Man nearly sucked out of window mid-air on Ryanair plane, passengers say

A passenger was reportedly nearly sucked out of a cabin window in mid-air on a Ryanair plane.

Witnesses told local media the man, said to be a Serbian citizen in his 60s, was left hanging head first out of the window as far as his shoulders for several minutes, before other passengers on the flight managed to pull him back inside.

In a statement, Ryanair said its Friday morning flight from the Greek city of Thessaloniki to Germany's Memmingen returned "shortly after take-off when a passenger window dislodged inflight".

It continued: "The aircraft landed normally and passengers returned to the terminal. One passenger requested and received medical assistance on the ground in Thessaloniki."

The Irish budget airline added that "a replacement aircraft was arranged to bring passengers to Memmingen" several hours later.

Media reports in Greece and Germany quoted passengers describing a loud bang followed by the window breaking and oxygen masks falling from the ceiling shortly after the Boeing 737 had taken off. They believe the window was smashed by pieces of the jet's engine - although Ryanair has not commented on this.

"We immediately realised there had been a decompression. There were screams... for a moment I thought someone had accidentally opened the emergency door," Christina, a fellow passenger, told Radio Thessaloniki. The masks dropped and there was a strong smell. The head and shoulders of one passenger were outside the window. Fortunately, he hadn't taken off his seat belt."

The aircraft - believed to have been an 18 year-old-plane - was operated by Ryanair's subsidiary Malta Air.

The Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) later told the BBC that it "is aware of the incident involving a Ryanair group aircraft, registered and operated by Malta Air, departing Thessaloniki this morning.  The IAA will provide any requested assistance to the aviation safety investigation authority in Greece and the Maltese Civil Aviation Directorate, to aid their investigation," it said.

In 2018, a passenger died when debris from a damaged engine caused a window to break on a Southwest Airlines flight in the US, and she was partially sucked out.

If that option didn't exist then the GWR services would be able to run on the relief lines all the way from Reading to Paddington making the normal stops.

Frustration as towns miss out on culture prize


Nine places across the Somerset Council area have missed out on being the UK's first Town of Culture

A tourism boss has said it is "frustrating" that no places across the West Country have been shortlisted for the UK's first Town of Culture.

Nine places across the Somerset Council area applied for the honour of being crowned UK Town of Culture 2028, which is similar to the more established City of Culture scheme.

Bridgwater, Taunton, Watchet, Wells, Yeovil, Bruton, Glastonbury, Frome and Shepton Mallet all missed out on the 15-name shortlist, with 400 towns applying.

Giles Adams from the Visit Somerset tourism board said: "It's frustrating. With respect to those towns selected, I don't want to appear sour but it does strike me that there is a focus on the north and the south west misses out. I think with these big competitions, there are very corporate and it always felt like things would be given to more northern town," Adams added.

Other places in the West including Clevedon, Weston-super-Mare, Filton, Emersons Green, Corsham and Nailsea were also unsuccessful.

Towns selected for the shortlist include Ilfracombe, Sandown, Pontypridd, Port Talbot, Birkenhead, Grimsby and Rotherham.

Each place will now receive £60,000 to develop a full bid and three winners - best small, medium and large town bid - will be chosen early next year.

An overall winner from these three finalists then will be crowned the UK Town of Culture 2028 and receive a £3m grant to host cultural events.

Jeremy James, events manager at Bridgwater Town Council, said: "There will be disappointment as it does garner excitement and energy doing the bid. I think the West Country needs to bang its a drum a bit. There were over 400 towns that went for this so it was always going to be a lottery."

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said: "I am so glad that so many towns have applied and I hope each and every town, whether they have been shortlisted or not, is incredibly proud of the work they have done to champion their local community."

Chiltern really have abandoned Stratford-Upon-Avon.

15:14 Swindon to Westbury due 15:58
16:23 Westbury to Swindon due 17:06
17:45 Swindon to Westbury due 18:26

17:45 Swindon to Westbury due 18:26 will be cancelled.
This is due to a broken down train.

14:18 Westbury to Swindon due 15:01

14:18 Westbury to Swindon due 15:01 has been cancelled.
This is due to a fault on this train.

Former Tory minister Ann Widdecombe dies at 78

Former Conservative minister turned Reform UK spokeswoman Ann Widdecombe has died aged 78.

(BBC article continues)

Err..........the explanation we've received for GWR trains running non stop to/from Reading to Paddington was that it was largely due to the likelihood of points (such as those at Dolphin Junction) falling over due to hot weather.

So customers who use Twyford/Maidenhead/Slough and smaller stations fall back to the Elizabeth Line, but if that fallback did not exist, what options would they have?

I don't believe we have such a class - we are a USER group - but we would love to have you as a member, Mark.   On the other way round, WWRUG *is* a member of organisations which have corporate memberships.

So customers who use Twyford/Maidenhead/Slough and smaller stations fall back to the Elizabeth Line, but if that fallback did not exist, what options would they have?

So customers who use Twyford/Maidenhead/Slough and smaller stations fall back to the Elizabeth Line, but if that fallback did not exist, what options would they have?

