|
Title: Bench ends stolen from Cheltenham Racecourse station (BBC News 22/09/2010) Post by: JayMac on September 24, 2010, 13:09:10 From the BBC (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-gloucestershire-11392664):
Quote Cast-iron bench ends worth about ^4,000 have been stolen from a railway station platform in Gloucestershire. The bench ends which each weigh about 55lb (25kg) were taken from Cheltenham Racecourse station last Friday. Some are original but most are replica Great Western Railway pattern castings, with the letters GWR on them. Police said the theft, which happened overnight, was not caught on CCTV. Officers have appealed for anyone with any information to contact them. Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway's volunteer Cheltenham area group looks after the station. 'Shadowy figures' The group's chairman Col Bob Stark said the castings would not be worth much as scrap. He explained a volunteer reported that the benches had been dismantled at about 1740 BST on Friday. They searched the station and found the castings stacked up in a hedge. He said: "We called the police and organised some help to move these very heavy items to safe storage. But when we returned little more than an hour later, they had disappeared." He said CCTV tape showed cameras at the station being removed "by shadowy figures using flashlights". "It saddens me greatly that the people who did this would describe themselves as railway enthusiasts," he added. "They're clearly knowledgeable and well aware of the value of Great Western Railway artefacts and I believe that they have a ready market. They could have been taken to order for collectors or another former Great Western heritage railway." The railway is offering a ^500 reward or information leading to the recovery of the castings or the catching of the thieves. Col Stark said other railways, auction houses and the Heritage Railway Association had been alerted. A Gloucestershire Constabulary spokesman said officers had alerted scrap yards in the area to the theft. Title: Re: Bench ends stolen from Cheltenham Racecourse station (BBC News 22/09/2010) Post by: eightf48544 on September 24, 2010, 15:07:24 They searched the station and found the castings stacked up in a hedge.
He said: "We called the police and organised some help to move these very heavy items to safe storage. But when we returned little more than an hour later, they had disappeared." He said CCTV tape showed cameras at the station being removed "by shadowy figures using flashlights". Interesting! Title: Re: Bench ends stolen from Cheltenham Racecourse station (BBC News 22/09/2010) Post by: John R on September 24, 2010, 16:09:35 Thankfully they were recovered a day later when a local scrap merchant read the story and realised that he had bought them the previous day.
Title: Re: Bench ends stolen from Cheltenham Racecourse station (BBC News 22/09/2010) Post by: JayMac on September 24, 2010, 17:02:31 John R, were they recovered a day after the story broke or the day after they were stolen (17th)? I've not found any updated news. The earliest article I can find to the theft is 21st September, so if they were recovered the next day it seems strange that news outlets aren't checking for updates and continuing to publish that Police want anyone with information to come forward.
The Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway haven't updated the story on their site either. Do you know something we don't, John R? ;) :) Title: Re: Bench ends stolen from Cheltenham Racecourse station (BBC News 22/09/2010) Post by: John R on September 24, 2010, 17:54:55 ChrisB, were they recovered a day after the story broke or the day after they were stolen (17th)? I've not found any updated news. The earliest article I can find to the theft is 21st September, so if they were recovered the next day it seems strange that news outlets aren't checking for updates and continuing to publish that Police want anyone with information to come forward. The Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway haven't updated the story on their site either. Do you know something we don't, Chris B? ;) :) I'll assume your questions are addressed to me. My source is the comments on the GWSR website below the article describing their theft. The railway has not seen to contradict them, so I assume they are accurate, even though they might have been expected to update the story or post a new article. Title: Re: Bench ends stolen from Cheltenham Racecourse station (BBC News 22/09/2010) Post by: JayMac on September 24, 2010, 18:02:41 My apologies John R, got you confused with another poster, had multiple windows open at the time. I've now edited my post replacing ChrisB with John R.
There is another possible reason for my error. I had a tooth pulled this morning and there might be some residual effects from the lignacaine! Title: Re: Bench ends stolen from Cheltenham Racecourse station (BBC News 22/09/2010) Post by: Chris from Nailsea on September 24, 2010, 18:09:18 Thanks, John!
From the GWR website (http://www.gwsr.com/news/latest-news/thieves-target-%C2%A34,000-great-western-railway-bench-castings-from-cheltenham-racecourse-station.aspx): see comment 6 for details. CfN. :) Title: Re: Bench ends stolen from Cheltenham Racecourse station (BBC News 22/09/2010) Post by: Chris from Nailsea on September 26, 2010, 21:59:04 From the BBC (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-gloucestershire-11410080):
Quote Cheltenham Racecourse station's stolen castings found The cast-iron ends of period benches that were stolen from a railway station platform in Gloucestershire have been found. The parts, worth about ^4,000, were taken from Cheltenham Racecourse station last Friday. Station volunteer Col Bob Stark said the police had phoned him earlier to say a Gloucester scrapyard had puchased them. He said the yard had offered them back to the railway as a gift. Col Stark is chairman of the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway's volunteer Cheltenham area group, which looks after the station. He said: "We're going to have to find some secure storage to make sure it doesn't happen again." Title: Re: Bench ends stolen from Cheltenham Racecourse station (BBC News 22/09/2010) Post by: Phil on September 27, 2010, 07:55:47 Quote "It saddens me greatly that the people who did this would describe themselves as railway enthusiasts," he added. "They're clearly knowledgeable and well aware of the value of Great Western Railway artefacts and I believe that they have a ready market. They could have been taken to order for collectors or another former Great Western heritage railway." It saddens me greatly that the people who jump to such erroneous assumptions would describe themselves as Chairman of the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway's volunteer Cheltenham Area Group. Hopefully Mr. Stark is going to be called to account over this. The perpetrators were obviously thieves who were out for the scrap metal value, and to lay the blame at the door of railway ethusiasts based on no evidence whatsoever is both a defamation and a gross innacuracy. Railway enthusiasts should rise up together and bring a group action against this fellow. Title: Re: Bench ends stolen from Cheltenham Racecourse station (BBC News 22/09/2010) Post by: Ollie on September 27, 2010, 11:33:06 Surely the heritage railways should work together in some respect, rather than accuse each other of theft!
