2E80 0700 Worcester Shrub Hill to Didcot Parkway cancelled between Worcester Shrub Hill and Oxford due to an issue with the train crew (TH).

09:52 London Paddington to Hereford due 12:48 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

13:18 Hereford to London Paddington due 16:25 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

Argh - I'd really like to go to this, but Mondays aren't good for me

Don't suppose anyone will be recording it?

No, Graham will be speaking live.




Oh, I see what you mean. 

Restoration work on historic pier 'astonishing'


The restoration of Birnbeck Pier is now a quarter of the way through

A crumbling historic pier which is currently undergoing a major restoration will reopen next summer, a council leader has said.

The Grade II*-listed Birnbeck Pier, in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, closed to the public in 1994 due to safety concerns, and has since been battered by storms.

North Somerset Council leader Mike Bell said: "At the moment [we are] 100% confident. We're on time, on budget, you can see the progress they're making. It's astonishing."

A quarter of the pier is now restored, with the remaining deck spans being installed over the coming months.  Work to create a new cultural space, restore the historic clock tower and turnstiles, repair the 1888 boathouse and renovate the pavilion buildings began in February.

Bell said: "We're about a quarter of the way down on the build now. It brings to life we're doing it, we're refurbishing and restoring the pier. It will reopen next year.  It's one of the biggest heritage projects in the country at the moment.  I'm really confident we're going to deliver and it's going to make a huge difference to Weston-super-Mare.  The benefit it'll have in terms of heritage, culture, tourism and the wider economy in Weston will far outweigh the cost of doing it," he added.

(BBC article continues)

My view from Nailsea (a town of over 20,000 residents):  I'll try to keep this brief, as most of the points have been covered in posts above.

Nailsea High Street is a shadow of what it used to be, when we first moved here, over thirty years ago.  Long gone are the independent family butchers, bakers, greengrocers.

Similarly, long gone are the 'big four' Banks, and Nationwide Building Society, each closing down over the years.  We now have a 'banking hub', sponsored by the Post Office - but that's only available for pre-booked face-to-face appointments with a representative from a bank, not for any financial transactions.

Many of the previous independent shops in the High Street are now Turkish barbers (I've lost count of them), Chinese takeaways (there are now two, after a Chinese restaurant directly across the street from one of them closed), two nail bars and a myriad of charity shops.

Car parking is now subject to a charge, which the feedback I get from my occasional chats with a couple of businesses has had a detrimental effect on their trade.

Giant cardboard replica of historic pier created

A giant cardboard replica of a historic pier has been created by 400 people using 2,000 boxes and 23.6 miles of sticky tape.

The six-storey-high structure, based on Weston-super-Mare's Birnbeck Pier, was due to be hauled into place alongside the real thing on Saturday.

Designed by visual artist Oliver Grossetête, who is known for creating large cardboard sculptures of architectural sites, has attracted volunteer helpers from all over the world.

"The spirit of the project is to make something together," said Grossetête. "I like cardboard because it is open to all people. For me, it's between architecture and a social project."

(BBC article continues)

That can happen if another follow up has been posted while you are writing - you press "post" and can (I sometimes do) don't notice that rather than posting, it alerts you to another contribution and asks if you want to post anyway.

More council control of Cornish buses to be considered

Cornwall Council has said it will look into how it could take more control over local bus services in future.

The authority said it would be doing more research into potential models for operating buses - including a greater say over timetables and routes.  It currently spends more than £12m a year to subsidise about half of all services - but private company Go Cornwall operates the routes.

The announcement came as villagers complained services for people living in rural areas of Cornwall are too infrequent and unreliable.

Diana Miller, 84, from Upton Cross, near Callington, said she now relied on the 78 and 78A bus services through her village after hurting her shoulder and being unable to drive.  "The bus service here is absolutely appalling. They're virtually every two hours and it sometimes just leaves you stranded. We've had to get cabs back from Launceston and it's cost us £30," she said.

She said she had missed medical appointments because the bus had been late - and it left both old and young people isolated.  "The last bus back from Liskeard in the afternoon is at 4.30pm, so the young people have to rely on their parents - hopefully they can pick them up.  "I can't go out in the evening because there's no bus. I don't understand why the Cornish have put up with bad rural services," she added.

Go Cornwall, which operate the services, said roadworks in the area were to blame for current unreliability.

