"Between the Mainland & the Isle of Wight"?

 
I've done a bit of my 'digging' on the internet, and I found a previous image. To be fair, that gate is in far better condition now than it was then:



Well done, Finn! 

 
Hmm.  

I know exactly where it is: that's why I didn't want to post the answer too soon, to give others the chance to 'guess'.

It depends on the definition of South West ... which I acknowledge was stretching it a bit.

I just wanted to give JayMac's topic a bit of a 'bump': it had been read by many, but no member had been drawn into offering even a suggestion.

CfN. 

 
Highley.

 
Heritage railway yes. South West no...

 
Here we are - 1st September (2025).  The spirit of summer is over and here we are into the Autumn.  In Melksham, the KGV field is cleared from the Food and River Festival which was held over the last couple of days, and the season of meetings - 3.5 months through to mid December - starts.  I have far fewer meetings (and preps) coming up than I would have had at this time last year, no longer being on the Town Council, and no major trips are planned for the rest of the year, refilling mental and energy pots, catching up on writing and background work, catching up on things and works around the house, and letting finances catch up a bit too.

Coffee Shop

On the "Coffee Shop" forum - our train and other public transport forum - had 1,231 messages posted in August, with 133 new topics covered. Back up from a low point of 781 and 88 in May and now similar in volume to this time last year.  Specialist forums have shaken out since we founded the "First Great Western Coffee Shop" 18 years ago; our founding mantra of being a place that Joe Public can ask a passenger's question has been almost entirely replaced/outdated by social media such as Facebook, Twitter / X enquiry systems, searches with (now) AI results and so forth.  99% of the questions are answered elsewhere, and of the tiny proportion remaining, answers are often provided by a search that finds us rather than by someone signing up and asking. New members are rare.  So - where is the case for the Coffee Shop now?  It's in the club and comradely of the members, who have become dear friends, over the years.  We do keep up to date with rail (and other ways of getting around) news, in our section of the UK (and beyond too where interests and lessons are to be learned). Seventy members have been logged in over the last 24 hours as I write - and that's from a Sunday rather than a weekday, with another fifty or so here as guests.  The same regular members do visit day after day, week after week; guests tend to be different ones each day - stats tell me of two thousand four hundred arrivals from searches in August.  These figures are dwarfed by the traffic we get from automata indexing us to feed the search engines, AI systems, SEO companies and various nasties, but I am pretty sure of the figures I quote as real visits / people - UK for users and guests where I have the ability to see by country. 116 active users yesterday from the UK, 3 from Vietnam, 1 from China, 1 each from Germany, France and Ireland.

The Coffee Shop would not be what is is without the contributing members, the reading guests, and the fabulous team of moderators and administrators we have there. The "work" they do is fantastic - but yet it's not really work in all senses of the word.  Very often, just being there as a member and being part of the club that we have become is all that is needed; the powers vested to edit, move around, manage are rarely required and better described as tidying up when they *are* needed. For sure, we all keep eye out to keep the Coffee Shop safe - and that now has a legal definition of what we must do in addition to the moral one we have always followed.  There are 17 nasty things we look out for, and we even [are required, also] monitor how and when we look out; that's behind-the-scenes stuff; I do know it works because occasionally tools trigger to alert me, and we have a backboard on which the admins and moderators co-ordinate to give a smooth, consistent forum to our members and on which we can pass on and discuss ongoing issues and assign tasks as need be, and inform each other as to what we have done.

Looking forward, on the webmaster side, I need to make the Coffee Shop function better on mobile devices - we are some of the way there.  I need to shakedown the background server to cope with all the crawler traffic.  It would be useful to better integrate it with other social media - for example to help direct more readers our way.  Our internal searches are a bit awkward - we have an archive of 2,000 .pdfs, and 26,000 topics with an average of 15 posts in each, timetables and ticket sales information going back years, and its always a bit difficult to provide an easy way for members and casual visitors to see the wood for the trees - to find the answer to their question in amongst the big, big data we have.




