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West Somerset Railway General Discussion

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

  1. Big Al

    Big Al Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Moderator

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    Moderators' Message.

    We await the next post from @rodders154 and the opportunity to delete his account as his posts have been monitored for some time now.
     
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  2. RailWest

    RailWest Part of the furniture

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    Oh dear....

    I go out for a nice walk in the countryside (why does it always seem more peaceful in Wilts?) - pub lunch (socially-distanced with mask), watch a few trains passing by with passengers (rare sight in some parts of Somerset at the moment), avoid rampaging cows etc etc - then come back and sit down at my PC to find that I have to wade through another long NP backlog of bickering, bitchiness, innuendo and downright nastiness, none of which seems to have got us anywhere further forward to a better WSR :-:)-(

    In the meantime the Plc posts about the latest PDG meeting. Now, call my an old cynic if you like, but when did this become a 'Plc initiative' ? - my recollection is that the Plc has had to be dragged kicking & screaming (metaphorically) into anything with the hint that they might have to become subservient to another body. And if suddenly they are all in favour of a 'new charity' as quickly as possible, then why are/were they so vehemently opposed to it being formed by a merger of the WSRA and WSSRT?

    Any chance of answers on the back of a post-card (even one of the 'Welcome to Sunny Minehead' variety) in less than 1000 NP posts?
     
    Last edited: Sep 25, 2020
  3. 60044

    60044 Member

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    I'm sorry if my last post was considered offensive - it wasn't intended to be, rather to point out that the most offensive posts can be seen in a somewhat less damning light if you are aware that the poster has previous form for being hopelessly out of touch with reality.
     
  4. Wriggley

    Wriggley New Member

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    It has been quite a few years since improving the culture of the WSR has been a topic of discussion at PLC board level. The last PLC Chairman to have understood the importance of this to the success of the business, was Dr John Irven. A man of considerable experience and qualifications.
     
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  5. Sidmouth

    Sidmouth Resident of Nat Pres Staff Member Moderator

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    this is purely a personal perspective that brings a few strands together.

    The WSR still has all the same the players, same individuals . The old adage of if you do the same things you get the same outcome could well apply in this case with the same people

    now for all the bonhomie of the PDG minutes and the apparent enthusiasm of the plc , I will wait to see actions. My broader expectations are that the new structure will be PLC driven and PLC and those supportive of it populated . I could well be wrong but that is where intuition leads me . Does this matter ? As I have held for a long time this remains about power over the WSR and whose vision carries

    If you like the PLC vision then in theory you should be happy . If you don't then the saga continues
     
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  6. Bayard

    Bayard Well-Known Member

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    We have barely started on the re-organisation process and already the Plc is making the running: "The Partnership Development Group (PDG) met yesterday to consider proposals from the PLC towards achieving 'One Railway' via a fundamental re-organisation of the PLC to create a parent charity, with the PLC operating as a subsidiary company. " The entire meeting appears from that press release as the Plc consulting with the other stakeholders about its ideas for the future of the railway, a process which is to be initiated and run by the Plc. "Mike Thompson PLC Project Lead confirmed that the next steps are to send a letter to all shareholders of the PLC outlining the broad proposals to solicit an initial indicative response. If this is broadly favourable, the next phase will be to develop appropriate timescales and milestones toward achieving the desired re-organisation, ready to present for approval by the relevant member groups, no later than their 2021 AGM's.” So the reorganisation proposals are already fixed and the shareholders will be presented with a fait accompli to approve or otherwise. Only then, if the shareholders approve, will any other of the stakeholders get a say, which will be Hobson's choice once again. There is nothing to say in that report as to who will be tasked with the job to "find a respected and independent chairman", but given the primary role taken by the PLc and the absence of any indication to the contrary, it does seem that that task too, will fall to the Plc. I am sure that the successful candidate will be truly independent, but whether their ideas of how a railway should be run will differ from those currently running it is not something I would care to bet on.
    Make no mistake, if this upheaval results in a perpetuation of the oligarchy, it will fail. The WSR is not a tabula rasa, this will not be Year Zero. What works on other railways will not necessarily work on the WSR, precisely because it is the WSR and it has the history that it does.
     
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  7. johnofwessex

    johnofwessex Resident of Nat Pres

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    What I do wonder though in all this, is firstly where does the accountability lie and secondly what about the existing charities.

