BBC Programme On Beeching Features Portishead And Minehead Lines (26/10/2008)

[whole diary]

[Lee]

Travel journalist Simon Calder takes a journey from Portishead to Minehead in Down The Line, a BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) West documentary exploring the legacy of the Beeching railway cuts, to be broadcast on BBC One West at 4.25pm on Sunday 26 October (link below.)
http://www.portisheadrailwaygroup.org/html/bbctvprog.html

Simon examines the arguments for reopening some of the branch lines axed by Dr Beeching in the Sixties.

BBC West Down The Line is one of 10 regional programmes each looking at the impact of the Beeching cuts on their areas.

[Ray Tostevin]

We've had lots of interest in our Beeching film going out on BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) One (West) this Sunday, as Simon Calder takes to the road - by car, bike and train - to see for himself branch lines axed by Beeching which Calder says should be re-opened as a priority. Simon Calder's Beeching journey is part of  BBC4's continuing season of programmes celebrating the Golden Age of Steam.

Ray Tostevin
director - GRACE Productions
http://www.agraceproduction.com/projects.php?pid=39&type=p

[Lee]

Welcome to the forum, Ray, and I look forward to watching the programme.

[Chris from Nailsea]

While not specific to the Portishead or Minehead lines, another BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) video report covers the Beeching cuts of railway jobs in southern England in the 1960s: see http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/7689725.stm

[grahame]

Ray ... thanks for following up Lee ... and for making this - a good program which I watched and enjoyed (and I agree the sentiment).

It's very poigniant to read at the end that your Portishead Commuter has given up on her car and moved into Bristol.  And the question comes "how does one actually MAKE the political will to sort out Portishead ... and Minehead ... (and may I add my own home town in Wiltshire too, with a 11 hour 54 minute gap between trains from 07:17 that render the service useless.  But perhaps we still have that service only to stop us claining to be the largest town in the UK^▸ (United Kingdom) that's not rail connected!)

[Lee]

It's very poigniant to read at the end that your Portishead Commuter has given up on her car and moved into Bristol.

I know a commuter who gave up on the bus and moved out of Portishead....
http://www.canber.co.uk/?q=node/38

[Chris from Nailsea]

 

[Timmer]

As usual its politics that stands in the way of getting these and many other lines in England reopened. They don't seem to have that problem north of the border with lines reopening in Scotland with talk of more to come.

[Chris from Nailsea]

For those interested in a summary of the programme: from the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) - see http://www.bbc.co.uk/bristol/content/articles/2008/10/17/beeching_feature.shtml

However, despite the BBC's claim that

The documentary can be seen on BBC One in the West region at 4.25pm on Sunday, 26 October.
It will also be available on the BBC^s iPlayer for seven days after the original transmission.

... it isn't, so far. 

(See also http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=3744.0 for other disappointed viewers)

[Ray Tostevin]

Hi - thanks for the positive comments on last night's film.

For what it's worth, my personal view is that its incredible that 6 years after ^15m of Government subsidy (ie taxpayers' money) was put towards the reopening of the freight rail service at Portbury, that the people of Portishead are STILL waiting for their passenger rail service to reopen. Why the continued delay? Perhaps the local authority is too busy having behind-closed-doors meetings with Network Rail, when it could be lobbying the Dft to stump up the extra cash, so this branch line can finally reopen....

But then, as transport consultant David Henshaw said in the programme, that would require real political will - and perhaps that isn't quite yet forthcoming.

Incidentially, you may well be interested to know that 6 of last night's films are due to be repeated on BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) 4 next month. Dates and times to be confirmed.

Ray Tostevin
director - GRACE Productions

[Lee]

Friends Of Suburban Bristol Railways will launch their Portishead and Northern Bristol Rail Campaign at Temple Meads Station on Thursday 30 October. Supporters will be holding maps of the rail network and a large postcard addressed to West of England Partnership. The event will start at 11 am on Platform 1 and last about 15 minutes (link below.)
http://www.fosbr.org.uk/news.php?newsid=0000000171



Edit by Chris to include link to coverage in Western Daily Press, at http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/wdp/news/Campaign-reopen-Bristol-Portishead-railway-line/article-430443-detail/article.html

[Phil]

'Down the Line' is showing on BBC4 at 20:30 on 30th November

[Btline]

Ah, will this version be on iPlayer, or will we get to watch different regions?

[John R]

Hi - thanks for the positive comments on last night's film.

For what it's worth, my personal view is that its incredible that 6 years after ^15m of Government subsidy (ie taxpayers' money) was put towards the reopening of the freight rail service at Portbury, that the people of Portishead are STILL waiting for their passenger rail service to reopen. Why the continued delay? Perhaps the local authority is too busy having behind-closed-doors meetings with Network Rail, when it could be lobbying the Dft to stump up the extra cash, so this branch line can finally reopen....

But then, as transport consultant David Henshaw said in the programme, that would require real political will - and perhaps that isn't quite yet forthcoming.

Incidentially, you may well be interested to know that 6 of last night's films are due to be repeated on BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) 4 next month. Dates and times to be confirmed.

Ray Tostevin
director - GRACE Productions

Ray, yes it was an excellent program. So well done. The item on the West Somerset Railway might have made reference to the limited through service from Minehead to Bristol which ran last year. As s family who rode on the FGW^▸ (First Great Western) HST^▸ (High Speed Train (Inter City class 43 125 units)) Charity special to Minehead this year (a great day, and well done to FGW for facilitating it) it struck us that a daily through service to Minehead in the summer would provide a lot of income to businesses in Minehead through day trippers.   

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page), in response to my complaint:

Dear Chris
Thank you for taking the time to contact BBC iPlayer Support.
Unfortunately we are experiencing technical issues with this particular episode, however we are aware of the issues and do hope to have it rectified as soon as possible.
If you have any other enquiries then please do contact us again.
Once again thank you for taking the time to contact BBC iPlayer Support.
Regards
BBC iPlayer