West Somerset Railway General Discussion

Most Yorkshiremen would want change.

 

This is just a nasty rumour from the wrong side of the Pennines!

 

West Somerset Railway - Then and Now #154

Bishops Lydeard 1989 / 2017

Visitors to the August Rally (then held adjacent to the station) pour off a train consistentvwith the difficult times the Railway faced in these years - 6412 hauling a DMU.

Copyright Graham Stagg / Robin White

1989


2017

 

I stand corrected. I have added ‘most of’ into my post.

Robin

 

As ever I regret the posting. The point of referring to the wax tablet was it could easily be reused. ie the Legionaire wrote to his beloved on wax, she on receipt wiped or melted the wax and replied: thirty years past I would receive a fax from the Antipodes at 07.00 GMT in the U.K., I would often merely write a reply on said Fax and return it. Now communication is two way simultaneous. The wax tablet to the Web. From months to instantaneous reply, no time for second ( and invariably better thoughts).

Regarding Ecosse. The Antonine Wall. Did not the Legions advance into Buchan country? The Highlands and Islands remained un touched, as they still in many ways are (for many years I owned a 'get away from it all' bolt hole in Badachro.) Are not Sassenachs those from South of the Highlands ?

All irrelevant except I think much of this discussion indirectly emanates from an evolving anti Plc rhetoric (see post 9479) ? The WSR does not need a second Reform Group. It does not require the WSRA attempting to be a rival to the Plc. Let us put egos (even if bruised) to sleep and rally round the Plc.

My understanding is that Ian Coleby (as vice Chairman) is de facto now Plc Chairman. He was surely the Reform Group's favourite, you rallied round him in the past, rally round him now.

Michael Rowe

 

I am now feeling very hurt and upset by this totally uncalled for exercise is stereotyping!

 

Hmm.

Need to be careful about such statements. The demographics are interesting. The following is my understanding.

The WSRA holds about 9% of WSR plc shares.

The WSSRT holds about 6%

So together around 15%.

In fact, because around half of the WSR plc shares are dormant (owners never respond to communications, likely because they are deceased!). This 15% is in fact 30% of the active shares. Given that the remainder is held in penny packets by small shareholders, that 30% is, in fact a controlling interest.

The Reform Group never focussed on personality, rather actions (although the X6’s actions allowed some character conclusions to be drawn, some might think).

I count Ian as a personal friend, but whether the Board which emerges from the present period of uncertainty has my support will depend on how they plan to take the Railway forward, with the right range of skills, not the particular individuals.

Robin

 

This is another downside to social media and this particular Forum. Those of us who are not 'Local' and not in touch with the chit-chat around the railway are getting a sniff via this particular form of social media that something is going, or about to go, terribly wrong with the WSR/WSR plc and disaster looms once again. Are we heading for another WSRA 6+ situation here? Only having a small part of the story told here is bound to spark even more speculation. Is someone in a position to explain please?

 

I could (and in the past have) write a long essay on this, as it formed a large part of the background to my MA - it would however be rather off-topic even for this thread! Buchan was about the limit of how far the Legions got, in one campaign, but they never effectively penetrated North of Strathmore.

The situation in Scotland in modern times, however, is entirely the result of what happened later, particularly in the 500-1100 period when the inhabitants of Roman times, the British in the South and the Picts in the North, were entirely replaced, politically speaking, by Northumbrian Angles, Scots from Ireland, and the Norse.

 

The managing editor of Railnews, the industry's trade rag, has a full page editorial in the December edition entitled National Rail at Minehead: vision or delusion? The article, along with detailed supporting documents may be found here:

http://www.railhub.co.uk/docs/somerset.pdf

 

There's a balance to be struck between sensitive information which shouldn't be broadcast ahead of time and dissemination of knowledge. Even assuming no dubious motives, it's not always an easy matter to identify and keep these separated, so the question has to be one of intent. We should keep in mind that NP is every bit as much 'social media' as Faceache or Twiddle, it' just that it happens to be 'our corner' of social media.

Technology may have come on leaps and bounds, but for better or for worse, our human nature remains pretty much rooted where it always was. Perhaps Oscar Wilde expressed it best, with his observation that "We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars." The people to be wary of are those who claim that view of those stars as their own property.

[\philosophical mode OFF]

 

Post 9479 suggests that the directors of the Plc face some difficult decisions, and urges that those decisions are taken swiftly, in private rather than acrimoniously, in public. It shares no real information about the nature of those decisions, which is undoubtedly prudent. It all suggests to me someone who wishes the best for the Plc, and hopes that the actions of the directors strengthen the organisation, not damage it.

How is this in any way 'anti-Plc' rhetoric?

It could be seen as 'anti-Plc' if the board was currently a model of agreement and cooperation and this post was simply aiming to stir up trouble, but is that the case? If so, why did the Chairman and another director resign last week?

People will rally round united leadership and vision. To demand support while offering neither seems futile.

 

I was born a stones throw, or more probably a 3 wood, from the Antonine Wall. That probably makes me 0.00001 % Roman and may account for the nose. The Italian visitors to Caledonia did have small settlements further north such as Fort Augustus however the history is extremely complex.

Anyway, back to matters closer to home. We have a £3M business. To run it effectively, we need people with experience and a dispassionate view of what needs to be done to ensure success. Some decisions will have to be made and inevitably those decisions may be unpopular in certain quarters. You don't need to look too far back to see plans that were quite honestly, insane. On the other hand, there are parts of the operation that have never worked better e.g. the QB. We have squandered some real talent and ability while failing to take certain steps that will come back and bite deeply. In my view, the team that will take us forward are not necessarily the team that we have today.

 

Jeff put matters very fairly in post #9479 and Bill has interpreted his remarks accurately.

Those of us close to events have to be careful what we say, but rest assured, a WSR Board properly equipped and prepared to tackle the difficult issues will have wide support. It would certainly have mine.

Robin

 

Someone should send this to Mr Mendoza and his supporters

 

I have not read this forum for some days as I have been successfully negotiating 2 new (to me) locomotives for the Cheddon Vale Light Railway. What has happened in the last few days, over 10 pages and battle lines appear to be forming? Is it really so hard to look at the WSR plc and say they are having a few difficulties and have lost some directors. Lets not try and start another Reformer's revolution, stop threatening and posing hypothetical solutions. I, being an ex Reformer and Retired PLC Director would like the forum to listen carefully to what the PLC is trying to do. Paul Whitehouse, as Chair of the WSRA, has mentioned discussions via Ben Grellier, Volunteer Director of the PLC, about having people join the WSRA. A great idea that pulls people together. Be in no doubt that the PLC Board were acutely aware of what went on with the last WSRA trustee team. It would be no good to start trashing the PLC Board in the same way. We should have learnt that mountains can be moved by talking and combining efforts. Today we do not want another splinter group, EGMs and demands for change of the top people. The PLC has only 6 directors and would benefit from 10 so here is a chance to let the PLC Board create a strategy, recruit some new Directors, pass it through their AGM and align the WSR TOGETHER with all it component parts to meet the future. (Sorry about the shouting). Perhaps we should now have little badges that say WSR Together.

 

I agree with virtually that Ken has to say, apart from timing. Some necessary steps need to be taken rather earlier than next June.

Robin

 

Join the queue.

 

The discussion at the moment is hard to understand for those who are not 'in the know'

Is there a version of the current situation that is suitable to be placed in the public domain so we can all understand what's happening?

Many thanks

 

In that case, the WSRA & WSST acting together should be able to decide the composition of the plc board - and ( as a side benefit) could stop the installation of those modern signs.