6th October 2018 - Taunton

[whole diary]

[grahame]

TravelWatch SouthWest General meeting - Saturday 6th October - Taunton.

Details to follow - here or at http://travelwatchsouthwest.org

A representative from each user group, and individuals with interests that don't come under any particular group umbrella, are all welcome - prior invites and registration required, but it is free of charge.   

The directors of TravelWatch are very much aware that being a co-ordinating umbrella for lots of groups, there's a tendency for each group to send along one of their "senior" (old  ) members, meaning that at general meetings the average age is far higher than you'll see on a typical train (mind you, it may be an accurate profile for late morning on a town bus service!).  So for this next general meeting we'll be encouraging each organisation to bring along a second member, and we'll ask the organisations to select their second representative with a view into the future - the sort of people who'll be getting around in the late 2020s and 2030s, when transport and mobility will be so very different from what we have today.   With some transport planning being on cycles as long as 60 years, now is the time for the users of the 2030s to be making informed representations about how they'll be wishing to travel.

[grahame]

Further details of meeting on the Travelwatch SouthWest website - http://travelwatchsouthwest.org and also in the latest newsletter at http://www.passenger.chat/twsw_2.pdf

[broadgage]

Is refreshment to be taken afterwards at the Plough pub in Taunton ?

[grahame]

Is refreshment to be taken afterwards at the Plough pub in Taunton ?

Personal answer - likely but not yet certain.   It looks like I'll be doing an impersonation of a blue arsed fly from the Wednesday of the previous week though to the following week - Glasgow and Taunton in my diary for certain, Pewsey, Chippenham, Oxford and Chingford awaiting confirmation. Oops I may have give some quiz answers for November away ...

[broadgage]

I hope to be there.

[grahame]

Is refreshment to be taken afterwards at the Plough pub in Taunton ?

Personal answer - likely but not yet certain.   It looks like I'll be doing an impersonation of a blue arsed fly...

I hope to be there.

Looking pretty certain now for me. I had been hoping to be away from the following day on a residential course, but heard on Thursday that after shortlist and interview I had not been selected. The Saturday might have been a good time for friends to buy me a pint to help me drown my sorrows, except it's not in my nature to do such a thing - rather putting energy into other opportunities.

From my (personalised) invite ...

I am pleased to invite you to the next general meeting of TravelWatch SouthWest to be held on Saturday 6 October 2018 from 1030hrs (for 1100hrs) to 1500hrs in the 1875 Club Room, Somerset County Cricket Club, County Ground, Somerset TA1 1JT.
 
TravelWatch Southwest General Meeting provides an unrivalled opportunity to debate public transport issues in the South West of England and is regularly attended by senior directors of bus and train operating companies, representatives of the strategic transport authorities, local enterprise partnerships and public transport users’ groups.

... if you represent a group or are an interested individual please get in touch - with TWSW^» (TravelWatch SouthWest - website) via their web site, or if you prefer send me a personal message on the forum. We (I am a director of TWSW) make in intentionally easy for newcomers to get an invite - we are sick and tired of only being able to join in things once you have established a track record, when the very usefulness of the group is at its maximum to you when you're learning / feeling your way in.

A number of subject on the agenda this time ... exact details and running order will come out from the TWSW board meeting between now and the 6th October.  However, we will be looking ahead.  Partly to how the "Brexit Bonus" funding - that's money that would have gone to Europe for regional development, but will (we understand) be fed back through LEPs^» (Local Enterprise Partnership - about) on a capital investment project / bid for fund basis majoring on economic development - might work. In my own area, and I understand elsewhere, pre-work is being done to help have schemes though about to the extent of being biddable even if the process is as yet murky.  Also on the agenda / main theme ...

Public spending cuts, disruption, challenging geographies, and increasing customer expectations make it increasingly difficult for public transport operators to keep provision at desirable levels and locations for passengers. However, there are innovative ideas across the region, and this meeting titled, “Public Transport:  maintaining a myth or building a reality” explores: where the UK^▸ (United Kingdom) transport sector take us in 2019; how passengers be drivers for change; and, whether there are opportunities for working with one another to maintain public mobility.

For anyone who's coming along and want fifteen minutes a minute of fame ...

The ever-popular 'Just a Minute' session has slots available for a maximum of ten delegates to speak for one minute on a public transport issue affecting the region, just email secretary@travelwatchsouthwest.org with your proposed issue.

[Chris from Nailsea]

Is refreshment to be taken afterwards at the Plough pub in Taunton ?

It most certainly is (posting personally).    I have fond memories of the selection of real ales to be enjoyed there. 

[grahame]

I'm looking forward to this ...

If you would like to come along and are not otherwise represented, please let me know!

AGENDA 

1. 1100   Welcome and Introductions
Vinita Nawathe, TravelWatch SouthWest


2. 1110    Keynote speaker: James Freeman, Managing Director, First West of England
 Growing passenger bus services in the future


3. 1150   Speaker: Professor Graham Parkhurst, Centre for Transport and Society, University of the
West of England “Technology’s effect on the traditional public transport operation”


4. 1230    Just a Minute:  Delegates have one minute to flag up a public transport issue or news


5. 1245       LUNCH    Networking with Operators, Local Authorities and User Groups


6. 1330   Speaker: Nick Millington, Head of Maintenance Delivery Network Rail
“Maximising opportunities for enhancements and partnership to benefit communities”


7. 1410   Christopher Irwin, TravelWatch Southwest
“Shaping public transport: XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) and GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) consultations’ feedback, and look forward”


8. 1450   Summary from the Chair


9. 1500   Close 

P.S.  So glad that "Just a minute" is just before lunch not after ... excellent opportunity to carry the soapbox around to everyone who's there while they remember what I said while standing on it!

P.P.S. - Facebook types - see https://www.facebook.com/travelwatchsouthwest/videos/345465412857499

[broadgage]

Are some of us still meeting at the Plough in Taunton, afterwards ?
If so, at what time ?

[grahame]

Are some of us still meeting at the Plough in Taunton, afterwards ?
If so, at what time ?

Yes - after meeting which ends at 15:00 we'll drift down.

[broadgage]

I expect to be there.
I will probably wear black shoes, black trousers, and a royal blue sweatshirt.
Please keep a good look out for me, as I am so small as to be easily missed.

[grahame]

Are some of us still meeting at the Plough in Taunton, afterwards ?
If so, at what time ?

Yes - after meeting which ends at 15:00 we'll drift down.

Excellent TravelWatch meeting (will write up over next couple of days) and good to have a very small and very select catchup afterwards at the Plough.

[grahame]

Possible move for March TWSW^» (TravelWatch SouthWest - website) meeting from Saturday 2nd to Tuesday 12th or later that week ... going through who attended on Saturday and asking ourselves (who could NOT make midweek).

Noting 16th Feb to 10th March closure of Taunton to Tiverton line and looking beyond that.   Coffee Shop meeting looks like 9th Feb - votes all in and I'm back at base at the end of this week.

[grahame]

Possible move for March TWSW^» (TravelWatch SouthWest - website) meeting from Saturday 2nd to Tuesday 12th or later that week ... going through who attended on Saturday and asking ourselves (who could NOT make midweek).

Noting 16th Feb to 10th March closure of Taunton to Tiverton line and looking beyond that.   Coffee Shop meeting looks like 9th Feb - votes all in and I'm back at base at the end of this week.

The TravelWatch SouthWest meeting is moved to Wednesday, 20th March 2019 ... that's well clear of the engineering and hopefully after the worst of any winter weather has cleared.  And it's a day when a lot of diaries seem to be clear.