Channel 5 documentary, 'The Railway: First Great Western'

[whole diary]

[JayMac]

I was down and up the line between Swindon and South/West Wales today.

Sadly, none of the Train Managers were as good looking (to my eyes... YMMV^▸ (Your Method/Mileage May Vary)) as Jody. But then, they were all male. 

To compound matters there was no Travelling Chef on the 1228 off Swansea. Grrr.

Meanwhile, back to the Ch5 show. I noticed that Wayne Spence MBE featured very briefly in the title sequence for the show. Regular users of Bristol Temple Meads should recognise Wayne. I spoke with him this evening, asking whether he featured in the TV series in any great detail. He told me that he was filmed, but he has no idea how much of that filming will be broadcast.

I hope he does get some of the spotlight. Wayne is without doubt the best member of staff at Bristol Temple Meads (his gong confirms that), and a shining example of customer service to which all FGW^▸ (First Great Western) staff should aspire.

[ChrisB]

Indeed, one can work a way to politely indicate that if they have a non-flexible ticket, they will have a reserved seat, and if it's flexible, well, there's always a choice to arrive early(ier) or get the next one....

[Gordon the Blue Engine]

At 26:20 minutes in, in the middle of the item on Long Rock depot, there were shots of an HST^▸ (High Speed Train) Power Car being lifted and a power unit being changed.  And there was me thinking Long Rock only did A exams!

[SandTEngineer]

At 26:20 minutes in, in the middle of the item on Long Rock depot, there were shots of an HST^▸ (High Speed Train) Power Car being lifted and a power unit being changed.  And there was me thinking Long Rock only did A exams!

.......I had already made that observation back in post No.57

[Gordon the Blue Engine]

At 26:20 minutes in, in the middle of the item on Long Rock depot, there were shots of an HST^▸ (High Speed Train) Power Car being lifted and a power unit being changed.  And there was me thinking Long Rock only did A exams!

.......I had already made that observation back in post No.57

Sorry, missed that!  Great minds think alike etc.....

[TonyK]

Sadly, none of the Train Managers were as good looking (to my eyes... YMMV^▸ (Your Method/Mileage May Vary)) as Jody. But then, they were all male. 

Not just me, then...

[FGW Huge]

i also noticed it stated while having a shot of a class 150 Sprinter, that they called it a pacer.!!!! its not a pacer!!!!

[Gordon the Blue Engine]

Sadly, none of the Train Managers were as good looking (to my eyes... YMMV^▸ (Your Method/Mileage May Vary)) as Jody. But then, they were all male. 

Not just me, then...

Although I am definitely not one, I'm surprised that the more PC posters/moderators amongst us (and we know who you are!!) are comfortable with personal comments being made about the appearance etc of FGW^▸ (First Great Western) staff. 

It would not be acceptable for such comments to be made by his/her line manager.

[Phil]

I did ponder that one briefly Gordon, but to be perfectly honest I assumed that the person in question was an actress and not FGW^▸ (First Great Western) staff at all.

First do after all have a fair bit of previous -

http://omnibuses.blogspot.co.uk/2011/09/positive-image.html

[ChrisB]

His/her line manager represents their employer, and that is the reason it wouldn't be acceptable.

Those of us posting here have no relationship (working or otherwise) with these members of staff and thus are able to comment just as we can comment on any other TV programme and those that appear in them....

[grahame]

I too thought carefully but let it stay. In this case, where other normal rules like not naming operation staff clearly don't apply it was quite an easy decision; in other cases the decision might be more difficult and different too.

[JayMac]

Although I am definitely not one, I'm surprised that the more PC posters/moderators amongst us (and we know who you are!!) are comfortable with personal comments being made about the appearance etc of FGW^▸ (First Great Western) staff. 

It would not be acceptable for such comments to be made by his/her line manager.

Oh dear. Did I cross a line in the sand?

For any offence caused, I apologise.

However, those that are 'definitely not one' (of the PC brigade) would have noticed the smileys and realised I wasn't being anti-PC. Just being a little light hearted, and, in a roundabout way, passing comment on the way people are featured in these fly-on-the-wall documentaries.

I see no great issue in describing someone as good looking, nor in saying that Jody's male colleagues didn't float my boat. Particularly when the smileys were used. And they were used quite deliberately.

TV producers tend to look for an 'angle'. Had it been dour David Jones* from Swansea's TM^‡(resolve) depot that featured, then I doubt that the story of the lone TM dealing with South Wales finest would've featured so heavily, if at all. A young, blonde, female TM is always going to be better TV in the eyes of the programme makers. That's not to say I necessarily agree with that, but that's just how it tends to be.

Hopefully, if I was in a hole following my earlier comments, I haven't continued digging. Do feel free to tell me if I am.



*Random name. Any similarity to persons living or dead is purely coincidental. 

[grahame]

Oh dear. Did I cross a line in the sand?

No, you didn't.   There was no line there - there might have been had this not been vividly in the public domain, and especially so as being in the public domain in this way was clearly the choice of the person in question and her employer.  I was merely indicating that I thought about it for a brief moment when I first saw it.

[TonyK]

Looks like we can move on, then. More important than the glory seemed to me to be the power - the constant problems and even more constant solution finding impressed me, even though I would prefer an unbreakable railway running to the very second of accuracy.

[LiskeardRich]

How did the HST^▸ (High Speed Train) at Castle Cary have power doors?