11th October 2024 - Travelwatch Southwest general meeting, Taunton

[whole diary]

[grahame]

Subject say it all - details to follow - for representatives of public transport and specialist groups and unassociated independent campaigners across the South West

[grahame]

A lot of water has flowed under the bridge with regard to TravelWatch SouthWest in the last six weeks since I wrote "Hold the date", and the water continues to flow.     The TWSW^» (TravelWatch SouthWest - website) date has been in their calendar with several excellent speakers lined up for a while, and is also the date that GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) have chosen for their central region timetable meeting.   Oops - except that in an example of partnership and innovation, GWR and TWSW have come together to combine the events on that day - 11th October 2024.  Makes utter sense.

Physical meeting to be held in Taunton, and arranged to work well with train times for those arriving and later leaving in all directions.   Venue will be within a very short distance of the station.

If you are on the TWSW list of members or associates you should be hearing over the next 10 days or so.  If you are in any doubt and would like to attend to represent your group or community or specialist interest, please let me know; I am well positioned to officially spring you an invite.

[Chris from Nailsea]

Thank you, grahame - please do count me in on this one! 

I can attend, and I will be delighted to do so - there are so many characters I haven't met for a while. 

CfN.

[ChrisB]

I'd quite like to get train tickets booked for tyhis - do we know a start time? It it running per usual? (1030ish to 1500ish)

[grahame]

I'd quite like to get train tickets booked for tyhis - do we know a start time? It it running per usual? (1030ish to 1500ish)

I believe 10:30 for 11 through to slightly later - should know in the next couple of days. Noting there's s train via Westbury a few minutes after 4 ... not checked it though

[grahame]

Open for booking - Eventbrite ((here)) and on Facebook ((here))

Friday, October 11 · 11am - 3:30pm
Somerset Digital Innovation centre (Firepool Digital Innovation Centre)
Trenchard Way Taunton TA1 1FH

Government changes to transport: find out what's in it for the passenger.

Curious about the latest updates in transport policies and the next best steps your community should be taking to make journeys better? Then join us at the Somerset Digital Innovation centre to learn about the government's changes from the best in the business. Get insights, ask questions, and stay informed so you can be prepared for opportunities and challenges which will arise in this new era for connectivity.

In frank discussion, TravelWatch SouthWest brings together those who have led some of the schemes most celebrated for delivering better passenger experience including Nigel Blackler; Giles Fearnley; Dan Okey; and "Keynote speaker", Melanie Watson. These speakers and panel members will provide incite into the kind of choices decisionmakers will be facing, and consider the value and mechanism for the continuing dialogue with communities in future.

As always, the event provides a unique networking opportuntiy for all those interested in stakeholder views aroung bus, rail and other public transport journey issues, and an opportunity to share best practice.

About TravelWatch SouthWest

TravelWatch SouthWest Community Interest Company (TWSW^» (TravelWatch SouthWest - website) CIC^▸ (Community Interest Company )) promotes the interests of public transport users in the South West of England. Our “South West” comprises the counties of Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Gloucestershire, and Somerset and the unitary authorities of Bath and North East Somerset, Bournemouth, Bristol, North Somerset, Plymouth, Poole, South Gloucestershire, Swindon, Torbay and Wiltshire.

TWSW acts as an advocate for passengers to lobby for the improvement of public transport in the region and works closely with local authorities, business organisations, partnerships and other stakeholder groups – with the dissolution of the former Rail Passengers Committee for Western England in July 2005, TWSW is the representative body for public transport users throughout the South West of England.

If you are with a "Stakeholder Group" or indeed an individual stakeholder, TWSW would love to see you in Taunton in just under two weeks. If you have any doubt as to how relevant it is for you / whether you quality, please ask me and I can help / advise.

[Red Squirrel]

Look forward to seeing you there!

[Chris from Nailsea]

Oh, no: not you as well? 

[ChrisB]

Yep, and me! & David Redgewell & most of the usual suspects I think. We're all quality, you know! (another Graham typo, that!)

If you have any doubt as to how relevant it is for you / whether you quality, please ask me and I can help / advise.

