ClimateFest, Melksham, 17th September 2022 - Electric Bus press release

[whole diary]

[grahame]

ClimateFest has been postponed to 2nd October.   The Electric bus will make an amended trip on the original date - 17th September - a fresh thread for that - GrahamE, 11.9.2022

Press release for the public transport element of ClimateFest to be held in 10 days time in Melksham.  There will be stalls looking at the various elements of the environment and climate in the Market Place and Assembly Hall, and all are welcome - entry is free of charge.  Sadly, we do not expect Melksham Station to be served by trains that day due to industrial action and so the electric bus will not be serving the station.

An electric bus from The Big Lemon will be running a free park and ride service from Oakfields Football and Rugby clubs to the Market Place.  If you're  already in the Town Centre, why not take a round trip on the bus and see a vision for the future of public transport in Melksham.

Future plans start with a bus service running from Melksham Station just after the train arrives to the Town Centre, then on to the residential areas to the east of the town. It will pass near the sports clubs and surgeries and on to the Bowerhill and Hampton Park areas and Berryfield before returning to the station to connect with the next train.

The buses are charged overnight at their depot with electricity generated during the day from solar panels on the roof of their depot. Big Lemon is a Community Interest Company, owned and run by members of the community for that community.

Option 24/7 is a Wiltshire Bus Group that represents passengers and work with Wiltshire Councils's transport team and operators to encourage the use of current services and their improvement and sustainability. The Melksham Transport User Group covers both train and bus travel in the Melksham Community Area and is our member of Option 24/7 and the Community Rail Network.

Members of Option 24/7 and the Melksham Transport User Group will be in the Market Place on 17th September, to answer your questions about all our current public transport, including environmental issues, routes and timetables, and looking forward to how it may develop.

Bus services 271 and 272 from Bath and Devizes, x34 from Chippenham, Trowbridge and Frome, 69 from Corsham and Bradford-on-Avon and the 14 Town Bus will also bring you in to Melksham Market Place to ClimateFest.

http://option247.uk / info@option247.org.uk
http://mtug.org.uk / info@mtug.org.uk
https://thebiglemon.com

Next meeting of Melksham Transport User Group - 19:30 on 9th November 2022 at the Union Church, all welcome

[grahame]

Press release for the public transport element of ClimateFest to be held in 10 days time in Melksham.  There will be stalls looking at the various elements of the environment and climate in the Market Place and Assembly Hall, and all are welcome - entry is free of charge.  Sadly, we do not expect Melksham Station to be served by trains that day due to industrial action and so the electric bus will not be serving the station.

A very great deal has changed in 24 hours with the passing of the Queen, and I will post an update on this event once it becomes clear whether there will be further changes; as I write, I would not like to hazard a guess are there are strongly held and significantly differing views in the organising committee.

[grahame]

ClimateFest is postponed to 2nd October.

Modified plans for the electric bus on 17th September - new thread on that topic http://www.passenger.chat/26717

[ChrisB]

Is that link correct? Takes me to a menu board

[grahame]

Is that link correct? Takes me to a menu board

It wasn't but it is now  - thanks for the alert

[grahame]

Transport is just one stand on Sunday 2nd October but all welcome. Stand volunteers arriving by train and bus (even on a Sunday) - practising what we preach!


Excellent demonstration on 17th of the electric bus that connected with the train - this picture is NOT photoshopped or a montage - the white line up the middle is the help point pole!

[broadgage]

One might hope that the climatefest will not just be promoting greenness, but will be fairly green in itself.
Hopefully none of the following will feature.

Outdoor heaters of any type
Halogen lighting
Any electric lighting when daylight would suffice.
Vehicle engines run when static.
Petrol or diesel generators.
Disposable plastic cups, plates, cutlery.

And with the following used carefully
Mains electricity
LPG^▸ (Liquefied Petroleum Gas) for cooking
LPG generators.

[grahame]

One might hope that the ClimateFest will not just be promoting greenness, but will be fairly green in itself.

That is the plan.   

[TonyK]

I took a look at that bus online, and find that the company begins operations in Bristol on Monday 3 October. They will run the four routes formerly worked by Bristol Community Transport, which I think will again be subsidised by WECA^» (West of England Combined Authority - about). It isn't clear whether the buses will run on solar power or waste frying oil.


The company's web page for the buses is at https://thebiglemon.com/bristol/ It also contains an ad for more drivers.

The Bristol Post also ran a report of the news.

[TaplowGreen]

One might hope that the ClimateFest will not just be promoting greenness, but will be fairly green in itself.

That is the plan.   

Hence the omission of the Ox Roast? 

[TonyK]

Hence the omission of the Ox Roast? 

Microwaved.

[grahame]

Hence the omission of the Ox Roast? 

Microwaved.

My historian wife tells me that they used to roast ox in the market place, but using an open fire rather than microwaves. I understand wood is suitable if it's locally grown and sustainable, but the historic texts do not tell us.   There will be Indian Street Food from Tandoori G, who are a local company from Union Street.

[broadgage]

Time to plan an ox roast for the Coronation, in line with local tradition.