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West Somerset Railway General Discussion

Discussion in 'Heritage Railways & Centres in the UK' started by gwr4090, Nov 15, 2007.

  1. RailWest

    RailWest Part of the furniture

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    Err... there is /was no 'Kings School' in Taunton. There is a King's College, but that is on the south side of town. I assume therefore that you mean Taunton School?
    Sorry, but don't know the date of the slew.
     
  2. Bayard

    Bayard Well-Known Member

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    Sorry, getting confused with my schools..
     
  3. jnc

    jnc Well-Known Member

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    I did wonder why the WSSRT didn't somehow divest itself of its shareholding, so they could move out of the line of fire. (I know there are rules about a charity's assets, but surely there must be a way; the WSRA got rid of a number of things recently.) I appreciate that in some ways that block does contribute to the WSSRT's real goals (as you referred to), but at this point the cons of making oneself a target must outweigh those pros. Alas, as Melos found in the Peloponnesian War, sometimes 'neutral' is not an allowed category.

    Noel
     
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  4. RailWest

    RailWest Part of the furniture

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    ...easily done, after such a long absence :)

    Sorry about the fuzzy image.....

    Taunton-West-Jcn-280668.jpg
     
  5. 242A1

    242A1 Well-Known Member

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    Ditto those liking the post in question.
     
  6. D1002

    D1002 Resident of Nat Pres

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    Newcomer? Absolutely. I know nothing about the so called ex 6 and their activities but was prompted by the ridiculous eviction of the S&DRT to suddenly take a very active interest in the WSR and it’s management or should that read mismanagement. I recently became a member of the WSSRT although I’m not 100% sure why:). My Road to Damascus conversion was the result of a lengthy conversation with a member of this Forum who convinced me becoming a member was the right thing to do in order to promote significant changes.
    What the band of 14 (9)(10) (and counting?) actually hope to achieve is a bit of a mystery to me but if they can revoke the eviction of the S&DRT and seriously reduce the power of the current WSR PLC then they will have my backing.
     
    Last edited: Sep 8, 2020
  7. martin1656

    martin1656 Nat Pres stalwart Friend

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    What they are hoping to do is to unify both organisations into one body, with the agreement of both memberships into a new charity and by virtue of the shareholding, of both charities be able to act as an brake on the PLC, and hopefully reverse a few wrong decisions , and where needed get some professionalism onto the board, so the railway can start to move forward, it that means removing a few board members, then so be it.
     
  8. RailWest

    RailWest Part of the furniture

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    Sadly, I fear that the time to cancel the S&DRT eviction may well have passed.

    Unless they have very good reason to believe that they are on very firm grounds for staying after all, or are at least getting a 'stay of execution' because of COVID, then I suspect that the time has passed now by which they must have already started the process for dismantling and packing-up in order to meet the Feb 2021 date.

    But we can but hope.....
     
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  9. D1002

    D1002 Resident of Nat Pres

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    Yep. That’ll do. Glad I became a member in that case.
     
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  10. Sidmouth

    Sidmouth Resident of Nat Pres Staff Member Moderator

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    the forum needs more than just giving this a like
     
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  11. gwilialan

    gwilialan Well-Known Member

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    We remember the x6 tried that and it got them nowhere. I suppose if the WSSRT want to try this, show the world just how undemocratic they can be, suffer the wrath of the members and face the censure of the Charities Commission then no one can stop them.

    But I know there are some sensible heads in the WSSRA very close to the top there, even maybe some of the trustees. It's time for you folk to explain the way of the world to the 'hangers on'. You have no choice but to go ahead with the AGM and the elections, trying to interfere with the outcome simply because some don't like it will not be sufficient justification to satisfy the Charities Commission - and if they get involved there may be more than a few current board positions at risk of serious censure.
     
    Last edited: Sep 8, 2020
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  12. gwilialan

    gwilialan Well-Known Member

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    Suffice to say you believe that the Plc is 'the only horse in town' to sort this mess out...
    The only horse maybe, but that doesn't mean you can't change the jockey...
     
  13. The Dainton Banker

    The Dainton Banker Well-Known Member

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    Deleted - subject already answered.
    Note to self : Read all the current thread before responding. :oops::rolleyes:
     
    Last edited: Sep 9, 2020
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  14. Jamessquared

    Jamessquared Nat Pres stalwart

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    Indeed. As far as I could see, it would be perfectly acceptable for the WSSRT to swap it shares for cash with the WSRA at par, which would generate money for the WSSRT to spend on its own charitable objectives (i.e. carriages and museum). Since it has stated that it has no desire to be involved in the overall governance of the railway, but has a duty to to act in the best interest of the charity itself, that would seem to achieve both.

