Oh, better watch what I say then.... Anyway, takes all sorts to make a world.  One could not have an interesting exchange of ideas if all thoughts ran along the same track.  Oh, that was a bit cheesy, on this site.....

Chris from Nailsea: after a couple of Christmas Eve glasses of wine I can't even pronounce epithets, let alone know what they are!  Oh, go on, you know you want to tell!

Well, I didn't really know where to put this post, but I just wanted to wish all Forum users and guests a very happy Christmas, and very best wishes for the New Year; I especially hope all who are travelling over the holiday period have a safe and comfortable journey, and may your wellies never be overwhelmed.

To Chris from Nailsea:

I find it very encouraging to read that you, as a hero member of this forum are still learning new things.  I must say I'm finding many of the posts make very interesting reading; or is that a symptom of me needing to get out more!?

grahame, I'm learning something new every day on this forum.    I always thought it was considered 'ungreen' to make short journeys in the car.  There you are, I needn't feel guilty any more.  It would certainly make life easier for me driving to the station, as, if my mobility is particularly poor when due to travel, a walk up to the New Inn bus stop would tire me out and make me very sore before I'd even started my journey by public transport.

Thank you!  I will explore all options for getting to the railway station by bus for future reference.

Chris from Nailsea, thanks very much for your input.  What some helpful folk there are on this forum!

I'd like to comment on an earlier posting here by John R:  I don't consider myself as being disabled, but I do have mobility issues, sometimes worse than others, and I have to agree with you, I think you need to consider allowing more time for a rail journey if there is the potential for hiccups.

Example:  In the spring I travelled by train from Melksham to Bristol, early evening, expecting to be able to change at Trowbridge.  The train I needed to catch there was already at the station when my train arrived.  My mobility was pretty awful at the time, and by the time I'd limped across the bridge and down towards the platform the train was just pulling away! 

Oh, goodness me, I politely exclaimed......

Fortunately a lovely young man with whom I'd struck up a conversation on leaving Melksham, had walked with me over the bridge (UNfortunately, causing him to miss the connection himself!) and had on him one of these posh phones with internet access, so was able to tell me we wouldn't have to wait long before another Bristol-bound train came along, so the story had a happy ending.  I mention the young man as kids tend to get such a bad press these days, and he was just so kind!  There are some lovely folk out there; unfortunately only the bad guys get the press coverage.

Anyway, had I studied the timetable in greater depth before leaving home I wouldn't have bothered trying to rush over the bridge

Good morning all, and thanks once again for your interesting input.

I think ellendune's comments say it all really.  Surely not just in engineering but all types of employment it is the different perspectives available in a joint-gender situation that improves the skill mix.  grahame has illustrated the same point talking about his hotel staff; sounds like a super environment in which to work, changing roles in that way.

One thing that does make me hopping mad is to be automatically landed with a stereotypical gender role:  I once volunteered my services at a function, some while back.  The co-ordinator said " oh goodie, you can make the teas and poor (man's name) who had been stuck with that task can go off and do something more interesting" 

I don't think so.   

Oh!  The penny has just dropped!  The kind gentleman concerned has already given me lots of food for thought here, and some ideas with which to experiment, thank you grahame, and all other helpful souls who have made suggestions to aid my travel plans.  Thank you!

!?!

Thank you. That would be easier than walking, certainly, but if I got off at Temple Meads it might be cheaper to explore which buses go to Southville.  It costs me a fiver to get from where I live to Melksham town centre, so I daresay the cost to the station would be about the same, so if I got a taxi the other end as well, things are going to start getting expensive.  The obvious answer would be to drive to the station and leave my car parked there, but as I am trying to improve my green credentials, this doesn't seem like a good idea!  Santa, please can I have a bus from Berryfield to Melksham station to match the new train services!?

   That's a bit odd then, johoare?  I thought there were a lot more women now working in IT?

Thanks very much for your input guys.  At the moment, with an arthritic condition awaiting treatment I would be hard-pushed to walk a mile, will have a look at the other route and see just how much shorter that is.  Would there be a taxi rank outside either of these stations?

Paul 7755, thank you for providing the timetable earlier this month; handy job, pity I haven't used it!

Thank you all very much for your interest and information!   

Electric Train, your fascinating comment that women think differently to men in terms of engineering has me intrigued.  As it would be said on an A-Level exam paper - 'Discuss!

I was interested to read about the railway career adverts appearing in womens' magazines, too.  But I don't agree that it's the nature of the work that discourages women from working in the 'outdoor' or physical end of the railways.  After all, there are lots more women now working in farming, landscape gardening, as HGV drivers and in the construction industry, so we're not all worried about messing up our hair and breaking fingernails!

I don't necessarily think it's down to awkward shift patterns turning women away either; I was a nurse for most of my working life, the hours in that job are about as unsocial as they come; you just find ways of jiggling childcare around them.

I entirely agree that we don't need to be aiming for a 50/50 split between male/female working opportunities.  Are there jobs that certain genders dislike???  Many more men now are going into the care sector as well as the fashion/designing/sewing industries.

Oh crumbs, what a tale of woe.  I admire your dedication for vowing your continued loyalty to the railways!  I can't imagine how I'd have coped, as a newbie rail user under those circumstances, but I don't think the episode would have helped to wean me away from my car. 

As I am more often than not, travelling with my dog, life would have become very uncomfortable for Echo; easy enough usually to find a drink/snack for yourself, but I don't think dogfood vending machines are that common at railway stations?!  I'm almost wishing I hadn't read your posting!