 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 single 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 at saw the artwork for Oasis' first number one Some Might Say that they realised they purchased a piece of Britpop history. The station is featured on the cover of one of Oasis' most famous singles which was released in 1995 and helped shoot them to superstardom.
The station master's house at Cromford Station has been renovated into a holiday cottage. (SWNS)

"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."

Collis said that because so many fans come to recreate the photos, they have to tell their guests not to be alarmed.

He joked: "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."

It costs £249 for two nights at the converted station's master house, which the couple purchased in 2007.

Tim Collis with his holiday cottage at Cromford Station, used as the location for Oasis’s single artwork for Some Might Say. 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 single 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 at saw the artwork for Oasis' first number one Some Might Say that they realised they purchased a piece of Britpop history. The station is featured on the cover of one of Oasis' most famous singles which was released in 1995 and helped shoot them to superstardom.
Oasis fan Tim Collis said he didn't know the station's connection to the band until he bought it. (SWNS)
The living room inside Cromford Railway Station in Derbyshire. (SWNS)
The living room inside Cromford Railway Station in Derbyshire. (SWNS)

They restored the building and opened it as a holiday cottage in April 2009 following a £140,000 renovation, which even caught the interest of King Charles, who visited there in 2011.

"When we bought the place it was derelict and in danger of falling down," said Collis. "It was on the 'at risk' register. There was no glass in the windows, the roof had holes in it, there was nothing inside, just an empty shell."

He said their clientele is usually made up of trainspotters, hikers or cyclists, not music fans.

In an interview with the BBC earlier this month, Cannon said of the cover he designed: "It's such a bonkers scene. It's my favourite of all the sleeves I did for Oasis. I love the record too and it was their first number one."

  • Canterbury Cathedral Lodge, Canterbury, Kent

There is a hotel in the grounds of Canterbury Cathedral in Kent. (Canterbury Cathedral Lodge)
There is a hotel in the grounds of Canterbury Cathedral in Kent. (Canterbury Cathedral Lodge)

You can sleep in the heart of the Unesco World Heritage Site of the Canterbury Cathedral Precincts.

Within the grounds that host Canterbury Cathedral and the ruins of St Augustine's Abbey, there is also a comfortable and affordable hotel.

  • The Mermaid Inn, Rye, East Sussex

The Mermaid Inn in East Sussex. (Mermaid Inn)
The Mermaid Inn in East Sussex. (Mermaid Inn)

Hidden passageways and smugglers' tunnels are part of the decor of this hotel, believed to be one of the most haunted in the UK.

The hotel is home to a celebrated restaurant and a cosy open fire, and has been visited by royalty, including Queen Elizabeth II.

  • Titanic Hotel Liverpool, Liverpool, Merseyside

The Titanic Hotel in Liverpool. (Booking.com)
The Titanic Hotel in Liverpool. (Booking.com)

Previously a warehouse that was built in the 1800s, this luxury hotel on Stanley Dock has exposed brickwork, steel columns, concrete ceilings and its original windows.

Click below to see the latest East Midlands headlines

Latest Stories