    There seems though to be a deep anathema on the WSR for the control to be concentrated in the hands of the members of the railway. That is inexplicable when looked at from the viewpoint of just about any other heritage-focused business I can think of, where however the precise structure works, the membership body is integral to the governance of the organisation. Members should set policy, which the subservient company should then deliver within the regulatory and financial constraints.

    Tom
     
  15. Monkey Magic

    Monkey Magic Part of the furniture

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    The shareholding is probably important and a double edged sword.

    It is well known that the WRSA and WSSRT shareholding together provides a powerful potential tool that could be used against the PLC board.

    The WSSRT no doubt has assets that the PLC might like to get its hands on.

    The WSSRT is faced with a choice, work with the WRSA against the board, and become a target for the board. Or to work for the board.

    The shareholding is its leverage against the board. It is a small organisation, by way of contrast the SDRT has over 10x members compared to the WSSRT. Without the power the shareholding gives it, it is a very small juicy fish in a pond with he very hungry piranha.

    The board knows that the WSSRT aligned with the WRSA could challenge it. Hence it cannot move against the WSSRT, even though it may for example want its assets, or the buildings/sites it uses.

    The WSSRT if it were an ordinary group without a shareholding and were given a notice to quit, would be I think met with a collective shrug, unlike the SDRT, simply because it is another small GWR focused group. The shareholding is all that stops the WSSRT being treated like the SDRT.

    The trustees decided for reasons of their own, to ally with the board. The natural result is that they have become a target for disaffected members who believe that the alliance with the board is wronghead. Those members perhaps think that the WSSRT trustees have put themselves ahead of the WSR family which includes the groups with no shareholdings.

    At the AGM, the trustees can make their case, the nominees can make their case and the membership can decide.
     
  16. Bayard

    Bayard Well-Known Member

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    As I have said before, when, many years ago, I volunteered on the WSR, I was shocked by the "them and us" attitude I found there, having expected one of "all in it together". After a week, I would not have been surprised to have been asked to join a union, or to be introduced to the local shop steward. It seems like this attitude has survived. There is "a deep anathema on the WSR for the control to be concentrated in the hands of the members of the railway" most likely because there is still a belief that the WSR Plc is a business, not an anarcho-syndicalist commune, and businesses are run by their management, not by the workers, who should do as they are told and not cause trouble.
     
  17. Maunsell907

    Maunsell907 Member

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    Daveb, thank you for not giving me a hard time although I have always hoped my shoulders are broad.
    .
    I also am no longer a WSRA member. I left post the unpleasant removal of
    two Trustees ie Messrs Greenway and Courtney ( I described it as " a
    grubby little plot" at the time. I made my views clear in writing to the Chair, Vice and GM. I was
    fully aware of all the details of the said event and based on this I had formed a judgement. I
    have subsequently had no reason to amend this judgement.

    Compare with the oft repeated mantra on this forum to the effect that the WSRA Chairman
    (as referred to by you ) was forced out by the WSR Plc Chair. I have no information as to
    what may or not occurred between the two other than that one swore at the other and
    for that I am dependent on this forum.

    I would however ask some questions ie How does the Chair of one organisation remove
    the Chair of another by shouting . And then in this case we have the concept that a
    thirty something fire brand bullied an ex Police Chief Constable .

    But none of this in any way inhibits the frequent posting that the WSRA Chair was in
    effect dismissed.

    It is the transformation of rumour, two plus two equals five and the total failure by many
    of the posters on this Forum to differentiate between I think and I know based on this
    knowledge, beteeen I saw or heard this, I heard this from or I heard this from someone
    I hardly know or worst of all X posted it so it must be right.

    This combined with Forum Moderators who involve themselves in this minefield rather
    than fullfilling the role add to the chaos.

    I am surprised if any current WSR management read this stuff. If they do I implore
    them to stop and concentrate on the job in hand.

    Michael Rowe
     
    Last edited: Sep 9, 2020
  18. Matt37401

    Matt37401 Nat Pres stalwart

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    You mean like moderate Facebook groups and ban people who ask them questions that are perceived as ‘difficult’?
     
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  19. Pete Thornhill

    Pete Thornhill Resident of Nat Pres Staff Member Administrator Moderator Friend

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    .
    Moderators are allowed a personal view just like any other member, is the real issue that some of the views are different from yours?

    It’s interesting to note that the moderators of WSR related Facebook groups are happy to do just so, do you also disagree with this?

    For the record, when it comes to the moderation it is applied equally in all cases and each one is judged on its own basis, the prime duty being ensuring that members content is within the forum rules.
     
  20. Greenway

    Greenway Part of the furniture

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    Why should anyone expect the PLC Facebook Group to act differently to any other business orientated social media Group? Look at the frequent Twitter spats and bans reported almost daily.
    Clubs blackball those they do not wish as Members and so on. It is part of life, even if it is hurtful to those ostracised.
     
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