Warning - Pedant alert

[whole diary]

[IanL]

Oh dear, the old bridewell is what I term the police station.....you can tell how long ago I left bristol!

Reference the cars outside.....my first car was a Mk1 Escort in Daytona yellow, lovely car only 20000 miles when I got it
when it was 20 years old. Absolutely rubbish in snow however...it was a 1.3L automatic.

[grahame]

If it's cancelled, how can it be calling at Bath Spa and Bristol Temple Meads? 



The 2nd train was the 17:53 to Westbury (not shown here) and it came in and disgorged 45 passengers and still left full and standing for Melksham, Trowbridge and Westbury.  I dread to think what it must have been like off Swindon, as the Westbury's only a one coach train - I certainly hope that passengers who had wanted to travel beyond Chippenham weren't denied boarding at Swindon, as the next train doesn't leave Chippenham until 19:09 on that route ...

(Picture and notes from Wednesday 22nd April 2015)

[John R]

That's an interesting point, and one I did think about when I discovered my normal 1730 was cancelled.  If the train is rammed to the point that no-one else can get on, do the on train staff have any right to ask pax for Chippenham to get off the train to enable those for Melksham and beyond to get on? It would seem a sensible thing to do, but I can imagine the problems it could cause.

I doubt whether the service was any busier than usual south of CPM^» (Chippenham - next trains) due to the earlier cancellation, so 'full and standing" is probably just the norm now for that service.

[grahame]

That's an interesting point, and one I did think about when I discovered my normal 1730 was cancelled.  If the train is rammed to the point that no-one else can get on, do the on train staff have any right to ask pax for Chippenham to get off the train to enable those for Melksham and beyond to get on? It would seem a sensible thing to do, but I can imagine the problems it could cause.

That's a "special case" concern, thank goodness.   The train is scheduled to leave six minutes after your "Taunton" (17:30 HST^▸ (High Speed Train) ex Swindon via Chippenham) and as a result the local traffic from Swindon to Chippenham on the service is sparse on the 17:36.   It's how we wanted it to work - self policing, if you like - whether by design (FGW^▸ (First Great Western) have some clever and thoughtful timetables) or otherwise, it works.   

On days like the one we talk about - I don't know; at it happens I was at Chippenham rather than Swindon to join, but I can imagine heated incidents if asking people to get off so that longer distance traffic could get on. We actually have had a very real fear that - were a successful station to be opened at Royal Wootton Bassett while the TransWilts is limited to  a single carriage 8 trains per day that it would overcrowd off Swindon and deny boarding to passengers for beyond - however, "RWB" looks like it's one of the later / less likely prospects on the http://www.transwilts.org TransWilts vision 2020 map.

I doubt whether the service was any busier than usual south of CPM^» (Chippenham - next trains) due to the earlier cancellation, so 'full and standing" is probably just the norm now for that service.

Passengers for the 17:30 would have been well advised to wait for the train that's half an hour later for Bath Spa, and for Bradford-on-Avon via Bath Spa.   For Bristol and beyond, travel via Parkway may have regained them some time.  The only stations that are quicker via Melksham if the 17:30 is cancelled are Avoncliff and Freshford, and the flows from Swindon or Chippenham to those two aren't significant.

On the other hand, passengers from east of Swindon onto the 17:36 are given the 17:30 into Swindon as their connecting service, so south of Chippenham the service was a little quieter than usual; I noted the absence of a couple of regulars who I happen to have got to know, and there may have been more.   But for sure "full and standing" is the norm for this service into Melksham; there are enough seats for everyone who's left on board south of there.

[TonyK]

Oh dear, the old bridewell is what I term the police station.....you can tell how long ago I left bristol!

My sister used to live in a house called the Old Rectory. There are many Old School Houses, Old Bakerys (deliberate plural form), Old Forges and so on. Will any residence built on the site be known as the Old New Bridewell?

[Chris from Nailsea]

As a matter of interest, are any New Rectorys (deliberate plural form) being built? 

[ellendune]

As a matter of interest, are any New Rectorys (deliberate plural form) being built? 

Yes

[TonyK]

Yes

That's that sorted, then.

[Chris from Nailsea]

I only wondered because, in my day job, I have delivered to several 'Old Rectorys' - but not one 'New Rectory'. 

[grahame]

The problem with calling something "new" is that the description doesn't fit for very long .. but call it "old" and the name can last forever.

On the same basis, I used to be ahead of the times but it was hard work to stay there.  These days I find it much easier to be behind the times!

[TonyK]

The problem with calling something "new" is that the description doesn't fit for very long .. but call it "old" and the name can last forever.

So I can look forward to an imminent renaming of New Barnet, then?

On the same basis, I used to be ahead of the times but it was hard work to stay there.  These days I find it much easier to be behind the times!

I know what you mean. They say you're getting on when you switch from Radio 1 and start listening to Radio 2. And you're really getting long in the tooth when you list to Radio 2 but think it's Radio 1.

[Chris from Nailsea]

I merely listen to Classic FM (other stations aimed at old fogeys are also available on the wireless, apparently). 

[TonyK]

And so do I sometimes.

[bobm]

I know what you mean. They say you're getting on when you switch from Radio 1 and start listening to Radio 2. And you're really getting long in the tooth when you list to Radio 2 but think it's Radio 1.

Bigger problem is working out how to retune the radio....

[Cynthia]

The problem with calling something "new" is that the description doesn't fit for very long .. but call it "old" and the name can last forever.

So I can look forward to an imminent renaming of New Barnet, then?

On the same basis, I used to be ahead of the times but it was hard work to stay there.  These days I find it much easier to be behind the times!

I know what you mean. They say you're getting on when you switch from Radio 1 and start listening to Radio 2. And you're really getting long in the tooth when you list to Radio 2 but think it's Radio 1.

According to my daughter I officially became a boring old f**t when I started listening to Radio 4.  But at least it can't be confused with Radio 1 or 2.....