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grahame
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« on: February 18, 2026, 08:30:51 » |
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The "Coffee Shop" is a forum with many experienced members - however, there are still things that most of us have NOT done. Perhaps they are experiences for the future / on your bucket list? Select those things which you have NOT done. I have done 23 out of the 25 things listed above - so will be selecting just two items. Any guesses before you look?  |
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« Last Edit: February 18, 2026, 08:54:15 by grahame »
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Coffee Shop Admin, Chair of Melksham Transport User Group, West Wiltshire Rail User Group Committee and TravelWatch SouthWest Board Member
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JayMac
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« Reply #1 on: February 18, 2026, 14:52:10 » |
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The ones I haven't done.
Pilning
Eurostar
Train Ferry
Tygwyn (Been on a train that's called there though)
Train accident
The subtext of the two food ones is of being antisocial. However, I've had curries on the GWR▸ Pullman and crevettes on a TfW▸ (was Arriva at the time) dining service.
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"Good news for regular users of Euston Station in London! One day they will die. Then they won't have to go to Euston Station ever again." - David Mitchell
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Chris from Nailsea
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« Reply #2 on: February 18, 2026, 17:50:36 » |
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Interestingly, of the 25 members who have cast their votes so far, only 23 have apparently never shelled prawns on a train.  |
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William Huskisson MP▸ 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.
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grahame
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« Reply #3 on: February 18, 2026, 19:34:35 » |
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Interestingly, of the 25 members who have cast their votes so far, only 23 have apparently never shelled prawns on a train. I am probably on a train tomorrow. And I am one of the 23 who has never shelled prawns on one. Sadly, the only prawns we have are readyshelled frozen ones, and the shops won't be open before I leave, so the experience will have to wait. |
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Coffee Shop Admin, Chair of Melksham Transport User Group, West Wiltshire Rail User Group Committee and TravelWatch SouthWest Board Member
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JayMac
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« Reply #4 on: February 18, 2026, 21:21:33 » |
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Interestingly, of the 25 members who have cast their votes so far, only 23 have apparently never shelled prawns on a train. I am probably on a train tomorrow. And I am one of the 23 who has never shelled prawns on one. Sadly, the only prawns we have are readyshelled frozen ones, and the shops won't be open before I leave, so the experience will have to wait. And crevettes are no longer on the menu on the Welsh dining trains, so it'll have to be BYO! |
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"Good news for regular users of Euston Station in London! One day they will die. Then they won't have to go to Euston Station ever again." - David Mitchell
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Chris from Nailsea
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« Reply #5 on: February 19, 2026, 16:56:09 » |
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Also of interest (to me, anyway  ) is that, of the 31 members who have cast their votes so far, only 22 have apparently never used Melksham station. I may even have bumped into some of you there, without knowing, over the years.  |
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William Huskisson MP▸ 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.
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grahame
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« Reply #6 on: February 20, 2026, 09:15:06 » |
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Also of interest (to me, anyway ) is that, of the 31 members who have cast their votes so far, only 22 have apparently never used Melksham station. I may even have bumped into some of you there, without knowing, over the years. Yes - that means that 9 out of 31 (as it was when you wrote that) have used Melksham Station. And they will be a mix of regulars / residents, occasional visitors, and one-off travellers. But only 31 have voted - remember that's out of, perhaps, 120 Coffee Shop members who have been logged in since the poll was opened. |
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Coffee Shop Admin, Chair of Melksham Transport User Group, West Wiltshire Rail User Group Committee and TravelWatch SouthWest Board Member
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rogerw
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« Reply #7 on: February 20, 2026, 17:47:41 » |
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My curry on a train was a chicken curry on the Yorkshire Pullman in 1966 (actually a chicken portion in curry sauce)
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I like to travel. It lets me feel I'm getting somewhere.
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rogerpatenall
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« Reply #8 on: February 21, 2026, 08:31:33 » |
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Just voted. An interesting selection of questions.
I have ticked two which are marginal. Shelling prawns was a picnic we took onto a train on the East Lancs Rly, and the accident was actually a tram (steel wheel on steel track? close enough) - in Duisburg, Germany.
