Great Western Coffee Shop

Not strictly related to the services to/from Paddington, but just got to say very well done to whoever it was who came up with the idea to do this on the Departure screens at Paddington today, it certainly made me chuckle:
(http://img33.imageshack.us/img33/2982/padc.jpg)

Someone obviously has a sense of fun and is very creative!

would be great if it were legible

I believe this is called ASCII art.  The Google logo even reverts to an ASCII version when searching for "ASCII art".

point is, I cant work out what the feck its supposed to be

Really?  It looks (slightly) like a horse's head.

Works for me!  ;) :D ;D

Yep.. It looked very like a horse's head for me too. I wish I had seen it earlier when I was at Paddington.. I did see the "holding area" there though for everyone waiting to go to Cheltenham on the train.. But that isn't quite so exciting really  ::) ::)

So the punters were being stabled in a holding area were they? I hope there was no horsing around.

I can try and get a better pic of it tomorrow if you want, if of course it is there again tomorrow,  but it's not easy taking a pic of something like this with an IPhone camera - plus I keep forgetting about the zoom option on the camera!

I'm pretty sure this is the first time I've seen ASCII art in use on the departure screens. Would this have been done by someone at Paddington, or Slough, because I think the screens are controlled by Slough aren't they?

No screens are operated locally by Network Rail staff at Paddington
At christmas/new year they did a christmas tree, I will try dig out the pic I took of it.

No - I 100% do not get a horses head!
Wonder if its an ink blot test

I think the mane point of this tail is that they were clearly under starters orders.



(... fetches New Zealand rug ...  ::) )

(http://www.wellho.net/pix/asciihorse.jpg)

It works if you look at it while wearing blinkers ...  ::) ;D

 I wonder if anyone on these Cheltenham services without a seat reservation will be classed as an unseated (train) rider?:P ;D

I'll be going to Aintree on Grand National day by train this year, wonder if they'll have similar holding pen arrangements in place at stations? Almost certainly they'll have them at Aintree, don't know about Liverpool Lime Street or Euston though.

Also, anyone know why CrossCountry seem to have heavy involvement with the Cheltenham Festival? I would have thought FGW would be more appropriate, particularly as they are the company that run Cheltenham Spa station which the majority of racegoers use.

CrossCountry have far more services calling at Cheltenham Spa. Up to 6tph off peak.

Was betting taking place on an on time arr at Chel?
Dayranger57.