Recent Public Posts - [guest]
| Re: TravelWatch SouthWest - October 24th 2025 - Taunton In "Diary - what's happening when?" [365173/30673/34] Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 13:52, 4th September 2025 |      |
Hmm. That's an interesting question, matth1j, and it has been raised on previous occasions.
I will leave it to my boss, grahame, to answer specifically, as he is much better informed on the public meeting date and venue selection process at TravelWatch SouthWest.
CfN.
| Re: Responsible travel - the countries that are "doing better" than the UK In "The Wider Picture Overseas" [365172/30639/52] Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 13:41, 4th September 2025 | |
https://www.holidayextras.com/travel-news/have-a-good-trip.html
The UK came in 17th in the Holiday Extra Good Trip Index ...
... before you go check the country's record on press freedoms …
The UK came in 17th in the Holiday Extra Good Trip Index ...
From the BBC:
Reform council boss bans local newspaper's reporters
Mick Barton has banned his councillors from any engagement with the Nottingham Post and its online arm Nottinghamshire Live
The Reform UK leader of Nottinghamshire County Council has banned a local newspaper from speaking to him or any of his councillors "with immediate effect".
Mick Barton has banned the Nottingham Post and its online arm Nottinghamshire Live over what the BBC understands was a disagreement about a story it ran on local government reorganisation. Also included in the ban are BBC-funded journalists who work at the publication as part of the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS).
Senior editor Natalie Fahy said she was "very concerned" by the "unprecedented ban". In response, Barton said the party would not "allow misinformation to shape the narrative of our governance".
The authority will stop sending press releases to the publication, and Barton and his colleagues will not give interviews or invite them to council events. Reporters from Nottinghamshire Live and the LDRS will continue to attend public meetings.
A spokesperson for the council said: "The ban, which will only be lifted for emergency scenarios like flooding and weather-related cases, incidents at council-run schools, adult social care, or public safety issues, has come into immediate effect."
In a statement, issued on Thursday, Barton said the move was "not about silencing journalism", but "about upholding the principle that freedom of speech must be paired with responsibility and honesty. We firmly believe that open dialogue is vital to a healthy democracy, and we welcome scrutiny that is conducted with fairness, balance and integrity," he added. "However, we also have a duty to protect the credibility of our governance and the voices that we represent. For this reason, we will not be engaging with Nottinghamshire Live or with any other media outlet we consider to be consistently misrepresenting our policies, actions or intentions."
Reform took control of the authority at the local elections in May, winning 40 of 66 seats. Barton, who has been a councillor on Mansfield District Council since 2003, was elected to the county council for the first time in May and later announced as leader.
Nottinghamshire Live editor Ms Fahy said those who applauded Reform's decision "should think carefully. We pride ourselves on our balanced and accurate coverage of all political parties across the county and our treatment and coverage of Reform has been no different to any other parties," she said. "We see this as a direct attack on the free press and our ability to hold elected members to account. Ultimately, we will struggle to find out where taxpayers' money is being spent, so those who applaud this decision by Reform should think carefully. My concern as a journalist of 20 years is that we are increasingly seeing attacks of this kind which affect how we can carry out our jobs effectively. We'll continue to speak out and fight against them in the hope of bringing about change."
The Liberal Democrats have written to Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, urging him to intervene.
Liberal Democrat culture, media and sport spokesperson, MP Max Wilkinson, called it a "dangerous and chilling" decision. "Reform's move to block local journalists from reporting on their work is straight out of Donald Trump's playbook," he added.
MP Kevin Hollinrake, Conservative Party chairman, said it was a "disgrace for Reform to deliberately cut off local journalism". He added: "They are completely denying communities the right to scrutinise those in power. If Reform can't even face questions from the Nottingham Post, what hope is there that they could ever face the serious responsibilities of government?"
The leader of the opposition on Nottinghamshire County Council, Conservative Sam Smith, called the ban an "extremely dangerous step". He added: "It's not just the press Reform are shutting out in Nottinghamshire. It's the voice and views of residents."
