'Oasis fans flock to our holiday home - it's a piece of Britpop history'

A pair who snapped up a derelict Victorian railwaystation to transform into a holiday home were stunned to learn it holds an important place in Britpop history.

Tim Collis, 58, and husband Ryan Phelps, 53, bought the crumbling master house and waiting room at Cromford Railway Station in Derbyshire for £390,000. The Grade II-listed station boasts a notable connection as it appears on the artwork of one of Oasis' most celebrated singles.

On the photograph used for Some Might Say, which dropped in 1995, frontman Liam Gallagher is captured gesturing from the railway bridge whilst sibling Noel tends to the platform below with a watering can. Tim revealed that booking enquiries had "gone supersonic" in 2024, with news of the band's reunion, with fans making pilgrimages to snap photos and recreate the iconic cover.

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Despite being an Oasis fan, he remained oblivious to the historic property's musical heritage until after completing the purchase. Tim, who works in digital services for the government, explained: "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.", Tim added. "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.", he offered.

Tim and Ryan purchased the station's master house, with the waiting room included in the sale, back in 2007. The pair embarked on restoring the building and it opened as a holiday cottage in April 2009 following a £140,000 renovation.

Graphic designer and art director Brian Cannon collaborated with photographer Michael Spencer Jones to create the cover, with the photo being taken on January 23, 1995. Brian told the BBC: "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."

The setting pays homage to the "standing at the station" lyrics, with each individual in the snapshot acting out different parts of the song's verses. Brian explained: "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's salute atop the bridge nods to the hopeful "we will find a brighter day", while Noel holding a watering can symbolises "in the rain". Local barmaid Karla Knox is depicted on the tracks, umbrella in hand adorned with pots and pans, alluding to "she's got dirty dishes on the brain".

Today, the west side of the station remains active, serving rail travellers heading to Matlock and Derby, while the east side caters to guests of Tim and Ryan's holiday cottage. The remarkable restoration efforts even led to a visit from King Charles in 2011, eclipsing the Gallagher brothers as the most notable visitors.

Tim recounted their initial encounter with the property: "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 its 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."