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grahame
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« Reply #9 on: February 23, 2026, 19:17:16 » |
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Never have I ever ... Shelled prawns on a train - 32 (9.2%)
Joined a train at Pilning station - 28 (8.1%)
Used Tygwyn Station - 27 (7.8%)
Called the Network Rail emergency number - 25 (7.2%)
Eaten a curry on a train - 25 (7.2%)
Used Melksham Station - 23 (6.6%)
Used a train ferry - 21 (6.1%)
Been in a train accident - 21 (6.1%)
Missed the last train - 16 (4.6%)
Fallen asleep on a train and missed my Station - 16 (4.6%)
Travelled to extreme westerly/easterly/southerly/northerly station - 11 (3.2%)
Had a train call at a request stop for me - 10 (2.9%)
Used a ranger, rover, Interrail, Eurail or freedom ticket - 10 (2.9%)
Left something on a train by mistake - 10 (2.9%)
Travelled on Eurostar - 10 (2.9%)
Travelled on a sleeper train - 8 (2.3%)
Been confused by ticket validity - 8 (2.3%)
Asked someone to move their luggage so you can sit down - 7 (2%)
Used split tickets - 7 (2%)
Used a rail replacement bus - 6 (1.7%)
Got money back through delay/repay - 5 (1.4%)
Walked between two stations - 5 (1.4%)
Had a valid ticket refused by an automated gate - 5 (1.4%)
Caught the wrong train - 5 (1.4%)
Helped others at the station / on a train - 3 (0.9%)
36 voters - and 2 say they have done all of these things. So at one end of the scale, that leaves 4 people who HAVE shelled prawns on a train and at teh other end 33 out of 36 of you have helped others at the station or on a train - and I a so proud of our members for doing that. Eight of you have joined a train at Pilning, nine of you have used Tygwyn Station, and thirteen of you out of 36 have used Melksham Station. An astonishing 31 out of 36 have had a valid ticket refused by an automated gate - which suggests to me that there are questions about whether the gates are fit for purpose And 29 out of the 36 have asked someone to move their luggage - which perhaps says something about the lack of thought by some passengers for others, and also shows what a forward lot we are that we are prepared to challenge. Anything out there which members find especially notable? |
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Coffee Shop Admin, Chair of Melksham Transport User Group, West Wiltshire Rail User Group Committee and TravelWatch SouthWest Board Member
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ChrisB
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« Reply #10 on: February 23, 2026, 19:52:27 » |
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An astonishing 31 out of 36 have had a valid ticket refused by an automated gate - which suggests to me that there are questions about whether the gates are fit for purpose Ahhhh - gates are deliberately set to often refuse tickets discounted by railcards - so as to be able to check both validity/expiry of railcard & that it is being carried. They are perfectly fit for purpose if allowed to be |
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bobm
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« Reply #11 on: February 23, 2026, 20:14:50 » |
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I was surprised that 15 have been involved in an accident.
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Chris from Nailsea
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« Reply #12 on: February 24, 2026, 03:01:17 » |
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I was surprised that 15 have been involved in an accident.
So was I. I haven't travelled extensively on the railways - but particularly in my commuting days, I used the train five times a week, for over a decade. No accidents in all that time, there or otherwise. |
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William Huskisson MP▸ 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.
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John D
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« Reply #13 on: February 24, 2026, 08:35:53 » |
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I was surprised that 15 have been involved in an accident.
So was I. I haven't travelled extensively on the railways - but particularly in my commuting days, I used the train five times a week, for over a decade. No accidents in all that time, there or otherwise. I commuted for 29 years, 5 return journeys per week, so around 14,000 train journeys, never had any accidents on trains I was on. However did have few occasions where there were complete cancellations or diversions due to various (suicides, derailments, IRA bombs, storm damage etc) |
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grahame
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« Reply #14 on: February 24, 2026, 08:48:45 » |
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I was surprised that 15 have been involved in an accident.
So was I. I haven't travelled extensively on the railways - but particularly in my commuting days, I used the train five times a week, for over a decade. No accidents in all that time, there or otherwise. I commuted for 29 years, 5 return journeys per week, so around 14,000 train journeys, never had any accidents on trains I was on. However did have few occasions where there were complete cancellations or diversions due to various (suicides, derailments, IRA bombs, storm damage etc) Rail is intrinsically safe ... I could probably report a similar or greater amount of travel over 65+ years, and can only report one occasion when the train I was on was involved in an accident - and that was a "low grade" one where the pantograph of the loco (as I understand it) welded itself to the overhead catenary, tore it down, and the broken wires lashed the train and broke the windows. I understand one person was injured somewhat by flying glass. |
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Coffee Shop Admin, Chair of Melksham Transport User Group, West Wiltshire Rail User Group Committee and TravelWatch SouthWest Board Member
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