The BBC funds 165 LDRS reporters across the UK, three of which are funded in Nottingham.
A spokesperson for the BBC said: "Independent journalism is vital to local democracy, and journalists must be free to question those in power without fear of reprisals. We continue to support Notts Live in seeking a resolution."
Mick Barton has banned his councillors from any engagement with the Nottingham Post and its online arm Nottinghamshire Live
The Reform UK leader of Nottinghamshire County Council has banned a local newspaper from speaking to him or any of his councillors "with immediate effect".
Mick Barton has banned the Nottingham Post and its online arm Nottinghamshire Live over what the BBC understands was a disagreement about a story it ran on local government reorganisation. Also included in the ban are BBC-funded journalists who work at the publication as part of the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS).
Senior editor Natalie Fahy said she was "very concerned" by the "unprecedented ban". In response, Barton said the party would not "allow misinformation to shape the narrative of our governance".
The authority will stop sending press releases to the publication, and Barton and his colleagues will not give interviews or invite them to council events. Reporters from Nottinghamshire Live and the LDRS will continue to attend public meetings.
A spokesperson for the council said: "The ban, which will only be lifted for emergency scenarios like flooding and weather-related cases, incidents at council-run schools, adult social care, or public safety issues, has come into immediate effect."
In a statement, issued on Thursday, Barton said the move was "not about silencing journalism", but "about upholding the principle that freedom of speech must be paired with responsibility and honesty. We firmly believe that open dialogue is vital to a healthy democracy, and we welcome scrutiny that is conducted with fairness, balance and integrity," he added. "However, we also have a duty to protect the credibility of our governance and the voices that we represent. For this reason, we will not be engaging with Nottinghamshire Live or with any other media outlet we consider to be consistently misrepresenting our policies, actions or intentions."
Reform took control of the authority at the local elections in May, winning 40 of 66 seats. Barton, who has been a councillor on Mansfield District Council since 2003, was elected to the county council for the first time in May and later announced as leader.
Nottinghamshire Live editor Ms Fahy said those who applauded Reform's decision "should think carefully. We pride ourselves on our balanced and accurate coverage of all political parties across the county and our treatment and coverage of Reform has been no different to any other parties," she said. "We see this as a direct attack on the free press and our ability to hold elected members to account. Ultimately, we will struggle to find out where taxpayers' money is being spent, so those who applaud this decision by Reform should think carefully. My concern as a journalist of 20 years is that we are increasingly seeing attacks of this kind which affect how we can carry out our jobs effectively. We'll continue to speak out and fight against them in the hope of bringing about change."
The Liberal Democrats have written to Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, urging him to intervene.
Liberal Democrat culture, media and sport spokesperson, MP Max Wilkinson, called it a "dangerous and chilling" decision. "Reform's move to block local journalists from reporting on their work is straight out of Donald Trump's playbook," he added.
MP Kevin Hollinrake, Conservative Party chairman, said it was a "disgrace for Reform to deliberately cut off local journalism". He added: "They are completely denying communities the right to scrutinise those in power. If Reform can't even face questions from the Nottingham Post, what hope is there that they could ever face the serious responsibilities of government?"
The leader of the opposition on Nottinghamshire County Council, Conservative Sam Smith, called the ban an "extremely dangerous step". He added: "It's not just the press Reform are shutting out in Nottinghamshire. It's the voice and views of residents."
The BBC funds 165 LDRS reporters across the UK, three of which are funded in Nottingham.
A spokesperson for the BBC said: "Independent journalism is vital to local democracy, and journalists must be free to question those in power without fear of reprisals. We continue to support Notts Live in seeking a resolution."
On that evidence, I wouldn't go on holiday anywhere near Nottinghamshire.
CfN.
Following up on that particular news story, here is an update, from the BBC:
Nigel Farage to speak to Nottinghamshire Reform council leader over press ban
Nigel Farage has said he will "have a little chat" with the leader of a Reform UK council over a decision to ban contact with reporters from a local newspaper.
