Recent Public Posts - [guest]
| Man who blamed dog for crash handed driving ban In "The Lighter Side" [371768/31536/30] Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 21:27, 28th January 2026 |      |
I'm going to post this item here, even though it is both 'the wider picture' and 'railway related' - for which we have other boards on the Coffee Shop forum - but it is, I think, quite funny. I suspect the magistrates did, too, quietly behind the scenes.
From the BBC:
Man who blamed dog for crash handed driving ban
[Image from here is not available to guests]
Jody Lovatt allowed the BBC to photograph his French bulldog, Reggie, shortly after the crash
A van driver who blamed his dog chewing through the handbrake for a crash at a railway station has been handed a six-month driving ban.
Jody Lovatt, 49, caused more than £22,000 of damage after his runaway van careered down a road and smashed through level crossing barriers before striking a building in Knaresborough on 10 July.
Lovatt, who had told a BBC reporter at the scene that his French bulldog, Reggie, had been at fault, pleaded guilty to careless driving and to endangering safety of persons conveyed by the railway earlier this month.
Earlier, he appeared at York Magistrates' Court for sentencing and told the bench: "I wish I'd stayed in bed that day."
Lovatt, of Kirkby Malzeard, was fined £253 and given three points on his licence, which brought his total to 12 and triggered an automatic disqualification.
The hearing was told Lovatt, who ran a business fitting aerials, had been on his way to a job when the accident happened at about 06:40 BST.
He had been in the process of trying to restart his broken-down vehicle but got distracted by his dog after it "did a bit of a runner".
[Image from here is not available to guests]
The van crashed into the level crossing at Knaresborough Station
As Lovatt tried to retrieve his dog, the van rolled down the road and crashed through a gate in the level crossing beside Knaresborough Station, before smashing into a Grade II-listed Victorian signal box which was attached to a terraced house, said prosecutor Kathryn Walters.
The force of the impact caused the gate to fly into the air and land on the tracks. The van suffered major front-end damage, including a smashed bonnet.
When police arrived, Lovatt claimed he had put the handbrake on before getting out of the vehicle. He at first blamed the accident on Reggie chewing through a cable in the handbrake, but later retracted this version of events.
As a result of the accident, Network Rail had to cancel nine services and partially cancel 14 trains between Harrogate and York during early-morning rush hour. A further 11 were delayed, with the overall disruption costing the rail operator £16,147. In addition, £6,313 of damage was caused to the level crossing.
Lovatt represented himself in court and told magistrates: "From my point of view I was trying to do something right, but it's gone wrong, accidentally. If I could have done anything to stop it happening, I would have."
He said he had felt pressured on the morning in question by the "bad" traffic on the day of the Great Yorkshire Show, which delayed him getting to work. He said this was heightened by "the dog trying to jump out of the van" and the fact that he was going through an "awkward divorce" at the time.
He said he had been left with a "big claim on my insurance" and had had to mothball his business. He said he was now reliant on state benefits. He said the incident had caused him great "mental stress" and that he was on a waiting list for mental health treatment.
Lovatt made a bid to keep his driving licence, telling magistrates he had suffered "exceptional hardship" and lived in a small village with poor public transport. He said he was also a carer for a female friend.
Magistrates acknowledged Lovatt was remorseful and that no-one was injured in the accident, but found others would not suffer due to him losing his licence.
[Image from here is not available to guests]
Jody Lovatt allowed the BBC to photograph his French bulldog, Reggie, shortly after the crash
A van driver who blamed his dog chewing through the handbrake for a crash at a railway station has been handed a six-month driving ban.
Jody Lovatt, 49, caused more than £22,000 of damage after his runaway van careered down a road and smashed through level crossing barriers before striking a building in Knaresborough on 10 July.
Lovatt, who had told a BBC reporter at the scene that his French bulldog, Reggie, had been at fault, pleaded guilty to careless driving and to endangering safety of persons conveyed by the railway earlier this month.
Earlier, he appeared at York Magistrates' Court for sentencing and told the bench: "I wish I'd stayed in bed that day."
Lovatt, of Kirkby Malzeard, was fined £253 and given three points on his licence, which brought his total to 12 and triggered an automatic disqualification.
