Great Western Coffee Shop

Wow - bowled over yesterday afternoon when I visited a branch I've not been on for ages.  I come back saying
"I want" ... at Swindon, at Chippenham, at Melksham, at Trowbridge and at Westbury ...

A canopy to shelter all the arriving passengers (and I want plenty of them) as they get off the train

(http://www.wellho.net/pix/thisbnp1.jpg)

Information to hand about what visitors can do in the area

(http://www.wellho.net/pix/thisbnp2.jpg)

Cycles for hire for the more active arrivals

(http://www.wellho.net/pix/thisbnp3.jpg)

And buses, well signposted and connecting, just outside the station

(http://www.wellho.net/pix/thisbnp4.jpg)

I'm learning how hard it is to achieve any one of these things - congratulations to Barnstaple for having all four and much more too.  I may not have noticed that my train (uniquely in the day) dallied there for half an hour as it gave me a change to have a good look around.    Getting stranded because I missed my last connection home was a small price to pay!

Warning - I'll be back.

It just shows what community, rail, and local council working together can achieve, and this is what we aspire too in Wiltshire.   We have a long way to go yet.

I think RichardB, and his team, and others, have a lot to answer for.  ;) :D ;D

Not forgetting the huge tesco to get supplies for the trip back on adjacent former railway land (I believe).

I was looking at leaflets at liskeard, many of which were for attractions unreachable by public transport. One would expect many arriving at a rail station to need public transport to access places, so many unreachable places being inappropriate to flyer at the same station.

I'm being very careful about talking about the Asda in Melksham, having been denied a bus stop at the top of station approach in case people get off there and Jaywalk across to Asda.


But how far are people prepared to walk, can they hire cycles to get to these attractions, or could they use a taxi?

I picked up a web site just this morning .... http://www.trainspots.co.uk/locpage.php?ts_number=890

It says:
but in fact the 69 and 68 buses pass the location, and the x96 and a run of route 14 on Saturday pass the road end 100 yards away.

How good is the information about getting to the attractions at Liskeard?

Some of the leaflets are places 7-8 miles or more from public transport. No cycle hire places i am aware of

How much is Liskeard used as a park and ride for Looe?  Those people have their own cars.

Any car hire at Liskeard station?  I recall "Godfrey Davis" in times gone by, and these days Enterprise car rentals have a place by (in my area) Chippenham Station.

Local car club? - such as http://www.co-wheels.org.uk/locations who have a car available a few yards from Swindon Station.

Not sure on park and ride, but car park isn't very big, 20-30 spaces at most and rarely full, the pay and display machines have been out of order for several months with temporary free parking, and still never seen the car park more than 50% full!

No rentals, nearest I know of is Plymouth or Bodmin.

No car clubs, this is Cornwall  ;D we may get them in say 20'years time!

A mention also (at Barnstaple and Liskeard) for cafe's at both stations. Not sampled Liskeard, but Barnstaple dispensed a good takeaway coffee when I visited by train recently. Something the train conductor suggested to me, with an assurance they wouldn't leave without me!

As a matter of interest, Pb_devon, does the station cafe at Barnstaple still offer a live departure screen on the premises?

... by which time you may even have got some of that new-fangled electricity you've heard about ...  ;) :D ;D

I would love to know how popular the car club is in Swindon.  Purely anecdotal, but whenever I walk to the station a car always seems to be parked in the designated car club bay.

Still got the hamster in his wheel in the corner here  ;D  ::)  :o

Until you have a significant number of cars at a location (i.e. much more than 1), utilisation has to be very low so that people don't put off by finding that it's always booked.  I suspect it's a seeding project (.org.uk rather than .co.uk would suggest it's not totally commercial!) which will either peter out or turn into something with several handfuls of cars over a ramp-in period.

In my day job, I drive past two such 'car club' parking bays (in different side streets) in Bedminster, Bristol, and every time there is no car there.

I'm not saying what that proves, I'm merely offering it as an observation.  :-X

I've just researched these car club things, the closest to Cornwall is Bristol!
It's ok though as Redruth has the locally famous Melroy (MY Motors) renting out 20+ year old vehicles still on the cheap!
Such as this Transit minibus

https://flic.kr/p/yQf2X4

Ooh...I think so, but my memory might be playing up.

I didn't notice it when I was there very briefly on Friday - but that's not to say it was absent.   Unless it included the buses, wouldn't it just mirror the platform display a few metres away?   Single platform / hourly service - so a display showing the next 3 trains is probably sufficient?

Yes, Liskeard is pretty well used as a park and ride station for Looe.  Parking in Looe isn't as bad as St Ives but it is pretty bad and the car park by the Looe platform at Liskeard is very convenient and, even when you have to pay, it's just £1.  We widely promote the park and ride facility.   I'd say it's a bit bigger than you think, Rich, at least 50/60 spaces, most people go down on the train just after 11 00 (with a good number on the ones either side), leaving to come back just after 16 00 or 17 00.  On a sunny Summer day, that car park will be full by the time the 12 16 has left.

We've just reopened the rooms on Platform 3 as a new information point - http://www.dcrp.org.uk/new-information-centre-opens-liskeard-station/

Thanks re Barnstaple - the Tarka Rail Association have played a big part in what you saw on your trip.  Their current Chair, Mike Day refurbished the then near derelict station master's house and created the cafe in 2008.

RichardB I caught the 1250 yesterday and the 153 was full. The car parks I saw in looe both had full signs.
First time I've been to looe in summer, seems to attract a nicer clientele and more upmarket than st Ives or Newquay.

Thanks Rich.  Good news re the 12 50.  Bit surprised it was a 153 though - I'll check with GWR to see if that was planned.

And in 20 years time the wheel will still be there but it'll be a Franco-Chinese hamster...

Should be 150 High Summer

Has been since early July, Sunday was an exception with a 153

No, it doesn't.
As mentioned before as it's a single line station with a (near) hourly departure, there isn't much point.

Was 150239 on Sunday last week

153329 this Sunday.

Graham, I today picked this leaflet up on leaving a train at Liskeard. As a newish resident I have learnt of things in the locality, so imagine for a visitor a great resource. I thought of you when I saw it!

(http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p94/richardwarwicker/liskeard%207.jpg)


I have photos of the entire leaflet on my photobucket.

http://s126.photobucket.com/user/richardwarwicker/library/?sort=2&page=1