Recent Public Posts - [guest]
| Re: Specialist shops - maps, books, models & stationery - ongoing discussion In "Introductions and chat" [371909/31524/1] Posted by JayMac at 18:49, 31st January 2026 | ![]() |
I've recently bought two Lego models. Sadly not from a dedicated model shop as they rarely stock the 'adult' Lego sets.
Concorde was purchased online and the Mercedes G 500 was bought from John Lewis in Bristol.
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[Image from here is not available to guests]
| Can you find the 40 British railway station names hidden in our puzzle? In "The Wider Picture in the United Kingdom" [371908/31556/51] Posted by ChrisB at 18:19, 31st January 2026 | ![]() |
From the BBC
Can you spot the 40 railway stations from the cryptic clues in the picture above and get one over on Darragh Ennis from The Chase?
The brainteaser was dreamt up by Alzheimer's Research UK to encourage people to keep their minds active during free time or on their daily commute.
Quiz master Ennis, known on the TV show as "The Menace", saw his dad pass away in 2024 after spending his later years living with dementia.
The scientist, who studied and lives in Oxford, is hoping the puzzle can help people keep their brains "sharp" but admitted he had so far only found 32 of the 40 hidden stations from across England and Wales.
The campaign is being supported by Great Western Railway (GWR), which has been advertising it at stations including Oxford, Didcot, Newbury and Maidenhead.
Ennis said the brain was "something you have to exercise or else it gets lazy".
"If you don't use different parts of your brain for problem-solving and things like that, the synapses and the circuits don't get strengthened," he added.
He said his dad had experienced "a very gradual, slow decline".
"We started noticing quite a long time ago that his memory was going," Ennis said.
"You would sit in a room with my dad for years and sometimes you would have the same conversation 20 or 30 times.
"While that can be very frustrating, it's at least still a conversation, but for other people it's much more aggressive and they disappear completely."
Alzheimer's is the most common form of dementia, external - a condition often leading to memory loss and challenges with taking on independent tasks.
"Doing a crossword a day is not going to prevent you getting dementia if your genetics are that way or you have some other disease, but it changes the odds a little," Ennis added.
"So for something that's so small that can help keep you sharp in other ways, it's worth a try."
He said the use of technology for that purpose "isn't inherently bad".
"I do four puzzles a day before I get out of bed and they're all done on my phone - it's not the technology that's wrong, it's how we use it."
[Image from here is not available to guests]
A study by Alzheimer's Research UK among 2,006 adults in the south of England recently showed just one in three of them were doing daily puzzles or challenges in their free time.
About half were instead turning to passive pursuits such as scrolling on their phones or watching shows.
Samantha Benham-Hermetz, executive director at the charity, said: "As each generation ages there are different things that are both protective for brain health and also distracting.
"We want to send this message to the public that there are lots of things within their control that they can do to reduce their risk of developing dementia as they grow older."
"One of the things that I've noticed with the puzzle is when you look at it at different times you see different things, so it really is challenging your brain to do things you wouldn't normally do or in different ways," she added.
The puzzle can be found on the charity's website, external, with some of the clues unveiled on its social media channels.
The brainteaser was dreamt up by Alzheimer's Research UK to encourage people to keep their minds active during free time or on their daily commute.
Quiz master Ennis, known on the TV show as "The Menace", saw his dad pass away in 2024 after spending his later years living with dementia.
The scientist, who studied and lives in Oxford, is hoping the puzzle can help people keep their brains "sharp" but admitted he had so far only found 32 of the 40 hidden stations from across England and Wales.
The campaign is being supported by Great Western Railway (GWR), which has been advertising it at stations including Oxford, Didcot, Newbury and Maidenhead.
Ennis said the brain was "something you have to exercise or else it gets lazy".
"If you don't use different parts of your brain for problem-solving and things like that, the synapses and the circuits don't get strengthened," he added.
He said his dad had experienced "a very gradual, slow decline".
"We started noticing quite a long time ago that his memory was going," Ennis said.
"You would sit in a room with my dad for years and sometimes you would have the same conversation 20 or 30 times.
"While that can be very frustrating, it's at least still a conversation, but for other people it's much more aggressive and they disappear completely."
Alzheimer's is the most common form of dementia, external - a condition often leading to memory loss and challenges with taking on independent tasks.
"Doing a crossword a day is not going to prevent you getting dementia if your genetics are that way or you have some other disease, but it changes the odds a little," Ennis added.
"So for something that's so small that can help keep you sharp in other ways, it's worth a try."
He said the use of technology for that purpose "isn't inherently bad".