MTUG, WWRUG, TWSW

Layers, like an onion.  Melksham Transport User Group, West Wiltshire Rail User Group, TravelWatch SouthWest.  For Melksham, for West Wiltshire, and for the South West as a whole.   Meetings coming up - MTUG committee on 18th, WWRUG on 17th (Trowbridge) and TWSW general meeting (Taunton) on 24th October.

I am involved at officer / committee member / board member level with all three. And plans to get myself and my responsibilities with them up to date on my return on 8th August and by the end of the month have come to nothing. A (very) little has been done, but being laid low with Covid took the wind out of my sails - not so much the physical issues but the dulling of the intellect and vast amounts of sleep meant that I have only been keeping routine stuff ticking along and have little opportunity beyond.  It has also been the holiday season, and when calling on / asking others, I have a lot of "out of office"s stacked up; of course, as people come back over the next few days for the most part, it will still take them time to work though their inbox and respond, and these days I don't have a "Town Council" hat to help me up their priority pile.

The rail industry is undergoing major change. And it seems to me that every thread of that has a major relationship with the Department for Transport, who are in financial control and directly o indirectly the puppeteer of virtually everyone in the system.   This is worrying when (sorry) it is very clear that the rail industry, directed by the DfT, cannot effectively manage or direct even the simplest of train services reliably.  This summer, 12% of trains scheduled to call at Melksham have been cancelled, and our service is ranked at 2123 out of 2638 stations - so we are not alone in having major issues. To give you a "control" to compare against, cancellation targets set on train operators are typically between 1% and 2%, and much over that results in a service - especially on a line where there won't be another train along in 15 minutes, that people cannot rely on.  Sometimes the railway lays on replacement buses which take far longer, involve changing at Chippenham with an ongoing wait there, and miss connections at Westbury - and they fail even to lay on alternatives more often than not, just telling you that you can get your fare or part of it refunded; that's not what people want, but rather they want to be take where they plan, at or near to the time that was advertised in the first place.

And in this mess - everyone is paid or in the pay or control of the Department for Transport and is looking to their own future - of their organisation, their income  and their personal career too. The description that "she did a good job defending the indefensible" in reply to a query by a Coffee Shop member to GWR hit the nail on the head.  Even TravelWatch SouthWest - supported over the years by operators - now finds itself indirectly (and not knowing how) funded with the agreement or otherwise of the DfT, and leaned heavily upon not to rock the boat. I may find myself in trouble even for making that comment if this somewhat obscure blog is actually read by anyone concerned.

Included in the "DfT web" are organisations like the Office of Rail and Road, Transport Focus, the Community Rail Network and then indirectly Community Rail Partnerships.  It worries my that at the present time, it is risky for any of them or their members (including our local CRP) to be critical or to press for solutions.  Good work is being done in looking ahead to the medium and long term, and in engaging with some of the more difficult to reach groups in our community, but engagement with as support of the case for getting reliably and meaningfully sorted is notably by its absence. I can understand a reluctance to bite the hand that feeds you; I was approached to see if I would like to join the local CRP board, but once it was clear to me that criticising this aspect outside the board would not be acceptable, I declined. I have to wonder at my position with TWSW too.


There IS a desire and a need for public transport improvement to, from and within Melksham.  I was in the park on Sunday at the Food and River Festival ... purely as a resident this year and not "marked" in any way. Acknowledge quite a number of people I know (quick wave or hi) - what I did note was that people who I don't know, but knew who I was, were predominantly asking me about the trains (and trains, you'll note - not the buses so much).



Town Council Stuff

I'm retired - but that does not stop me taking a positive and supporting interest in our town, in a measured way, nor does it stop me from being asked questions and for advice by residents especially, and occasionally by staff if they wish to tap in on transport. The new staff team has little reason to be aware of so much old wider experience I have, and at times I bite my tongue - "I could have told you that" when an issue comes out in public.