Last week, Nottinghamshire County Council told the BBC that Mick Barton had banned the Nottingham Post and its online arm, Nottinghamshire Live, from speaking to him and other councillors "with immediate effect".
It followed a disagreement over a story the publication ran about local government reorganisation, though Barton later said the ban applied only to him personally.
Farage, the national leader of Reform UK, has now said he will intervene in the row. Farage is currently in Washington, D.C, and on Wednesday spoke to Congress about free speech issues in the UK.
Afterwards, the BBC asked Farage why Barton had banned Nottingham Post reporters. "I don't know. I'm going to see him [Barton] at the [Reform UK] conference this Friday and have a chat with him," Farage said.
When asked if he was happy about the ban, Farage added: "He obviously thinks they're bad actors, but I think I've got a good history of being a peacemaker in these situations."
When asked if Barton was "in trouble", Farage added: "No, no, I am a very good peacemaker and I've seen all this before. I've been in and out of politics for 30 years, I have seen these disputes before, and we need to find a solution."
He did not answer when asked if the county council ban would be lifted.
Barton previously said: "We haven't got a problem, I've not got a problem, I'm being professional and I hope the Notts Post become professional. The ban still stands until they come and apologise. They need to pick the phone up and speak to me." He added he had "never stopped" his councillors from speaking to journalists at the publication.
The ban, which included BBC-funded journalists based at the title as part of the Local Democracy Reporting Service, had been criticised by senior editor Natalie Fahy. Ms Fahy attempted to hand Barton a copy of the Nottingham Post at the start of a full meeting of the county council on Tuesday, which he refused to accept. Ms Fahy told the BBC, on Wednesday, that the dispute had "really blown up".
"I'm really glad everyone is talking about it because it's such an important issue," she said. "A lot of national journalists are concerned the same thing could happen to them with Reform. I want to get back to basics. I want to resolve this amicably so we can get on with our jobs - which includes finding out how council tax money is spent. Mick has to be reasonable and understand the role of the local press in holding councils to account."
According to the Post, an article written by its agenda editor Oliver Pridmore prompted the ban. The piece - about ongoing discussions over the reorganisation of local government - included a claim that two Reform UK councillors said at a public surgery they could be suspended from their county council group if they did not vote for Barton's preferred model.
Mr Pridmore attended the meeting and afterwards said: "We haven't got anything to apologise for, and we stand by the coverage we produced. It's the exact same coverage we provide on any council in our patch."
A petition created by the publication, called Reform: Stop hiding from press scrutiny, has gained more than 26,000 signatures.
Barton was contacted for comment.
Nigel Farage has said he will "have a little chat" with the leader of a Reform UK council over a decision to ban contact with reporters from a local newspaper.
Last week, Nottinghamshire County Council told the BBC that Mick Barton had banned the Nottingham Post and its online arm, Nottinghamshire Live, from speaking to him and other councillors "with immediate effect".
It followed a disagreement over a story the publication ran about local government reorganisation, though Barton later said the ban applied only to him personally.
Farage, the national leader of Reform UK, has now said he will intervene in the row. Farage is currently in Washington, D.C, and on Wednesday spoke to Congress about free speech issues in the UK.
Afterwards, the BBC asked Farage why Barton had banned Nottingham Post reporters. "I don't know. I'm going to see him [Barton] at the [Reform UK] conference this Friday and have a chat with him," Farage said.
When asked if he was happy about the ban, Farage added: "He obviously thinks they're bad actors, but I think I've got a good history of being a peacemaker in these situations."
When asked if Barton was "in trouble", Farage added: "No, no, I am a very good peacemaker and I've seen all this before. I've been in and out of politics for 30 years, I have seen these disputes before, and we need to find a solution."
He did not answer when asked if the county council ban would be lifted.
Barton previously said: "We haven't got a problem, I've not got a problem, I'm being professional and I hope the Notts Post become professional. The ban still stands until they come and apologise. They need to pick the phone up and speak to me." He added he had "never stopped" his councillors from speaking to journalists at the publication.
