Recent Public Posts - [guest]
| Re: Where in Wales? Quiz! In "Shorter journeys in South and West Wales" [372944/31701/23] Posted by brooklea at 10:14, 2nd March 2026 Already liked by grahame |      |
6. Severn Tunnel Junction
| Re: Where in Wales? Quiz! In "Shorter journeys in South and West Wales" [372943/31701/23] Posted by Oxonhutch at 10:05, 2nd March 2026 | |
No. 5 has a LNWR signalbox - so somewhere on the Heart of Wales line.
| Re: Passenger Growth - railway termini of the South West In "Across the West" [372942/31692/26] Posted by grahame at 09:53, 2nd March 2026 | |
I remain convinced that we were doing the right thing. These numbers suggest that it could have become a great success in real transport
I agree with you. So how do we do the right thing now?
Some Population comparisons:
Minehead - 12,000
St Ives, Cornwall - 12,000
Barnstaple - 31,000
Okehampton - 10,000
Looe - 5,500
Swanage - 10,000
Bude - 10,000
Newquay - 24,000
Portishead - 26,000
Exmouth - 36,000
Penzance - 21,000
| Re: Travelling on invalid ticket - what should the operator do? In "Fare's Fair" [372941/31693/4] Posted by Bob_Blakey at 09:50, 2nd March 2026 | |
Caveat Emptor or 'when it looks too good to be true it almost certainly will be' - if you are not 100% sure of who or what you are dealing with pay a visit to, or call, a reputable 'High Street' ticket retailer.
Q. .....what can and should be done by the operator when the problem is identified?
A. Provision of the required goods or service in exchange for the appropriate payment.
| Re: Passenger Growth - railway termini of the South West In "Across the West" [372940/31692/26] Posted by Witham Bobby at 09:36, 2nd March 2026 Already liked by Red Squirrel | |
50 Years ago, I had left my signalman's job on the Big Railway and was working hard so that Minehead would be on this chart. It still hurts that things didn't work out that way, even though (thank goodness) the permanent way is still there, in use, and in much better shape than it was in 1976
I remain convinced that we were doing the right thing. These numbers suggest that it could have become a great success in real transport
| Re: Where in Wales? Quiz! In "Shorter journeys in South and West Wales" [372939/31701/23] Posted by grahame at 09:28, 2nd March 2026 | |
3. Holyhead
Yes
2 Carmarthen?
Mark
Mark
Sorry - no. Brave try on one of the most difficult pictures in the quiz
| Re: Annoying / amusing use of completely irrelevant stock photos to illustrate press articles In "The Lighter Side" [372938/11558/30] Posted by Mark A at 09:28, 2nd March 2026 | |
That's well south of 'Annoying'. The first is A.I. fantasy, how is one meant to learn about the world from this sort of imagery - the landscape isn't feasable, never mind the train and rail line. The second... for obvious reasons there's many Tarbets in Scotland and top marks to the itinerary for that side-excursion to the wrong one. Oh, and that isn't Harris.
Mark
| Re: Where in Wales? Quiz! In "Shorter journeys in South and West Wales" [372937/31701/23] Posted by Mark A at 09:19, 2nd March 2026 | |
2 Carmarthen?
Mark
| Re: Where in Wales? Quiz! In "Shorter journeys in South and West Wales" [372936/31701/23] Posted by TonyN at 09:11, 2nd March 2026 Already liked by grahame | |
3. Holyhead
| Re: Where in Wales? Quiz! In "Shorter journeys in South and West Wales" [372935/31701/23] Posted by grahame at 08:52, 2nd March 2026 Already liked by Chris from Nailsea | |
Oh, no ... 
I had a paper copy of grahame's whole itinerary for that recent excursion - but I left it behind in Melksham. 
However: 1. Rhymney station.
I had a paper copy of grahame's whole itinerary for that recent excursion - but I left it behind in Melksham. 
However: 1. Rhymney station.
I have been to Wales multiple times though - unlike Croatia which I have only visited once. So the itinerary would not be entirely helpful. Yes, No. 1 is Rhymney.
| Re: Where in Wales? Quiz! In "Shorter journeys in South and West Wales" [372934/31701/23] Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 08:48, 2nd March 2026 | |
Oh, no ...