The Neighbourhood Plan has been completed; I came off the steering group in May because I am no longer a councillor, but friends have kept me informed in addition to Neighbourhood Plan stuff being far more available to the public than Town Council stuff.  Good to see it pass at referendum in July and already being in use to help inform forward planning decisions and then infrastructure spend.

The Blue Pool purchase has been completed by MTC but I have no further news.  Inevitably, the purchase will have resulted in extra costs starting initially with insurance, but the MTC budget is tight this year and I don't know how they will do it. Not exactly unforeseen, but there has be be a bit of "told you so" on my part; I did suggest a council tax precept for this year which would have covered the difference, but was voted down.  Thank you to the senior councillors who voted with me on that; until next March you have the new council from this May having to tighten their belts early in because of the decision of the old council in January. Such is our system.

I did not assist as a volunteer this summer at the Splashpad - I wasn't asked, perhaps because they knew I would have been unlikely to accept, and perhaps because they know better.  Similarly, no requests to assist at the Assembly Hall or with their leaflet / publicity and its distribution. The purpose of the leaflets was to help fill the hall by telling people what was going on and if all the events there are full, and the hall is booked out every day, then they are no longer needed anyway. Suits us (Lisa and I) as we have plenty else to do.

In our Melksham South, only three candidates were nominated for our 4-councillor Town Council ward. A fourth person was co-opted at a meeting a month later, but one of the original 3 has already resigned.  We have a bye-election coming up with calls for nomination next week.  As there were seven candidates for co-option and only 2 were chosen across the town, I am hopeful that there will be a context.  I have moved on in age and commitments, and the job has changed since May 2021, and although I have been approached by a couple of people I will not be standing, but please don't let my personal situation put YOU off - if you have got as far in this article as reading me, you are certainly the sort of person we need.

With my Travel and Transport hats, I look at total journeys and for that involves local walking and cycling within the town, access to NaPTANs (National Passenger Transport Access Network) points (stations and bus stops) and with consideration not only for the able bodies and unencumbered, but for everyone.   We have some good stuff, but some awkward points, some directions lacking, and some missing links.  I wrote much of this up a couple of months ago [date] and have had an "interested" response from one of our ward councillors, and a "Thank you" from the mayor.  To be followed up.

And Also

Personal stuff - I have so many and so much thought that I could and perhaps might (whether I should or not) write up as a book or modern-day equivalent as a blog and perhaps be more of an influencer.  The old data out there is huge and just like the searches mentioned above hard to filter.   In recent days, the mind is coming back and I may be able to make a start.  Early days - no reveal of too many ideas as yet.  But as this 1st September post is a checkpoint, worth a mention.

This will be shared on my blog - at https://grahamellis.uk/blog1706.html (that URL will give you my previous article for another hour or two) and expanded on selectively on social media..  It's much more forward than backward looking so the trips of so far that have brought me here are mentioned above just in passing.   I can tell you / suggest that, yes, I still have itchy feet and whilst physically around for the autumn you can expect more picture neat year which I will need to title for you because they won't exactly be obvious.  Clearly there may be some of Melksham and Taunton and Trowbridge and other places more local.

 
The same news was in yesterday's Sunday Times, but as a very different news story. The writer (Oliver Gill) clearly regarded this as extending the benefits of London-style tap-in tap-out to the Midlands and North, but with improvements - mainly calculating your best fare for your journey. He uses phrases such as "set to steal a march on counterparts down south" and "offered the chance to participate in the trial".

So the literal answer to "who voted for this" is the 4,000 volunteers for the trial. And of course a lot of apps on everyone's phones already have access to this kind of information. And the ST article adds that "the technology" is already successfully in use in Switzerland and Denmark.

 

Yes, as before the 7, 53 and 55 (Stagecoach) and 11, 12, 15, 16, 17, 21 and 22 (Swindon's buses) all call at the front of the station either before or after Fleming Way.