The hearing was told Lovatt, who ran a business fitting aerials, had been on his way to a job when the accident happened at about 06:40 BST.
He had been in the process of trying to restart his broken-down vehicle but got distracted by his dog after it "did a bit of a runner".
[Image from here is not available to guests]
The van crashed into the level crossing at Knaresborough Station
As Lovatt tried to retrieve his dog, the van rolled down the road and crashed through a gate in the level crossing beside Knaresborough Station, before smashing into a Grade II-listed Victorian signal box which was attached to a terraced house, said prosecutor Kathryn Walters.
The force of the impact caused the gate to fly into the air and land on the tracks. The van suffered major front-end damage, including a smashed bonnet.
When police arrived, Lovatt claimed he had put the handbrake on before getting out of the vehicle. He at first blamed the accident on Reggie chewing through a cable in the handbrake, but later retracted this version of events.
As a result of the accident, Network Rail had to cancel nine services and partially cancel 14 trains between Harrogate and York during early-morning rush hour. A further 11 were delayed, with the overall disruption costing the rail operator £16,147. In addition, £6,313 of damage was caused to the level crossing.
Lovatt represented himself in court and told magistrates: "From my point of view I was trying to do something right, but it's gone wrong, accidentally. If I could have done anything to stop it happening, I would have."
He said he had felt pressured on the morning in question by the "bad" traffic on the day of the Great Yorkshire Show, which delayed him getting to work. He said this was heightened by "the dog trying to jump out of the van" and the fact that he was going through an "awkward divorce" at the time.
He said he had been left with a "big claim on my insurance" and had had to mothball his business. He said he was now reliant on state benefits. He said the incident had caused him great "mental stress" and that he was on a waiting list for mental health treatment.
Lovatt made a bid to keep his driving licence, telling magistrates he had suffered "exceptional hardship" and lived in a small village with poor public transport. He said he was also a carer for a female friend.
Magistrates acknowledged Lovatt was remorseful and that no-one was injured in the accident, but found others would not suffer due to him losing his licence.
| Re: Weather updates from across the UK and implications for infrastructure - 2026 In "The Wider Picture in the United Kingdom" [371767/31355/51] Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 20:57, 28th January 2026 | |
Why do you need French agreement to build a Swedish flatpack table in your own lounge?
Oh, I see what you mean. [Image from here is not available to guests]
| Re: Weather updates from across the UK and implications for infrastructure - 2026 In "The Wider Picture in the United Kingdom" [371766/31355/51] Posted by JayMac at 20:23, 28th January 2026 | |
Don't forget you need French agreement before building that. [Image from here is not available to guests]
Ah, oui. L'Entente Cordiale*.
*Other soft drinks are available. [Image from here is not available to guests]
| Re: Ukraine train service fired on in drone attack - five dead - 28 January 2026 In "The Wider Picture Overseas" [371765/31534/52] Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 19:56, 28th January 2026 | |
From the BBC:
Panic on crowded Ukraine train - passenger describes moment of Russian drone strike
A Ukrainian soldier has described the moment a passenger train was targeted by Russian drones, killing five people.
When a carriage on the train was hit in northeastern Ukraine, passengers threw themselves on the floor in panic and the military officer told them to get out immediately. Without his instruction, issued moments before the carriage burst into flames, many more passengers could have died.
The officer, whose army call-sign is Omar, is part of Ukraine's 93rd brigade. He was among the passengers travelling on a route from Chop, on the border with Slovakia, to Barvinkove, the last stop before the front line in eastern Ukraine.
The first of three Russian drones landed near the train, forcing it to come to a halt. "Then we heard the rumble of another drone, and then an explosion," Omar tells the BBC. "The blast was so strong that parts of the carriage shattered into splinters."
As the commander of a drone unit, he quickly realised he and the other passengers had to get out as the train could get hit again. In all, 291 people were on the train at the time, officials say.
[Image from here is not available to guests]
Five people were killed in the attack, which President Zelensky said was "terrorism"
"After the second hit, I understood that the drone operator was observing what kind of target it was hitting," Omar says, and a stationary train was an easy target. The carriage that suffered a direct hit quickly became engulfed in flames. "I am in the military and I am prepared for such attacks," says Omar. "But for others it was a shock to be so close to death."