I had a paper copy of grahame's whole itinerary for that recent excursion - but I left it behind in Melksham. However: 1. Rhymney station.
| Where in Wales? Quiz! In "Shorter journeys in South and West Wales" [372933/31701/23] Posted by grahame at 08:40, 2nd March 2026 | |
Some pictures from our recent trip ... and some older ones. Some easy to identify and some harder. How many can you recognise? To give everyone a change, please just name one each - at least for the rest of today (2nd March 2026)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
| Re: Barriers to bus and tram travel - lessons from Florence In "The Wider Picture Overseas" [372932/31691/52] Posted by Electric train at 08:30, 2nd March 2026 | |
It's good to research local transport in advance of your trip
In many (maybe all) German cities if you buy a one day ticket it needs to be validated before travel on the train (or once you get on the bus) and you may be able to use any door on the bus without showing your ticket to the driver.
Absolutely agree with this.In many (maybe all) German cities if you buy a one day ticket it needs to be validated before travel on the train (or once you get on the bus) and you may be able to use any door on the bus without showing your ticket to the driver.
I recently visited Prague, as part of the planning I looked for the options for tram, bus and metro travel. If you are over 65 its free in the Prague central area just carry photo proof of age eg passport, if you get asked by a ticket inspector, for those 60 to 64 its half price but you do need to get a PID card, its all covered on the PID website. Also many of the attractions there are concessionary entry tickets for seinors
| Re: Barriers to bus and tram travel - lessons from Florence In "The Wider Picture Overseas" [372931/31691/52] Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 08:24, 2nd March 2026 | |
Are things done differently in North Somerset?
Thanks for posing that question, Bob.
Yes, we do have something of a tradition of 'doing things differently in North Somerset'.
I can't recall the exact details, but I think I didn't need to tap out on my arrival at the Bristol Hospital, but I did have to at the Weston super Mare Hospital.
| Re: Barriers to bus and tram travel - lessons from Florence In "The Wider Picture Overseas" [372929/31691/52] Posted by Bob_Blakey at 08:05, 2nd March 2026 | |
.....As a senior citizen resident in North Somerset, I recently registered for a bus pass.....The whole 'tapping it in and out' requirement remains a mystery to me.....
Are things done differently in North Somerset? The Devon County Council issued National Bus Pass only requires 'tapping in' on each bus used (even if you have to use 5 buses on one E2E journey). I assumed this was standard across the country - it was certainly the same in Warwickshire & West Yorkshire.
| Re: Annoying / amusing use of completely irrelevant stock photos to illustrate press articles In "The Lighter Side" [372926/11558/30] Posted by grahame at 07:14, 2nd March 2026 | |
Two sponsored Facebook adverts for Scottish tours
| Re: Swindon <-> Westbury service updates and amendments, ongoing discussion - 2026 In "TransWilts line" [372921/31359/18] Posted by grahame at 05:49, 2nd March 2026 | |
05:11 Gloucester to Southampton Central due 08:09
Facilities on the 05:11 Gloucester to Southampton Central due 08:09.
Toilet facilities are not available. Disabled toilet facilities are not available.
This is due to a fault on this train.
Facilities on the 05:11 Gloucester to Southampton Central due 08:09.
Toilet facilities are not available. Disabled toilet facilities are not available.
This is due to a fault on this train.
A long journey without a loo - however, the train calls at Swindon, Westbury and Salisbury, for 8, 10 and 11 minutes and there should be opportunities to use the loo at any of those.
| Re: Sharp Brewery's Doom Bar from Rock, Cornwall? Apparently not! In "The West - but NOT trains in the West" [372919/15849/31] Posted by JayMac at 02:01, 2nd March 2026 | |
Only in this day and age could a brewer call itself a "Beverage Company" 
Yes - but you are referring to a brewing organisation in the USA / Canada, where the King's English is sadly becoming the language of the past.
You should give the YouTube channel 'Words Unravelled' a watch. Two etymologists (that's words not bugs!), one British, one American, share their knowledge and research of current English language words and phrases used either side of the pond. And their deeper history and forks from Old English, Norman, Danish, Germanic, Anglo Saxon, Roman, Celtic...
What's also apparent is that it isn't so much a case of us generous folk in the UK giving them English and them ruining it, but more so that they took regional accents and dialects (particularly Irish in the early days of the United States) from across the British Isles, which were then added to by words, phrases, idioms and spellings from across European languages following mass immigration into the USA. In more recent times Spanish words and phrases have entered common usage in British English. Not from Spain, but from Mexico via the USA. Not forgetting all the loan words and phrases British English has taken from its
It's one big colorful melting pot.
| Re: OTD - 2nd March 1908 - Opening to Kelly Bray / Callington In "Shorter journeys in Plymouth and Cornwall" [372918/26106/25] Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 00:37, 2nd March 2026 | |
With thanks to the above two very experienced CRP contributors to this forum, I now commend this topic, on this latest anniversary.
| Re: Barriers to bus and tram travel - lessons from Florence In "The Wider Picture Overseas" [372917/31691/52] Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 22:31, 1st March 2026 | |
It's good to research local transport in advance of your trip
...