18:08 London Paddington to Frome due 20:00

18:08 London Paddington to Frome due 20:00 will call additionally at Maidenhead.
This is due to severe weather.

Err...surely the only difference sharing the relief lines east of Reading with the  Elizabeth Line makes to GWR when disruption occurs is to reduce the available capacity for them to use these lines when the OHL on the main lines only fails?

The "get out of jail" (odd expression for coping with disruption to their business) remains the slower alternative of taking Waterloo trains from Reading.

I guess the GWR masterplan of shove everyone to the Elizabeth Line and forget about them wasn’t so full proof after all.

... the Weber (Wb) is the standard SI unit of magnetic flux.

Town fighting to restore direct trains to London


John Baxter, Brian Mathew MP, Sam Blackwell and Mark Annand want to see the route to London reinstated - Image © Brian Mathew MP

People have urged transport bosses to reinstate train services between a west Wiltshire town and London.

Passengers had previously been able to travel from Bradford-on-Avon to London Waterloo until the route, which went via Salisbury, was axed in 2021.

A consultation has now been launched by South Western Railway (SWR) to ask people what they would like to see changed about current services; a development which has heartened campaigners.

Sam Blackwell, mayor of Bradford-on-Avon, told Radio Wiltshire. "It is encouraging. They are taking ideas and trying to understand what changes passengers want from the timetable."

A spokesperson for SWR and Network Rail Wessex said "all feedback" is welcomed as part of a "timetable refresh".

Blackwell is among those who have backed West Wiltshire Rail User Group's campaign to restore direct train services between Bradford-on-Avon and the capital. The group says bringing the services back would make journeys easier, especially for older people and those with mobility needs, while supporting local businesses, tourism and sustainable travel.

Blackwell continued: "We currently have a regular service which goes down to Salisbury, stops there and then comes back. There is also an SWR existing service which goes from Salisbury to London Waterloo. Part of this proposal would ask the rail operators to look at joining those services up."

The mayor said reinstating the route would also benefit other stations such as Trowbridge and Keynsham.

Graham Ellis, a transport campaigner based in Melksham, said he believed there would not be large costs associated with getting the service up and running again. He added: "There is a train which runs from Bristol to Salisbury and we're simply saying connect that up with the train from Salisbury to London. Sure there is timetable planning and likely consultation costs, but we aren't looking for any extra trains."

Meanwhile, Wiltshire Council has said it would "strongly welcome" the introduction of a direct service between west Wiltshire and London.

Martin Smith, cabinet member for highways, said: "We have already committed to promoting new railway stations at Devizes, Corsham and Wilton, as well as a new platform at Westbury, and will continue to work closely with local partners, Network Rail, the Department for Transport and train operators to secure better rail services and strengthen connectivity across Wiltshire."

Brian Mathew, MP for Melksham and Devizes, said he "fully supports" reinstating the service. "Restoring through trains would be a practical and cost-effective step to improve access to jobs and education, support local tourism and deliver a more connected railway for passengers," he added.

A SWR spokesperson every suggestion will be carefully reviewed as we balance enhancing connectivity and meeting demand. "Responses will be provided through the formal consultation process at the appropriate time," they added.

Railway route named as one of UK's favourite paths


Fletcher said he is delighted by the nomination - Image © Daniel Mumby

A pathway that follows an old railway route linking the coast with a hilly landscape has been named as one of Britain's favourite paths.

The Strawberry Line, which runs between Yatton in North Somerset and Cheddar, has been nominated as one of eight routes in walking charity Ramblers' annual competition.

Public voting has now opened and Britain's Favourite Path 2026 will be announced later this year.

Mick Fletcher, the chair of the Strawberry Line Society, said he was "absolutely delighted" to get the nomination, adding the path was in "good company".

Fletcher and his team have been working for years to extend the traffic-free route which will eventually run uninterrupted to Shepton Mallet through the Mendip Hills. He described the nomination as a "feather in our cap".

"I feel it reflects some of the hard work people have done to bring the path into being and to keep it as beautiful as it is," he added. He also said he believes the recognition will appeal to decision makers to show its value.

The path was nominated by Amanda Jane Baldwin, who lives in the village of Winscombe and described the route as "stunning". She added: "I moved to Winscombe more than seven years ago and this path has been trod by myself more times than I can count. It's accessible in all weathers, it goes on for miles, it's an absolute pleasure to walk on. It's beautiful and I appreciate the nature all around me while on the path."

The walking and cycling route follows much of the old Cheddar Valley Railway, which closed in 1963 as part of the Beeching cuts.

The Strawberry Line Society has been working with Somerset Council and local landowners to deliver the remaining sections of the path – with the council announcing in early-April that £730,000 would be provided towards this and other rural routes over the next two years.

A further £30,000 for smaller-scale improvements to the route was provided in early-June by the management team of the Mendip Hills National Landscape (formerly area of outstanding natural beauty, or AONB).

Other routes nominated include Buttermere Circular Path in Cumbria, Hangleton to Devil's Dyke Path, Sussex, and Holy Island Causeway Path, Northumberland.

... and wonders what would happen if he failed to get trades union support ...