Quite right regarding drink driving but in this case fran1 is talking about a rail journey made from Brussels to Preston (and back) with a 1.5 hr. wait in London, no problem with having a few pints there!
Virgin to Lose West Coast?
- Thread starter iain2006
- Start date
Quite right regarding drink driving but in this case fran1 is talking about a rail journey made from Brussels to Preston (and back) with a 1.5 hr. wait in London, no problem with having a few pints there!
And I'm going again on the 27th, the only reason I can quote prices and times.
AlanBradbury
New member
Apparently First's shares fell by six percent following the decision. That's equivalent to the value of the company dropping by 76 million quid, although they appear to be recovering a little after what may have been an initial panic, although when a company wins a bid like that, you generally see share prices go up rather than down. Stagecoach, which owned 49 percent of the partnership with Virgin, has seen their shares go up. It'll be interesting to see the average by the time December 9 rolls around.
Al
Al
What is also questionable in the rant from Virgin is a wee bit I came across in a Sunday paper over a cup of tea in a supermarket which lays out free papers (well I am Scots!). It mentioned that Virgin Rail had plans for a big financial cutback in future rail plans (the figure was quite something) but seems to have been lost in the fgeneral urore between them and First.
HI Robd and Everybody
My apologies Robd for misreading Northwich for Norwich, entirely my mistake but then there has to be a first time for everything. Also apologies for not replying earlier but have been out for a good lunch sat in a beautiful beer garden near Cheddar. I am also genuinely sorry to hear why you have to come down to the West Country as no one should have to travel to the wonderful counties of Devon and Cornwall for reasons like that.
I am sure that there would be many thousands of us North Somerset yokels who would like to know how you have managed to travel down the M6 and M5 in the peak holiday season Saturdays without any problems. With the A37 to the east of us, the M5 to the north of us, the A358 to the west of us and the A303 to the south of us all of which are absolutely chock a block from Friday lunchtime until Saturday evening at this time of year. You must travel with wonderful luck or the navigational abilities of a fighter pilot.:Y:
At this time of the year in Somerset most of us just genuinely stay in our hometowns at weekends as all the above roads are a traffic nightmare. Our local paper often refers to it as Carmageddon which has it spot on as far as us locals think (but then we don't think much down here).
Rjhowie it was interesting that you quoted from a newspaper that Virgin Trains were thinking of reducing investment for future years as that was also reported in the Bristol evening Post some weeks back. As virgin had already (many would say) walked away from the cross-country services and it makes you wonder what the intentions may have been should virgin have won the West Coast franchise again.
Any further news would be interesting.
Bill
My apologies Robd for misreading Northwich for Norwich, entirely my mistake but then there has to be a first time for everything. Also apologies for not replying earlier but have been out for a good lunch sat in a beautiful beer garden near Cheddar. I am also genuinely sorry to hear why you have to come down to the West Country as no one should have to travel to the wonderful counties of Devon and Cornwall for reasons like that.
I am sure that there would be many thousands of us North Somerset yokels who would like to know how you have managed to travel down the M6 and M5 in the peak holiday season Saturdays without any problems. With the A37 to the east of us, the M5 to the north of us, the A358 to the west of us and the A303 to the south of us all of which are absolutely chock a block from Friday lunchtime until Saturday evening at this time of year. You must travel with wonderful luck or the navigational abilities of a fighter pilot.:Y:
At this time of the year in Somerset most of us just genuinely stay in our hometowns at weekends as all the above roads are a traffic nightmare. Our local paper often refers to it as Carmageddon which has it spot on as far as us locals think (but then we don't think much down here).
Rjhowie it was interesting that you quoted from a newspaper that Virgin Trains were thinking of reducing investment for future years as that was also reported in the Bristol evening Post some weeks back. As virgin had already (many would say) walked away from the cross-country services and it makes you wonder what the intentions may have been should virgin have won the West Coast franchise again.
Any further news would be interesting.
Bill
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HI Robd and Everybody
My apologies Robd for misreading Northwich for Norwich, entirely my mistake but then there has to be a first time for everything. Also apologies for not replying earlier but have been out for a good lunch sat in a beautiful beer garden near Cheddar. I am also genuinely sorry to hear why you have to come down to the West Country as no one should have to travel to the wonderful counties of Devon and Cornwall for reasons like that.