Many passengers evacuated the train in a state of deep distress, and videos from the scene show people screaming and crying as they move away from the smouldering wreck. It was too dangerous for such a large number of people to stay near the burning carriages, so he urged them to start moving towards a nearby motorway.
He then went back to the train with some of the other passengers to check if anyone had been left behind. Inspecting the carriages, he saw a body and continued to look for survivors. Five people lost their lives in the attack.
In the final carriage, Omar found a young woman with a baby. "She was very scared and had no idea what to do but thank God she was alive," he says. She barely had time to put on warm clothes, and screamed she needed to go back to the carriage to retrieve her suitcase and documents, the officer says.
"I came here to bring my son," she told Omar as she was getting off the train. Later, Omar understood she had been travelling to the front line so that her soldier husband could see their child.
The attack on the passenger train in Kharkiv region was condemned by President Volodymyr Zelensky as terrorism.
It hit the heart of the railway system - a symbol of resilience in a country where the airspace has been closed since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.
Millions of Ukrainians rely on the 21,000km-long (13,000-mile) railway network to travel around the country and to cross the border into neighbouring countries, from which they can then catch flights.
Although the railways have been targeted in the past, by and large Ukraine's Ukrzaliznytsia rail company has been able to keep people moving on its vast network - although escalating attacks on infrastructure and severe weather have led to increasingly long delays.
Trains to the frontline city of Kramatorsk in the Donetsk region were eventually suspended last autumn, once the area became too dangerous due to sustained aerial Russian attacks.
On Wednesday, flags flew at half-mast in railway stations across Ukraine. The daily minute of silence observed across the country was dedicated to the victims of the drone strike on the train.
Hours after the attack had taken place, services were running again on the Barvinkove-Chop line.
A Ukrainian soldier has described the moment a passenger train was targeted by Russian drones, killing five people.
When a carriage on the train was hit in northeastern Ukraine, passengers threw themselves on the floor in panic and the military officer told them to get out immediately. Without his instruction, issued moments before the carriage burst into flames, many more passengers could have died.
The officer, whose army call-sign is Omar, is part of Ukraine's 93rd brigade. He was among the passengers travelling on a route from Chop, on the border with Slovakia, to Barvinkove, the last stop before the front line in eastern Ukraine.
The first of three Russian drones landed near the train, forcing it to come to a halt. "Then we heard the rumble of another drone, and then an explosion," Omar tells the BBC. "The blast was so strong that parts of the carriage shattered into splinters."
As the commander of a drone unit, he quickly realised he and the other passengers had to get out as the train could get hit again. In all, 291 people were on the train at the time, officials say.
[Image from here is not available to guests]
Five people were killed in the attack, which President Zelensky said was "terrorism"
"After the second hit, I understood that the drone operator was observing what kind of target it was hitting," Omar says, and a stationary train was an easy target. The carriage that suffered a direct hit quickly became engulfed in flames. "I am in the military and I am prepared for such attacks," says Omar. "But for others it was a shock to be so close to death."
Many passengers evacuated the train in a state of deep distress, and videos from the scene show people screaming and crying as they move away from the smouldering wreck. It was too dangerous for such a large number of people to stay near the burning carriages, so he urged them to start moving towards a nearby motorway.
He then went back to the train with some of the other passengers to check if anyone had been left behind. Inspecting the carriages, he saw a body and continued to look for survivors. Five people lost their lives in the attack.
In the final carriage, Omar found a young woman with a baby. "She was very scared and had no idea what to do but thank God she was alive," he says. She barely had time to put on warm clothes, and screamed she needed to go back to the carriage to retrieve her suitcase and documents, the officer says.
"I came here to bring my son," she told Omar as she was getting off the train. Later, Omar understood she had been travelling to the front line so that her soldier husband could see their child.
The attack on the passenger train in Kharkiv region was condemned by President Volodymyr Zelensky as terrorism.
It hit the heart of the railway system - a symbol of resilience in a country where the airspace has been closed since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.
