My apologies to Rhygaled for not replying sooner to the posting providing an alternative type of timetable: the Fishguard service. 

Yes, the alternately coloured bands, both vertical and horizontal certainly keeps the eyes on the level, as it were.  Thanks for that.

If you're fed up with rushing around doing Christmassy stuff, you could sit down with a cup of coffee and answer a question for me!

It occurred to me that there still does not appear to be a huge number of women working on the railways.  I'm thinking less in terms of the traditional type of female roles of booking clerks, canteen workers etc, more the 'action' end, like engine drivers, linesmen etc.  Also, there appears to be many more men than women on this forum, if the user names are anything to go by.

Being a bit of a feminist I have watched with glee, (and a degree of envy)over the years, as women increasingly went into careers previously male dominated.

If my statement in the second paragraph here is correct, I wonder why this is?  Someone may be able to provide me with some information to either contradict my statement, or explain why the drift into railways by women has been slower than in other trraditional male roles?

I didn't look at the 'Accessibility' page; you're right bobm, I may have to leave Echo at home.  Drat & double drat, Mutley.

Re: Travelling to Bristol from Melksham using the improved timetable: Bignosemac, you suggested I returned to the forum with this topic after the 8th December.

I was talking to my daughter about getting to her place in Southville (Exeter Road) by train, and she seems to think I'd probably have to go to Temple Meads, then get a bus into the city centre, change there for another to take me to Southville.  "Just get in the car, mum"  (Talk about waving a ciggie packet under a determined quitter's nose). I mentioned your suggestion of alighting at Bedminster but she didn't think that would be any more helpful.  However, as her and her partner don't use the rail services very much, I'm not sure they're any more qualified to work it all out than me! 

I shan't be attempting the journey until after the New Year now, so just allowing for some 'thinking time' to consider my options. Any contributions to the thought processes gratefully received.  Thank you.

Not sure if this is the right place for this topic - or rather, question, but no doubt someone will put me right...

I have been meaning to visit the Steam Museum in Swindon for some time, and with the advent of the improved services available from Melksham, what better way to utilise the additional trains, rather than just travel as a 'basher' (Now how on earth did that expression develop?!)

I can't see on their website whether dogs are allowed in the museum; have sent an e-mail to ask, but have had no reply as yet. I'm hoping someone on this forum might know.  Thank you.

Hoorah!  Thanks, bobm.  I am hoping to start using trains to get to both Bristol (Southville) and to Potters Bar, which will be quite an adventure for me, as I think from Paddington I have to use the underground to get to Barnet/Potters Bar (Actually need to get to South Mimms village).  Has to be an improvement on trawling my way round the M25.

I have read on the forum with interest, some comments about holdups on the rail service, but I can't imagine it can be much worse than all the hours I've spent fuming in traffic jams on the motorway.  I can hardly recall a journey to Potters Bar without any delays at all, and I go up there an awful lot, as my son and his family live there.  Um.  This paragraph should probably have gone elsewhere on the forum.  Whoops.

Thanks very much for the link, richwarwicker, will use it presently to further frighten myself out of my car and onto the trains, although I feel now there is a much improved rail service from Melksham that I should be taking advantage of that anyway.

Now, where did I put that timetable.......?

Only just realised that when I calculated the cost of running a car, I forgot to factor in the depreciation of the vehicle.  I wonder how much that would add to the ^38 per week I thought I was probably spending at present. 

I don't know how far City Thamelink is from the Houses of Parliament, but my first thought on reading your post was that it was the sound of MPs^▸ (Member of Parliament) snoring............

As part of the exercise to lever myself out of my car and take to public transport I thought I'd try to frighten myself by working out how much it is costing me to run my little Skoda.  I got it down to a figure per week, but am really too embarrassed to admit publicly how much I spend on personal transport!

I just wondered whether any other posters have 'done the maths', and whether they have produced results which have sent them scurrying to the railway station for a season ticket!? At least, now I'm in the realm of the wrinklies I can apply for a senior citizens railcard; I already have a bus pass but confess I haven't made use of it since moving to Melksham.

I'm sure someone somewhere must have done some research about travel cost comparisons, but not only am I too lazy to try to make sense of train timetables, neither can I be bothered to trawl through the myriad search engines to find the most accurate and reliable figures.  Perhaps the Dept. of Transport would be a place to start?  Someone out there might know better.

Sorry, haven't learned how to insert part of a quote yet, but I just wanted to add to my comment about Jeremy Clarkson.  Did anyone see him on The One Show when he was complaining about trains stopping 'just because someone's jumped in front of them'.  How terribly inconvenient for the poor man to be held up in Reading under such circumstances....

Really, are there no depths to which this odious man is prepared to sink? 

Jeremy Clarkson travels on FGW?  I'm not sure I want to take up rail travel after all.  Can't stand the bloke. Sorry, all you Top Gear fans.

Oh, drat and double drat, Mutley.

Hmmm....  Perhaps if I dyed my hair the same colour someone might call me beautiful?  Unfortunately I have the problem of losing about 40 years as well!

This one's for bus travellers really;

'Hope very tight please!'

Really - I hardly know you..... 

Anyone else online old enough to remember bus conductors?