The ban, which included BBC-funded journalists based at the title as part of the Local Democracy Reporting Service, had been criticised by senior editor Natalie Fahy. Ms Fahy attempted to hand Barton a copy of the Nottingham Post at the start of a full meeting of the county council on Tuesday, which he refused to accept. Ms Fahy told the BBC, on Wednesday, that the dispute had "really blown up".
"I'm really glad everyone is talking about it because it's such an important issue," she said. "A lot of national journalists are concerned the same thing could happen to them with Reform. I want to get back to basics. I want to resolve this amicably so we can get on with our jobs - which includes finding out how council tax money is spent. Mick has to be reasonable and understand the role of the local press in holding councils to account."
According to the Post, an article written by its agenda editor Oliver Pridmore prompted the ban. The piece - about ongoing discussions over the reorganisation of local government - included a claim that two Reform UK councillors said at a public surgery they could be suspended from their county council group if they did not vote for Barton's preferred model.
Mr Pridmore attended the meeting and afterwards said: "We haven't got anything to apologise for, and we stand by the coverage we produced. It's the exact same coverage we provide on any council in our patch."
A petition created by the publication, called Reform: Stop hiding from press scrutiny, has gained more than 26,000 signatures.
Barton was contacted for comment.
Posted by Chris from Nailsea, with my highlighting added for emphasis.
| Re: TravelWatch SouthWest - October 24th 2025 - Taunton In "Diary - what's happening when?" [365171/30673/34] Posted by matth1j at 13:31, 4th September 2025 | |
I, too, have booked my seat. I encourage any of our members also to do so.
What about those of us who aren't retired?
Of course I understand it has to be in working hours, but it does make it more difficult to attend just because it sounds like a nice day out.
| Re: Pedestrians injured after bus mounts pavement near Victoria station - 4 Sep 2025 In "Buses and other ways to travel" [365170/30683/5] Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 12:33, 4th September 2025 | |
An update, from the BBC:
15 people in hospital after bus mounts pavement near London's Victoria station
| Re: Cornish delays In "Shorter journeys in Plymouth and Cornwall" [365169/28556/25] Posted by GBM at 11:54, 4th September 2025 | |
Alterations to services at Penzance
Due to a points failure at Penzance fewer trains are able to run.
Train services running to and from this station may be terminated at and started back from St Erth. Disruption is expected until 13:00 04/09.
Customer Advice
We're sorry for any disruption this brings to your travel plans today.
-
We're reducing the number of trains between St Erth and Penzance due to the decreased platform capacity at the station. Please check your journey at gwr.com/check
Additional Information
Points allow trains to switch between different tracks. When points fail, some parts of the railway can become congested or even blocked. Points can fail due to many reasons, such as debris, cold weather, or even due to the fail-safe system activating.
| Re: Farm railway turns 100 but faces uncertain future / Dodding's Farm In "Railway History and related topics" [365168/30674/55] Posted by grahame at 11:53, 4th September 2025 | |
Page doesn't load - just shows "This page isn't available at the moment"
Saw the same problem and couldn't find it again on a search ... I have found
https://www.facebook.com/groups/385672148111486/?multi_permalinks=8488949487783671&hoisted_section_header_type=recently_seen
| Re: Farm railway turns 100 but faces uncertain future / Dodding's Farm In "Railway History and related topics" [365167/30674/55] Posted by GBM at 11:25, 4th September 2025 | |
https://www.facebook.com/reel/797532629702649
Page doesn't load - just shows "This page isn't available at the moment"
| Pedestrians injured after bus mounts pavement near Victoria station - 4 Sep 2025 In "Buses and other ways to travel" [365166/30683/5] Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 11:20, 4th September 2025 | |
From the BBC:
Summary
A bus driver is taken to hospital after a bus mounts the pavement near Victoria station in central London
Police, ambulance and air ambulance services were called to Victoria Street in Westminster at about 08:20 BST, the Met Police says, adding that there are no reported fatalities
An eyewitness tells the PA news agency they saw the bus "going really fast and came off the road... people were screaming - it was terrible"
| Re: At least 17 dead after historic funicular railway derails in Lisbon - 3 Sep 2025 In "The Wider Picture Overseas" [365165/30681/52] Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 11:07, 4th September 2025 | |
Sadly, the death toll increases.
