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Lynton and Barnstaple - Operations and Development

Discussion in 'Narrow Gauge Railways' started by 50044 Exeter, Dec 25, 2009.

  1. Old Kent Biker

    Old Kent Biker Member

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    No, if you mean https://groups.io/g/Exmoor-NG it is not heavily modded at all!
     
  2. RailWest

    RailWest Part of the furniture

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    I would agree with those sentiments. I too find it frustrating when so little information appears to come forth on the members-only (MO) page, especially if it appears first as 'news' in the public part of the site. (I also find it somewhat annoying to have to scroll so far down the page just to discover if/when the MO been updated.) I fully appreciate that any update to the MO requires 'someone' to devote their time and effort to it, but would it be asking too much that the primary target for such time & effort should be the MO first, then the public news thereafter where appropriate? Happy to be given more background on this by anyone involved.
     
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  3. Old Kent Biker

    Old Kent Biker Member

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    Ah! that could be me! As somebody who has been involved with the L&B web presence for many years (20+), I can say that maintaining and updating the L&B websites is quite labour intensive and time-consuming, so with limited volunteer resources, can be a bit behind the times, and also relies on official information being made available, which isn't always the case.

    As has been said, there is no official members-only online forum, and even if there was, it would likely only attract involvement from a relatively small percentage of the membership, (maybe less than 10%} as is the case with Exmoor-NG, etc. Facebook, however, makes it far easier for anyone with an interest to post their own photos, articles, opinions etc. as they see fit. I understand that it is somewhat galling at times to see information (not to mention misinformation and disinformation) appearing first in a general forum such as NP or Facebook, that should perhaps have been given to members first, but that, I'm afraid, is the way of the world in 2022. If sufficient L&B Trust members were to make their desire for a members-only online discussion facility. then I'm sure it could be achieved, but for the time being, we have to make do with what we have now...

    Incidentally, if anyone here on NP with suitable web-related skills, an interest in the L&B, and some time to spare would like to offer their services, I'm sure the L&B would like to hear from you.
     
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  4. RailWest

    RailWest Part of the furniture

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    Nothing personal intended Martyn, I assure you :)

    As I am sure you may recall, it has often been the case that enquiries on social media from non-members about various L&BR 'issues' have been met by the response that details will be provided to members first - IMHO a quite reasonable approach. Leaving aside platforms such as Facebook, and looking at the official L&BR 'old' site, why then - allowing for the time that it takes to write the relevant posting - does something appear in the public part of the site before the members-only part (or even not at)? A good example could be the Sec 73 application, which as far as I can tell has never appeared in the latter, and only appeared in the former *after* the date for consultation had passed!
     
  5. Old Kent Biker

    Old Kent Biker Member

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    Nothing personal inferred! :)

    The members-only page starts with:
    "Information is provided on this page as a courtesy to inform fully paid-up L&B Trust members in advance of the general public." (IIRC, I wrote that bit!)

    W
    hich I agree suggests that it is not being used as intended, which is a great shame. If this page were used more effectively, and more regularly, I'm sure it will help quell some of the negative comments that appear elsewhere. If that page is setting unrealistic expectations among the members, perhaps it should be shelved, although I'd prefer it to be used more actively.


     
  6. Meatman

    Meatman Member

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    from personal experience i have been put under moderation for some posts by admin of both the L&B facebook page and Exmoor NG, as far as im aware the facebook moderation has been lifted but not the Exmoor NG, the reason for the facebook issue was that i tried to state that a fact was wrong in a recent newsletter, the comment was posted and removed 3 times, i was told it was not the place to highlight a mistake, my argument was this mistake had gone to approx 3000 members whom i could not contact to put things straight and that the truth had to be put out there as someone had been accused of something they did not do, i did go down the route suggested but even armed with all the facts there was an initial reluctance by the trust to accept this and it eventually took over 4 weeks to get sorted out and a correction posted , as for the Exmoor NG issue, i merely called a couple of the higher up long term trustees meglomaniacs.......also on the FB page news regarding the new tearoom attracted many comments, those which were critical of the building and i should say more so of its siting rather than the building itself were classed as negative posts to the extent the one person was told his comments would be moderated from then on
     
    Last edited: Apr 30, 2022
  7. H Cloutt

    H Cloutt Member

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    I agree entirely - if the page received more regular updates it would have a positive effect.

    Interestingly Exmoor Associates email their Shareholders and Supporters regularly particularly when there is some news. I seem to remember seeing a comment somewhere complaining that EA's facebook page had not been updated, someone responded suggested that they buy some shares then they would get the news.
     
