Great place for a holiday, and the Esk Valley line has really picturesque stations.  We visited the interesting Battersby Junction, where the trains reverse, and the lovely little station at Lealholm, which complements the beautiful village.  Also a trip from Whitby to Grosmont - and I bought a book of walks between the stations on the NYMR^▸ (North Yorkshire Moors Railway), for a future holiday.

The service improvements mean that we'll be able to travel to Middlesborough, and visit the Transporter Bridge as well.

Yes there was and can we have it back please?

Witney to Oxford  (Yarnton) to take pressure off the awful A40

I'm sure I must have travelled on the Waterloo service as a child on a REPTA* family holiday to Guernsey via Weymouth in the mid 1960s - sadly this is no help at all as I can remember precisely nothing about the journey except how slow the train went on the tram section, dodging cars and people.

About 17 years ago we went to Guernsey (flying this time) and went to try to find the guest house we stayed in - it didn't seem to be there any more.  We asked a local who said with large round eyes..... "You don't mean the Benefits Hostel?"  "That burnt down years ago!"

Well it was all right when we stayed there!

* anyone remember REPTA?  Still going, see https://www.repta.co.uk/

Is it me?  Or does that figure look a bit....spooky?

My daughter did exactly that, with the merest hint of a query from the ticket office person

In Oxford, rail users can pay in the ticket office (assuming it is open) on production of a valid rail ticket, although I believe it is more expensive than the "by phone" option.  You don't get a ticket to place in your car, instead you give them your registration number and it goes on a list to be checked against (presumably) by someone walking round the car park at some point.

I don't know if non rail users can do this - I wouldn't bother doing it as ellundune says it's much more expensive.  However, Oxford is so expensive for parking anyway I think I'd stay at home, or in West Oxfordshire where parking is free in all council run car parks.

I'll take a wild guess at number 15 - Umberleigh?

There's not just one but about 20 of these pages in the survey - actually it seemed like 200 - and I had the same thought about the relative likelihood of each one happening.  I'm afraid I rather lost the will to live by the end....

Anyway I'm booked on one of the first trains on October 26th - not actually the first passenger train as that leaves Oxford Parkway at something like 05:40, and that seemed rather like hard work.

Thanks, but I must have misunderstood - I thought a Pin code was needed

Well since this has turned into a toilet thread I for one would appreciate more info than the tantalising stuff so far on where the free ones are at Paddington.  I must have spent a small fortune in 30p's....

The disappearance of free to use public toilets is a national scandal - maybe minor to some, but a major inconvenience (pun intended) to others

We found that the barriers at Exeter St Davids were a bit variable - some did read them, some didn't.  Plymouth the same.  According to gate line staff, it's "being sorted out".

I'm looking forward to that day too, Alex

The day before, we did go as far in the other direction from Okehampton as we could - Meldon Viaduct!  The walk from there to the Meldon Dam is also recommended.

I'd post some pictures if I knew how...

rgds
Rob C

Just to let folks know what a bargain the Devon Day Ranger can be. 

Mrs C and I had a few days away in Devon, and a few Sundays ago, we started at Okehampton (the buffet on the platform is highly recommended for breakfast).  Then by a packed one coach 09:55 FGW^▸ (First Great Western) Sunday Rover to Exeter St Davids.  Five minutes later, we caught a Cross Country Voyager to Plymouth, sitting on the left hand side, of course.  It was a beautiful day, and the coastal route looked wonderful. 

Arrived at Plymouth, and had time for a quick walk down to the Hoe and a pasty and ice cream.  Then back to the station (spotting Tangmere and the Royal Duchy across the platform) for the train to Gunnislake - fantastic views of the Royal Albert/Tamar Bridges and (dodging the vegetation) the scenery up the branch line.

Then back the same way to Okehampton.  All for the princely sum of ^10 each, or in our case an even better ^6.60 each with railcard.

A wonderful day out, and there could have been variations to this eg longer time in Plymouth without the Tamar Valley branch line, or stopping at Dawlish etc.

We found this and many other ideas in this in this useful leaflet:  http://www.okehampton.gov.uk/data/uploads/429.pdf  which I happened to find while researching the trip in advance.

rgds
Rob

That's it!

Thank you grahame...