12th July 2014 / Melksham Carnival and Party in the Park

[whole diary]

[grahame]

Put a note in your diary, and watch this space for further details.   A great day out for the family, and good fun if you're not bringing the family.   Plan to come by train this year and avoid the gridlock.  Trains all day for the first time!

[grahame]

We're planning some great activities relating to the TransWilts and Rail before and during Carnival.

* If this date isn't in your diary yet, PUT IT THERE

* If you've not yet tried the new TransWilts service, THIS WILL BE THE DAY

* If you have already ridden the TransWilts this year PLEASE COME BACK!

[grahame]

Chance to ride the TransWilts ... "History of the Wilts Somerset and Weymouth" ... Railway Quiz ... walk in the Carnival processions and see the town.   Great day out in Wiltshire!

* Read all about it at http://atrebatia.info/twcrp_carnival.pdf

* Email me or message me to sign up

[grahame]

Bringing this to the "fore" again.    Slight change in the program - a couple of things have moved around to allow people coming by train to Melksham to arrive a little later.

http://atrebatia.info/twcrp_carnival.pdf

PLEASE COME TO MELKSHAM next Saturday.   Though I say so myself, the talk has some rather interesting stuff in it - some fascinating old timetables on display (and that's right across the FGW^▸ (First Great Western) are and indeed some old Bradshaws).   Arrival early or mid afternoon.   Delighted for people to walk in the carnival parade with us, understanding if they would prefer not to 

We have some excellent TransWilts leaflets / timetables, kindly printed for us on this occasion by the Connecting Wiltshire team at Wiltshire Council, with whom we're working increasingly close. Much of the content thanks to First Great Western - truly a working together of local government, train operating company and community.  If you want to print your own, the leaflet is at http://atrebatia.info/TWR_A4L-Summer.pdf ... if you would like an original, come along next Saturday!

[grahame]

Could seriously do with some more walkers ... I appreciate it's a busy weekend for many, but if any of you are free    ... there's a free T shirt and food in this and a great afternoon too!

[Chris from Nailsea]

Could seriously do with some more walkers ... I appreciate it's a busy weekend for many, but if any of you are free    ... there's a free T shirt and food in this and a great afternoon too!

Thanks, grahame - and, with my apologies for the late reply, I can confirm that I will be able to join you on Saturday!

I shall iron my T-shirt especially for the occasion. 

[grahame]

Fantastic day and THANK YOU to those people who joined us.  Some pictures at and via https://www.facebook.com/TransWilts

Notably ... the majority of people at our train-promoting event arrived by train 

[John R]

Sorry I couldn't be there, and glad it was a successful day. Having read the facebook entry, hopefully someone will post the figures for the 2002 (and maybe the inbound services), even though it probably won't be particularly representative of normal traffic volumes.

[Chris from Nailsea]

hopefully someone will post the figures

Someone has - grahame, at http://www.wellho.net/mouth/4287_TransWilts-CRP-walking-in-Melksham-Carnival.html 

[grahame]

Also from yesterday ... a FOSBR^▸ (Friends of Suburban Bristol Railways) video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P1IBh5xKWSk

[Chris from Nailsea]

Many thanks to FoSBR^» (Friends of Suburban Bristol Railways - site) for that excellent summary of the fun we all had on the day. 

[bobm]

Glad it went well. Looks like a good time was had by all. Sorry I missed it.

What's the date of next year's event - does it coincide with engineering work in connection with electrification?

[grahame]

Glad it went well. Looks like a good time was had by all. Sorry I missed it.

What's the date of next year's event - does it coincide with engineering work in connection with electrification?

Fantastic time ... I have asked about next year ... and I expect I'll get a resounding "don't know yet / I've enjoyed doing it but never again" at the moment 

Update - answer is "We will let you know when we have had our agm."   Next question (but they would probably feel I was taking the proverbial) is, of course "when is your AGM^▸ (Annual General Meeting)?"

[Chris from Nailsea]

Notably ... the majority of people at our train-promoting event arrived by train 

It would have been silly not to do so. 

[grahame]

Notably ... the majority of people at our train-promoting event arrived by train 

It would have been silly not to do so. 

Whilst I have to agree, I'm reminded of the story (urban or rather rural myth) about the group of councillors from a west country town who went to London to argue the case for their line to be saved from the Beeching Axe, and when asked how they had travelled admitted that they had gone by road.   They lost, it is said, their line.

Would that happen these days?  I went (as observer) to a meeting about First bus fares in Radstock on Friday evening last; the managers at First had been invited with a suggestion they come by bus.   To my knowledge, I am  the only one who went on the First bus, and I was certainly the only one to catch the final First bus back to Bath after the meeting - the other had left in their cars, or were gathering for a final photo opportunity when the bus pulled out ...

Now to be fair,  there wasn't a bus opportunity for people going to Chilcompton, etc, because of how late the meeting ended ... but !!not one!! onto the bus and the photo opportunity not taken with the bus either. 



Visit report:
http://www.wellho.net/mouth/4286_Reaction-in-Radstock-to-new-First-bus-prices.html