Millions of Ukrainians rely on the 21,000km-long (13,000-mile) railway network to travel around the country and to cross the border into neighbouring countries, from which they can then catch flights.
Although the railways have been targeted in the past, by and large Ukraine's Ukrzaliznytsia rail company has been able to keep people moving on its vast network - although escalating attacks on infrastructure and severe weather have led to increasingly long delays.
Trains to the frontline city of Kramatorsk in the Donetsk region were eventually suspended last autumn, once the area became too dangerous due to sustained aerial Russian attacks.
On Wednesday, flags flew at half-mast in railway stations across Ukraine. The daily minute of silence observed across the country was dedicated to the victims of the drone strike on the train.
Hours after the attack had taken place, services were running again on the Barvinkove-Chop line.
| Re: Number of police forces in England and Wales to be cut in major shake-up In "The West - but NOT trains in the West" [371764/31503/31] Posted by stuving at 19:24, 28th January 2026 | |
Police are required to attend and investigate ALL domestic burglaries in England & Wales.
I didn't know that. And neither did the local police, it would appear. A neighbour had £10,000 fishing gear lifted from his garden shed a few months back. Our shed was broken into at the same time, but nothing taken. Zero interest from the police for either of of the break-ins, apart from a crime number, and the arrival a couple of weeks later of a PCSO to drink tea and supply a crime prevention leaflet
Well, it's a commitment by the police chiefs on behalf of their forces, so not really a requirement placed on them externally. They claim to be now attending in all cases, though what investigation follows is subject to available resources, so may be a bit cursory. And it doesn't extend to sheds at all (now reported as a separate category).
| Re: Night Riviera Sleeper train - between Paddington and Penzance In "London to the West" [371763/489/12] Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 19:09, 28th January 2026 | |
Edit: Just spotted TG's earlier message.
With thanks for your post, TonyK, I noted your use of 'TG' as an abbreviation. There is absolutely no problem with that - other than that it might puzzle a new reader of the Coffee Shop forum.
I have therefore added 'TG' as one of the expanded definitions in our 'Abbreviation page' - welcome to that, TaplowGreen!
(I am also defined there, lest 'CfN' be confused with the code for Clifton Down station. [Image from here is not available to guests] )
| Re: Map shops, Book shops, Model shops & Stationery shops, Bristol & elsewhere, past & present In "The West - but NOT trains in the West" [371762/31524/31] Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 18:07, 28th January 2026 | |
Perhaps CfN may need to change the title of this thread, to "....in Bristol and elsewhere - past and present"!
Yes, alright ... I've done it. [Image from here is not available to guests] [Image from here is not available to guests] [Image from here is not available to guests]
Chris. [Image from here is not available to guests]
| Re: Number of police forces in England and Wales to be cut in major shake-up In "The West - but NOT trains in the West" [371759/31503/31] Posted by ChrisB at 17:41, 28th January 2026 | |
They are *accountable* to us, so I would expect two-way communication, not simply them spouting at us.
| Re: Mark Hopwood interview to appear on Green Signals You Tube channel, 27 January In "Media about railways, and other means of transport" [371758/31498/49] Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 17:40, 28th January 2026 Already liked by Timmer, GBM | |
Mark as usual being as up front as you would expect of him, an excellent interview by Richard Bowker.
Over the years, I have met Mark Hopwood many times. I have the greatest respect for him as 'a manager'. Two examples from me:
1. When a GWR event was held at Barnstaple, on the return journey, Mark was on his mobile phone to Control, just making sure that our train, and the various connections at Taunton, weren't disrupted (he and I exchanged grins, while he was speaking to them [Image from here is not available to guests] ):
2. On a rather more sombre note, when three of us forum admins went to Milford House in Swindon to discuss the logistics of setting up a meeting room there, to accommodate a 'Meet the manager' online forum event, Mark joined us. The proposed forum discussion didn't involve him personally, but he was clearly aware of our visit. Mark joined us, in that large meeting room - and he shared some 'internal breaking news' information regarding the tragic deaths of two track workers at Margam (3 July 2019). Mark was clearly personally shaken up about it, and he showed a very human side for all those involved in that tragic incident.