    It reminds me of being in meetings with assorted lefties where the immediate reaction to almost anything was 'lets form a new party'
     
  8. granmaree

    granmaree Member

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    The entire meeting appears from that press release as the Plc consulting with the other stakeholders about its ideas for the future of the railway, a process which is to be initiated and run by the Plc.
    Well it was referred to as the Partnership Delivery Group a few weeks ago, can't remember where it was on the web now but it was out there either written by JJP or a quote attributed to him
     
  9. jma1009

    jma1009 Well-Known Member

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    We haven't had Mel Hillman's minutes of the PDG meeting yet... we ought not to take one side's view so far as factually accurate?
     
  10. Bayard

    Bayard Well-Known Member

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    Because that would be a process over which they had no control, whereas who does it look like is going to be setting up the new charity?
    Instead of having two charities with large shareholdings in the Plc and the Plc, the WSR will have a new charity, created by the Plc, which owns all the shares in the Plc and two other charities with no shares and no control over either the new charity or the Plc and no formal connection with them. All those pesky shareholders who are either inconveniently dead and therefore cannot vote to support the board or alive and cannot be relied on doing so will be gone. Of course, we shall have the new trustees democratically elected by the membership, but the big question will be, who gets to put themselves forward? Will the candidates have to be vetted and approved? The Devil, as ever, is in the detail. Why am I reminded of lines from a song by Tom Lehrer, "They've got to be protected, All their rights respected, Until some one we like can get elected."?
     
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  11. Snifter

    Snifter Well-Known Member

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    The 10 (plus 4) support the right to be heard. If someone of the opposite view is making mistakes then it would be impolite to interrupt them.
     
  12. jma1009

    jma1009 Well-Known Member

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    I support the most speedy method of resolving all this - and this is the standing of the 10 of the WSSRT membership as new trustees.

    There is then the outside chance that the Washford and SDRT matters can be resolved within the legal timescale restraints imposed by the WSR plc board's Notice to Quit over Washford.

    There must now be huge questions as to the WSSRT AGM new date; it surely cannot take more than a week for the WSSRT to sort this one out, and for new member applications?

    You can't postpone indefinitely the WSSRT AGM, or new members joining?

    That smacks of so much else that is unconscionable and contrary to how a Charity should be seen to conduct itself?
     
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  13. flying scotsman123

    flying scotsman123 Resident of Nat Pres

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    I believe that prior to the 14 submitting their candidatures the WSSRT had already had permission to delete their AGM until December from the CC. I agree there's no *need* for it to be that far into the future, but given the option is there, minds more suspicious than mine must be wondering whether it may be quite some time before a new WSSRT AGM...
     
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  14. Steve

    Steve Resident of Nat Pres Friend

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    I had a similar thought, with Tom and Alex taking the helm. Then I thought that I shouldn't be so rotten.:)
     
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  15. jnc

    jnc Well-Known Member

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    In a purely Machiavellian sense (and I use that word in a technical way, not for its aura of 'bad people doing bad things'), you're right; but to me this observation just perpetuates what I view as the WSR's fundamental problem, which is the division into factions, and 'winning' and 'losing'. (I understand that if someone in a responsible position is making bad decisions, one has a terrible choice to make as to how to react, [likely one with no good options]; but let's leave that for now.)

    Noel
     
  16. jma1009

    jma1009 Well-Known Member

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    And if the WSSRT doesn't come up with a new AGM date and reopening membership to new members pretty soon it is going to have all sorts of accusations flung at it and much else besides.

    Even Lady Gass might not be very happy.
     
  17. flying scotsman123

    flying scotsman123 Resident of Nat Pres

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    I think you do need to be careful about banning members just because they hold an ill-informed view, as long as it's not personally insulting members. It's not a great look for NatPres if it appears to be banning everyone on a particular side of an argument (I know it's not, but appearances matter too).
     
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  18. flying scotsman123

    flying scotsman123 Resident of Nat Pres

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    Rotten to us or the WSR? :)
     
  19. Steve

    Steve Resident of Nat Pres Friend

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    I’ll leave you to decide that ;)
     
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  20. Keith Sims

    Keith Sims Member

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    I note that the plc has changed its tune very rapidly lately.
    Previously it would be impossible to achieve any changes of structure until a "revenue stream" had been achieved. At least two years were envisioned as a minimum, now we hear that it can be achieved by AGM 2021. I wonder if this just the plc "plan" that can be achieved not what others may feel would be more suitable. I feel a lot more discussion and consultation is needed.
     

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