(BBC article continues)

Exmouth Post Office closure sparks fears for residents


The Post Office said it hoped to open a replacement branch as soon as possible

People in Exmouth have spoken of their dismay as the town's post office prepares to close, with some warning vulnerable residents could be left struggling to access essential services.

The branch, which operates inside the town's TGJones store - formerly WHSmith, is shutting on Monday as part of a wider closure programme affecting about 150 stores across the UK.

The Post Office said it hoped to open a replacement branch as soon as possible, although the process could take about six months.  It said in the meantime customers would be directed to branches at Littleham Cross and Budleigh Salterton.

Kate Wilcox, who campaigned against moving the post office into WHSmith several years ago, said residents had long feared the arrangement would leave the town without a permanent service.  She said: "Exmouth has a population of 36,000 and rising and it's an elderly demographic and quite honestly people need the post office services."

Wilcox said the loss of banks and building societies in recent years had increased the importance of the post office, particularly for people who relied on face-to-face banking and government services.  She said: "The town has been hollowed out by the closure of banks and building societies, the closure of the post office."

Wilcox also warned the closure would be particularly difficult for older and disabled residents who may struggle to travel to alternative branches.  She said: "These are the people that actually need a friendly face to say, all right my love, what can I do?"

(BBC article continues)

Pressure group calls to reopen rail link


BTRA's plan of the proposed revived rail route - Image © BTRA

A rail pressure group is calling on Herefordshire and other authorities to work together on making the case for a reopened Hereford/Ross-on-Wye/Gloucester railway link.

The British Regional Transport Association (BRTA) claim the link, which closed in the 1960s, is "strategic and brimming with potential".  They believe it offers wider connections northwards to Shrewsbury, and connections to Reading and London to the east.  As well as enabling people to get to work or college and to travel more, it would also cut traffic congestion and free up parking spaces, the group says.

BRTA chief executive, Richard Pill, said: "There is growing demand for rail services again and for that to happen meaningfully, you need the tracks for more trains."

Pill said recently reopened rail lines elsewhere in the country "have far exceeded usage expectation in both urban and rural locations.  If the government can find millions of pounds for new roads, it is about priorities to switch some of that funding to the rail alternative," he added.

The chief executive urged residents to ask their local MPs "to seek all tiers of government support" for the scheme.

The proposal was given local impetus earlier this year when Ross ward members Louis Stark and Ed O'Driscoll asked fellow councillors to back a feasibility study into the idea.  Having passed narrowly, the motion calls on officers to report back with a study in 12 months.

Stark confirmed that a December meeting of the council's environment and sustainability committee, which he chairs, will look at the county's wider rail strategy, currently under development.  "Part of our intention will be to explore what is happening on the feasibility study and to ensure it is included in the rail strategy going forward," he said.

Meanwhile in late July, a BTRA meeting in Gloucester heard that "some relocation packages may be needed and engineering solutions found" for the proposed Hereford line.

It also discussed the viability of revived rail connections to Cirencester and between Cheltenham and Stratford-upon-Avon, and the doubling of all the Hereford-Worcester-Oxford line.

Ah, Nailsea has a post office. Good.

Laira's saltwater.

Sandbanks chain ferry to close for seven-week major refit


The last crossing will be at 23:10 on 1 November before the seven-week shut-down - Image © Malc McDonald

A chain ferry will be out of action for seven weeks while it undergoes a major refit.

Sandbanks Ferry, which links Poole and Studland, in Dorset, will be shut from Monday 2 November.  The final service will leave Shell Bay for Sandbanks at 23:10 GMT on 1 November.

The refit works will be carried out at Poole Quay and in Falmouth, Cornwall, with the seven-week schedule subject to weather and sea conditions.

The scheduled maintenance works take place every two years, alternating between major and minor refits. The last major refit took place in 2022.


Parts are ordered a year in advance to minimise the ferry's time out of service - Image © David Martin

General manager Wayne Row thanked passengers for their understanding, adding: "Our team works exceptionally hard to prepare for refit years.  The team makes any repairs that are possible to do while the ferry is on the water, while out-of-water refit works tackle more complex processes around long-term structural integrity and regulatory compliance.

"Parts for the refit are also ordered at least a year in advance, with sections and systems prefabricated, helping reduce the overall time the ferry needs to be out of service.  We appreciate the ferry is part of the critical transport network. We're doing everything we can to ensure works are both thorough and efficient, so we can be back on the chains quickly."

Sandbanks Ferry crosses the mouth of Poole Harbour in about four minutes, saving passengers a journey of up to 25-miles (40km) by road.