"I do four puzzles a day before I get out of bed and they're all done on my phone - it's not the technology that's wrong, it's how we use it."
[Image from here is not available to guests]
A study by Alzheimer's Research UK among 2,006 adults in the south of England recently showed just one in three of them were doing daily puzzles or challenges in their free time.
About half were instead turning to passive pursuits such as scrolling on their phones or watching shows.
Samantha Benham-Hermetz, executive director at the charity, said: "As each generation ages there are different things that are both protective for brain health and also distracting.
"We want to send this message to the public that there are lots of things within their control that they can do to reduce their risk of developing dementia as they grow older."
"One of the things that I've noticed with the puzzle is when you look at it at different times you see different things, so it really is challenging your brain to do things you wouldn't normally do or in different ways," she added.
The puzzle can be found on the charity's website, external, with some of the clues unveiled on its social media channels.
[Image from here is not available to guests]
Some of them are quite difficult....
| Re: Oxford station - facilities, improvements, parking, incidents and events - merged posts In "London to Didcot, Oxford and Banbury" [371907/593/9] Posted by ChrisB at 18:08, 31st January 2026 | ![]() |
Sure is......going down to have a nosey tomorrow
| Re: Oxford station - facilities, improvements, parking, incidents and events - merged posts In "London to Didcot, Oxford and Banbury" [371904/593/9] Posted by CyclingSid at 17:52, 31st January 2026 | ![]() |
Oxford area - Sunday 1 to Sunday 8 February.
Bridge replacement works will affect train services between Oxford and Didcot Parkway.
Is this the bridge going in? Noticed a poster out of the corner of my eye on Reading station as I caught a train. https://www.networkrail.co.uk/our-work/our-routes/western/oxfordshire/
| Re: M5 at the Avonmouth bridge closed. In "Buses and other ways to travel" [371903/31551/5] Posted by eXPassenger at 16:26, 31st January 2026 | ![]() |
A scrolling notice at Bath Bus Stations one surviving screen of the bank of three at the west end announcing that this was becoming a problem for bus timings.
Presumably with the motorway closed and the motorway traffic seeping into the City, the Bristol CAZ zone profits mightily?
Mark
Presumably with the motorway closed and the motorway traffic seeping into the City, the Bristol CAZ zone profits mightily?
Mark
BCC claim that the CAZ does not apply to diverted traffic; but they refer to signed diversion routes and state that drivers must not leave the routes. In events like yesterday I do not know what happens.
| Re: A trip on GWR's Battery Electric Train - 17/12/2024 In "Thames Valley Branches" [371902/29641/13] Posted by IndustryInsider at 16:00, 31st January 2026 | ![]() |
Yes indeed. On standby in case of any issues.
| Re: New Oxford - Bristol direct service, ongoing developments and discussion In "Oxford, Didcot and Reading from the West" [371900/28355/22] Posted by bobm at 15:32, 31st January 2026 | ![]() |
Problems with the service today.
The first round trip arrived back at Bristol Temple Meads nearly 25 minutes late. The second round trip was then cancelled due to "a fault on this train".
| Re: A trip on GWR's Battery Electric Train - 17/12/2024 In "Thames Valley Branches" [371899/29641/13] Posted by bobm at 15:11, 31st January 2026 Already liked by PrestburyRoad, Mark A | ![]() |
The first Greenford train of the day normally starts back at London Paddington. However today the battery train started from West Ealing.
However a turbo, 165 122, did run empty from Paddington to West Ealing sidings. Possibly as a spare in case of any issues. It is due to run, again empty, to Reading just before 23:00, half an hour after the last Greenford of the day.
| Re: A trip on GWR's Battery Electric Train - 17/12/2024 In "Thames Valley Branches" [371897/29641/13] Posted by IndustryInsider at 14:07, 31st January 2026 | ![]() |
The technology was rolled out in passenger service for the first time today, with the 230 working the Greenford shuttles.
| Re: Swindon <-> Westbury service updates and amendments, ongoing discussion - 2026 In "TransWilts line" [371896/31359/18] Posted by TaplowGreen at 13:18, 31st January 2026 | ![]() |
12:17 Westbury to Swindon due 13:01
12:17 Westbury to Swindon due 13:01 has been delayed at Chippenham and is now 18 minutes late.
This is due to passengers causing a disturbance on a train earlier today.
13:13 Swindon to Westbury due 13:55
13:13 Swindon to Westbury due 13:55 will no longer call at Melksham and Trowbridge.
This is due to passengers causing a disturbance on a train
| Re: Huge new Wetherspoons planned for Paddington In "London to Reading" [371895/31554/7] Posted by bobm at 12:21, 31st January 2026 | ![]() |
I don't know how long this one has been in the planning.
