Old Miners railway wasn't it?

Born in great optimism this railway was the only outcome of numerous plans for railways and collieries in the newly discovered Kent Coalfield. Conceived to carry coal it soon reverted to a truly rural railway with a heavy coal flow for a few miles at one end. Holman Stephens was engineer from inception, subsequently becoming director and manager. Running from Shepherdswell to Wingham with an intermittently operating branch to Richborough Port it opened in 1911 with a passenger service from 1916.

Services ebbed away with the final passenger trains in 1948 with progressive closures back to Tilmanstone Colliery over the next 3 years. The line shut with the colliery in the 1980's.

Redundant railway equipment and materials from a mainline network are to be donated to a heritage railway.

The agreement between South Eastern Railway and volunteer-led East Kent Railway is aimed at working towards reestablishing freight trains on the heritage railway for the first time since 1987. It is the first scheme of its kind in Kent, according to Network Rail.

David Davidson, chief operating officer for the South Eastern Railway, said he was "excited about the possibilities" that the agreement could being, as well as the "potential to support economic growth in East Kent". He added: "Wherever we can, we will work with heritage railways across our network to forge a new partnership so that materials that would otherwise be recycled elsewhere to be re-used can find a new purpose."

East Kent Railway runs heritage trains on a four-mile (6.4km) round trip between Shepherdswell and Eythorne.

The donated railway materials will include rails and sleepers, as well as other items no longer needed for the mainline railway. In return, East Kent Railway will provide South Eastern Railway with the use of its facilities, such as for training. Under the agreement, both organisations will also work together to explore opportunities for the reestablishment of commercial freight traffic over the East Kent Railway.

Matthew Plews, general manager of the East Kent Railway Trust, said: "This agreement provides a framework for a deeper collaboration which will benefit us both, both in the short term and into the future."

£5million short? (from the RNLI before they pulled out)

Crowdfunders can raise that sort of funds - worth a try, council?

Lisbon funicular crash victim was 'transport enthusiast'



The third British victim killed in the Lisbon funicular crash has been named by police.

David Young, 82, from Holyhead on Anglesey, was among 16 people who died last Wednesday when the Glória funicular derailed and crashed into a building in Portugal's capital. His family described him as a "lifelong transport enthusiast", saying it was a comfort that "his final moments were in pursuit of the hobby which gave him so much happiness".

Over the weekend Cheshire Police confirmed the other British victims were Kayleigh Smith, 36, and her partner Will Nelson, 44.

Known to most as Dave, he was raised in Auchterarder, Perthshire, but moved to Holyhead in 1980 where he had a "long career as a customs officer". "In retirement he enjoyed visiting heritage railways and tramways around the world," his family said.

Llinos Medi, MP for Ynys Môn, sent her condolences to Mr Young's family and "to those who have been affected".

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said he was "deeply saddened" by the incident. "His thoughts are with their families and those affected by this terrible incident," a spokesperson said. "We stand united with Portugal during this difficult time."

The city's funicular railways - Glória, Lavra, Bica and Graça - are a popular tourist attraction and known for their yellow tram-like vehicles.

Officials said a cable along the railway's route snapped, but the rest of the mechanism was functioning properly. The brakeman tried to apply emergency brakes but failed to prevent the derailment. The cause of the crash remains unknown.

Nationals of Portugal, South Korea, Switzerland, Canada, France, Britain, Ukraine and the US are among the dead, according to police.

Inquest opens into fatal helicopter crash

An inquest has opened into the deaths of three people killed in a helicopter crash on the Isle of Wight.

Justyna Czoska, 52, Wojciech Kowalkowski, 49 from Oxfordshire, and 54-year-old flying instructor Simon Hewitt from Lincolnshire were killed when the aircraft came down in a field near Shanklin on the morning of 25 August.

The coroner's officer said Dr Megan Jenkins, home office registered pathologist carried out the post-mortem examination at Southampton's St Mary's hospital mortuary on 27 August and the provisional cause of death was "multiple injuries".