There are several posters based on this one, backed up with finger signs pointing to the various stops

https://images-swindonbus.passenger-website.com/downloads/Swindon_Poster_%20Where%20to%20board%20UNBRANDED_%20645x1035-0525_v1_1.pdf


I didn't see any and there has been no mention of any in the publicity I have seen.


The current plan is for those services to stop in Princes Street which is about a five minute walk - which is a challenge with luggage or mobility issues.   There are two bays set aside for National Express services.   I am not sure how frequent they are but there may be capacity there if the likes of Barnes can run to some sort of timetable and dovetail in.

 

I believe that might be full board though, not just bed and breakfast.

[edit] - we are looking at having a big holiday again sometime in the future.  But that's far too much money for us to feel comfortable with for far too short a period.   The ship from Southampton on 4th January 2027 (yes, over a year ahead) which takes 35 days to sail to the Caribbean and back is tempting and by the time you/we add in a decent cabin with a balcony comes in at less than half the price of the three day train trip.

 

Wow!  £17,000 for a 2-person cabin for 3 nights   

 

Thank you, Bob - you done quite a bit. 

With the re-organisation of bus running and bus routes, do any services still call at the railway station itself, and if so which ones?
 
Is there / are there maps to show which bus you need to go where if you are not familiar with place names, and indeed directions to which of the 27 stops it was?   That can be quite a challenge as I found in early August at Leer when looking for the (rail replacement) bus to Groningen - nearly missed it.

Is there any secure covered parking for bicycles, as you would expect to find at major transport hubs these days - certainly rail ones?

There has been concern in the local press at day-out coach rides from the likes of Barnes no longer being able to pick up / drop off at / within the core bus [station/boulevard] area, with people having to some in by bus then walk elsewhere in the morning, and having to walk from the dropoff point into the boulevard when they get back in the evening. Is there an update on this story?

I am overrun with catching up but may well visit Swindon to get a first hand view in the next week to 10 days.  The old bus station as centainly showing its age and "something needed to be done".  Has the right thing been done?   Can these questions be answer, bedded in, and the whole inevitable tuned a little based on early experience?

 
That looks very like a heritage railway to me.

As it was a Sunday, I'm assuming Finn was enjoying a day out somewhere in the SouthWest.

CfN. 

 
At face value what can you can write about a collection of 27 bus stops?

After three years of disruption, Swindon's £33m "Bus Boulevard" has opened to traffic.  Since September 2022 the road has been closed and buses diverted to other stops around the town and the bus station.  In the meantime contractors have moved underground utilities and removed the underpass which led to the town centre.

Now all services, both town and rural, will leave from the same road - which is closed to all traffic apart from buses and cyclists.





Swindon has been without real time bus stop information for some years but now there is a wealth of information for travellers including departures from the railway station which is a five minute walk away.







The shelters are some of the largest I have seen and are wheelchair accessible.   They also include magnetic charging pads for mobiles, useful if your device is compatible with one.



In publicity material much play has been made of the plants and 180 trees which have been placed along the road.  For the moment at least, they seem to be surviving the drought which has wrecked my garden,





It is also now a flat walk into the shopping area



At a time when a lot of councils are doing away with public toilets, a block has been included as part of the plan.  They are pay on entry to reduce the risk of vandalism.



Helped by a sunny day, first impressions are good and a big improvement on the rundown bus station (pictured below in July), which will now be demolished.  Most cross town routes are now 3-5 minutes quicker as they no longer have to do the loop round to the bus station and the congestion that happened at times within the station.  Fleming Way being buses only means even vehicles which need to run the full length of the road to resume their journey can do it relatively quickly.





