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211
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All across the Great Western territory / Fare's Fair / Re: Can fare depend on time of ticket purchase from the guard?
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on: March 14, 2022, 16:15:26
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I have had the opposite situation happen to me some years ago. I went to the station to catch a train timetabled to leave after 09.30 and a train came in (after 09.30 at roughly the time the train I hoped to catch was due) which turned out to be a late running train that was timetabled to arrive before 09.30. On that occasion, the guard would only sell me an anytime fare ticket, because he said, the train was due to arrive there before 09.30.
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213
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All across the Great Western territory / Across the West / Re: How Many of your journeys have involved a change of train along the way?
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on: March 12, 2022, 07:33:17
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I missed this poll as well. Many journeys I would like to make would involve a change of train, but due to poor timetabling, I don't make the journey or make it differently.
For instance, for me to get from Oldfield Park to Bedminster, which I have often needed to do for meetings, I need to change trains at Temple Meads. However, the hourly services from Oldfield Park have always been timetabled to arrive at Temple Meads two minutes after the hourly service to Bedminster leaves. So I never make that journey that way, and instead either cycle from Temple Meads to Bedminster or cycle from my house to Bath Spa to catch a better connecting train. It does also mean trying to travel from here to Weston super Mare is frustrating. Travelling from Oldfield Park will always require at least a 25 minute wait at Temple Meads, or to go to Bath Spa and catch the one through train in the late morning (don't know if this still runs) or one of the two direct trains in the evening back to there.
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214
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Sideshoots - associated subjects / The West - but NOT trains in the West / Re: Regular shopping - where do you get your groceries
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on: February 21, 2022, 17:32:03
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For a "what are the metrics of people's movements" question in my home town, looking to get an idea of grocery shopping habits. Not asking about the specifics of public transport here, though the days of going around Caters, coming out with big bags of food and getting on the 227 have long passed ...
I too remember Caters and the 227. Single-decker RFs so as to squeeze under Shortlands railway bridge and through the Chislehurst water tower. Meanwhile, you're not giving much of a choice for local independents. We use (in person) a local butcher and two local fishmongers - one attached to a farm shop and one in Pershore. Having grown up on the 227 route, and close to one of the stops, I too remember it and cater's. We grow much of our veg but for groceries I shop at our local independent wholefood shops and for extra veg shop at the farmers market each Saturday or at our local greengrocers. I buy bread at any of our local bakeries, though none are that close to where I live. We have just started getting milk (which for us is oat milk) delivered in milk bottles twice a week. |
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215
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All across the Great Western territory / Across the West / Re: Storms Eunice, Franklin, Gladys from 18/2/2022
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on: February 18, 2022, 09:06:31
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The lull was quite amazing really, as it was completely still in Bath about 9pm last night, having been very windy all day. People tend to forget that the 'calm before the storm' isn't just a phrase but an accurate description of what happens before extreme storms. However, at the moment it is south-western facing coasts that are getting the full brunt of the storm, so not the original red warning coast, but the winds will be turning to west and then north-west as the storm moves through.
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216
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All across the Great Western territory / Introductions and chat / Re: Blowing out the Wobcebs - Journey reports, 5th Feb 2022, Melksham to W-s-M
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on: February 11, 2022, 08:43:18
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Into Bath Bus Station and just a couple of minutes later I left on the X39 to Bristol, calculating I had good time to use that and still make the train at Temple Meads. x39 bus in the right (labelled) bay, but no driver, waiting. Good job I spotted another vehicle, also labelled x39 outside in the next bay which is for some other service in the next bay, the door opened when I approached it and the driver admitted he was the service I wanted. Good ride to Bristol, plenty of space.
Rang the request bell as we approached the River Avon ... and the bus carried on, around the roundabout, past "The Sidings" at the bottom of Station, past roadworks with a stop behind them, pas various offices, past the Hilton, and eventually stopped outside the church of St Mary's Redcliffe. Not sure how long those road works are going on, but an epic failure to provide a good alternative. Something of a relief to have good time, good energy, and good enough mobility for the walk back!
I noted this bit when reading your account the first time. I wasn't aware of this bus stop closure, and yesterday I had to go to Bristol and caught this bus. The road works have stopped the bus stop, but the bus driver I had stopped the bus immediately after them (by the island in the middle of the side road, though there is very little pavement here due to the road works) to let those off who wished to get to Temple Meads (not me, I was heading to the Centre). I assume this was an informal stop made by the driver rather than company policy, as there is nothing there to say the stop is temporarily moved to that point. The X39 has had some pretty bad decisions made about where it stops in Bristol city centre recently. Apart from moving the Temple Meads stop further away from the station approach road, there is also now no bus stop anywhere between St Mary Redcliffe church and the Centre. This means that there is no convenient stop for the whole Queen Square/Prince Street area, including the most direct access to the Harbourside and south to Southville, leaving anyone wishing to go to these areas a much longer walk. |
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218
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Sideshoots - associated subjects / News, Help and Assistance / Re: Logging in first page
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on: January 27, 2022, 20:15:00
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Whenever I have logged in, I've always had the front page with the title All across the Great Western Territory heading and the list of all the separate sections.
However, I was away for a few days over last weekend and when I returned and logged in, I had the Across the West page come up instead, and I had to navigate back to the first page. This has happened every time since. I'm not aware I have done anything to make this happen, so wondered why it has, and if it can be reversed.
