Bonaparte's at Bristol Temple Meads

[whole diary]

[Red Squirrel]

And here's johnneyw's picture:

[johnneyw]

Thank you RS.
I'm no builder but to me that looks like new flooring and walling which might be consistent with facilitating easier wiring installation both now and in the future?

[Chris from Nailsea]

That made me wonder how on earth the First Class Refreshment Room came to be called 'Bonaparte's..! Luckily we have Google. It seems that it may have been an attempt at humour; there was a similarly-branded operation at Waterloo Station (geddit?)

Thank you, Red Squirrel, for reminding me of this rather amuzing image of some historical re-enactment event, captioned "French Infantry at Waterloo".



CfN

[TonyK]

My own favourite memory of Bonapartes was  of Monday 20 February 1995 (I had to look it up), when I ended up boozing with Michael Foot and missing my train. That won't happen again.

[grahame]

My own favourite memory of Bonapartes was  of Monday 20 February 1995 (I had to look it up), when I ended up boozing with Michael Foot and missing my train. That won't happen again.

Indeed. Sadly, Michael passed away in 2010, though he had reached the ripe old age on 96.   He presided over a time of turmoil in the Labour Party, which seems to have dogged it repeatedly (or continually?) through its life.  I can imagine it must have been a fascinating conversation over a very wide range of topics.

[TaplowGreen]

My own favourite memory of Bonapartes was  of Monday 20 February 1995 (I had to look it up), when I ended up boozing with Michael Foot and missing my train. That won't happen again.

Indeed. Sadly, Michael passed away in 2010, though he had reached the ripe old age on 96.   He presided over a time of turmoil in the Labour Party, which seems to have dogged it repeatedly (or continually?) through its life.  I can imagine it must have been a fascinating conversation over a very wide range of topics.

#1 Janner & Plymouth Argyle's most famous supporter, with the possible exception of Umbrella Vi (if you know, you know!)

Shameful that Plymouth City Council haven't done more to commemorate him......I remember my Grandfather telling me how he used to listen to him speak outside the Dockyard gates, even if you didn't agree with him he was a tremendous orator.

His opportunity to lead the Labour Party came a few years too late, and at (another) time when they were busily tearing themselves apart.

[TonyK]

My own favourite memory of Bonapartes was  of Monday 20 February 1995 (I had to look it up), when I ended up boozing with Michael Foot and missing my train. That won't happen again.

Indeed. Sadly, Michael passed away in 2010, though he had reached the ripe old age on 96.   He presided over a time of turmoil in the Labour Party, which seems to have dogged it repeatedly (or continually?) through its life.  I can imagine it must have been a fascinating conversation over a very wide range of topics.

Everything but politics. It was the day after the Sunday Times published the spy story, and my newspaper had a photo of Mr Foot out walking his dog, and brandishing his walking stick menacingly at the photographer - or so it seemed. He laughed having not seen it earlier in the day. He said he was walking Dizzy (for Disraeli) and waved to his friend, not noticing the pressman. When he realised the papers were about to publish, he decamped to his sister's in Weston super Mare to let the heat die down, and was making his way back. I think conversation was mostly about the railway and West Country seaside resorts, although I recall him asking what I did for a job and being interested when I told him. He drank neat scotch, I think I was on cider, and it was a pleasant chat. Sadly, the autographed newspaper was binned by accident some time later.

[johnneyw]

While waiting for The Beach line at Temple Meads I took a quick peek through the door of Bonaparte's.
Things have changed so here's a few pics:

[Red Squirrel]

It's getting harder to see what's going on in Bonaparte's-as-was, what with new vinyl artwork obscuring the windows, but here's a sideways squint taken today:

[JayMac]

It's always something very important when a chap in hi-vis is pointing.

[TonyK]

It's always something very important when a chap in hi-vis is pointing.

Usually worryingly so, and costing an extra million.

[Bmblbzzz]

It's always something very important when a chap in hi-vis is pointing.

"And that one in the top corner is the red spotted tarantula, Arachnidus fatalicus, which I am about to squidge before it bites me, using this walking stick usefully left behind by a former leader of the Labour Party."

[bobm]

Pictures on Network Rail's Twitter account show the unit has been fitted out as a temporary ticket office.

[Red Squirrel]

...and here it is, in action on Tues 3rd May:

[johnneyw]

Going through Temple Meads yesterday I was aware that the temporary ticket office is still there.  I had some vague recollection of reading that the rewiring in the old ticket office should be about done by now but a quick look at Network Rail's Temple Meads redevelopment gives an October finish date, mentioning the need to remove asbestos.
The link is below:

https://www.networkrail.co.uk/running-the-railway/our-routes/western/bristol-rail-regeneration/