Now there's a thread - what was your learning to drive car, and what was your first 'own' car (or shared with parents)............

Now there's a thread - what was your learning to drive car, and what was your first 'own' car (or shared with parents)............

... The writing is very much on the wall though, and a 10-year-old today is unlikely to need a manual licence because by then new cars will be electric and used ones are more likely to be automatic. Whether that's good or bad is a moot point. Had electric vehicles been predominant from the start of motoring, any young engineer proposing a different type of propulsion involving serial explosions and a whole lot of complicated gear to manage the process would have been laughed at.

Coffee bean containers; washing tablet containers.

It skips the weekends and Bank holiday 1st January, why not say what happens on those for completeness.

Never keep it consistent to help people understand it.   What are the start times for time specific railcards on these days, and for anyone using ranger and rover tickets?   Which days does the Groupsave time restriction apply on?

Noting that two units scheduled for training, but again, only one appears in use (shortage of crew!).

For GWR priced journeys, the following easements have been implemented for Christmas & New Year 2025/6

Friday 19: Normal weekday restrictions apply
Monday 22/Tuesday 23/Wednesday 24: Off-peak no restrictions; Super Off-peak normal restrictions apply; weekend first available
Monday 29/Tuesday 30/Wednesday 31/Friday 2: Off-peak & Super Off-peak no restrictions; weekend first available
Monday 5 onwards: Normal restrictions apply

*passengers taking advantage of the easements should note these are for GWR only; other TOCs may have different easements, for example if arriving at Paddington before 09.30 on a super/off-peak ticket, passengers may need to wait until 09.30 to comment further travel.

If you're starting from London or Reading ... outbound Friday, return Monday, flexible travel in the peaks at a discounted rate to 14 major GWR destinations.

Leave on a Friday or Saturday, return on a Monday and save over 50% compared to an Anytime Return.

The Long Weekender now gives you the chance to travel to even more destinations than before, with the fully flexible fare allowing you to travel whenever you'd like on the permitted travel days.

So whether that’s for more headspace in Bristol, more calm in Cardiff or more zen in Bath, book the GWR Long Weekender ticket.

Conductor

Westbury

£37,251after training

Who are we?

GWR is the proud custodian of Brunel's railway - one of the most prestigious in the world.  We have some of the newest trains in the country and exciting plans to extend our services and open new stations.   With more than one hundred million passenger journeys each year, we carry people to over 280 stations in the South West, from Cornwall and South Wales to London, passing through beautiful country and some of the UK's top tourist destinations.

We are transforming the way people think about train travel, empowering our team of nearly 7,000 people from diverse backgrounds to make it a great experience for our customers.  Together, we will revalue rail as a very special way to travel.

About the team

Conductors are part of the On Train team and work alongside colleagues from Revenue Protection, particularly our Ticket Examiners.  You will also liaise with the driver of the train and station colleagues.

What is the job?

As a Conductor, you will deliver a world-class customer experience throughout the journey and will ensure the safety of everyone using GWR services.  You will be able to adapt to new people, new places and new situations.  We are proud in GWR to share a common set of values – these help us deliver for our customers and serve our communities across the West.  Working on board our trains, you will clearly demonstrate these behaviours and attitudes.

What are the responsibilities?

To be an ambassador for Great Western Railway by delivering the best customer experience and a safe journey.
To be visible to our customers, providing information and help in a friendly and reassuring way.
To manage the safety and operational activities of the train.
To check and sell tickets, providing information and assistance as required.
To ensure a safe, clean, and pleasant environment is maintained.
About you?

If you can say “Yes” to these questions, this could be your ideal job!

Are you passionate and proactive about delivering outstanding customer service?
Are you determined to always perform well and be proud to portray a professional image?
Can you be flexible in your working with the ability to work a variety of shifts including weekends and bank holidays?
Would you be comfortable with working in a strictly regulated industry?
Would you like a job where no two days are the same?
Are you able to stay cool, calm, and collected when things don't go to plan?
What do I need?

An understanding of customers' needs.
Excellent communication skills.
The ability to build relationships and work as part of a team.
Experience of front-line customer service.
The confidence to manage challenging situations.
Where is the job?

The position is based at Westbury Train Crew Depot next to the station and this is where you will start and end your shifts.

What else do I need to know?

The shifts include early starts and late finishes as well as weekends and bank holidays.  You will be working an average of 35 hours a week.  Starting and finishing times may be at times when public transport is not available so you must be able to get to and from the station without relying on this.  You must live within 60 minutes travelling time of the depot.  As this is a safety-critical role, you must be over 18.  You will have a medical which will include testing your hearing, vision and colour vision.