From the BBC:
Lisbon funicular crash death toll rises to at least 17 as police investigate cause
| Where do I post this ... ? In "News, Help and Assistance" [365164/30682/29] Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 11:01, 4th September 2025 Already liked by Mark A, GBM | |
To reassure any of our Coffee Shop forum members, who have an item they want to post but aren't sure which board to put it on, please don't let that put you off. Post it where you think is best.
If any post is subsequently found to have a better home on a different board, one of the admin / moderator team can easily move it there - with an explanation of their reason. I know - I have occasionally been known to move one of my own posts, when the benefit of hindsight shows that I could have put it in a more relevant place.
Not sure if this should be in a different section eg Bristol area commuter services.
Fine where it is ... where a line is shared by multiple services (as in this case) or where we're talking about specific shared / interchange stations, there are multiple and equally good places to post things like this. And though we have looked, we've not found any better alternative way of arranging it.
That's a good example: posting about 'Bath' could be equally appropriate in any one of many boards. Please, do post, wherever you feel is best: we can always revise its location, and nothing will be deleted 'because it's in the wrong place!'
Chris from Nailsea.
| Re: New TFW Cardiff and West Wales to Bristol Temple Meads service In "Bristol (WECA) Commuters" [365163/30679/21] Posted by froome at 10:55, 4th September 2025 | |
Is this essentially the start of the new services that were mentioned in the consultation a year or two ago?
If so somewhat disappointed at the limited stopping pattern as it was originally planned to be a true stopping services from what was initially shared, but now Patchway, Ashley Down and Lawrence Hill miss out.
If so somewhat disappointed at the limited stopping pattern as it was originally planned to be a true stopping services from what was initially shared, but now Patchway, Ashley Down and Lawrence Hill miss out.
Don't forget Pilning!
It would make more sense to me if the existing Cardiff to Bristol (and beyond) trains were the true stopping services, and that services starting in west Wales stopped at the stations those trains stop at at the moment. And I say that as someone who does enjoy whizzing through these intermediate stations at the moment on trains that only stop at Filton Abbey Wood and Newport.
| Re: Bath Spa - Bristol Temple Meads Oct 27-30 replacement buses only In "London to Swindon and Bristol" [365162/30643/10] Posted by grahame at 09:55, 4th September 2025 | |
Not sure if this should be in a different section eg Bristol area commuter services.
Fine where it is ... where a line is shared by multiple services (as in this case) or where we're talking about specific shared / interchange stations, there are multiple and equally good places to post things like this. And though we have looked, we've not found any better alternative way of arranging it.
Seems some local trains in Westbury-Bath area have also been withdrawn during the works. (Probably because East facing bay platform at Bath Spa was deemed never required during disruption so is nowadays trackless).
I would suspect it's also because they're expecting a much reduce traffic to handle on a reduced number of trains and at a reduced operating cost. I would hope that with fewer trains running, they could all be long enough to let passengers travel in a modicum of comfort.
| Re: At least 17 dead after historic funicular railway derails in Lisbon - 3 Sep 2025 In "The Wider Picture Overseas" [365161/30681/52] Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 09:51, 4th September 2025 | |
| Re: Boats stranded in Aylesbury after Grand Union Canal dries up during drought In "The Wider Picture in the United Kingdom" [365160/30680/51] Posted by grahame at 08:27, 4th September 2025 | |
i'm now wondering if there are locks anywhere on the system with both working sideponds and the expectation that they be used.