It is only a few months since they opened one at the side of the station at Paddington Basin.
https://www.jdwetherspoon.com/pubs/the-sir-alexander-fleming-paddington/
| Re: Train passengers missing out on £80 million a year in compensation In "Fare's Fair" [371894/31553/4] Posted by John D at 12:20, 31st January 2026 Already liked by johnneyw | ![]() |
All of the TOC DR sites we have come across are, in my opinion, very easy to use. Some TOC's e.g. LNER have implemented Automatic DR for Advance Purchase tickets to make the process (sometimes) even easier.
I would never recommend trainline, personally use a mix of GWR, and train split for tickets. GWR doesn't seem to do auto refunds, even for advances (but most of my journeys even wholly on GWR with advances tend to be 2 or 3 trains).
Normally travel with my wife and find delay repay websites are really cumbersome to enter the second ticket, often expecting you to repeat reasons even when using same booking reference, or reject the second ticket as booking reference and same ticket value has already been entered.
Whilst I understand they want to discourage fraud, the system goes out of its way to discourage (valid) claims if more than one person is travelling. Not surprising people give up if trying to claim for a family group that was delayed, as it takes 10-20 times as long to do as to buy the ticket.
| Re: Huge new Wetherspoons planned for Paddington In "London to Reading" [371893/31554/7] Posted by John D at 12:03, 31st January 2026 | ![]() |
I can't place a "former ticket hall, which provides direct access to the Bakerloo line". If anything, the one I'm thinking of on the Eastbourne Terrace side would be closer to the District line.
The Bakerloo never really had a surface building. There was a stairway facing Praed Street (opposite London Street) in Paddington Square, the stairway was a small building with oxblood type tiles along the side.
However that whole area has now been redeveloped and the massive Paddington District postal sorting office building was demolished and replaced by new office block with shops etc at subsurface level, possibly the whole thing connects (or soon will do) to Paddington station concourse (there were hoardings on the concourse across from platform 11 and 12 area when I was last there couple of weeks ago).
It would make sense there is a former Bakerloo ticket hall under the roadway of Paddington Square. Bakerloo now has a new entrance nearer South Wharf Street and a connecting passageway under the main station to Circle line station
| Re: South Western Railways Waterloo - Bristol services axed In "South Western services" [371892/25368/42] Posted by stuving at 11:15, 31st January 2026 Already liked by Mark A, eightonedee | ![]() |
From RailUser Express ("RUX may be forwarded, or items copied") January 2026
RAILFUTURE WESSEX
Rf Wessex hopes that when every TOC in the south is operating under the GBR brand, some of the direct links that were lost with privatisation could be restored: Brighton - Southampton trains extended to Bournemouth; Waterloo – Salisbury to Bristol, and some Reading - Basingstoke shuttles to Salisbury. There must be many other examples around Britain, where direct connections could be restored once the accurate division of fares income is no longer an issue.
Rf Wessex hopes that when every TOC in the south is operating under the GBR brand, some of the direct links that were lost with privatisation could be restored: Brighton - Southampton trains extended to Bournemouth; Waterloo – Salisbury to Bristol, and some Reading - Basingstoke shuttles to Salisbury. There must be many other examples around Britain, where direct connections could be restored once the accurate division of fares income is no longer an issue.
That's based on a distinctly weird view of railway history. The partial privatisation of the railways happened decades before this, and DfT (which took this decision) was never privatised at all. In a way it represents the continuation of BR, particularly so as it edged into railway (micro)management over the years. And then during Covid, the top level of TOC management was renationalised - transferred back into DfT - leaving the TOCs with limited powers (and no cheque book). And, as noted in other posts, "duplication" (real or not) is likely to be created by separating regions/franchises/whatever, and be visible and then removed at a national level.
| Re: Train passengers missing out on £80 million a year in compensation In "Fare's Fair" [371891/31553/4] Posted by Bob_Blakey at 09:54, 31st January 2026 Already liked by ChrisB, PrestburyRoad | ![]() |
Where necessary we book our train tickets via the appropriate TOC website(s), we do not use The Trainline, and if it all goes wrong we obviously use the corresponding TOC Delay Repay (DR) facility. All of the TOC DR sites we have come across are, in my opinion, very easy to use. Some TOC's e.g. LNER have implemented Automatic DR for Advance Purchase tickets to make the process (sometimes) even easier.
We do however accept that these TOC DR websites have to be built in such a way as to discourage fraudulent claims, hence the requirement to provide what might seem like superfluous information.