Title: Re: Bench ends stolen from Cheltenham Racecourse station (BBC News 22/09/2010) Post by: inspector_blakey on September 27, 2010, 19:29:59 There is a somewhat half-arsed "thief watch" campaign run by somebody somewhere that I almost never hear anything about... But in general (and I'm talking from years of experience here) it's often rather like herding cats trying to get heritage railway enthusiasts to work together.
However I agree totally that the comments attributed to Stark are unacceptable. As an aside, I always wonder why some people insist on using titles outside of their professional context. Officially (and as those who know me will tell you, slightly hilariously) I'm "Dr" but I can't remember the last time I used it outside of work, where I kind of have to to "keep up with the Joneses" because everyone else had the same title :D ::) Title: Re: Bench ends stolen from Cheltenham Racecourse station (BBC News 22/09/2010) Post by: Phil on September 27, 2010, 19:54:49 However I agree totally that the comments attributed to Stark are unacceptable. As an aside, I always wonder why some people insist on using titles outside of their professional context. Officially (and as those who know me will tell you, slightly hilariously) I'm "Dr" but I can't remember the last time I used it outside of work, where I kind of have to to "keep up with the Joneses" because everyone else had the same title :D ::) You'll notice I pointedly referred to him as "Mr" for much the same reason :D I remember once when I was a cheeky young pup (difficult to imagine, I know...) I was serving on a village committee where an elderly gentleman insisted on being called "Major". When writing up the minutes, I started giving everyone equally redundant formal titles from past employments or organisations - including "Patrol Leader" for myself (as high as I ever rose in the Boy Scouts) and "Section Supervisor Mrs. Dierdre L. Ambrose" for a retired factory worker, etc etc. Two lots of extremely lengthy & thus virtually unreadable minutes later, we agreed to call everyone by their first name. So much easier. Title: Re: Bench ends stolen from Cheltenham Racecourse station (BBC News 22/09/2010) Post by: Pedros on September 30, 2010, 14:34:58 My dad had an altercation once with someone on a planning commitee who insisted that he should be addressed as Major Weston (**name altered**), to which my dad turned round and said "You address me as Architect Burton and I'll address you as Major" Quick meeting that one.
Title: Re: Bench ends stolen from Cheltenham Racecourse station (BBC News 22/09/2010) Post by: paul7575 on September 30, 2010, 16:50:18 Officers in the armed forces of the rank of Lieutenant Commander, Major or Squadron Leader or above, retain their rank in retirement as a courtesy. They are issued by Royal Warrant, unlike the term 'architect'.
Paul Title: Re: Bench ends stolen from Cheltenham Racecourse station (BBC News 22/09/2010) Post by: Electric train on September 30, 2010, 17:58:03 Officers in the armed forces of the rank of Lieutenant Commander, Major or Squadron Leader or above, retain their rank in retirement as a courtesy. They are issued by Royal Warrant, unlike the term 'architect'.Paul Generally only RN officers above Commander use there rank after retirement, the Army (and Royal Marines) it usually from Major (which is equivalent to Lt Cdr RN) Although the more modern generation of retired officers do not use their previous service rank as much as previous generationsTitle: Re: Bench ends stolen from Cheltenham Racecourse station (BBC News 22/09/2010) Post by: Chris from Nailsea on September 30, 2010, 18:10:51 Probably for personal security reasons, these days, many senior officers prefer not to draw attention to their erstwhile rank in any of the services, once they retire. :-X
Title: Re: Bench ends stolen from Cheltenham Racecourse station (BBC News 22/09/2010) Post by: JayMac on September 30, 2010, 18:44:38 Whenever I'm reminded of retired 'Majors' one character comes to mind:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5035TY5RSpg ;D Title: Re: Bench ends stolen from Cheltenham Racecourse station (BBC News 22/09/2010) Post by: inspector_blakey on September 30, 2010, 19:24:56 Officers in the armed forces of the rank of Lieutenant Commander, Major or Squadron Leader or above, retain their rank in retirement as a courtesy. They are issued by Royal Warrant, unlike the term 'architect'. Paul Fair enough, but retaining your rank as a courtesy is one think, insisting that everyone address you as such because it makes you feel more important is quite another. Like I said above, my official title is Dr rather than Mr, but I certainly don't insist on being addressed as such. In fact, being called Dr makes me slightly uncomfortable outside a work setting where it's expected. Title: Re: Bench ends stolen from Cheltenham Racecourse station (BBC News 22/09/2010) Post by: paul7575 on September 30, 2010, 20:29:09 Yes, anyone making a song and dance about their own title is being a bit of a prat. However I was trying to point out the slightly different status of more senior military rank. I suppose it's a bit like being awarded an honour entitling one to use a formal title - but I doubt people get quite so exercised about Lordships and Knighthoods etc etc.
Paul This page is printed from the "Coffee Shop" forum at http://gwr.passenger.chat which is provided by a customer of Great Western Railway. Views expressed are those of the individual posters concerned. Visit www.gwr.com for the official Great Western Railway website. Please contact the administrators of this site if you feel that content provided contravenes our posting rules ( see http://railcustomer.info/1761 ). The forum is hosted by Well House Consultants - http://www.wellho.net |