In the UK, do you just tap your debit card when you get on or do you have to state your destination? Depends on the town / city / bus company.
It's not just tourists that get confused.
...
In the UK, do you just tap your debit card when you get on or do you have to state your destination? Depends on the town / city / bus company.
It's not just tourists that get confused.
I do empathize with that.
As a senior citizen resident in North Somerset, I recently registered for a bus pass, with an online photograph for validation. When the card arrived, I looked more like Alec Guiness as Obi Wan Kenobi than me.
I then had to seek guidance from my daughter as to when and how I could use it from Nailsea, and from grahame as to when and how I could use it from Melksham. The whole 'tapping it in and out' requirement remains a mystery to me.
| Re: Barriers to bus and tram travel - lessons from Florence In "The Wider Picture Overseas" [372916/31691/52] Posted by Surrey 455 at 22:15, 1st March 2026 Already liked by GBM | |
It's good to research local transport in advance of your trip
In many (maybe all) German cities if you buy a one day ticket it needs to be validated before travel on the train (or once you get on the bus) and you may be able to use any door on the bus without showing your ticket to the driver.
In the UK, do you just tap your debit card when you get on or do you have to state your destination? Depends on the town / city / bus company.
It's not just tourists that get confused.
| Re: Cornish pasty - is it a proper one? Merged posts, ongoing light-hearted discussion In "Introductions and chat" [372915/22765/1] Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 20:31, 1st March 2026 Already liked by GBM | |
From the BBC:
Pasty champions crowned - and they may surprise you
The championships saw nearly 100 competitive bakers and pasty companies compete
The winners of the first Global Pasty Championships have been crowned - and they may come as a surprise.
The contest saw nearly 100 bakers and pasty companies bring their lovingly crafted pasties to The Lost Gardens of Heligan near St Austell. But although pasties are synonymous with Cornwall, bakers from Bristol dominated the event, with bakers from the West Country city winning both individual titles and one of the two junior categories.
Vanessa Farr from Bristol, who took home the title in the Cornish pasty individual category, said: "I'm pleased to win this because I was up against professional bakers as well as amateurs, so this is a big one."
Fellow winners from the city included Max Baker, who won the alternative pasty individual category with a chicken in barbecue sauce pasty, and Finley, who triumphed in the alternative pasty junior category with a chicken fajita pasty.
And some participants for other events during Cornish Pasty Week travelled from a lot further than Bristol to take part.
Yuriko Shigyo made the trip from Tokyo in Japan to take part for the second time. "I really enjoyed returning to the crimping competition. The gardens here are so beautiful. I'm looking forward to coming again next year to enter the pasty contest," she said.
The competition was organised in partnership with the Cornish Pasty Association. Jason Jobling, chairman of the organisation, said: "The Global Pasty Championships has been a fantastic celebration of our national dish and a great way to bring a most memorable Cornish Pasty Week to a close."
The championships saw nearly 100 competitive bakers and pasty companies compete
The winners of the first Global Pasty Championships have been crowned - and they may come as a surprise.
The contest saw nearly 100 bakers and pasty companies bring their lovingly crafted pasties to The Lost Gardens of Heligan near St Austell. But although pasties are synonymous with Cornwall, bakers from Bristol dominated the event, with bakers from the West Country city winning both individual titles and one of the two junior categories.
Vanessa Farr from Bristol, who took home the title in the Cornish pasty individual category, said: "I'm pleased to win this because I was up against professional bakers as well as amateurs, so this is a big one."
Fellow winners from the city included Max Baker, who won the alternative pasty individual category with a chicken in barbecue sauce pasty, and Finley, who triumphed in the alternative pasty junior category with a chicken fajita pasty.
And some participants for other events during Cornish Pasty Week travelled from a lot further than Bristol to take part.
Yuriko Shigyo made the trip from Tokyo in Japan to take part for the second time. "I really enjoyed returning to the crimping competition. The gardens here are so beautiful. I'm looking forward to coming again next year to enter the pasty contest," she said.
The competition was organised in partnership with the Cornish Pasty Association. Jason Jobling, chairman of the organisation, said: "The Global Pasty Championships has been a fantastic celebration of our national dish and a great way to bring a most memorable Cornish Pasty Week to a close."
