That, by the way, is the Dean Forest Railway, not that the report mentions it. Who owns the road crossing, or is responsible for maintaining it, is another question.

 
1srt day was Tuesday I thought

 
Give them 12 months to shut the rest or sell them on.

We ought to make it clear though that this doesn't affect those in the thread subject line! They are remaining as WH Smiths. It's just the TJ Jones version

 

Henley regatta's first day today, which brings an enhanced branch timetable courtesy of the GWR. Seven carriage set on Saturday....

Mark

https://news.gwr.com/news/henley-royal-regatta-returns-gwr-doubles-capacity-on-twyford-to-henley-shuttle-for-another-bumper-year

 

Modella, owners of TGJones, are looking to close up to 150 of their 450 stores - see https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cn751pkmgyxo -


Like similar actions "saved" Claires and the Original Factory Shop ... ?

 
From the BBC:

 


Early train - 05:58 - Leuven to Brussels Midi (started from hotel beside station at about 05:40). Train arrive Brussels at 06:25.  Coffee and Belgian waffle for breakfast - entered Eurostar / UK checkin area at 06:45.  Ticket check, security check, leaving Schengen Check, entering UK check, passing through duty free area - in waiting lounge at about 07:10. Yes there were queues / lines but they moved reasonably fast.  Boarding from 07:30 - seated in train by 07:40.  Left on time at 07:57, into UK (exit Eurotunnel) now UK time 08:30.  Crossed the Medway at 08:43.  WiFi on train "terrible ..." according to the young lady beside me, and I had to agree.

Due it at 08:57 ... but signal stop outside and we rolled in at 09:08. Walked the maze at St Pancras International, and straight onto Hammersmith and City tube that arrived at the platform at the same time I did. Pulled out at 09:16. Paddington at 09:27 - in good time to catch the 09:48.

09:48 - (final destination Carmarthen) left on time bus is now going slow signal-to-signal at Langley.  10:05 - "Would the train manager please contact the driver" and then train manager announces a "fault with the signalling system" ... and another long distance train overtakes us via the relief lines.   10:30 - just crept though Twyford - branch train platform crammed with posh people.  Wrong automated announcements. "This train is for Carmarthen and London Paddington". "We will be calling at London Paddington only". "This train will divide at Swansea and the front five carriages will continue to to Carmarthen - you are in the front 5 carriages". Followed by a lilting Welsh voice from the train manager, apologising for the automated announcement system, confirming Swansea and telling us that it's the rear five beyond Swansea.Just left Reading at 10:38 - some reservations confusions.  I noticed as I joined the train that it started at "A" and when I got to front set it started again at "A".

Connection at Swindon - where I should have had 25 minutes - looks touch and go.  I suspect I WILL make it because this Carmarthen express has to use the same line as our more local train after Swindon.  No staff around to ask - coffee from he trolley but that passed very early - before we got held up - never to be seen again?  I suspect that the train manager is in the rear carriages and this is a train which does not provide a corridor between the sections.

At 11:02 we pulled into Swindon (22 minutes late). I noticed an announcement telling us to go to platform 2 for Melksham, Trowbridge and Westbury.  Cheerful train manager asked if I was coming off "that one" as I walked briskly up and we left on time at 11:05.  28 passengers from Chippenham, 4 off and 5 on at Melksham, on time there.

 

So why can't the British (Treasury, DfT, GBR, TOCs or whoever) learn from the continental examples, as opposed to the rubbish that is normally dished up in this country. I have recently had somebody from SWR admit that the bicycle provision on their new Arterio sets don't really work.

 
I remember listening to LW in BAOR. It somehow seemed more British than World Service, no doubt because of the familiar programs.

The inability to broadcast the 17:53 shipping forecast during the week is BS. If they got rid of all the "commercials" that now plague PM there would be adequate time.

 
hah! If we win this evening, the next one is 0100 on Monday morning July 6th.....so a 3am earliest finish, more likely 4am after extra time & penalties against Mexico in Mexico City.

 
Sensible rule of thumb is to take the first available train to the station of your connection & wait there rather than at your origin

 
I looked at the 6 & 7 timetables and I suspect that First have saved themselves a vehicle of each route (down from 2 buses to 1) for the half hourly service by turning at the Guildhall.

 

Yeah - got caught up in that.  09:48 off Paddington on time, 25 minutes down by Reading, 22 down (with a 25 minute connection) at Swindon, so I made Melksham on time.

Interesting, the GWR journey planner had suggested the 10:00 train and shorter change; had I followed their advice, I would have missed the connection ... next train 2 hours later.   Good job I know who things work and took the first available train off Paddington in an abundance of caution.

 

Disruption now pushed out to 1515..............if it starts disrupting people's plans to watch England play at 1700, the railway's reputation, already subterranean, is likely to sink even lower.

 
I like the German rules, especially the compulsory insurance.

 
Seeing the X76 in the city centre today, the slogan on the rear end 'Remember when you loved buses?' sitting uncomfortably above the dot matrix display's 'OUT OF SERVICE' reminded me of its weird stopping patterns (someone on this forum kindly explained the reason for that). It wasn't out of service and actually had one passenger aboard, but it's difficult for the ordinary passenger to tell that this bus is peculiar - for the stops that it misses, the timetables at the stops list it, as do the electronic passenger information screens. The bustimes web site, though, does know about its funny ways.

At the moment, given that the city's bus services are cut in half, even its single in-and-back trip would be useful to people using the bus in Bath and needing to get to or from the RUH, restrictions like this put me in mind of the UK canal systems' "Worcester Bar" (where the waters of the Birmingham canals and Worcester and Birmingham route were separated by a physical bar, forcing all cargoes to be transhipped before, eventually, commonsense prevailed.)

Mark


https://bustimes.org/services/x76-marlborough-ruh-bath-2

 

One of the lessons of being a member of this forum for many years is that DfT (and presumably, behind them, the Treasury) are the real decision makers, down to quite a low level of detail. It will be interesting to see how much latitude GBR will have to get on with managing things themselves. I expect that the high level of investment it requires will restrict its ability to do so.

 
Spoke too soon, back to diesels on the route today.

Mark

 
Germany's a useful comparison: e-scooters are legal, minimum age 14, compulsory insurance, type-approved machines to exclude ones with unsuitable electronics/mechanics, similar maximum speed to a pedal assist e-bike, two independent brakes, pavements prohibited. Why the UK's gone with open ended 'Trials' of hire e-scooters (with the occasional change of supplier, something that tends to remove more experienced riders from the system) and also overlooked private use served by a vigorous and diverse retail supply chain pushing a variety of less desirable machines I don't know.

Mark

P.S. Same goes for bike lights - you can buy a better sort of bike light just by checking before you purchase whether it would be legal to use it in Germany.

 

Luxembourg, then.  Tricked by the flag

 
I think this, and other similar incidents helps to put it into perspective

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cgmdlypw97jo

 
..........can't blame the weather today!

Cancellations to services between Reading and London Paddington

Due to a points failure between Reading and London Paddington fewer trains are able to run on some lines.
Train services running to and from these stations may be cancelled or delayed.

Disruption is expected until 13:15 01/07.

 
3.  Switzerland.  It's a well known tourist attraction - the name of which I can't remember. 

 
No - it states


which is correct. They are only completely banned in public places, but can be used privately with permission anywhere that is private land.

 
All the small detail in 6 looks very French, as only France can (Antibes).

 
He'll have problems making urgent statements in the House then.

 
Two correct so far

5. Germany (Aachen) - ChrisB
8. Belgium (Leuven) - eightonedee

Sorry - no. 1 is not the Netherlands.

 
5. Germany

 
My bid is for 1. to be Den Haag, Netherlands

 
Today Newquay 2 hour gap but looks like 175003 coming off training to take up the diagram. 175114, 175115, 175009, and a 150 working the HST diagrams. Paignton had a one gap and a later short form probably to fill the missing train.