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GWSR Broadway Developments

Discussion in 'Heritage Railways & Centres in the UK' started by Breva, Aug 1, 2014.

  1. Kinghambranch

    Kinghambranch Well-Known Member

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    Your dim view may well be valuable or not, who knows?
    The Steaming to Broadway blog was created by Bill and therefore can be ended by him can it not?
    However, as Ghost says, the Steaming to Broadway Blog has not been deleted, as it can still be viewed, it just can't be added to. I cannot comment on what you call the "main website" as I'm not sure what you mean by that, not the GWSR website I assume!

    In his final blog, Bill says,
    "I have also created a new Blog call "Steaming to Broadway - the Next Chapter" which can be used by the BAG team if they wish." So Bill has not decided to keep it all for himself, at least that's how I interpret it.

    I guess we will have to wait a little longer for "The next Chapter" as work is still proceeding at Broadway, with or without the blog.

    This whole thread reminds me of that somewhat irritating but very appropriate expression, which I heard often in my last few years in the Military - "Managing Expectations." People "sign up" for "X" and soon learn to expect it, only to be somewhat disappointed when given "Y" instead. This is not unusual in organisations that are "downsizing" but does come as a shock to people when an organisation (such as the GWSR) is actually consolidating and expanding. Many people, including myself, get used to being spoon fed on information, down to the minute detail of sourcing ridge tiles for a signal box, and success feeds on success with each reader (and, more importantly) donor (rightly) believing that he or she is making the process grow even more. This is fine until something scuppers the conveyor belt of good news (in this case it would seem to be tremendous pressure from what constitutes a genuine GWR pattern station building and what the GWSR planned instead). Rightly or wrongly, this results in the outrage bus leaving the depot with those on board determined to put things right and, in doing so, alleging things that may not be, shall we say, quite correct.

    That said, "Steaming to Broadway" was a tremendous catalyst for fund-raising and "spreading the word" and I'm sure I'm not alone in looking forward to reading, "The next Chapter." I'm sure I'm not alone either in hoping that the rebuilt Broadway Station will be as accurate a build as possible given the constraints which we live with. The signal box is a superb advertisement for what the rest could be. Move forward on the bus please.
     
    Last edited: Jun 2, 2015
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  2. GeoffS75

    GeoffS75 Member

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    As mentioned above, Bill has provided the means for a blog continue if the group decide to do so. For whatever reason Bill resigned and seems to want to sever all ties and that is his right to do so.

    It is a big shame though not to still have the means of keeping abreast of what is going on at the station but perhaps we have been spoilt up to now.
     
  3. HowardGWR

    HowardGWR New Member

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    I suspect much, if not all, depends on Jo Roesen, when he returns from his holiday. His willingness to continue blogging and his ability to let us know what is happening on 'the issue' is of great importance for fund raising, Clearly, there could be tens of thousands of £s resting on his ability, as no one else seems to be stepping forward to blog (could be a technical know how problem). Travel broadens the mind, and Jo may himself come to the conclusion that the parochiality of preserved railways is not worth the candle (as Bill clearly did). I do hope not.

    In the meantime, one hopes that the directors will see sense and realise what support they may be discarding.
     
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  4. Micheal

    Micheal New Member

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    I am afraid it is not silly! when you have been involved with the railway as long as I have, and being involved with bring Winchcombe back into life with hopes and expectations that we are resorting the railway even saving stations that might otherwise disappear only for that to be turned on its head and to see the railway turn into nothing more than a Hornby Railway set it is not silly.
    I hope the railway does not disappoint you in the future.
    As a cautionary note you were advised not get involved in the internet and blogs etc you chose to ignore that and as consequence you are being unwittingly being directed by people that should no better.
     
  5. flying scotsman123

    flying scotsman123 Resident of Nat Pres

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    It is silly! Certainly over exaggeration. Just because the board are being cheap on iron lattice work and are having difficulties with building regulations does not mean they are going to start running only diseasels.


    Pardon me? When was I advised to not go on the Internet? After alternately being more sympathetic towards the board then the Broadway group I'm happy I've come to my own opinion on the situation. There's fault on both sides.

    Do I know you out of interest? Perhaps have a chat when I'm next in, less difficult to be misunderstood in person etc
    :)
     
  6. flying scotsman123

    flying scotsman123 Resident of Nat Pres

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    Never said it was. :) Certainly there's no law to stop him freezing his blog, but I just don't see why it was necessary to do so. undoubtedly it will do a lot of harm to the Broadway effort, as we know, it's directly responsible for many donations. Just seems a little bit over the top to me. "The next chapter" blog will take some time to get the viewing figures the original did and thus donations. I'm certainly not criticising Bill for resigning, if he felt he was no longer the right person to take the project forward, fine, but no need to hinder it. I've also heard one of the main reasons for him resigning was not the canopy design but frustrations over the station not being finished in time for trains getting there, and we've all said that we wouldn't mind the station not being finished in time for trains reaching Broadway...
     