I would suggest that if The Trainline think their refund mechanism is not fit for purpose they need to get their own house in order rather than expect the rail industry to fix it (being a private sector company has responsibilities as well as rights).
| Re: Huge new Wetherspoons planned for Paddington In "London to Reading" [371890/31554/7] Posted by TaplowGreen at 09:52, 31st January 2026 Already liked by Western Pathfinder, BBM | ![]() |
"Huge new Wetherspoons" is a phrase that should send a shiver down the spine of anyone who values real pubs, irrespective of location.
| Re: South Western Railways Waterloo - Bristol services axed In "South Western services" [371889/25368/42] Posted by Mark A at 08:24, 31st January 2026 Already liked by Timmer | ![]() |
Also, thinking of the previously useful ~19:20 from Waterloo. Fast forward to 2026 and the closest Salisbury departure to that, on arrival, three carriages are detached - Gillingham, Templecombe, Sherbourne and Yeovil Junction get the benefit of those, while the three that could usefully serve Warminster, followed by the county town of Wiltshire, Bradford on Avon, Bath and Bristol are sent off to the depot. So, for that service, for once, there is the stock available and sitting around to cover the run to Bristol and return. (And the return wasn't a carrier of fresh air either.)
Mark
| Re: Epping Ongar Railway In "Heritage railways, Railtours, buses, canals, steamships and other public transport based attractions" [371887/26356/47] Posted by grahame at 08:09, 31st January 2026 | ![]() |
A next-generation of opportunities ... where a battery electric train completes a route off-tourist-peak but on-commuter-peak ... bringing Ongar, Wallingford, Sheffield Park, Swanage, Alresford, Eythorne and Chinnor communities back to becoming integral players in the national network.
| Re: South Western Railways Waterloo - Bristol services axed In "South Western services" [371886/25368/42] Posted by CyclingSid at 07:31, 31st January 2026 | ![]() |
* Reading to Salisbury; I don't know. Start with a look at traffic levels between Basingstoke and Salisbury, and a look at the traffic levels across Basingstoke.
Reading to Salisbury direct still runs on Sundays.
| Re: Commuter was left traumatised after trapped inside a train toilet for almost two In "Cross Country services" [371885/31552/43] Posted by grahame at 07:08, 31st January 2026 Already liked by Mark A | ![]() |
hyrax
?I had to look up what hyrox is (apparently a competition involving a run and using some exercise equipment), but I have actually seen a hyrax. They are small and furry - see - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyrax.
Darned auto-correct!

Images shared under Creative Commons 4.0 licenses - Hyrox and Hyrax
From WikiPedia
Hyrox (stylized as HYROX) is an indoor fitness competition that combines 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) of running and 8 functional workout stations, alternating between running and functional exercises. It bills itself as "The World Series of Fitness Racing" and "A Sport for Everybody".
Hyraxes, also called dassies, are small, stout, thickset, herbivorous mammals in the family Procaviidae within the order Hyracoidea. Hyraxes are well-furred, rotund animals with short tails. Modern hyraxes are typically between 30 and 70 cm (12 and 28 in) in length and weigh between 2 and 5 kg (4 and 11 lb). They are superficially similar to marmots or over-large pikas but are much more closely related to elephants and sirenians.
I'm just giving this topic a gentle 'bump', on the anniversary.
| Re: Huge new Wetherspoons planned for Paddington In "London to Reading" [371883/31554/7] Posted by stuving at 01:23, 31st January 2026 | ![]() |
I can't place a "former ticket hall, which provides direct access to the Bakerloo line". If anything, the one I'm thinking of on the Eastbourne Terrace side would be closer to the District line.
...or the Elizabeth Line! But the station plan dated July 2025 shows three big units as "coming soon" exactly there - between the gents' and the way through to the Elizabeth Line. As those are the only spaces implied to be vacant, I guess that is where it will be. From the picture, a new mezzanine will be inserted to increase floor space, but remove any "heritage" atmosphere.
| Re: Huge new Wetherspoons planned for Paddington In "London to Reading" [371881/31554/7] Posted by Ralph Ayres at 22:47, 30th January 2026 | ![]() |
I can't place a "former ticket hall, which provides direct access to the Bakerloo line". If anything, the one I'm thinking of on the Eastbourne Terrace side would be closer to the District line.
| Re: Commuter was left traumatised after trapped inside a train toilet for almost two In "Cross Country services" [371880/31552/43] Posted by eightonedee at 22:38, 30th January 2026 | ![]() |
hyrax
?I had to look up what hyrox is (apparently a competition involving a run and using some exercise equipment), but I have actually seen a hyrax. They are small and furry - see - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyrax.