Research suggest that the last working sideponds on the British canal network were taken out of use around 2018 (I may be a year of two out). I certainly recall using them - more on principle rather that through official encouragement - in the 1980s. New sidepound (or equivalent side water storage) have been installed recently on the new, larger locks on the Panama Canal.
| Re: Bath Spa - Bristol Temple Meads Oct 27-30 replacement buses only In "London to Swindon and Bristol" [365159/30643/10] Posted by John D at 07:58, 4th September 2025 Already liked by Mark A | |
Not sure if this should be in a different section eg Bristol area commuter services.
But it now appears the Mon-Thur (27-30 Oct) closure of Bristol-Bath has a spin off as all local stopping trains Bristol-Filton Abbey Wood are suspended too.
Seems some local trains in Westbury-Bath area have also been withdrawn during the works. (Probably because East facing bay platform at Bath Spa was deemed never required during disruption so is nowadays trackless).
| Re: North Cotswold line delays and cancellations - 2025 In "London to the Cotswolds" [365158/29711/14] Posted by Worcester_Passenger at 05:06, 4th September 2025 | |
Thursday September 4
05:10 Oxford to Worcester Shrub Hill due 06:15 will be cancelled.
This is due to a broken down train.
Last Updated:04/09/2025 04:00
07:00 Worcester Shrub Hill to Didcot Parkway due 08:46 will be started from Oxford.
This is due to a broken down train.
Last Updated:04/09/2025 04:00
07:13 Great Malvern to London Paddington due 09:42 will call additionally at Shipton, Ascott-Under-Wychwood, Finstock and Combe.
Last Updated:04/09/2025 04:00
This is due to a broken down train.
Last Updated:04/09/2025 04:00
07:00 Worcester Shrub Hill to Didcot Parkway due 08:46 will be started from Oxford.
This is due to a broken down train.
Last Updated:04/09/2025 04:00
07:13 Great Malvern to London Paddington due 09:42 will call additionally at Shipton, Ascott-Under-Wychwood, Finstock and Combe.
Last Updated:04/09/2025 04:00
| Re: Boats stranded in Aylesbury after Grand Union Canal dries up during drought In "The Wider Picture in the United Kingdom" [365157/30680/51] Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 22:05, 3rd September 2025 Already liked by Witham Bobby, GBM | |
Mods please delete if you like
No - I won't delete your post! 
I merely quoted their 'News item' from the BBC. We all know they don't get things wrong, do they?
I'll do some more 'digging' (or possibly dredging) to find out more.
CfN.
I merely quoted their 'News item' from the BBC. We all know they don't get things wrong, do they?
I'll do some more 'digging' (or possibly dredging) to find out more.
CfN.
I've done some more 'dredging', and I've found that the BBC have previously used that same image to 'illustrate' their news stories about, for example, the Trent and Mersey Canal and the Oxford Canal.
It seems to be yet another use of a 'stock picture' to illustrate any 'canal story'.
| Re: TravelWatch SouthWest - October 24th 2025 - Taunton In "Diary - what's happening when?" [365156/30673/34] Posted by Mark A at 21:58, 3rd September 2025 | |
Another attractive quality, the venue's built on the tail of the site of the first of the Grand Western Canal's boat lifts, a not entirely successful structure which survived, out of use, long enough to be recorded on a 1:500 Ordnance Survey town plan.
Surprisingly, west of the venue, canal era masonry survives almost as far as the approach to the long vanished aqueduct that took it across what became Station Road. Unfortunately no photographs survive of these relics.
Mark
https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=19.2&lat=51.02205&lon=-3.10262&layers=117746211a&b=GoogleSat&o=100
| Re: Boats stranded in Aylesbury after Grand Union Canal dries up during drought In "The Wider Picture in the United Kingdom" [365154/30680/51] Posted by Mark A at 21:43, 3rd September 2025 | |
I think it's the case that depending on how it's operated, a staircase lock doesn't consume more water than two locks with the same fall arranged sequentially. Also, the staircase had sideponds which mitigates the water consumption.
i'm now wondering if there are locks anywhere on the system with both working sideponds and the expectation that they be used.
Mark
| Re: Forest of Dean - historic footbridge in Lydney In "Heritage railways, Railtours, buses, canals, steamships and other public transport based attractions" [365153/30590/47] Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 21:38, 3rd September 2025 Already liked by Ralph Ayres, GBM | |
Hmm.
I'm reminded of a rather scurrilous suggestion, many years ago: RAIB means, 'Reporting About It, Belatedly'.
"You may very well think that: I couldn't possibly comment."
(That is a comment from me personally, not from the Administrator / Moderator team here on the Coffee Shop forum. CfN.)
| Re: Forest of Dean - historic footbridge in Lydney In "Heritage railways, Railtours, buses, canals, steamships and other public transport based attractions" [365152/30590/47] Posted by grahame at 21:37, 3rd September 2025 | |
Is it just me, or could that paragraph in the RAIB press release have been more helpfully worded?
Not just you - I was disappointed too ...
| Re: Boats stranded in Aylesbury after Grand Union Canal dries up during drought In "The Wider Picture in the United Kingdom" [365151/30680/51] Posted by Mark A at 21:35, 3rd September 2025 | |
I have memories of the Aylesbury Arm - dropping from the Grand Union at Marsworth down to Aylesbury. In those days, I don't think that big basin was there; a pretty tight space at the end. Memories not entirely happy - we ended up in A&E at Stoke Mandeville; we were very fortunate that ... no long term problem issue, but a lesson learned. As I recall the lock flight is narrow, but not back-pumped. I think it starts with a staircase, which doubles water consumption.
The Aylesbury arm... with ambitions to reach Abingdon and thereby bypass the horribly obstructive and influential Thames Commissioners, who duly slaughtered said ambitions...
Mark
| Re: Forest of Dean - historic footbridge in Lydney In "Heritage railways, Railtours, buses, canals, steamships and other public transport based attractions" [365150/30590/47] Posted by Ralph Ayres at 21:17, 3rd September 2025 Already liked by GBM | |
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/collision-with-footbridge-on-the-dean-forest-railway
I did get a little frustrated by this; surprised/impressed by the speed the RAIB had apparently worked at, I eagerly clicked the "preliminary examination" and "safety digest" links to find they just took me to pages telling me what those phrases meant, the actual safety digest itself understandably not likely to be ready for some time yet. Is it just me, or could that paragraph in the RAIB press release have been more helpfully worded?
| Re: At least 17 dead after historic funicular railway derails in Lisbon - 3 Sep 2025 In "The Wider Picture Overseas" [365149/30681/52] Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 20:58, 3rd September 2025 | |
Thank you for that update, Jaymac.
I have amended the heading of this topic.
An update, from the BBC:
At least 15 people have been killed and 18 others injured after Lisbon's famous Gloria funicular derailed and crashed, emergency services said.
Portugal's emergency medical service authority said that five of those injured were in a serious condition. The remaining thirteen, including a child, sustained minor injuries.
Several people were earlier said to have been trapped at the scene. They have all since been freed, authorities said.
Footage shared widely on social media showed the yellow tram-like carriage overturned and almost entirely destroyed. People could be seen fleeing the area on foot as what appears to be smoke filled the air.
Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa has issued a statement expressing his "sympathy and solidarity with the families affected by this tragedy".
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also sent her condolences to the families of the victims.
It is unclear how many people were on board at the time of the cable railway crash, which occurred near the Avenida da Liberdade around 18:05 on Wednesday evening.
It is not known whether those killed are Portuguese nationals or foreigners.
Portuguese newspaper Observador reported that a cable came loose along the railway's route, causing it to lose control and collide with a nearby building.
Sixty-two emergency service personnel and 22 vehicles are at the scene, according to the civil protection website.
The Gloria funicular is one of the most famous sights and tourist attractions in Lisbon. It was opened in 1885 and electrified three decades later.
The iconic yellow vehicles are a crucial part of a city as hilly as Lisbon. They snake their way up many of the cobbled streets.
