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12th Jul (1949)
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Train RunningCancelled
13:10 Penzance to London Paddington
15:14 Hereford to London Paddington
15:30 Cardiff Central to Portsmouth Harbour
15:49 Worcester Foregate Street to Bristol Temple Meads
15:54 Reading to Gatwick Airport
15:58 Cardiff Central to Taunton
16:02 Westbury to Gloucester
16:23 Westbury to Swindon
16:27 Cardiff Central to Portsmouth Harbour
16:27 Exeter St Davids to Penzance
16:29 Gatwick Airport to Reading
16:30 London Paddington to Taunton
16:37 Reading to Basingstoke
16:38 Bristol Temple Meads to Worcester Foregate Street
16:50 London Paddington to Hereford
16:52 Worcester Foregate Street to Bristol Temple Meads
17:00 Oxford to London Paddington
17:00 Great Malvern to London Paddington
17:03 Oxford to Didcot Parkway
17:06 Salisbury to Bristol Temple Meads
17:08 Gloucester to Weymouth
17:15 Penzance to Plymouth
17:23 Basingstoke to Reading
17:29 Gatwick Airport to Reading
17:34 Didcot Parkway to Oxford
17:35 Swindon to Westbury
17:38 Bristol Temple Meads to Worcester Foregate Street
17:52 Worcester Foregate Street to Bristol Temple Meads
18:00 Oxford to London Paddington
18:07 Reading to Basingstoke
18:08 Gloucester to Westbury
18:24 Reading to Gatwick Airport
18:25 Oxford to Banbury
18:27 Cardiff Central to Portsmouth Harbour
18:35 Westbury to Swindon
18:38 Bristol Temple Meads to Great Malvern
18:52 Worcester Foregate Street to Bristol Temple Meads
18:53 Basingstoke to Reading
19:00 Banbury to Oxford
19:00 Oxford to London Paddington
19:08 Gloucester to Bristol Temple Meads
19:19 Carmarthen to Swansea
19:24 Reading to Gatwick Airport
19:32 Reading to Basingstoke
19:34 Plymouth to Penzance
19:44 Swindon to Westbury
19:50 Worcester Foregate Street to Bristol Temple Meads
19:59 Gatwick Airport to Reading
20:03 Bristol Temple Meads to Filton Abbey Wood
20:05 Oxford to Didcot Parkway
20:23 Basingstoke to Reading
20:51 Filton Abbey Wood to Bristol Temple Meads
20:59 Gatwick Airport to Reading
21:09 Gloucester to Bristol Temple Meads
21:23 Oxford to Banbury
21:28 Great Malvern to Bristol Temple Meads
22:04 Banbury to Didcot Parkway
22:12 Swindon to Westbury
23:20 Didcot Parkway to Oxford
13/07/25 08:01 Weymouth to Cardiff Central
13/07/25 09:00 Westbury to Weymouth
13/07/25 09:08 Bristol Temple Meads to Weymouth
13/07/25 10:38 Weymouth to Swindon
13/07/25 11:32 Swindon to Weymouth
13/07/25 13:32 Swindon to Weymouth
13/07/25 14:05 Weymouth to Bristol Temple Meads
13/07/25 16:05 Weymouth to Bristol Temple Meads
13/07/25 17:48 Bristol Temple Meads to Weymouth
13/07/25 17:53 Weymouth to Bristol Temple Meads
13/07/25 20:11 Weymouth to Bristol Temple Meads
13/07/25 20:49 Bristol Temple Meads to Weymouth
Short Run
12:03 London Paddington to Penzance
13:03 London Paddington to Penzance
14:18 London Paddington to Carmarthen
14:23 Portsmouth Harbour to Cardiff Central
14:30 Cardiff Central to Portsmouth Harbour
15:08 Gloucester to Weymouth
15:23 Portsmouth Harbour to Cardiff Central
15:30 Weymouth to Gloucester
15:38 Bristol Temple Meads to Worcester Foregate Street
16:23 Portsmouth Harbour to Cardiff Central
16:45 Bristol Temple Meads to Salisbury
16:46 Avonmouth to Weston-Super-Mare
17:23 Portsmouth Harbour to Cardiff Central
17:27 Cardiff Central to Portsmouth Harbour
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Author Topic: Melksham (Wiltshire) and Nailsea (North Somerset) - a comparison  (Read 554 times)
Chris from Nailsea
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« on: June 09, 2025, 22:06:37 »

I have lived in Nailsea for many years, and I recently had the opportunity to live in Melksham for three weeks.  That gave me the opportunity to make this comparison.

The railway stations serving each town are far from central, but not beyond a good walking distance. There is no taxi rank at either, but cabs can be booked by phone. At Nailsea, there is a connecting bus service at the station, in both directions, with a reasonable service.

Both towns are historic: Nailsea has a claim to fame for coal mining, glass blowing and farming, and Melksham has a claim to fame for Regency spa facilities and a (disused) canal through it - as well as a host of other attractions.

The population of both towns is about 20,000.

