Advent Quiz - 2nd December 2025

[whole diary]

[grahame]

Can you identify these groups of happenings - where and perhaps what are they?


A.

In 1788, a "Western Canal" was proposed to improve trade and communication links to towns such as ...

In 1793, a further survey was conducted by John Rennie, and the route of the canal was altered to take a more southerly course through ...

On 12 June 1797, the first section from xxxxx to xxxx was opened. By 2 July 1799, the canal was open as far west as xxxxx.

The canal opened to through-traffic in 1810, after 16 years of construction.

B.

The link is promoted by the xxxxxxx initiated by xxxxx Borough Council in 1995.

In April 2006, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister reported itself to be in favour of the principle

In the 2011 Autumn Statement by Chancellor George Osborne, xxxxx was adopted by the Department for Transport, and £270 million was committed to the scheme to fund its development.

The first phase, was opened in 2016; engineering of the xxxx phase was completed in late 2024

C.

The first xxxxx were sold in March 1972 and started a true travel revolution.

After the first year's success, it became a permanent offer and since its origin, more than 10 million travellers have enjoyed ...

Since 1998 the xxxxx has been available for travellers of all ages, including attractive ...

As of March 1st, 2022, xxxxxx has a refreshing new look with an updated logo, colour scheme, and design. The refresh pays tribute to the brand's heritage

[D.

The first service ran on 24 December 1880

The horse drawn service continued until 1902

The Xxxxxxx line closed in 1938 with the rest closing in May the following year.

In 2006 a private group xxxxxxxx proposed their re-introduction. In 2015 a further initiative was under discussion by a new group ...

E.

Built in 1946, she sailed from xxxxxx on  xxxxxxxxx until 1973

Bought by xxxxxxx, she has been restored to her 1947 appearance and now operates passenger excursions around the British coast.

Since 2003, she has been listed in the National Historic Fleet by National Historic Ships UK^▸ (United Kingdom) as "a vessel of pre-eminent national importance".

On 3 October 2025, she broke down while on a cruise from ... and I am delighted to report she was back in service within a few days

F.

Construction of the route was begun in 1848 for the xxxxxxxx and xxxxxx Railway and completed in 1854.

The section between xxxxxx and xxxxxx was completed in 1906 and coincided with the construction of xxxxxx Harbour

Train services have remained infrequent for more than 100 years. By 2003 the line was carrying fewer than 100 passengers a day.

On 12 March 2010 it was announced that xxxxxx would review the service between xxxxxx and xxxxxxxx because few passengers were using it. Timetabling was poor. There was only one train each way daily from Monday to Saturday. The last train between xxxxxxx and xxxxxx ran on 18 September 2010

G.

Railway line opened on 20 January 1857

Station opened on 3 August 1931. It was placed in the Western Region when the railways were nationalised in 1948.

The station was initially timber but was rebuilt in 1959: the two platforms each with a concrete shelter were standard products of the former Southern Railway concrete factory at Exmouth Junction.

The station closed when local trains were withdrawn following the Beeching Report, taking effect on 3 October 1966.

[bradshaw]

G Cattistock Halt.
I used to have a GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) station nameplate from there.

The platforms are still in daily use. They replaced the wooden ones at Chetnole and Thornford

[eightonedee]

A looks like the Kennet and Avon Canal

[old original]

E, I would say that's could be the PS Waverley

[Richard Fairhurst]

B is East West Rail.

[grahame]

G Cattistock Halt.
I used to have a GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) station nameplate from there.

The platforms are still in daily use. They replaced the wooden ones at Chetnole and Thornford

Indeed Cattistock - which is a surprisingly large village and it feels perverse that it lost its train service when Chetnole and Thornford retained theirs, even to the extent of the platform being moved.

In the summer just gone, I walked from Chetnole via Cattistock to Maiden Newton and the distances are such that neither station can practically be said to serve Cattistock and a more logical stopping pattern for trains on this line might be  Yeovil Pen Mill - Yeovil Interchange - Yetmister - Cattistock - Maiden Newton. 

[Oxonhutch]

D: Trams in Bath

[grahame]

B is East West Rail.

Indeed - a big reminder of just how long and prone to change such plans are - original suggestion was made by Ipswich Borough Council in 1995.

As an aside - much of the information in today's quiz has been gleaned from multiple online sources and made into a quiz - I wasn't and (m)any of the events in person.  I am very much aware that I am editing and rewriting and looking to avoid cut and paste to the extent of the quiz being plagiarism though you may find some of the sentences worded with a resemblance to other text elsewhere.

[TonyN]

C. Interrail passes

[stuving]

I think F is the Dublin-Rosslare railway line.

[grahame]

I think F is the Dublin-Rosslare railway line.

Close but not a bullseye.

[stuving]

I think F is the Dublin-Rosslare railway line.

Close but not a bullseye.

So it's Limerick-Rosslare that's your subject,then.

[grahame]

I think F is the Dublin-Rosslare railway line.

Close but not a bullseye.

So it's Limerick-Rosslare that's your subject,then.

Indeed - though with much of the following text specific to the Waterford to Rosslare section.   Rosslare is a sad, sad story as far as rail is concerned ... it could (have been) be so much more with joined up thinking.  For sure the foot traffic is / has been thin through Fishguard and Rosslare but the way the routes have become hard and unfriendly to use are so sad and appear to be with little positive thought for the through customer.

[bradshaw]

I lived in Maiden Newton for 20 years and played cricket for Cattistock whose pitch borders the line by the bridge.
When the halt closed Cattistock had a good bus service to Dorchester, which I used to get to the school in which I taught, before getting a rail season ticket. It was the lack of an alternative that kept Chetnole and Thornford open. In this way it was rather like the Bridport branch which was closed only when an alternative bus service could be sorted.
On transferring to teach at Bridport I used that bus daily until I moved to a village nearer to the school in 1996.
Now the branch trackbed provides a convenient footpath a few yards from our house.

[AMLAG]

E is the PS ‘Waverley’ claimed to be the last Ocean going Paddle steamer in the World.