A couple of observations I do have.  One of the criticisms of the bus station was the conflict between buses arriving and those reversing away from the stands.  Almost all the stops in Fleming Way are parallel to the kerb.  However buses to Cricklade, Cirencester and Cheltenham plus the Amazon staff shuttle all leave from a group of four bays, where vehicles need to reverse before moving away.   It is not ideal but does provide four extra stops rather than doubling up.

The other concerns the real time displays.   It is a nice touch to include rail departures but they might want to consider removing a train from the display five minutes before departure.   Even the fittest of us is unlikely to get from Fleming Way to the railway station and onto the platform in any less than that.

 

Maybe.  But what proportion of our members are resident on the Isle of Wight?  I would hazard a guess at far less than 1 in 20.  And they will understand the subject line which is now correct, even if it's no longer as they would have said it. 

 

Sheffield, as I understand it, is a different issue with right of way across the station and so is not linked directly.  I cannot but imagine that there must very good reasons at Chesterfield too.

The whole gateline / on train ticket checking in the UK is a mess.

Was changing trains in York (an open station) in early August, and needed to visit gents. However, the entrance was off a platform blocked by a ticket check being conducted off a Northern arrival from - educated guess - Harrogate direction and no say way to get to the loo.  The revenue control bloke I asked if I could get to the loo seemed to have difficulty understanding my request as he and his colleagues were dealing with a cattle-like crush / flow off the train and taking aside a number of people who they wanted further discussions with.    I eventually managed to explain what I wanted to do and he let me through - though with some concern that I might have to re-explain again, perhaps to a similar colleague of his, as I came out again.  The "joke" of the who thing was that there turned out to be a second entrance / exit from the gents, and using that onto the other side of the island platform I did not have to through the blockade check; men familiar with York Station would have been able to avoid the ticket check should they have had reason to want to do so.

 

What is being tracked?  Phones?  Faces?

Who voted for this level of surveillance being permitted?  I sure didn't.  I don't recall any of the parties putting permission for this level of surveillance in their election broadcasts

I'm very much in favour of ensuring everyone pays the right fare.  But I think this is too much.  We are  sleepwalking into 1984 (or have already).  The honest railway users will be tracked, and those who want to evade payment will simply find a way around it.  One day, someone will realise that rules and regulations affect only those who are already trrustworthy people

 

Lovely to see those pictures.  See the Belmond Brittanic Explorer's web page for more about what they're offering.

 
The new kid on the block for luxury touring - the Belmond Britannic Explorer - completes its inaugural public weekender today (1st September). A three night extravaganza from London Victoria to London Victoria via Penzance and Bruton, overnighting onboard at Bishops Lydeard, Fowey and Cranmore.

Seen here passing Dawlish Warren on Day 3 of 4 (1Z60 0845 Fowey Dock Carne Point to Bruton1Z60 0845 Fowey Dock Carne Point to Bruton)

 

Yes, but, persons resident on the Isle of Wight commonly refer to "visiting England" and not to "visiting the mainland" or "visiting Sussex"

 
Monday September 1

 
Could this mean ticket gates might be installed at Chesterfield and Sheffield?

 
Saw this on BBC Points West earlier. One of those only on regional news would you see a story like this. Parts of the world may be at war or burning up, but in Weston-super-Mare people are doing seagull impersonations to win a prize. Gotta love this country 

 

A check on that today. Failures to forward are 0.047% of requests - in other words less than one request in 2000.   Still too many for my liking, though my researching it *has* lead me to a couple of other areas where I think I can sensibly restrict the bots a bit more than I have been doing.

 

Please warn him not to call at chez Broadgage.

 
On a much lighter front, Weston-super-Mare today hosted the national seagull screeching contest, where people mimic seagulls screeching, won by an 11 year old boy from Chesterfield known as 'Seagull Boy'. Apparently it is very popular.

 
Last train pictures and article - https://railwayworld.net/2025/08/31/final-train-to-felletin/

 
From The Telegraph

 
From the BBC:

 
Where was Finn today, 31st August 2025?

 
From the BBC: