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All across the Great Western territory / Buses and other ways to travel / Mayflower lands at Plymouth Rock - OTD 11 Dec (1620)
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on: Yesterday at 00:21:15
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The Mayflower landed at Plymouth Rock in New England on December 11th, 1620 https://www.adamsmith.org/blog/the-mayflower-and-plymouth-rockThe Mayflower had set sail on September 6th with 102 passengers and 30 crew crammed into a ship just over 100 feet long. In the second month of its voyage it was hit by storm-force gales. It was buffeted, sprang leaks, and saw its main beam crack. Is there a parallel today, from 405 years ago, of small and overcrowded vessels making crossings over choppy waters to reach out for a new life? The history of the early settlements reminds us that America was settled by two types of immigrants, those that today we would call asylum seekers and economic migrants. Some came to seek liberty and safety, and endured immense hardships to gain them. Others came seeking to improve their lot, and many went through years of privation before successfully establishing themselves.  The Landing of the Pilgrims by Henry A. Bacon (1877) - public domain |
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19
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Sideshoots - associated subjects / The Lighter Side / Re: AQ10 - "Pilning" - West Country Mornington Crescent
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on: December 10, 2025, 20:59:52
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Well, we either apply the Fernicular Rule or we don't: you can't have it both ways.  I was looking to gauge the answer to that but AI tells me: The term "Lynton Lynmouth gauge" refers to two different railways: the famous Lynton & Lynmouth Cliff Railway, a water-powered funicular with no gauge (as it's a fixed-track funicular), and the historic Lynton & Barnstaple Railway (L&B» ), a former narrow-gauge steam line known for its 1 ft 11.5 in (597 mm) gauge and currently being preserved. To my mind, the Cliff railway has a gauge of 3'9" and the Lynton and Barnstaple is being rebuilt as a heritage railway, there being very little left to preserve. Never mind - using the webmaster's reboot prerogative I'm going to restart the quiz from Melksham which is only a couple of steps to our final destination. |
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All across the Great Western territory / Across the West / Re: First Group win concession to operate London Overground
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on: December 10, 2025, 15:08:13
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A bit more at RailnewsFirstGroup, which is set to lose its remaining National Rail contracts by 2027, said it was ‘delighted’. CEO▸ Graham Sutherland added that First was looking forward ‘to welcoming employees who will be joining the Group and to play our part in the success of this vital rail network’.
However the RMT▸ has reacted with dismay, and pledged to resist the transfer of any more National Rail routes to the Overground system.
The union’s general secretary Eddie Dempsey said: ‘Despite the Mayor saying he backs public ownership of rail, the London Overground is being reprivatised on a lucrative eight-year deal that puts profit before passengers. It’s beyond belief, especially when a Labour government is bringing the railways back into public hands. |
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25
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Journey by Journey / TransWilts line / Re: Swindon <-> Westbury service updates and amendments, ongoing discussion - 2025
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on: December 10, 2025, 13:59:46
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Drat. That'll be the 271 Bath-Melksham bus for me then. To be fair that service is usually ok (in TransWilts terms  ). I've used it 17 times since 13/10 for my Chippenham-Melksham hop and that's the first cancellation, with 4 delays >5 mins (range 9-17). Keep an eye open for the next couple of hours - 1 in 3 cancellations get re-instated. Since 17th November - a checkpoint at which we had a significant meeting with GWR▸ - cancellations are measurably less. I am not quoting the measurements yet - too soon to have a reliable sample over a reasonable time period. The request to GWR was not a request for perfection - it was a request to bring cancellations down to the same rate (percentage wise) as we see across the region - 3% at many stations, but 9% at Dilton Marsh and 11% at Melksham in the periods leading up to to that meeting - stats there for the last 6 months, 12 weeks and 4 weeks all similar. So - there will, and we expect, there to still be be occasional issues. Of course, as the cancellations drop to about a quarter of what they were, that should allow GWR to concentrate of getting the passenger experience of people being let down far more. Easier to deal with one cancellation than four, and even if they spend twice as much on replacement services, that's still only half the spend of the higher historic cancelation rate. |
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All across the Great Western territory / The Wider Picture Overseas / Social media check before you travel?
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on: December 10, 2025, 13:48:15
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I looked back at the sub-title of this board to see what it says and - yes - I think this is just about in scope for the Coffee Shop. From The BBC» Tourists from dozens of countries including the UK▸ could be asked to provide a five-year social media history as a condition of entry to the United States, under a new proposal unveiled by American officials.
The new condition would affect people from dozens of countries who are eligible to visit the US for 90 days without a visa, as long as they have filled out an Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) form.
Since returning to the White House in January, President Donald Trump has moved to toughen US borders more generally - citing national security as a key reason.
Analysts say the new plan could pose an obstacle to potential visitors, or harm their digital rights. I'm not aware of any Coffee Shop members who's postings - at least here - are outside or even borderline to what the UK law allows (and we admins / moderators are obliged to keep an eye open for some categories and delete as appropriate). However, some of the views that I and other express are not going to be to the liking of Mr Trump. |
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All across the Great Western territory / The Wider Picture in the United Kingdom / Chance meeting on a train
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on: December 10, 2025, 13:15:53
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From The BBC» A couple who had a brief encounter on a late-night train have got engaged on the same service one year later.
Steve Higgs, 56, from Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire, set up the surprise proposal to Payal Pandya, from Harrow, London, after a train company got on board with the plans.
He said he first met Ms Pandya, 49, on the 23:09 London Northwestern Railway (LNR) service from Euston towards Milton Keynes in November 2024.
To mark their anniversary the couple boarded the same service and Mr Higgs got down on one knee to ask Ms Pandya to marry him - and wedding plans are now moving full steam ahead. I hope they have a happy life on track together. The puns continue, if you can stand them, in the rest of the article. |
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