Photographers asked to tell story of rail travel

[whole diary]

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

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The digital exhibition will be part of celebrations marking the start of the modern railway

To mark 200 years of the modern railway photographers are being asked to take pictures that show how train travel connects communities.

On 27 September 1825 the opening of the Stockton and Darlington Railway launched the start of a new era of transport using steam.

Wiltshire community interest company TransWilts and The Arts Society Kington Langley in Chippenham (TASKL) have launched a photography competition, with the winning entries going on display at rail stations.

Sophie Martin from TransWilts said: "It's a chance for everyone, from those equipped with just a smartphone and a good eye to those who regularly snap for pleasure, to be part of a project that puts community at its heart."

TransWilts was set up to promote not just rail travel but also ways of getting to train stations without using a car.

Bob Morrison from the group said it is now turning its attention to the sustainability of the industry. "At the moment we have diesel trains but looking ahead we hope to be less reliant on fossil fuels," he said.

Every image submitted to the competition will be included in a digital exhibition put together by TASKL, which supports arts in education.

Heather Leach, TASKL Arts Volunteer said they wanted to get "the greatest amount of people to celebrate the railways".

The 200-year commemoration of modern railways coincides with the recent renationalisation of the South Western Railway.

The railways were originally nationalised in 1948 before privatisation in 1994 by the Conservatives under John Major. But on 25 May 2025 Labour took back control of South Western Railway when the operator's contract ran out, as part of its pledge to 'Get Britain Moving Again', promising "reliable, affordable and accessible transport for all".

[Mark A]

Ooh, I'll submit my photo of a mix of animated people joining a train at Bath Spa one Saturday morning in September '21.

Mark

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[grahame]

Chivied on by an article in the Melksham News, I have submitted a picture entitled "Melksham to Moskosel, all the way by train". Competition close date is 31st December 2025.  Competition asks for high res images (makes sense) - if you click on the image below, it will display at higher resolution for you.

[grahame]

Not long to wait for the results.

The TransWilts/Arts Society photography competition attracted 200 entries with a wide variety of subjects.

The judges are now working on an initial shortlist with the aim of whittling it down to the final 50 prize winners. The images will then be specially printed on weatherproof board and displayed at our seven local stations.

The successful winners will be contacted in early March.  It is planned the displays will be in place on the platforms by Easter.

[Phil]

Not long to wait for the results.

It is planned the displays will be in place on the platforms by Easter.

Not long, perhaps. I note it doesn't state WHICH Easter. My experience of the TransWilts organisation to date leads me to invest my trust in what they tell me with similar reservations to those that I hold for assurances made by Wiltshire Council - i.e. there is invariably a grain of truth, but it's open to misinterpretation.

[grahame]

Not long to wait for the results.

The TransWilts/Arts Society photography competition attracted 200 entries with a wide variety of subjects.

The judges are now working on an initial shortlist with the aim of whittling it down to the final 50 prize winners. The images will then be specially printed on weatherproof board and displayed at our seven local stations.

The successful winners will be contacted in early March.  It is planned the displays will be in place on the platforms by Easter.

I have just heard (1st May)  that my entry is not amongst the winners ... sure, it was a long shot.  I look forward to seeing the winning entries at the stations.

[Phil]

I have just heard (1st May)  that my entry is not amongst the winners ... sure, it was a long shot.  I look forward to seeing the winning entries at the stations.

Easter's late again this year, I see 

[grahame]

I have just heard (1st May)  that my entry is not amongst the winners ... sure, it was a long shot.  I look forward to seeing the winning entries at the stations.

Easter's late again this year, I see 

Indeed ... life would be so much easier if "we" could set realistic rather than optimistic dates for things!    This competition is not (IMHO^▸ ('in my humble opinion')) a biggie - it's not part of a bigger scheme that I'm aware of which will fall like a pack of cards because of the delay - in fact I had almost-forgotten my submission which I felt was a lovely picture but perhaps too wide of the message target that the competition setters had in mind.

Sorry Phil - I am having a negative day.     Quite separate from this competition, I have been submitting requests for help / match funding for "Information at the Station" which is a passionate project that will meet so many objectives it has to be believed.    No individual funding source is vital / a show stopper; we have a published list of a dozen prospects, and to some extent the hassle of applying and self-analysis is really good in testing our resolve.  But - really - dates and deadlines!

One organisation we have applied to for help had a mid-April deadline.  Fair enough.   They then pulled back the deadline to 16th March with a decision date of 23rd March. Yike, panic, but 8 pages of questions and six supporting documents supplied.   Then on 19th March they wrote "We regret to inform you that the planned grants meeting on Monday 23rd March 2026 has been cancelled. The meeting has been rescheduled for Monday 22nd June 2026."  Well - that weakened our case for other match funders - we could only say "applied" and not "agreed" and since then, the organisation we were matching has said "no". Far from a show stopper;  I do know it was close, and have to wonder if the match would have tipped the balance.

Guess what - received on Friday - "The meeting to discuss the grants will take place on Monday 8th June 2026 from 6pm to 7pm ... It is strongly recommended a representative from your organisation attends the meeting to discuss your application". An email from me has clarified that this replaces the 22nd June meeting.  Personally, I'll be away in the middle of a trip that's been planned for a while; almost inevitably someone can stand in ... I'm sure we're not the only community members inconvenienced by this to and fro, and I wonder at what organisational and time costs too.

Hey, ho ... it appears that the switch form 22nd to 8th June is for their convenience ... and I suspect that the switch from March to June might have something to do with shifting it into the next financial year.  The whole story is such a reminder to treat everything as provisional until it actually happens!