The Jacobite 2020

I'm with you there,optimism is the way forward

 

Well I've just come back to the forum after a spell in the garden and what advert is at the bottom of the page? No, its not for the Jacobite, at least not directly. It's for Lochs and Glens coach tours in Scotland (and does include a video of the K1 crossong Glenfinnan Viaduct). At the very top of the ad. it apologises for the fact that all tours are postponed until the end of May. I wonder what the Member for Ross, Skye and Lochaber has said about their advertising stance.

Peter

 

Agreed...it's the only way forward through these difficult times. Nobody can predict what the eventual outcome will be just yet, but if people lose hope for the future, we may as well give up now!

 

That’s not what I said either... We don’t know what will develop, or what compromises will be possible or acceptable between what we have now, and the time I very much hope we get a vaccine and can have genuine immunity.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

I've made the decision that this will be my last post on here until this all over (which I fear is 18 months). What I would say is the criticism from Ian Blackford is contradicted by the fact in the same article he welcomed booking.com taking bookings from the middle of may. The future is one full of fear for every aspect of life including tourism.

 

That's not a fact though is it? That's just what your opinion is.

None of us have a crystal ball but I agree with my fellow members who say we have to be optimistic, otherwise why get out of bed in the morning?

 

Couldn't agree more

 

Sam do you read your posts before you put them on the forum? You must have something in your life rather than the demise of preserved and mainline railways.Please lighten up

 

Certainly the worst might happen. Then again, it might not. In 1940 a rational analysis of our predicament would have concluded that Britain would be defeated and occupied by Nazi Germany. It didn't happen because we got together with other nations and fought to stop it. That's what's happening now with Coronavirus.

If we believe that steam will be killed off by Coronavirus then it probably will be, but that will be partly due to our own actions. Why continue to make monthly payments towards a new-build or to support a heritage line, if they are all finished anyway? I don't see things that way, we can influence what happens through our own thoughts, words and actions.

Supposing, towards the end of this year, there is a chance for a couple of steam specials to run, but only with two people (from the same household) at each table instead of four. Will you pay twice the normal fare as a one off to help the industry to get re-established? King's Cross to York with Tornado; London to Exeter behind Clan Line; Shap and the S&C with one of the WCRC locos; a run to Mallaig behind one of the Fives? I'm up for it - as long as there's no diesel on the back!

 

Nobody is underestimating anything, it is, as you say, an evil thing, but the sun will shine again, the world will tame this virus.
You've had your say now for quite a long time now Sam, most of us are aware of your health problems, so if I may, a bit of advice from an old man............LEAVE IT.

 

Thankfully others are more optimistic. Douglas Fraser (Business/economy editor, Scotland) and Simon Calder (the Independent's travel editor) report:

''Scottish tourism could be heading for a bonanza in the long-term, but the short and medium term looks very tough. It'll be helped by the Bounce Back Loans.
It has set out a strategy to "respond, reset, restart and recover", while using marketing to keep the dream alive for future customers.
The Scottish government is urging Whitehall to help tourist businesses in financial distress - which is strange, because the Scottish government has the powers it needs, and it's already using them. The good news is that there's a bonanza ahead for Scotland's tourism industry, when British travellers ignore the turnoff for the airport and head north for the hills''.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotl...uk&link_location=live-reporting-correspondent

 

Will be interesting to see what happens. I've got six days booked in Scotland, starting with the Caladonian, Jacobite and the Aberdonian. I cant see the steam trips running but hoping we'll be able to travel to our rented cottage for five days.

 

Anyone who has been in sales management may have heard the silly motivational story about the shoe salesmen in Africa but it’s worth repeating . Two shoe manufacturers send a salesman to Africa to drum up business, the first contacts his company and says, ‘ I’m coming back there’s nothing to sell here, no one wears shoes’. The second contacts his company and says, ‘ can you send me as many pairs of shoes as you possibly can there’s an unlimited market here' no one wears shoes. From Torgormaig’s post it seems Lochs and Glens Coach Tours and indeed West Coast have the mindset of salesman number two, perhaps if we all did life wouldn’t seem so bad.

 

What about socks John?

 

They knitted their own!

 

LOL Like that

 

Following the recent Government statements West Coast have released the following notice to those on its mailing list :

The Jacobite - Latest travel Information

Dear XXXXXXXXXXX

We trust you and your family are keeping safe and well.
On Thursday 23rd April we issued a statement in line with that of the Government, that a future announcement would be made today, after the latest statement last night.

Scotland’s First Minister has announced that ‘lockdown’ in Scotland will continue for three more weeks, which takes us to Thursday 28th May.

We are therefore changing our proposed Jacobite start date to Friday 19th June from our anticipated date of Monday 25thMay. We wholeheartedly apologise to any passengers booked to travel on these days. However these passengers are now entitled to convert their booking to a 'VIP Credit Voucher' to the full value of the booking PLUS an additional 10% in value FREE also priority booking on any future Jacobite trip until 31st December 2021, please follow link below.

Despite criticism of the company by some I feel that it is acting in an honourable way by both offering some compensation plus an extended time period in which to claim the benefits.

 

Yes I would pay double with just my son and I at a table

 

Yes I received the same email. I'm booked on it third week of July and don't think there is any chance at all that it will be happening. I wish them the best of luck, but I don't think there is any chance of it running as from June. As it is at the moment, if I cross the border from England to Scotland in order to ride a steam train I'll probably get a hefty fine.