    Last edited: Jun 2, 2015
  7. Kinghambranch

    Kinghambranch Well-Known Member

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    I will direct you to HowardGWR's post No 183 where he suggests Jo may well hold some answers to the Broadway Blog in future. After all, he, and others, did much to provide the information and images for Bill to put on it. I don't believe Bill has hindered the project by freezing the blog but it will have "slowed the conveyor belt" down a bit, hopefully not by much. I would reiterate the need to manage expectations, as described in my previous post. (When I joined the GWRS in 1977, we hoped that Honeybourne would be reached by the 21st Century) Also, the only person who can tell us why Bill resigned is Bill; what you've heard and what is fact may not be the same (they might, but they might not!).

    Regardless of all this flim-flam about who said what etc, the people who volunteer at the "Hornby Train set" that is the GWSR (according to some) have just picked up the Queen's Award for Voluntary Service, and as that includes you and Michael I can only heartily congratulate you, and all the other people that I spoke to at the Speed to the West Gala last Saturday andf those that have volunteered before (even me!).
     
    Last edited: Jun 2, 2015
  8. Kinghambranch

    Kinghambranch Well-Known Member

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    "As a cautionary note you were advised not get involved in the internet and blogs etc you chose to ignore that and as consequence you are being unwittingly being directed by people that should no (sic) better."

    Oh dear! How many great people in public office and in the public eye wish they had heeded that advice and avoided the siren call of the internet blog!
     
  9. gwalkeriow

    gwalkeriow Well-Known Member

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    Alex is a very good ambassador for the GWR and speaks far more sense than I would have done at his age!
     
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  10. flying scotsman123

    flying scotsman123 Resident of Nat Pres

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    I don't feel I have unnecessary high expectations. I have already said perfectly happy to wait until it's ready, I certainly am not pushing hard for it to be completed accurately and in time for the first trains unlike some. When I joined the railway we were supposed to be at Broadway by now, and potentially Honeybourne by 2020!
     
  11. DanW

    DanW Guest

    I hate to be a pedant, but there were in fact two rather nice wooden waiting rooms/shelters at Cheltenham Racecourse on the platforms, much in the same style to the main station building at the top of the ramp.

    Attached is a picture taken from "The Honeybourne Line" by C Maggs and P Nicholson.
     

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  12. flying scotsman123

    flying scotsman123 Resident of Nat Pres

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    Oops, forgot about those. My general point still stands though, authentic buildings at CRC would not be practical. At least we have the nice Swindon flatpack building at the top of the embankment for our ticket office.
     
  13. The Dainton Banker

    The Dainton Banker Well-Known Member

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    It is pleasing to see that Jo has returned from holiday and has updated the CRC2 blog.
    He also says that a new Broadway blog will start shortly.

    Kinghambranch : your comments about "Managing Expectations" were spot on. I do hope that the GWR management team have taken them on board and understand the need to communicate clearly not only with their members but also with the large group of supporters that have built up over the past four or five years.
     
  14. HowardGWR

    HowardGWR New Member

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    The new blog is called 'The next Chapter'.

    http://gwsrbroadwaynew.blogspot.co.uk/

    The next chapter is a long time coming. I wonder what is really happening? Perhaps someone could just inform us here?
     
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  15. Gloucester Boy

    Gloucester Boy New Member

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    The next chapter is coming, some of the BAG members this week are being shown how to do the blog, It isn't a case of hiding anything by not having a blog, just that training to do it is needed.
     
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  16. 46118

    46118 Part of the furniture

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    Is Wednesday still a working day at Broadway please? Madam wants to go to Hidcote Garden, so the quid pro quo is a visit to the station site, where I think there is a viewing area for casual visitors? And the shop of course!

    46118
     
  17. flying scotsman123

    flying scotsman123 Resident of Nat Pres

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    No reason to suspect otherwise, just because there's no blog doesn't mean all functions cease!
     
  18. Gloucester Boy

    Gloucester Boy New Member

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    Yes, usually around 20 volunteers work on a Wednesday, also Saturdays are a working day. There is a viewing platform, which is open during the time that volunteers are working and also lots of information boards and a shop, which has lots of interesting items for sale.

    The viewing platform is opposite the new signal box and as some of the scaffolding was removed last Wednesday, you do get a very good view of it. It looks great.
     
  19. Bean-counter

    Bean-counter Part of the furniture

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    It doesn't sound good if somebody is being told what not to do on the internet and such "warning off" can backfire - As a callow youth I was once told to keep my views about "political" issues to myself and the effect of this undoubtedly contributed to me spending the 25 of the next 30 years as a Trustee of the Railway I am involved in!

    Steven
     
  20. 46118

    46118 Part of the furniture

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    Gloucester Boy: Many thanks for that confirmation. Hopefully the new blog will start once the people concerned know how to post onto it.

    flyingscotsman123: Thanks, but I was not implying that, just wanting confirmation in the absence of the blog postings. Under new leadership at Broadway there could have been working day changes.

    46118
     
    Last edited: Jun 29, 2015
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