The Reward

As well as a great team environment and comprehensive training, all GWR colleagues enjoy a range of benefits including on-going development and opportunity to progress, defined benefit pension scheme, free rail travel across the GWR network for you and your family, company-sponsored health care plan, discounted shopping and gym membership, and an employee assistance programme.

The basic rate of pay during your training is £25,501 and this rises to a basic rate of £37,251 once you are productive.  With enhancements, many conductors earn over £40,000 a year.

We all belong at GWR. This is our vision for providing an inclusive environment for all our colleagues, ensuring all candidates have an equal opportunity to access meaningful employment.

We value our differences such as age, gender, LGBTQIA, ethnicity, religion and disability. We maintain zero tolerance towards any form of prejudice towards our colleagues, customers, and future talent.

We celebrate and encourage diversity of thought, progressive ways of working and seeing all our colleagues grow and thrive.

We review all roles and job descriptions to ensure they are accessible and, where possible, we support and provide flexible working options; we recommend that you refer to each vacancy description for further details.

If you require additional support to complete your application due to a disability or neurodivergent condition such as dyslexia, dyspraxia, or autism, please follow the links below. We encourage you to share any additional needs you may require so we can provide a fair and equal process for all who apply.

Firstly, charity shops an appeal, please take your items in as early in the morning as that it when most volunteers are there to sort the items.

Rail minister Lord Hendy says he expects that rail reform will bring “more reliability, higher revenue and reduced cost” on the UK’s railways.

Last week, the government introduced its long-trailed Railways Bill to Parliament. This will establish Great British Railways (GBR) to bring control of the infrastructure and services under one publicly-owned entity that will be “responsible for coordinating the whole network: from track and train, to cost and revenue”, according to the Department for Transport. This, it says, will “create a simpler, more unified railway that delivers easier journeys and offers better value for money”.

[continues]

The attack happened opposite the main entrance to Birmingham New Street station

A woman who was stabbed in the neck in an unprovoked attack at a bus stop in Birmingham has died, police have confirmed.

Katie Fox, 34, was targeted in Smallbrook Queensway, just outside the Bullring shopping centre, shortly before 21:00 GMT on Friday.

Djeison Rafael, 21, appeared before Birmingham Magistrates' Court on Monday charged over the attack. He was previously accused of attempted murder, but following Ms Fox's death, the charge has been updated to murder.

The 21-year-old, of Rosedale Avenue, Smethwick, is also charged with two counts of causing actual bodily harm on 27 October and 7 November, possession of a Stanley blade and assaulting a detention escort officer.

Mr Rafael, who appeared before District Judge John Bristow, was told to be quiet as he interrupted the six-minute hearing multiple times. He was told he was not going to be asked to enter any pleas because the offences were too serious to be dealt with by the magistrates' court.

The case was sent to Birmingham Crown Court for a hearing on 12 November.

(BBC article continues)

My grandad (* 1908) had the most amazing driving licence. Every conceivable category including (what was then) tracked, road roller and trolley vehicle - and he never sat a test in his life.

Apprenticed as a motor mechanic in the late 1920s, he was sent out to the Post Office with his 3/6 to get a driving licence, (radio and dog licences were also available at the same counter) and off he went. Grandfather [sic] Clauses assured the rest, and he drove thus to his dying day.  Not behind the wheel, I must add.

From the BBC:

From the BBC:

Experts have warned of a bird flu outbreak after dead swans were found near a popular lake.

The five birds at Backwell Lake, near Bristol, on Sunday morning displayed signs of Avian Influenza, including blue eyes, animal charity Curious Critters said.

It comes as the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) issued a mandatory housing order to cover England following escalating numbers of the virus.

A Curious Critter spokesperson posted on Facebook saying: "We are very confident we are looking at an Avian Influenza outbreak and would ask that the community please follow the guidelines."

They added: "Retrieving the deceased swans will have played a huge role in safeguarding the remaining wildlife."

So far this season - which began in October - there have been 26 cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza, external (HPAI) H5N1 on farms across the UK, with 22 in England.

The public has been urged to keep dogs on leads and not feed wild waterfowl including ducks and geese.

An HGV lorry got stuck under a bridge in Shropshire because the driver had "misjudged heights", say police.

West Mercia Police attended the scene on Whittington Road in Oswestry at about 20:35 GMT on Saturday, where the lorry with the livery of retailer The Range on the side had become wedged underneath the Cambrian Railway Bridge.

The force said the road was closed for several hours to allow for the recovery of the vehicle and thanked motorists and nearby residents for their patience.

It added that there were no injuries and no arrests made.

The Range has also been contacted for comment.