Thanks, John!  You're quite right - and I'm really feeling my age now! 

Teenagers, some armed with baseball bats, have carried out a spate of 14 attacks in one week on the Bristol to Bath cycle path.

One victim has had his jaw smashed and another his nose broken by the youths carrying out random attacks - often for nothing more than the "kick" of injuring a passer-by.

Since May 27, there has been a series of attacks on the path and residents have told the Evening Post that some of the attacks are being carried out by children dressed in school uniform. Police have stepped up patrols in Easton.

Anyone with information should call the Bristol robbery team on 0845 456 7000.

See http://thisisbristol.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=144913&command=displayContent&sourceNode=231190&home=yes&more_nodeId1=144922&contentPK=20796264

Showing our age, but some of our younger readers may not understand that one, John! 

No: see also http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7437334.stm 

There's a lot of useful background information, relating to this apparently perennial problem, at http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=2669.0 

Well, if my ticket for my homeward journey were ever to be checked (by ANYONE!) it would indeed be a cause for gossip?  I can't remember the last time it actually happened!

I look forward to seeing 3 RPIs^▸ (Revenue Protection Inspector (or Retail Price Index, depending on the context)) at Nailsea & Backwell tomorrow evening, now I've posted this! 

Cue Ollie? 

Yes, welcome to the coffee shop, Ian!

And Phil, I didn't know you are an ex-Strawberry Line resident!  Which stations?  It's my local dismantled branch line - still full of character, even just walking the trackbed these days: it must have been a lovely train ride, in the sadly distant past!

Fair comment, 12hoursunday.

As a matter of interest, is there any formal process for train staff to raise such concerns / issues with signal staff, with a view to resolving them by getting things changed, if necessary?

I've overheard a couple of staff on my local commuter train comparing notes about their experiences of apparently odd decisions by a signalman that have 'adversely' affected them, and I wondered then whether the signal staff themselves are actually ever made aware of these views?

Hello, Penmill Pugs, and welcome to the coffee shop!

I think the only people you may have 'ruffled' a bit are FGW^▸ (First Great Western), who seem to have overlooked the need to at least try to cover the costs of this service?!

Has anyone else on the forum experienced this rather bizarre situation??

Thanks for that useful background information, vacman.

(Like me, you're probably too young to remember the 1960's  )

Seriously, though: what would Wadebridge, Padstow and Tavistock be like now, with the benefit of rail links that hadn't been ripped up??  As we've seen, it's far easier to close a branch line than it is to reopen it. 

Talking of Cornwall branch lines closed in the Beeching era, I see that the restoration of the branch line to Helston is doing well: see http://thisiscornwall.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=144143&command=displayContent&sourceNode=144131&contentPK=20734573&moduleName=InternalSearch&formname=sidebarsearch

I agree with Tom - I think you may have four seats round a table after all.  Seat numbers are allocated in banks of four (two each side of the gangway) down the carriage: in other words, the missing 27a and 28a in the sequence you have been quoted will be on the opposite side of the carriage from your table.

(I think!) 

Yes, he did - but an increase of "at least a third" from 400,000 would be "more than 533,333".  Either way, his maths is dodgy (and him an ex-school teacher, too!) 

My only (slight) reservation is over Andrew's maths.


I make that a rise of 'at least a quarter', Andrew.

C. 

2. is Longleat. Definitely. I was there, a few weeks ago!