Lynton and Barnstaple - Operations and Development

No - of course there's always conflict - but any purely local or individual interest is trumped by a national agency - such as the Charity Commission, or the EA, or the ORR - because they are national agencies, sanctioned directly by parliament. JH

 

Individual interest, agreed. Local (and I note the experience of the local parish council) is less clear, let alone regional. I do agree that it's an important card to be able to draw, though.

 

A charity might wish to do something as the means to an end, where the end is in the public interest but the means would not be. A charity may also wish to do something which is convenient for it own internal operations but incidental to its objectives and in itself neither beneficial nor detrimental to the public interest.

 

Here's a little story from Yorkshire which might focus a few minds on the long-term objective of the L&BR

https://www.keighleynews.co.uk/news...Social&utm_source=Facebook#Echobox=1771158744

 

Of course charities have an impact on the economy, possibly in the area where they are based, and it makes no difference to the 'attractiveness' of a railway what its status is. It could be a charity, a limited company, or whatever else. I was merely saying, that if you want to be regarded as a local business, you have to be a business. So VOR, BMR, and whatever the Torbay line is called now, and thats about it.
Anyway, I was produced on the outskirts of Slough. So what? And what have you got against "Turban Twister" from the Shaggy Calf Brewery?

 

To my way of thinking, it really does not matter what you managerment structure is like, just as long as the bottom line can break even at the end of the year. Many charities are now being run like a business, and the oversight of them is becoming more rigorous by the year. ID cards for trustees and directors have to be in place by the end of this year, just as one example.

If we then take the heritage railway becoming part of the local community, and that community around it suddenly finds itself without the railway because it has gone bust, it is not just the membership that loses out, but all the other SME's around it as well, pubs, B&B's, restaurants. Hotels and guest houses, plus other local attractions and suppliers as well.

For that reason alone, such a railway not only needs to be well managed, but it also needs to have people involved at the Director and Trustee level who can not only make the hard decision but can steer the project in the right direction. This may well lead to upsetting some of the membership. But if you have some really good directors and trustees who can walk the walk and talk the talk to the membership, you shouldn't end up with any major problems

I am still convinced that there is still a place for volunteer Directors / Trustees / Managers in a heritage railway project, since they can provide external experience in how a successful railway/ business can be run.

But the days of the old guard, I am afraid to say, have long gone; expert volunteers leading a project team at a railway should always be encouraged, and volunteers will turn up if they are welcomed and are made to feel part of the team.

Due to several failed planning attempts, the ambition and drive within the L&BR Trust has faded, and to get it back to where it should be is going to be a difficult and uphill struggle, but it is not impossible.

You all know my views on making this railway family-friendly-oriented rather than keeping to the pure 1935 L&BR look that we all know and love from B&W films and postcards of the period.

There is nothing wrong with that in my view; however, there is a fine balance between keeping both your members and the public happy. Members will, by and large, buy into the heritage aspect, while the family will buy into being entertained for a few hours, and if you happen to have a young family, Johnny and Jenny may be into Thomas the Tank Engine and whatever the current Disney film, such as Frozen.

Johnny will ask Dad if they can travel behind all the different coloured locos, while Jenny will ask Mum if she can visit the theme park or whatever it is you have provided to entertain the kids (with Legoland instantly comes to mind).

Dad will be happy that he gets to have a ride behind a steam locomotive and looks out at some great countryside, while Mum will be happy if you have good, clean cafes and toilets on site.

At the end of the day, it is all about getting the right balance between showing off the heritage and the commercial demands of operating a steam railway.