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West Somerset Railway General Discussion

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

  1. Monkey Magic

    Monkey Magic Part of the furniture

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    I think it also serves to allow people to avoid responsibility and to say 'nothing to do with me that is a PLC decision' or 'that was the WSRA' and so on and so forth. Claim credit collectively, assign blame individually.
     
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  2. Lplus

    Lplus Well-Known Member

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    They may feel that however much they hate what is being done, they feel the need to back up the plc - Maybe they are the Stockholm sydrome sufferers you mention. Of course it may also be that they agree with the leading figures in the plc or maybe feel that it will be to their personal advantage. Take your pick.
     
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  3. flying scotsman123

    flying scotsman123 Resident of Nat Pres

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    I know that, you know that, but I still don't think it's helpful to ascribe the actions of a particular board to one organisation within the railway. Over the last few weeks I've had no trouble replacing Plc with either "the board" or simply "The WSR" it still scans perfectly well. If you don't like using "The WSR" as a subject for the actions taken, then neither should you like "The Plc" being used for the same reasons.
     
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  4. flying scotsman123

    flying scotsman123 Resident of Nat Pres

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    Sorry to press a point, but again, what's wrong with "back up the WSR"? I totally empathise with that point of view by the way, I've found myself in it before as I've mentioned when it came to Broadway. At no point did I consider myself backing "The Plc". If I was to support those actions I'd have seen it as either supporting "The Railway" or as the current board who made those decisions.
     
  5. flying scotsman123

    flying scotsman123 Resident of Nat Pres

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    Absolutely and I've seen that exact sentiment expressed in posts here as well.
     
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  6. 35B

    35B Nat Pres stalwart

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    I use "the plc" because the current issues are located with that entity. If there are to be changes, then they must be made by that organisation - whether by the current leadership changing their minds, being made to change their minds, or being replaced by others of a different mind.

    The wider question of the nature and structure of the WSR and it's plethora of organisations is linked - but this supporter of rationalisation notes that the current mess has come about despite those groups seemingly working well together to bring about the current leadership. That suggests that organisational change can only go so far in preventing problems.
     
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  7. Lplus

    Lplus Well-Known Member

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    Ok, not sure why you are so set on this, but how about the "Plc Board" I'm certainly not going to use "The WSR" since that encompasses the entire railway and all those who work on it for any organisation. Those who back up the Plc Board may feel they are doing so to protect "The WSR" as an entity, but the decisions are most certainly being made by the Plc Board.

    Really?
    maybe..
    Given the shareholder makeup, do you really think that is a starter?
    They may have worked together, but did they have any real choice of direction?
     
  8. The Dainton Banker

    The Dainton Banker Well-Known Member

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    Oh dear, indeed.
    Thanks to you and to Andy for confirming Julian's description of events. I always like to hear supporting evidence before accepting an individual's story and Julian does like to "gild the lily"a little ! But in this case it seems his description is accurate. I know what I would be doing if it were my organisation but I am not a shareholder, only a supporter. Perhaps it is time for some individuals to bury the hatchet and work together to develop a way forward that maintains the Railway and includes the smaller allied groups. A good opportunity to deal with this now while we are all stuck at home, perhaps ?
    Mike
     
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  9. 35B

    35B Nat Pres stalwart

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    Nothing is impossible, but I accept your perspective. Which is why I will continue to reference the body taking these actions, rather than try to associate it specifically with individuals, or assume shared responsibility across the wider WSR.
     
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  10. The Dainton Banker

    The Dainton Banker Well-Known Member

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    How can the Board act on major items without shareholder approval ?
     
  11. aldfort

    aldfort Well-Known Member

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    I've ventured on here to talk about leadership and capability before.
    As I think Lplus is noting it is not as if shareholders were spoiled for choice in terms of electing a leader.
    The same is exactly true for the members of the charities.
    Those who can cast their minds back might know that I've banged on about contested elections for such positions in the past. I've encouraged people who "can" to step forward and "do" . The alternative is that you get those who "will" * or worse those who wish to self aggrandise. I'm not saying that applies to current incumbents any more than it might apply to me by the way. Maybe if the WSR was a single entity we might just about have a competent group of people to choose from to run it?
    Maybe if all shareholders and members of the charities took that view it might happen? I'll let you all decide.

    *Note - Willing is a lovely thing, not knocking it, people wanting to help is great.
     
  12. Greenway

    Greenway Part of the furniture

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    I doubt it would become a cycle path, however, I have thought for a while that the WSR, as an entity, is being 'honed' ready for its demise. A knight may be waiting in the wings but it is not a white one. The colour will be apparent when the fire sale has taken place and Lloyds Bank are happy with the outcome for them. The WSR may be able to renege on some contracts, it is said, but those with the Bank are not among them.
    I hope for all those with great affection and who have spent many, many, hours volunteering on the line that this will not be the eventual outcome, but I am not that optimistic.
     
  13. 35B

    35B Nat Pres stalwart

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    I'd wondered if that was the intent, but my understanding was that an insolvency process would cause major issues with the safety documentation so have more consequences than an equivalent process in most other businesses.
     
  14. M Palmer

    M Palmer Guest

    As mere self-loading freight who has some wonderful memories of the WSR this makes for depressing reading. This character sounds like a bad pastiche of an 80s power-manager. The cuckoo comment sounds like a catastrophic irony failure.

    Surely I can't be the only person who would have read him the riot act if even half the rumours on here are true? Does he have a goon squad?
     
  15. 35B

    35B Nat Pres stalwart

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    Because shareholders delegate authority to the managers they hire; their power to control a board is very limited.
     
  16. Lplus

    Lplus Well-Known Member

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    I suppose that would depend on how the organisation is set up

    What level of decision requires shareholder approval? - No idea, but the recent decisions don't appear to have involved voting....
    How are the shareholders organised? - from what I've read on here it seems the two charities have a significant but not majority holding and the rest are a large number of individuals holding very small numbers.
    Do all shareholders have equal voting rights? - not sure - I didn't think so but I could be wrong.

    Edit - and 35B already answered..
     
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  17. Lplus

    Lplus Well-Known Member

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    He doesn't need one - he who controls the ID card system controls the day to day running of the railway.
     
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  18. M Palmer

    M Palmer Guest

    Sigh. That speaks volumes! The good people of the WSR have my condolences for whatever they are worth. What a sad state of affairs.
     
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  19. The Dainton Banker

    The Dainton Banker Well-Known Member

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    A good comment. I know serving on committees is not everybody's cup-of-tea but, with some couple of thousand plus members between the WSRA, the WSRST, the WSRPlc, and associated groups, it must be possible to find competent and experienced people to fill the various positions. However, little attention seems to have been given to succession planning so that younger people are not being brought forward to learn the ropes. All directors/office holders should be getting to know their members, actively keeping an eye open for potential replacements, and shoulder-tap where appropriate.
    Your single entity idea would certainly help to reduce the number required and could be part of the re-organisation discussions that I, and others, have suggested.
     
    Last edited: Apr 6, 2020
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  20. johnofwessex

    johnofwessex Resident of Nat Pres

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    I find this quite bizarre behaviour.

    I can think of many occasions when I have witnessed polite behaviour in justifiably strained circumstances but for the Chair of the PLC to be behaving in public like this can only highlight the dire situation that the PLC is in
     

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