This Saturday's trip was down to the coast, but a different part to Graham. As mentioned elsewhere there was no Panama hat involved.

As is my wont I got a return from RDG^‡(resolve) to Portsmouth Harbour, which allows me to either go via Guildford or Basingstoke. Got a Gatwick train to Guildford, busy but not packed. Then a Portsmouth Harbour "fast", in the days of my youth there were no fast trains on the Portsmouth Direct line only "semi-fast" and slow (presumably too honest for the current times). Again busy but not packed.

Got off at Havant, left the good lady to run through to PMH and explore Portsmouth. I cycled down the Hayling Billy Line to the Hayling Ferry. Sea was relatively calm and only a light following wind. The Hayling Ferry was packed with both bikes and people.

Cycled from Eastney along the seafront at Southsea, which was busy, to The Hard (bus train interchange at PMH) where I met the other half. Got the ferry to Gosport (busy), where we had a bite of lunch. I left her to use the other half of the ferry ticket and carry on exploring Portsmouth.

I cycled on Stokes Bay, Lee on (the) Solent where the Hovercraft Museum was open as I went by. Got to the Hamble Ferry where the sign said that the last ferry had gone, much stroking of beard (thinking?) when somebody said the ferry was coming so three of got on the little pink ferry, about eight had got off.

Cycled on to Southampton, slight deviation in Woolston (got lost?) I am used to going in the opposite direction, SOU-PMH.

Found a Basingstoke train, which had lost its guard. Platform full of people eventually got on three minutes after scheduled departure time. Got to Basingstoke where by pure chance I met the other half on the Reading Flyer. I think one person got off at Reading Green Park.

Dry all day, about five degrees cooler on the coast compared to Reading. No rain until I walked outside RDG to be greeted by half a dozen spots.

No I didn't wear my Panama over the weekend, and was else where.

Apologies Graham, but another Grahamism.

I had visions of somebody being chopped into small pieces. Perhaps not physically, but ...

As I came by Cow Lane depot earlier there were two coaches loaded up ready to go.

"Porterbrook's GWR769 Free Shuttle", how many units will they need to ensure the service performs all day?

Today's mystery?

Two low loaders heading south in Reading towards J11 of M4 at about midday.

A railway carriage loaded on each, all I managed to get was a carriage number: 71868

The end of a sorry saga?

https://twitter.com/LeroySkeete/status/1664315655317864449

All that money to avoid mixing with the great unwashed?

Pleased to see that @activetraveleng  is now a statutory consultee on all planning applications of 150 new housing units or more.

https://twitter.com/adamtranter/status/1664175038524686337?cxt=HHwWgoCw9auYq5guAAAA

The service has now returned – in a limited capacity.
https://www.cyclinguk.org/article/eurostar-re-opens-cycle-carriage-brussels
Better than nothing?

There seems to be some confusion in the media about whether e-scooters are allowed on trains, and where.

The link in Berkshire local news https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-65776507 actually links to a Devon item, so the SWR^» (South Western Railway - about) focus might be forgiveable.

The national link https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c6plrn2d3j7o have listed the ban applying to Southeastern, Southern, Thameslink and Gatwick Express.

The "bringing your bike link on GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) https://www.gwr.com/travelling-with-us/on-our-trains/bringing-your-bike makes it clear that
Is this a blanket ban across all operators, and if so have I missed something on National Rail or Network Rail?

As Red Squirrel suggests there tend to be no easy answers.

There is good guidance now https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/951074/cycle-infrastructure-design-ltn-1-20.pdf but it is just guidance.

It does say that there should be an integrated plan rather than a patchwork of disconnected schemes. This was the idea behind Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plans (LCWIP^▸ (Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan)). In the case of Melksham this would be the Wiltshire LCWIP, which majors on Salisbury, and mentions Chippenham, Devizes and Trowbridge. All Melksham gets is a Sign Placement Plan, which to my cynical mind suggests a cop out.

What happened to the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) or s106 money from new estates, or did that vanish into the central pot in Trowbridge?

LTN^▸ (Low Traffic Neighbourhood) 1/20 says that schemes should be designed by a suitably qualified highways engineer, and elsewhere in the guidance it suggests that should be cyclist.

Needless there is very little of this evident in Reading. The prime example is the Sidmouth Street cycle street. It has no connection with the rest of the cycle network at the river end, and it is that useful I have never even seen a cycle delivery bike on it.

in more ways than one.

In the latest re-announcement of walking and cycling funding Wiltshire CC are rated at 1 for cycling capability and only got Which doesn't get you much even for walking and cycling infrastructure. Upping your capability appears to get you more money? I assume Reading's £75k will probably get about one bollard.
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/millions-of-people-to-benefit-from-200-million-to-improve-walking-and-cycling-routes

More local members of the forum will be able to comment on this
https://road.cc/content/news/cycling-live-blog-24-may-2023-301429
https://www.wiltshiretimes.co.uk/news/23541502.melksham-man-urges-crackdown-cycling-towns-pavements/

BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) Radio 4
20:00 Monday 29th May
11:00 Wednesday 31st May
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001mc65

The job is now complete; scaffolding and traffic lights removed.

Panels in what I guess is Malachite Green, framework and remainder in Black.

Latest sitrep: https://twitter.com/PaulCliftonBBC/status/1659603035214037004?cxt=HHwWmIC-4dyKjIguAAAA