The inquest at Isle Of Wight Coroner's Court has been adjourned until 5 March 2026 for all three victims.

The helicopter left Sandown Airport for a flying lesson on the Isle of Wight at 09:00 BST on Monday 25 August, with four people on board.


Ms Czoska and Mr Kowalkowski (left) and flying instructor Mr Hewitt (right) died in the crash

Witnesses reported the aircraft spiralling before crashing in a field alongside the A3020 at 09:20.

Mr Hewitt from Barton-upon-Humber in Lincolnshire, died in the crash alongside 52-year-old Ms Czoska and 49-year-old Mr Kowalkowski, who were both from Banbury, Oxfordshire.

A fourth person a man in his 30s was taken to hospital, where he remains in a stable condition.

The Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) said an investigation into the crash is likely to take 12 months.

The families of those involved were not in the court but have previously released statements with the family of Ms Czoska currently trying to raise money for the bodies of Ms Czoska and Mr Kowalkowski to be sent back to their native country, Poland, for burial.

Crumbling pier's restoration could be scrapped



A council's flagship project to restore a crumbling Grade II listed pier could be scrapped months after a key backer pulled out.

North Somerset Council has been working to restore and reopen Birnbeck Pier, in Weston-super-Mare, for years after it was closed to the public since 1994 and left in disrepair.

In June the Royal National Lifeboat Institute (RNLI), which was a key partner, pulled out of a deal which would have started work to restore the pier because of viability concerns.

Councillors have been recommended by council officers to close the current restoration project "with genuine regret and disappointment" at a meeting on 16 September.

The council report said: "It is with genuine regret and disappointment that this report recommends to council the effective closure of the current Birnbeck Pier restoration project. This pier is a loved landmark, not just locally but nationally and internationally. Our social media posts have generated positive responses and happy memories from all across the world. Its restoration would bring people together in celebration of our past and future, enhancing pride in where we live and what we can achieve here. This current project cannot go forward, but our ambition for the pier remains. We will continue looking for solutions and hope that at some point in the future an answer will be found."

A council report said the pier was bought by the local authority in 2023 with the financial backing of the RNLI and Historic England.

However the RNLI abandoned the project in June while the council prepared steps to award a construction company the major contract to restore the pier. The RNLI initially proposed to establish a new base on the pier and had committed to raising £5m towards the cost.

The RNLI previously told the BBC it left the project after a viability review raised concerns about funding and plans paying ongoing maintenance costs. The RNLI has been approached for comment.

The council report said the "current funding gap is too large to be bridged by" the council and it has not received any offer of alternative funding.

The pier is among six Grade II listed piers in England and the only in the UK to connect the mainland to an island.

It played a significant role during World War Two as it was commissioned for weapon trials, including the famous Sir Barnes Wallis bouncing bomb.

The final decision will be made at a meeting of North Somerset's full council on September 16.

As they say, the power of the Liz line https://bsky.app/profile/murkydepths.bsky.social/post/3lyd3vxobws2e

Sounds awful, screeching sound. I switched it off before they did the first test a couple of years ago.

Authoritarianism is bad enough, without inviting yet more of it from the government

I had to travel from St Pancras to Paddington yesterday evening. No underground and Thameslink not crossing London. Staff at St Pancras were telling passengers to catch the 205 bus to Paddington despite the fact that it doesn't go there anymore. The buses were chaotic with many terminating short. the 27 which is the connecting service from the 205 showed a wait of 24 minutes. I ended up in a taxi for the last stage of the journey and just caught my train. Not good service.

iPhone has a setting in Settings>Notifications.  Just scroll down to the bottom and there are a couple of toggles to silence the alarms.  Authoritarianism is bad enough, without inviting yet more of it from the government

09:52 London Paddington to Hereford due 12:46 has been cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.
Last Updated:08/09/2025 12:19

13:18 Hereford to London Paddington due 16:24 will be started from Worcester Shrub Hill.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.
Last Updated:08/09/2025 12:19

I didn't receive it as I was out of the country at the time so have no idea what it sounds like