CfN. [Image from here is not available to guests]
| Re: Mark Hopwood interview to appear on Green Signals You Tube channel, 27 January In "Media about railways, and other means of transport" [371757/31498/49] Posted by eightonedee at 17:35, 28th January 2026 Already liked by ChrisB | |
I know Chris- just trying to be clever by showing I know there's ex-TfL stock on GWR too when acknowledging the error you pointed out.....
| Re: Map shops, Book shops, Model shops & Stationery shops, Bristol & elsewhere, past & present In "The West - but NOT trains in the West" [371756/31524/31] Posted by eightonedee at 17:29, 28th January 2026 | |
I would add my endorsement to the Independent Map Shop at Upton. They were able to supply maps of Germany for me last year that Stanfords did not list, and even contacted me to let me know one I had ordered was about to be revised, so did I want to wait until the revised edition appeared. That's what I call service.
Perhaps CfN may need to change the title of this thread, to "....in Bristol and elsewhere - past and present"!
| Re: Weather updates from across the UK and implications for infrastructure - 2026 In "The Wider Picture in the United Kingdom" [371755/31355/51] Posted by TonyN at 17:29, 28th January 2026 Already liked by johnneyw, Western Pathfinder, JayMac, GBM | |
Barrier and drain repairs are continuing on the M5 southbound between J28 (Cullompton) and J29 (A30, Exeter) as of midday 28/01/2026. Only one lane open.
As I found out this morning driving to IKEA in Exeter. Took nearly 45 minutes to get through the bottleneck. That was after abandoning my journey to IKEA Bristol yesterday.
I do now have the table I needed for my latest project...
[Image from here is not available to guests]
Don't forget you need French agreement before building that. [Image from here is not available to guests]As I found out this morning driving to IKEA in Exeter. Took nearly 45 minutes to get through the bottleneck. That was after abandoning my journey to IKEA Bristol yesterday.
I do now have the table I needed for my latest project...
[Image from here is not available to guests]
| Re: Number of police forces in England and Wales to be cut in major shake-up In "The West - but NOT trains in the West" [371754/31503/31] Posted by eightonedee at 17:24, 28th January 2026 | |
As for local accountability - name me an effective PCC▸ that communicates properly with their electorate throughout their term and not just at election time (more money saved by their abolishment too).
To be fair, the PCCs for Hampshire and Thames Valley do seem regularly to feature on southern regional TV. I'm not certain how effective they are and expect they are like most other figurehead regional appointments, like Mayors, who are hamstrung by what Whitehall and the Treasury allow them to do, and probably take the chance of standing as a stepping stone for something parliamentary in their parties by making a lot of noise to get noticed (or, if ex-MPs, something higher up the food chain). I'll leave members to suggest examples. However, with the limited interest most of the public have in elections for such roles, I think they fail to fulfil their objective of public accountability.
Whatever the size of amalgamated forces, they will still need a command structure and organisation that ensures delivery on the ground. Larger forces will probably mean more divisional offices, and not a lot of manpower savings, but from what seems to be happening currently, it will formalise a lot of current cross-force resource sharing.
BTW, I read somewhere earlier today that Gloucestershire was talking to Thames Valley - just Googled and found this - https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/01/27/britain-oldest-county-police-force-merger-gloucestershire/?msockid=2cb2a64906e467143577b04a075f66f2.
| Re: Mark Hopwood interview to appear on Green Signals You Tube channel, 27 January In "Media about railways, and other means of transport" [371752/31498/49] Posted by ChrisB at 17:05, 28th January 2026 | |
Errrr, you were referring to the 175s at the point you typed TfL....never been anywhere near them.
| Re: Ukraine train service fired on in drone attack - five dead - 28 January 2026 In "The Wider Picture Overseas" [371751/31534/52] Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 17:03, 28th January 2026 | |
I have expanded the heading of this topic, in the interests of clarity and ease of future reference for our readers.
| Re: Mark Hopwood interview to appear on Green Signals You Tube channel, 27 January In "Media about railways, and other means of transport" [371750/31498/49] Posted by eightonedee at 17:03, 28th January 2026 | |
I assume you mean TfW▸ , not TfL» ?
