An unusual PA announcment on the 1736 Reading to Bristol Via Newbury

[whole diary]

[BerkshireBugsy]

On the way home last night from Reading to Thatcham on the above service there was an announcment by the TM^▸ (Train Manager, or Ticket Machine, or Temple Meads (Bristol), depending on context) with a slight twist to it. Most TM PA^▸ (Public Address (broadcast loudspeaker announcements) or Passenger Assist (railway staff providing physical assistance to passengers with mobility issues), depending on context) announcments,by neccessity, are functional and not really mean to be entertaining but the TM made a point of advising "that the route down to Bath followed the course of the Kennet and Avon Canal and now that we have the light we can enjoy the views"...

Just to say it made a nice change...but I do seem to remember a similar announcement on the journey home one evening last summer (and I think it was the same TM). Nice touch ...even though it was probably dark by the time the service got past kintbury.

Conversly am I the only person who finds the "new" Phil V2 station announcements despressing? Reminds me very much of Marvin from Hitchhikers guide - "Life, don't talk to me about life"

off course we all know the answer is "42"

Dave

[Louis94]

Conversly am I the only person who finds the "new" Phil V2 station announcements despressing? Reminds me very much of Marvin from Hitchhikers guide - "Life, don't talk to me about life"

Is he back at Reading now then? I know he was to begin with but then disappeared!

[BerkshireBugsy]

Conversly am I the only person who finds the "new" Phil V2 station announcements despressing? Reminds me very much of Marvin from Hitchhikers guide - "Life, don't talk to me about life"

Is he back at Reading now then? I know he was to begin with but then disappeared!

Sorry for the confusion - I as talking about the announcments at Thatcham station. I am probably wrong but the announcments on P2 in the morning seem to be female but in the evenings on P2 they are Phil V2. I thought the idea was that they were consistent for a given platform. I may be wrong about the gender of the morning announcment as it is very early

[inspector_blakey]

Conversly am I the only person who finds the "new" Phil V2 station announcements despressing? Reminds me very much of Marvin from Hitchhikers guide - "Life, don't talk to me about life"

The absolute worst place for depressing announcements I know of is Heathrow Terminal 5 (quite possible throughout the other terminals as well, but I haven't used any of them for ages). The announcements throughout the terminal and on the little shuttle thingy that gets you to and from the B/C sub-terminals sound like they're a synthesized voice, but from a computer that was heavily drugged on some kind of sedative. The intonation is utterly flat and some of the pronounciations are weird. I find them horrid to listen to and genuinely slightly creepy. Oh yeah, and in their wisdom BA^» (British Airways - about) always seem to have staff with very pronounced European accents making the manual announcements too...

[inspector_blakey]

Incidentally, was the train manager male or female? A few years back I was on a Reading - Bristol train diverted via the B&H^▸ (Berks and Hants - railway line from Reading to Taunton via Westbury) and the female train manager (one of FGW^▸ (First Great Western)'s finest, won't name names but I sincerely hope she still works for them even though I haven't seen here in a while) made occasional discreet announcments to point out items of interest along the way like the Westbury white horse.

[BerkshireBugsy]

Incidentally, was the train manager male or female? A few years back I was on a Reading - Bristol train diverted via the B&H^▸ (Berks and Hants - railway line from Reading to Taunton via Westbury) and the female train manager (one of FGW^▸ (First Great Western)'s finest, won't name names but I sincerely hope she still works for them even though I haven't seen here in a while) made occasional discreet announcments to point out items of interest along the way like the Westbury white horse.

This sounded like a young male.

I do have to say that some "express cafe" staff who make the "xxx is now open" sound so bored Im not sure I would want to make the effort to buy anything from them..

[JayMac]

Conversly am I the only person who finds the "new" Phil V2 station announcements despressing? Reminds me very much of Marvin from Hitchhikers guide - "Life, don't talk to me about life"

You should've heard the PA^▸ (Public Address (broadcast loudspeaker announcements) or Passenger Assist (railway staff providing physical assistance to passengers with mobility issues), depending on context) at Westbury today. Something seriously wrong with system. Either the female supplying the voice was gargling with pebbles or she had been assimilated by Daleks. 