Shouldn't have changed - though I did update the headers adding things like the "I need help" and FAQ▸ links. Browser tend to have auto-complete, and bookmarks can get messed up sometimes - could be something in your browser. Check to see if there's a "#1" on the end of the forum URL when you end up at "Across the West". If there is, it's your browser. Anyone else have this issue? If there's a pattern and it's commonly happening, it could be me ...though I don't think so in this case. Have checked and there is no hash1 on the end of the forum URL when I end up at Across the West. |
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219
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Sideshoots - associated subjects / News, Help and Assistance / Logging in first page
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on: January 27, 2022, 18:14:30
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Whenever I have logged in, I've always had the front page with the title All across the Great Western Territory heading and the list of all the separate sections.
However, I was away for a few days over last weekend and when I returned and logged in, I had the Across the West page come up instead, and I had to navigate back to the first page. This has happened every time since. I'm not aware I have done anything to make this happen, so wondered why it has, and if it can be reversed.
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220
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All across the Great Western territory / Smoke and Mirrors / Re: Railway staff pawning people off with nonsense
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on: January 27, 2022, 15:36:30
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Here's the job description from a recent GWR▸ Gateline Assistant vacancy: Gateline Assistant
About the job
The purpose of the job is to be the face of Great Western Railway and to give Great Western Railway customers a positive impression of the company and to exceed their expectations of customer service. As a Gateline Assistant, you will assist in the operation of the ticket barriers and provide information and assistance to customers. I've highlighted pertinent points that appear to be lacking from Robin Summerhill's experience at Chippenham. Robin, do contact GWR Customer Services and raise the matter. It might take a few rounds of correspondence to reach a resolution you are happy with, but change only occurs if the service provider acknowledges there's a problem. That was my experience with issues at Paddington's gateline. In my case the complaints went all the way to a personal meeting with GWR's Customer Service Director. I'm not suggesting things will, or need, go that far with your issues at Chippenham, but an assurance that the issue will be raised with local management is the least that should be promised. Then, if similar happens again you can escalate further. I agree with others that, in general, frontline customer service staff, be they booking clerks, gateline staff, platform staff, guards, TMs‡ etc are a great bunch, dedicated to doing their very best for customers. It's the one or two jobsworths that tarnish the image. And, of course, we as customers are far more likely to share our negative experiences. I may just start a thread about positive interactions and stories of rail staff going above and beyond the next time I have such an interaction. I also agree that the majority of staff are very helpful, and would say that some of the problems faced both by Robin and myself, are no doubt due to (the hopefully temporary) staff shortages making it more difficult for staff to do the job that they are supposed to be doing. Part of the problem with Chippenham, shown by both of our posts, is that any failings on behalf of the staff are greatly exacerbated by what is an appalling station design for those with luggage. As it happens, Bath Spa is similar in that respect. Trying to access the lift on the London-bound platform is just a joke at times. You get through the barrier to find a large stream of people coming from the other platform waiting to get out through the barriers who block your way to the lift. Sometimes I've lost a few minutes just trying to go forward from barrier to lift, which is just due to appalling design (and yes I understand the reasons why it is that way). |
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221
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All across the Great Western territory / Smoke and Mirrors / Re: Railway staff pawning people off with nonsense
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on: January 27, 2022, 14:18:36
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I have to say that on my last visit to Chippenham I had similar experiences. The staff members I had contact with weren't exactly overly helpful, and the station design, with the barriers halfway down the first platform, make it awkward to use if you have luggage. I had to use the lift as I had a bike with me and so had to get through the barriers, which took longer than it needed to, and then once you get up to the footbridge, access to the lift down to the platform is just awful. You have to walk around in what feels like a circle to get to it, and then find you can't get through the barrier and there are no staff there. After feeling non-plussed for a short while, you look around, and if lucky, find a button to push to speak to a staff member (presumably the same person you met with at the other barrier). They then, in my case, say they can't see the bike, so suggest you just go through the barrier, which I can't because I do actually have a bike. Anyway, I did eventually get let through the barrier, but it doesn't leave you feeling welcomed.
All this palaver, and a perfectly good platform right by the entrance which no train stops at!
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222
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Sideshoots - associated subjects / The Lighter Side / Re: Buses, trains, ferries. Where were Finn and I today, 26th January 2022?
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on: January 27, 2022, 14:07:14
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Is 4 Gosport bus station? Now if only the line went on straight ahead there ... it does, sort of, with a short gap as the Fareham-Gosport bus/cycle way, which I will hopefully be doing this Saturday. I haven't come across that bus/cycleway, are the two users separated by a fence or verge or kerb or is it a shared road? Gosport isn't exciting but it isn't as bad as some people have made it out to be. It does feel distinctly militaristic though, not surprising given the dominance of the navy here, but it is very easy to cycle around, as a lot of residents there do. I've used the Hythe ferry a couple of times but not for several years now. Is the pier still as ropy as it was when I was last there? It certainly didn't feel that safe to walk the length of after I disembarked from the boat. |
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223
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All across the Great Western territory / Buses and other ways to travel / Re: Disabled traveller v travel pass not working
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on: January 20, 2022, 07:40:55
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Begs the question.... 'Why did she keep an out of date pass if she has a current one?'
Whenever I'm sent a new card (for travel, bank or whatever) I always keep the old one on me until I've tried the new one and ensured it is working. I have to be absolutely certain before I cut up and dispose of the old card. And yes, that has occasionally led to producing the old one mistakenly, though I've always then had the new one to produce instead. But if she is someone who tends to be anxious, as many of us are when travelling, then the mistake is understandable. |
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