I do indeed Chris. The ex-TfL stock (the experimental 230s) are far to long out of Tube service and too modified for any blame to attach to their previous operator!
| Re: Driving licences and tests - ongoing discussion In "The Wider Picture in the United Kingdom" [371746/19893/51] Posted by TonyK at 16:43, 28th January 2026 | |
Hoprfilly, the driving examiner will have already inked the "PASS" stamp, so long as William doesn't run anybody over.
| Re: Night Riviera Sleeper train - between Paddington and Penzance In "London to the West" [371745/489/12] Posted by TonyK at 16:34, 28th January 2026 | |
From the Mirror via MSN today:
A train line in Devon is set to close for emergency repairs after a giant sinkhole appeared near the railway.
The sinkhole, measuring around eight by three-and-a-half metres, opened up near the line between Dawlish and Teignmouth on Saturday evening following Storm Ingrid.
The railway line will be closed between Exeter St Davids and Newton Abbot from 7pm on Wednesday to allow repair work to take place, with services due to resume at 7am on Thursday.
The sinkhole, measuring around eight by three-and-a-half metres, opened up near the line between Dawlish and Teignmouth on Saturday evening following Storm Ingrid.
The railway line will be closed between Exeter St Davids and Newton Abbot from 7pm on Wednesday to allow repair work to take place, with services due to resume at 7am on Thursday.
Network Rail are looking into it, but no Night Sleeper tonight.
Edit: Just spotted TG's earlier message.
| Re: Map shops, Book shops, Model shops & Stationery shops, Bristol & elsewhere, past & present In "The West - but NOT trains in the West" [371742/31524/31] Posted by TonyN at 16:10, 28th January 2026 | |
The independent Map Shop in Upton-on-Severn is still going, and still wonderful: https://www.themapshop.co.uk/
I can remember going there in the 80s or 90s just after the EU had introduced set-aside for agricultural land and finding a queue of Farmers waiting to order 25 inch maps of their land.
Only 6 miles from me in Pershore but Upton is not very well served by public transport these days. Buses from Worcester only and by 2 alternate routes ether east or west of the river Severn.
When I lived in Kempsey just south of Worcester in the 1970s there was an all day and evening bus service from Worcester to Gloucester via Upton and Tewkesbury. Now to get south from upton you need to go to Worcester. Then take a train to Gloucester. The only regular bus service between Worcestershire and Gloucestershire is Evesham to Tewkesbury.
| Re: Map shops, Book shops, Model shops & Stationery shops, Bristol & elsewhere, past & present In "The West - but NOT trains in the West" [371741/31524/31] Posted by CyclingSid at 16:07, 28th January 2026 | |
It would appear that we have a few frustrated cartographers here. [Image from here is not available to guests]
Not entirely frustrated. I did eventually, by a circuitous route, become a health/medical cartographer. All sorts of fancy words; spatial epidemiology! It is useful to know where health conditions occur, it is also useful to know where health treatment occurs. The connection between the two is not always optimal.
| Re: Number of police forces in England and Wales to be cut in major shake-up In "The West - but NOT trains in the West" [371740/31503/31] Posted by Witham Bobby at 15:55, 28th January 2026 | |
Police are required to attend and investigate ALL domestic burglaries in England & Wales.
I didn't know that. And neither did the local police, it would appear. A neighbour had £10,000 fishing gear lifted from his garden shed a few months back. Our shed was broken into at the same time, but nothing taken. Zero interest from the police for either of of the break-ins, apart from a crime number, and the arrival a couple of weeks later of a PCSO to drink tea and supply a crime prevention leaflet
| Re: Number of police forces in England and Wales to be cut in major shake-up In "The West - but NOT trains in the West" [371739/31503/31] Posted by JayMac at 15:44, 28th January 2026 | |
Before 1967, there was Worcestershire Constabulary. That was merged with Shropshire and Herefordshire to form West Mercia Constabulary. The new set up has seen nothing but reductions in police stations and police presence, year after year. Have a burglary, and the best you can expect is a crime number to go on an insurance claim form.
Police are required to attend and investigate ALL domestic burglaries in England & Wales.