 

[Chris from Nailsea]

You are all indeed quality, and qualify: I simply don't have enough time to keep tidying up after grahame. 

I look forward to meeting you again in Taunton. 

Chris from Nailsea. 

[JayMac]

I'll be popping along. As I'm living in Taunton for most of the week these days its easy to get to compared to two trains from Templecombe via Exeter.

Finn is a public transport user too, but he'll keep Mum company while I attend.

[Chris from Nailsea]

I'm rather disappointed that Finn won't be able to join us in Taunton on 11 October. 

He's already an 'honorary member' of the Coffee Shop forum, due to his ongoing contributions to our discussions, and I'm sure he would find the TravelWatch SouthWest meeting of interest.

Probably more so than his reaction to the Kelpies.



CfN

[Bryony]

TravelWatch has a great line-up for Friday. 

Mel Watson is the Keynote speaker.  Mel is known for being at the cutting edge of better transport delivery and has masses of experience including Lead on Public Transport in Cornwall; Transport Focus; Head of Bus Network Performance  at Transport for Greater Manchester. 
Dan Okey from GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) is taking about the scope network ambition and changes to the central region offer.
TWSW^» (TravelWatch SouthWest - website) member's friend Giles Fearnley is talking candidly about getting the best opportunities and meeting the challenges to passengers within the possible bus operating frameworks going forward.
We have been chasing the final speaker for a while and finally, Nigel Blackler is going to let us into Cornwall's secret and ask if new legislation will offer everyone this opportunity as something new.
The final sessions is a panel where the room considers how the new way of doing things will enable the voice of user experience and ensuring it's value is captured.

Booking for the in-person (with lunch) is available on Eventbrite.  Book to watch the session online as a broadcast only version will be possible from 9 pm tonight.

[grahame]

TravelWatch has a great line-up for Friday. 

Mel Watson is the Keynote speaker.  Mel is known for being at the cutting edge of better transport delivery and has masses of experience including Lead on Public Transport in Cornwall; Transport Focus; Head of Bus Network Performance  at Transport for Greater Manchester. 

Dan Okey from GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) is taking about the scope network ambition and changes to the central region offer.

TWSW^» (TravelWatch SouthWest - website) member's friend Giles Fearnley is talking candidly about getting the best opportunities and meeting the challenges to passengers within the possible bus operating frameworks going forward.

We have been chasing the final speaker for a while and finally, Nigel Blackler is going to let us into Cornwall's secret and ask if new legislation will offer everyone this opportunity as something new.
The final sessions is a panel where the room considers how the new way of doing things will enable the voice of user experience and ensuring it's value is captured.

Booking for the in-person (with lunch) is available on Eventbrite.  Book to watch the session online as a broadcast only version will be possible from 9 pm tonight.

Our "Coffee Shop" forum is unique - each member who is a Frequent Poster or more is, or has been, someone who takes an interest in public transport toward the South West from London, and furthermore takes that interest rather beyond a one off / casual approach.   And those are the sort of members who will really gain from coming along to TWSW on Friday - to listen, learn and interact with others who are likeminded and with similar interests over and above their normal conventional groupings.  I encourage you to sign up and come along.

TravelWatch SouthWest is also unique - we bring in top quality speakers to our twice a year general meetings.  These are key players in the public transport scene - it's to your benefit to hear from them somewhat deeper and closer than otherwise available, and it's to their benefit to help get their message and methods out to those who are knowdlegable movers, shakers, critical and logical friends. I encourage you to sign up to come along.

Both the Coffee Shop and TravelWatch SouthWest are run by teams of volunteers and are free to participants.  Perhaps not unique, but highly unusual. I am used receiving briefing / seminar invites at a significant cost and rarely take them up; these commercial setups have a different motivation and an income target for the organisers and the lecturers, for whom the audience is to be addressed far more than listened to.   TWSW and the CoffeeShop listen and inform in a far more balanced and symbiotic way.   We can't go to extent of offering free travel to the event, though we at TWSW do provide teas, coffees and even a light buffet, but that's out of practicality on a day out and we would be concerned if people came along for the catering.