[BerkshireBugsy]

Conversly am I the only person who finds the "new" Phil V2 station announcements despressing? Reminds me very much of Marvin from Hitchhikers guide - "Life, don't talk to me about life"

You should've heard the PA^▸ (Public Address (broadcast loudspeaker announcements) or Passenger Assist (railway staff providing physical assistance to passengers with mobility issues), depending on context) at Westbury today. Something seriously wrong with system. Either the female supplying the voice was gargling with pebbles or she had been assimilated by Daleks. 

So at Westbury do you get announcments like "the xx:xx service from YYY wil ex-terminate here"?

I'll get my coat...

[EBrown]

So at Westbury do you get announcments like "the xx:xx service from YYY wil ex-terminate here"?

I'll get my coat...

[inspector_blakey]

You should've heard the PA^▸ (Public Address (broadcast loudspeaker announcements) or Passenger Assist (railway staff providing physical assistance to passengers with mobility issues), depending on context) at Westbury today. Something seriously wrong with system. Either the female supplying the voice was gargling with pebbles or she had been assimilated by Daleks. 

Yanking this yet further off topic, it's many, many years since I've watched any Star Trek (or Dr Who for that matter) but I do have a vague recollection that it was the Borg who assimilated things and not the Daleks 

[chineseJohn]

On the way home last night from Reading to Thatcham on the above service there was an announcment by the TM^▸ (Train Manager, or Ticket Machine, or Temple Meads (Bristol), depending on context) with a slight twist to it. Most TM PA^▸ (Public Address (broadcast loudspeaker announcements) or Passenger Assist (railway staff providing physical assistance to passengers with mobility issues), depending on context) announcments,by neccessity, are functional and not really mean to be entertaining but the TM made a point of advising "that the route down to Bath followed the course of the Kennet and Avon Canal and now that we have the light we can enjoy the views"...

Just to say it made a nice change...but I do seem to remember a similar announcement on the journey home one evening last summer (and I think it was the same TM). Nice touch ...even though it was probably dark by the time the service got past kintbury.

I enjoyed the announcement - it;s nice to have something different

[BerkshireBugsy]

On the way home last night from Reading to Thatcham on the above service there was an announcment by the TM^▸ (Train Manager, or Ticket Machine, or Temple Meads (Bristol), depending on context) with a slight twist to it. Most TM PA^▸ (Public Address (broadcast loudspeaker announcements) or Passenger Assist (railway staff providing physical assistance to passengers with mobility issues), depending on context) announcments,by neccessity, are functional and not really mean to be entertaining but the TM made a point of advising "that the route down to Bath followed the course of the Kennet and Avon Canal and now that we have the light we can enjoy the views"...

Just to say it made a nice change...but I do seem to remember a similar announcement on the journey home one evening last summer (and I think it was the same TM). Nice touch ...even though it was probably dark by the time the service got past kintbury.

I enjoyed the announcement - it;s nice to have something different

I liked it - I think it was a nice sign spring is on its way

[Btline]

Perhaps the announcments are done on direction and not platform. Celia towards London, Phil away from London? Good to know that Phil's making a come-back. Stop the spread of Ruth!

[Louis94]

Perhaps the announcments are done on direction and not platform. Celia towards London, Phil away from London? Good to know that Phil's making a come-back. Stop the spread of Ruth!

What are you on about?! For a start Phil and Celia are being removed, and secondly Ruth isnt spreading, infact she is now only at ATW^▸ (Arriva Trains Wales (former Train Operating Company)) stations...

[bobm]

Perhaps the announcments are done on direction and not platform. Celia towards London, Phil away from London? Good to know that Phil's making a come-back. Stop the spread of Ruth!

It's the other way round at Swindon. Phil on the up platforms and Celia on the down.