  8. Old Kent Biker

    Old Kent Biker Member

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    For the record, you were put on moderation, at least on Exmoor-NG, for several ad hominem attacks on L&B members. although that moderation was removed quite some time ago. (last summer, if memory serves.) The contents of your FB post, although removed, where noted, and in the fullness of time, acted upon, I hope to your eventual satisfaction, even though that particular episode wasn't perhaps. the L&Bs finest hour. As I'm sure you would agree, anyone who goes against warnings and established standards in any group should expect to have their access restricted in some way. At least you weren't suspended or banned from either.

    It should also be noted that although both groups exist to support the L&B Project, neither Exmoor-NG nor the L&B Facebook group is controlled by the L&B Trust or CIC.
     
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  9. Meatman

    Meatman Member

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    i believe my comments on Exmoor ng were aimed at trustees and possibly directors, not general members, as i have said no one is able to be critical of these peoples actions/ decisions, as for the recent Facebook posts, they were only acted upon because of my own persistence with the matter including 2 x calls to the Chairman whose response wasn't satisfactory despite giving him the facts, ( in between those two calls i had to ask a CIC director to chase it up ) i then had to follow this up with calls to another trustee asking him to push the issue further, also, asking the two people involved to email all of the trustees stating that it was them who proposed and seconded a vote of no confidence and most definitely not the person who had been reported as doing so in the newsletter, facts that should have been checked before the newsletter went to print, admittance of this mistake has been made on the members page of the website and in the following newsletter but it took well over 4 weeks when it could have been done in less that one, as far as im aware no personal apology has been made to the person involved, also i know had it been left to the chairman no further action would have been taken after his initial findings which were incorrect even though as i had explained to him i had witnessed who had done what and that i was standing right next to the seconder, as you say it was to my eventual satisfaction but it was also a most unnecessary and dragged out process to reach that outcome
     
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  10. H Cloutt

    H Cloutt Member

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    There are some pictures of the internal fitting out of the Tea Room on the L & B facebook page. Great Progress.
     
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  11. Flying Phil

    Flying Phil Part of the furniture

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    It would be nice for we "Non FB" L & B members/supporters, if these could also be posted in the members section of the website at the same time.....
     
  12. H Cloutt

    H Cloutt Member

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    Since the pictures are in the Public Domain they could be posted in the "news" section - I suspect that the railway is busy with the gala and AGMs at the moment.
     
  13. 30854

    30854 Resident of Nat Pres

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    Deleted ... wrong thread. Sorry!
     
    Last edited: May 11, 2022
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  14. Flying Phil

    Flying Phil Part of the furniture

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    Nice to see updates on the L & B website - both in the open section and members section.
     
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  15. Biermeister

    Biermeister Member

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    So Keith Vingoe is alive!
     
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  16. Meatman

    Meatman Member

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    I see at long last the application for alterations to the original extension plans have been uploaded to the ENPA planning website, plenty to read and more importantly to add comments of support , if local gossip is to be believed there will be plenty of objections .
    go to Exmoor national park planning, planning search, enter 'Parracombe', of particular interest is the 'statement of community involvement pdf
    62/50/22/011.
     
  17. H Cloutt

    H Cloutt Member

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    Thanks for letting us know - here is a LINK to the application to save doing a search. I will have to read the 'Statement of Community Involvement' Document later - it runs to 82 pages.
     
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  18. Flying Phil

    Flying Phil Part of the furniture

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    It is certainly an interesting read - but I cannot help feeling sorry for the Parracombe residents. I strongly support the L&B, but I wonder if a way around their opposition might be to reverse the phased construction ie build from Blackmoor Gate to the North next, so establishing a working line between Blackmoor and Wistlandpound where there is far less disturbance. Then construct between the two working sections so that Parracombe is only ever a Halt and so mitigating many of the residents concerns?
     
    Last edited: May 13, 2022
  19. ghost

    ghost Part of the furniture

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    A couple of problems with that plan Phil;
    1. Blackmoor Gate isn't owned by the L&B
    2. The strongest objection comes from a landowner between Parracombe and BG who will not sell their land
    3. Would the L&B have enough locos/coaches and most importantly, volunteers to run two railways?
     
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  20. Flying Phil

    Flying Phil Part of the furniture

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    Hi Keith
    I was going from the L&B Business Plan document which talks of Phase 11A Stage 3 - an additional line 1 mile long from Blackmoor Gate to Wistlandpound Reservoir to run concurrently with Stages 1/2 Woody Bay to Parracombe Halt. But as the Parracombe residents seem most concerned about how "Temporary" their Terminal station would be, and the increased footfall/traffic due to it, going straight through, might be more palatable.
     

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