I am sure that there would be many thousands of us North Somerset yokels who would like to know how you have managed to travel down the M6 and M5 in the peak holiday season Saturdays without any problems. With the A37 to the east of us, the M5 to the north of us, the A358 to the west of us and the A303 to the south of us all of which are absolutely chock a block from Friday lunchtime until Saturday evening at this time of year. You must travel with wonderful luck or the navigational abilities of a fighter pilot.:Y:
At this time of the year in Somerset most of us just genuinely stay in our hometowns at weekends as all the above roads are a traffic nightmare. Our local paper often refers to it as Carmageddon which has it spot on as far as us locals think (but then we don't think much down here).
Rjhowie it was interesting that you quoted from a newspaper that Virgin Trains were thinking of reducing investment for future years as that was also reported in the Bristol evening Post some weeks back. As virgin had already (many would say) walked away from the cross-country services and it makes you wonder what the intentions may have been should virgin have won the West Coast franchise again.
Any further news would be interesting.
Bill
No need to apologize, many people mistake Northwich for Norwich and vise versa!
Some years ago I was out walking, not far from home and a huge artic pulled up beside me and the driver who was clearly not British (Spanish, I think) asked me for directions, I didn't understand what he was saying and eventually he showed me a delivery note with his destination, I looked at it and then realized it was addressed as some business park in Norwich! I had a hell of time trying to convince him that he was about 200 miles north west of his destination, eventually I just raised my arms and walked away!
The journey to Plymouth is on hold as the the partner of our friend has just informed us that he has slipped in to unconsciousness and it wouldn't be worth coming down. It will probably be the funeral that we will travel down for.
It was in June this year that we we last traveled to Cornwall, set off at approx 8.00 am from Northwich, arrived in Polperro well before 1.00 pm - on a Saturday (the speedo did read 100mph sometimes but that was in the general traffic flow!)
Throughout the last, say, 35 years I have traveled on occasion by road to the West Country, even on holiday Saturdays and I have never been seriously delayed - lucky I suppose?
Rob.
AlanBradbury
New member
Reminds me of the time I was walking through Stockport and a car pulled up, the window came down and the passenger asked me where the beach was. The beach? In Stockport? Turned out they were looking for Southport, although that's not too bad as Southport was less than fifty miles away. Another time I was in Reddish, which is suburb of Stockport, and some tipper truck driver pulled up asking me for directions, I didn't have a clue where he was asking for, so I asked him to pass me the delivery note he had to see if I could figure it out, then it became clear. He was actually looking for Redditch, which is well over 100 miles away from where we were.
Al
Hi Robd and Everybody
Robd thank you for those kind words in accepting my apology. I also know how you are feeling regarding your friend as our son-in-law is just recovering from cancer at the age of 38. It was a close run thing and we are now planning a big family holiday for the end of September in the West Country with my two other daughters their children and their husbands/partners just to celebrate. Something like that brings everything into focus as to what is important in life and what is not. My wife and I have said we will forget the business for a week or so and just enjoy life which may include a few beers, for nobody knows what lies around the corner.
With regard to your journeys into the West Country then choosing June is the perfect time to come down along with late September or even early October. There are not too many other holiday makers about and you get genuine good service from us yokels (rather than everything being thrown at you) and most importantly the car parks are free. why not try Somerset next time you come down robd as I'm sure you would enjoy it especially West Somerset with Exmoor and the villages such as Dulverton, Exford, Winsford etc and great walks to such places as Tarr steps and Dunkerley Beacon.
Who knows, if you let us know you are down here we might even have a beer along with any other Trainzers that happened to come down.
Bill
Robd thank you for those kind words in accepting my apology. I also know how you are feeling regarding your friend as our son-in-law is just recovering from cancer at the age of 38. It was a close run thing and we are now planning a big family holiday for the end of September in the West Country with my two other daughters their children and their husbands/partners just to celebrate. Something like that brings everything into focus as to what is important in life and what is not. My wife and I have said we will forget the business for a week or so and just enjoy life which may include a few beers, for nobody knows what lies around the corner.
With regard to your journeys into the West Country then choosing June is the perfect time to come down along with late September or even early October. There are not too many other holiday makers about and you get genuine good service from us yokels (rather than everything being thrown at you) and most importantly the car parks are free. why not try Somerset next time you come down robd as I'm sure you would enjoy it especially West Somerset with Exmoor and the villages such as Dulverton, Exford, Winsford etc and great walks to such places as Tarr steps and Dunkerley Beacon.
