Well, I wouldn't disagree with you, Andy and vacman - although I voted for Portishead (because it's my local issue in North Somerset), the Tavistock line would be my next choice.

Unfortunately, Lee didn't offer us a further option of, 'any two of the above'!   

Goodness me, the 0811 is much too early for me!

Honestly, though, I don't know about the accent: I was just going by a previous suggestion, at http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=1418.msg8384#msg8384 .

In case anyone has missed it, there was another discussion about HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train), TGS and buffet cars, on another thread in this forum - see http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=1619.msg11189#msg11189 onwards.

However, as Btline pointed out (http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=1619.msg11443#msg11443 ), that was not particularly relevant to the original purpose of that other thread!

Moderators - if it's not too much work, is it possible to split the above exchange (individual items from http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=1619.msg10888#msg10888 onwards, as appropriate?) from that thread to this, to make it more relevant and comprehensive here?

Thanks, Chris.

Well, FGW^▸ (First Great Western) themselves are not particularly forthcoming about what's happening: see http://www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk/Content.aspx?id=54

E-mail addresses at FGW are apparently in the format, firstname dot surname (at) firstgroup dot com , so you could always try asking Barbara Hollman on that basis ... 

Agreed, Mookiemoo: In my humble opinion -

1. Safety equipment (and indeed the train manager/guard's cabin) is probably better located in the middle of the train (away from front or rear impact collisions, for example);

2. It would indeed be stupid to remove the buffet carriages - restyle them, maybe, with standard seats in reverse format, but do not remove them!

 

No disagreement from me there, Ollie - but the points made by me and Mookiemoo still stand!

(Nothing personal, as I hope you know by now!) 

Yes, you and I would, Ollie - but the less seasoned travellers that I'm referring to, having almost lost the will to live while trudging backwards and forwards along the train trying to find an empty seat, are understandably confused!   

Cheers, John! 

On a more serious, and perhaps even cynical, note: was the travelling chef's invitation to you to take a temporary seat in first class perhaps motivated by self-interest?  As FGW^▸ (First Great Western) are proposing to do away with buffet facilities, did the customer host/chef offer you that 'temporary upgrade' in the hope you'd feel so good about it that you'd reply 'strongly disagree' to any survey about whether buffet cars should be removed from HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train) in future?

... and until it gets to Bristol it's too crowded for them to venture forward ... 

I agree with IanL, again!  I tend to filter out announcements that 'only the front five carriages will be platformed at Nailsea' because I know full well that I'm already in one of them!  However, I do sympathise with less experienced travellers, who don't know whether the carriage they're in is necessarily one of 'the front five carriages' - yes, it may well be 'A, B, C, D or E' in normal formation, but especially when the train is 'in reverse formation', it's not that obvious to the novice traveller?

... and (he's been mentioned elsewhere in this forum) there's a very distinctive Canadian (I think) accented TM^‡(resolve) who causes much hilarity on our westbound HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train) with announcements about the train stopping at 'Highbridge and BurnHAM' ...   

I agree: why not remove the coach letter prefix from all the seats, allowing more flexibility if coaches are out of alphabetical order for whatever reason, and also remove the A suffix, on the basis that most of the seats are Airline style anyway.

That way you get into, say, Coach B and know that there will be one seat, clearly marked '23', for example, which matches your ticket reservation!

TGS = Trailer Guard Standard (Mark 3 coach type) - 'usually' Coach A.  

Unless you managed to present yourself as a pregnant female while ordering your breakfast, John, I'd assume you were just lucky!  But as you say, a very civilised way to enjoy the meal.   

Same with me, IanL: when I catch the HST^▸ (High Speed Train) 1822 BTM^▸ (Bristol Temple Meads (strictly, it should be BRI)) to Nailsea, I often find myself having to reassure slightly panicking less seasoned travellers that the carriage we are in will certainly be 'platformed' at Nailsea - despite the TM^‡(resolve)'s announcement implying that it won't, because the seat letters don't match the carriage letters ...