West Somerset Railway General Discussion

I assume you mean Paul, not Mike who has posted here very recently. I haven’t seen any evidence of hatred. Not one bit.

 

I very much doubt if anyone on here "hates" the WSR, but I think it would be fair to say that there is a considerable amount of doubt regarding the behaviour of the WSR Plc Board and its Chairman in particular, and there seems to be good evidence for that doubt!

 

That's the nub of the problem.

 

Andy - re PDG. I cannot give the 'official' reason, but as the former Secretary from its inception (apart from a short break during the illness and passing of my late wife), the reason it did not meet back then was that everyone wished to wait until the ORR Report had been received and combined actions could be discussed. In that period I had my dispute with individual Trustees of the Association and Directors of the Plc over volunteer recruitment and walked away this time last year. I did post this information on this thread in response to a similar question last Summer. My final message to the then Chairman was that the election of Chairman must be an agenda item for the next meeting. The terms of reference indicated an annual rotation with a provision for a second year with the approval of the Group. The then Chairman was approaching the end of that period. I deposited all the paperwork with the then General Manager in Minehead. You'll have to ask others why nothing has happened since but I wish the Plc would remove the last minutes from the website showing 2017 as 'the latest minutes'. After a difficult beginning, the PDG was beginning to make progress towards the 'one railway' ideal. As reported some weeks ago, I will be returning with the Steam Trust as a Learning Assistant later this month but if felt appropriate, I would consider becoming Secretary once again to help move matters on - however I accept I might now be seen as 'toxic' in certain quarters!

 

I also see no 'hate' but quite a few that care deeply about a heritage railway they want to succeed and prosper. Confuse at your peril I say!
For anyone who may have invested their personal time, money and maybe even some sweat & tears over the years supporting the WSR (or S&DJR), why would anyone expect them to ask no questions of what is happening and maybe speculate on potential outcomes too?

 

I was referring to Mikes posts #23767 and #23768, yesterday. They remind me very much of Steve Edges goodbye.

 

Yes I see what you mean. But wrongly accusing NP posters of hatred, although I agree we're sometimes guilty of many other kinds of silliness, is the kind of thing that might eventually put me off too. That'd be no great loss I concede.

 

That would be who I was referring to with "the WSRA will have an acting head until the AGM in July"?

Noel

 

Anyone who, in any controversy, lashes out at their opponents as "haters", thereby instantly invalidates any argument they might have had. It's one of those non-words, like feminazi, used only in desperation by the intellectually and/or morally bankrupt in the absence of any valid argument.

 

Personally I hope that the PDG is allowed to continue. It was set up by Professor John Irven who was a very effective PLC chairman. Critics may have labelled it as a talk shop, but it brought together all the components of WSR but more importantly included local councillors who represented the authorities through which the WSR operates. I suspect, but I don't know for certain, that local elections and the merging of the 2 local authorities has meant difficulties in re-convening this Group. WSR is a very important tourist attraction in West Somerset and in these difficult times I would suggest it needs all the friends it can muster. It has to be an integral part of the community.
Lastly, and I stand to be corrected, my understanding is that should the SCC ever consider selling the F/Hold, it has stated it will do this through the PDG.

 

Mel

Thanks for your reply, that's helpful and fills in some gaps for me. As for you being 'toxic' a number of people have been branded that way and its now extending to groups as well, its an expanding theme to a non- genuflect voice so please don't take it personally. I believe this label puts you in some good company. Time will tell whether that label sticks or you (and me) are seen as one of the first people to say 'hang on a minute this isn't what the WSR should be'.

 

On your last point, yes that is correct. This means the recent alleged approach by a certain individual to a SCC Councillor regarding buying the freehold on behalf of one player was always going to be turned down as an inappropriate conversation to be having.

 

A comment very much in tune with the zeitgeist, which is that it is OK for anyone with any sort of authority to do anything, the sin lies in exposing the deeds to the public view.

 

As someone who always read the Minutes of the PDG with much interest, it struck me as very much a 'good thing' - especially given the situation within the 'railway family' at the time that it was conceived - and I got the impression that it was helping to make a difference for the WSR as a whole. To be honest, until the subject came up here, I had not realised that it had been absent for so long :-( Here's hoping that it will come back very soon and help to get the railway on track again and 'pulling together' rather than 'falling apart'.

 

Not remotely what I said or meant - as would be clear from my comments on here.

There are absolutely reasonable places to criticise how the plc operates, this being (within certain limits) one. But for someone claiming to support the WSR to criticise it in a place where it will be seen and cause doubt to potential customers, so undermining the thing claimed to be supported, is to go too far.

I have grave concerns about how the plc operates, but wish the railway well.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

One would hope/expect that at the next PDG meeting the WSR PLC board's recent behaviour towards the S&DRT and Washford will be an item on the agenda.

How does the next PDG meeting get convened? Can it be convened even if the WSR PLC board now have little regard for the PDG?

( I also read the PDG minutes most assiduously).

Cheers,

Julian

 

I'd agree - with the caveat that the need for such a body to bring the elements of the "family" together is in itself a sign that something's not right.

 

How often do you check the profitability of a business before you give them your custom? If anything, the thought that the WSR is about to go bust would be an incentive for people to go and travel on it while it was still there. I really can't see that the post you quoted is likely to harm the company by dissuading potential passengers, certainly not as much as a bad review of the service offered on Facebook or Tripadvisor.

 

I don't - but if I'm looking up a day out, then I do notice the comments on sites like that, and those comments do have an impact on my decision about what to do. Comments of the sort being talked about would deter me, by giving an impression that my experience as a paying customer will be adversely affected.

 

I agree all is not well. But my point was not about today, but the underlying requirement for such a body. I felt it when PDG was set up, and I feel it now.