Who knows, if you let us know you are down here we might even have a beer along with any other Trainzers that happened to come down.
Bill
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Hi Robd and Everybody
Robd thank you for those kind words in accepting my apology. I also know how you are feeling regarding your friend as our son-in-law is just recovering from cancer at the age of 38. It was a close run thing and we are now planning a big family holiday for the end of September in the West Country with my two other daughters their children and their husbands/partners just to celebrate. Something like that brings everything into focus as to what is important in life and what is not. My wife and I have said we will forget the business for a week or so and just enjoy life which may include a few beers, for nobody knows what lies around the corner.
With regard to your journeys into the West Country then choosing June is the perfect time to come down along with late September or even early October. There are not too many other holiday makers about and you get genuine good service from us yokels (rather than everything being thrown at you) and most importantly the car parks are free. why not try Somerset next time you come down robd as I'm sure you would enjoy it especially West Somerset with Exmoor and the villages such as Dulverton, Exford, Winsford etc and great walks to such places as Tarr steps and Dunkerley Beacon.
Who knows, if you let us know you are down here we might even have a beer along with any other Trainzers that happened to come down.
Bill
We've been to Somerset many times, Minehead, Porlock, Watchet all very nice places to visit.
When I was in the Royal Navy back in 1970 to 1980-ish, actually based in Plymouth, I went on a trip to the Taunton Cider works at Norton Fitzwarren, we arrived sober but left sozzled!
Thanks for the invitation, would love to have a beer with you if you're buying!
Rob.
If they can get the slots they are.
And why would you think i would have been drinking something more than tea robd/ As it happens I happen to be teetotal (!). Is this a suggestion that Virgin was not going to be doing the financial review mentioned in the press? I am aware that often we have to exercise care with the media but Virgin could very easily have dismissed it but didn't apparently. They aren't slow in voicing opinions normally.
rjhowie
I was merely amused by your tipsy sounding typo, "fgeneral urore" after mentioning that you were having a cup of tea. It was meant to be a lighthearted comment but as it seemingly offends then please accept my apologies.
I have deleted the post.
Rob.
Hi robd.
I wasn't being frosty but had in a hurry mistyped and often on these threads the wrong impression given because we con't really know each other! To me it was an amusing comment and my reply intended the same way (althogh I am teetotal!). No problem at all I can assure you. Thanks for the apology but in fact wasn't needed.
After a kind of shaky early period I do accept that Sir Richard Branson did make a considerable difference to the West Coast route and numbers mushroomed with things improving. That over 100,000 people are disapointed must say something? Should the change continue it means that an awful responsibility lies with FirstRail to continue the story.
I wasn't being frosty but had in a hurry mistyped and often on these threads the wrong impression given because we con't really know each other! To me it was an amusing comment and my reply intended the same way (althogh I am teetotal!). No problem at all I can assure you. Thanks for the apology but in fact wasn't needed.
After a kind of shaky early period I do accept that Sir Richard Branson did make a considerable difference to the West Coast route and numbers mushroomed with things improving. That over 100,000 people are disapointed must say something? Should the change continue it means that an awful responsibility lies with FirstRail to continue the story.
@N33. Only 2 out of the many hundreds of e-petitions reaching 100,000 signatures since their introduction, have lead to successful action when debated by backbenchers in the House of Commons. I doubt if this one will be successful. Many are just ignored, are subject to the usual House of Commons prevarication and procrastination then forgotten about and just fall by the wayside. E-petitions don't work.
http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/e_petitions_debated
@rjhowie. No problem re: apology.
re: e-petition. 100,000 people are going to be disappointed!
Rob.
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Steamdemon
Pizza Delivery Train
I read on the Wikipedia article that First West Coast is promising '11 new six-car electric trains'. I find that hard to believe... Are these trains going to be like the Pendolino and the Super Voyager?
[head in hands] What is it with these bus companies? This is Britain's premier mainline, a line that is already operating at virtually full capacity. Now everyone will be standing to Glasgow!
How did we allow our railways to be taken over by the kind of dodgy bus operators that featured in the Titfield Thunderbolt? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Titfield_Thunderbolt
Paul (renationalisation without compensation comrades!)