(By the way: both towns have a Wetherspoons, and my preference is The Bear in Melksham over The Glassmaker in Nailsea.)

Chris from Nailsea.  Wink

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William Huskisson MP (Member of Parliament, or Mile Post (a method of measuring the railway in miles and chains from a starting point - usually London), depending on context) was the first person to be killed by a train while crossing the tracks, in 1830.  Many more have died in the same way since then.  Don't take a chance: Stop, Look, Listen.

"Level crossings are safe, unless they are used in an unsafe manner."  Discuss.
grahame
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« Reply #1 on: June 10, 2025, 06:12:28 »

... There is no taxi rank at either, but cabs can be booked by phone ...

I am - err - quite familiar with Melksham but not so much with Nailsea. Can you always phone and get a cab?

Yes, we (in Melksham) do and occasionally can call a taxi, but there is no central booking point and we are sometimes left calling around a series of different small operators (of which there are at least half a dozen) looking for someone available when and where we want to go.  There's no Uber in Wiltshire and indeed I suspect the current operators would not welcome such a service, but all the cabs have their regular contracts to and from education in particular, and cabbies have their days off too and other bookings.    We - living in Melksham - always have a "plan B" - and the taxi becomes a convenience and never a necessity.
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matth1j
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« Reply #2 on: June 11, 2025, 16:17:52 »

... and Melksham has ... a host of other attractions.
Not sure which definition of 'host' you're using Smiley

Seriously - which ones caught your eye?
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Chris from Nailsea
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« Reply #3 on: June 11, 2025, 16:35:25 »

I'm an amateur historian and architecture fan: I found the many various Georgian buildings in Melksham fascinating, together with their local history. Particularly the story of the chap who threw heated copper coins out of the window, during the infamous Melksham riot of 1865:

Quote
The Bear was the scene of election riots in 1865. A gentleman throwing heated coins from a first floor window provoked the members of the crowd, who burnt their hands when picking up the coins. The military dispersed the crowd and the inciter made his escape on horseback, later falling off on the Shaw Road.

Chris from Melksham.  Grin
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William Huskisson MP (Member of Parliament, or Mile Post (a method of measuring the railway in miles and chains from a starting point - usually London), depending on context) was the first person to be killed by a train while crossing the tracks, in 1830.  Many more have died in the same way since then.  Don't take a chance: Stop, Look, Listen.

"Level crossings are safe, unless they are used in an unsafe manner."  Discuss.
LiskeardRich
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« Reply #4 on: June 12, 2025, 07:56:03 »

Do you have difficulties getting a taxi in the evenings or peak times?

Here in Liskeard every taxi driver seems to have a school or college contract so it’s impossible to get one between 0730-0915 and 1445-1600. And then none of them work past 1800 as they’ve worked from early morning for their school contract.
Nearly all are owner drivers, one man band types, which also means calling round 15 different numbers for a cab on occasion.

Our bus service makes no sense in terms of frequency. . 5-6 of the local routes are tendered and run hourly for 1-2 passengers. The busy route to Plymouth, 2 hourly with no subsidy and is known for being full and standing. There is Definitly an opportunity for the council to save some money on subsidy by reducing the tender frequencies.
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grahame
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« Reply #5 on: June 12, 2025, 09:14:00 »

Do you have difficulties getting a taxi in the evenings or peak times?

Our bus service makes no sense in terms of frequency.

Familiar story.  For taxis, morning peak is worst because travelling trip starts and and school starts co-incide and there is a time constraint in getting to the public transport.  We have got to the stage we don't even bother to try - I can drive Lisa and the luggage to the station, bring the car home and walk back to the station in 45 minutes. We could do with a cafe at the station on these days.   

We do have a bus stop (Monday to Saturday daytime) outside our house with a bus every 30 minutes to Manvers Street, Bath, opposite the railway station there and it works well.  Coming home, there is no outbound stop on Manvers Street - the bus drives straight past though most other routes will stop - so it's a short walk to the bus station and irritating to pass the bus as you walk (or run in the hope of connecting).  Although the inbound bus is every 30 minutes, the outbound is every 60 as alternate buses do a big one way loop in Melksham and would only get us home just ahead of the next bus.  And, yes, these are trunk routes and often overcrowded; we were in Bath yesterday and it was a squeeze even onto the bus that starts on that loop.

Sundays and evenings - we do have a bus service and much improved last year on Sundays. Just not along our street - shorting walk but may as well be Tipperary or Timbuktu for those without mobility and without aids.

Local bus - whole other story.  It DOES run most hours on a standard circular route and is well patronised on certain runs (and therein lies a problem - everyone want it at the same time, no-one at many other times) and then it does a few varied runs which are there to provide at least some lifeline to those who have no alternative - very much underutilised.  Connections with other buses co-incidental it seems, and it never goes to the station though three of the varied runs call about a five minute walk (with a dangerous road crossing) if you want to use it to access the rail network.  The inbound stop has a shelter but no "flag" after a previous stop was damaged and eventually replaced - the bus driver knows, and the incoming passenger needs to know but rarely does.
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