This particular one that crashed travels some 275m (900ft) from Restauradores, a square in the middle of Lisbon, up to the picturesque, cobbled streets of an area called Bairro Alto - or high neighbourhood - taking just three minutes to make the journey.
It, and the other funiculars, are used by Lisbon residents but they are also extremely popular with tourists – and at the end of the summer, the Portuguese capital is very busy indeed.
The Lisbon authorities say it is too early to determine the cause of this incident – and how many people were caught up in it.
| Re: Scotland scraps peak rail fares - will the rest of the UK follow? (Sep 2025) In "Fare's Fair" [365148/30668/4] Posted by Ralph Ayres at 20:55, 3rd September 2025 | |
If the price incentive to avoid busy trains is removed or at least reduced (I'm assuming train-specific Advance tickets at varying prices will still exist in parallel), perhaps better visibility of which trains are likely to have more space would help those who have the flexibility to choose when to travel and would like a more pleasant journey. It's relatively easy to guess for a lot of journeys, but not always. Some TOCs already have a tool on their website and perhaps GBR could expand it to a national feature on the National Rail Journey Planner.
| Re: At least 17 dead after historic funicular railway derails in Lisbon - 3 Sep 2025 In "The Wider Picture Overseas" [365147/30681/52] Posted by JayMac at 20:42, 3rd September 2025 | |
The death toll has sadly increased to 15.
| At least 17 dead after historic funicular railway derails in Lisbon - 3 Sep 2025 In "The Wider Picture Overseas" [365145/30681/52] Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 20:07, 3rd September 2025 | |
From the BBC:
At least three people have been killed and 20 others injured after Lisbon's famous Gloria funicular cable railway derailed and crashed, emergency services said.
The head of Portugal's Civil Protection Authority said that several people remained trapped at the scene and two people were in a serious condition.
Footage shared widely on social media showed the yellow funicular overturned and almost entirely destroyed. People could be seen fleeing the area on foot as what appears to be smoke filled the air.
The office of Portugal's president has issued a statement expressing his "sympathy and solidarity with the families affected by this tragedy".
It is understood that 43 people were on board at the time of the crash, which occurred near the Avenida da Liberdade around 18:05 on Wednesday evening. It is not known whether those killed are Portuguese nationals or foreigners.
Portuguese newspaper Observador reported that a cable came loose along the railway's route, causing it to lose control and collide with a nearby building.
Sixty-two emergency service personnel and 22 vehicles are at the scene, according to the civil protection website.
The Gloria Funicular is one of the most famous sights and tourist attractions in Lisbon. It was opened in 1885 and electrified three decades later. The iconic yellow trams are a crucial part of a city as hilly as Lisbon. They snake their way up many of the cobbled streets.
This particular tram that crashed travels some 275m (900ft) from Restauradores, a square in the middle of Lisbon, up to the picturesque, cobbled streets of an area called Bairro Alto - or high neighbourhood - taking just three minutes to make the journey.
It, and the other funiculars, are used by Lisbon residents but they are also extremely popular with tourists – and at the end of the summer, the Portuguese capital is very busy indeed.
The Lisbon authorities say it is too early to determine the cause of this incident – and how many people were caught up in it.
| Re: Boats stranded in Aylesbury after Grand Union Canal dries up during drought In "The Wider Picture in the United Kingdom" [365144/30680/51] Posted by bobm at 20:01, 3rd September 2025 | |
On tonight’s BBC Points West there was a report on the Wilts & Berks canal. The volunteers have been forced to stop barge trips on two stretches as the water has dropped too low. Sadly another section is unlikely ever to see craft again as it has been filled in and grassed over. (And that’s the bit that goes past my office window!)
| Re: 16th August 2025 - Buses to Imber In "Buses and other ways to travel" [365143/29807/5] Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 19:49, 3rd September 2025 | |
That is excellent news, Clan Line.
Unfortunately, I for domestic reasons and grahame for covid reasons weren't able to increase those numbers by 2.
Next year, hopefully.
