ROYSTON’S year of celebration kicked off three months early this week with the unveiling of a commemorative 2012 railway garden.

Dignitaries, community figures, volunteers and railmen descended on Royston Station last Thursday for the ceremony.

The ribbon was cut by Royston 2012 chairman Lindsay Davidson and vice chairman of North Herts District Council Joan Kirby.

Town councillor Davidson told The Crow: “The hope for today is to get the Royston 2012 year of celebration started.

“First of all today will launch and officially open the garden and it’s the first real project launch for the year of celebration 2012.

“We’re the one town in Hertfordshire of our size that is doing anything like this and London 2012 have got on to me and want to meet.”

Next year is important for the town as it will see the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, the London Olympics and the 850th anniversary of Royston Priory - which can arguably be described as the birth of Royston.

With the Olympics fast approaching and the exact route of its symbol still undecided hope still burns for the torch to pass through Royston on route to Luton from Cambridge.

“We hope to get the torch and a lot of people are lobbying on our behalf,” she said.

“If we work very hard we stand a very good chance because of what we’re doing - we deserve it to be honest but just because you deserve something doesn’t mean you will get it.”

The installation on the Cambridge bound platform was sponsored by the town council, Royston in Bloom, and industrial powerhouse Johnson Matthey.