West Somerset Railway General Discussion

Perhaps they will ban the reviewer from the railway

 

That might possibly be a valid question and suggested answer if we only carried staff members as passengers And then there is the, apparently ignored unambiguous posting by the Plc Chairman that there is no intent, and never was to restrict use of social media by staff members.

For the record the WSR has an excellent record wrt dealing with, that is responding promptly to, the very very occasional adverse review on Trip Advisor.

May I wish everybody a good 2018, and a hope for a prosperous and succesful operating year for the Railway (WSR) I am proud to support.

Michael Rowe

 

I was going to suggest a few days ago.... that high season weekends would be a good time to do breakfasts on the first out of BL.... but was acutely aware of the need for volunteer labour. I would (in my dreams) have a breakfast on every first start from BL... if only I wasn't 5 hours drive away!!
Robin L.

 

In 40 years, you fail to see what is obvious... when I arrive at BL, I cannot get a meal. Guessing that nobody wants to eat there is pointless, since it isn't possible to get a meal. No use talking of demand being recognised... how do I get a non-existant breakfast, and who is calculating what the demand is???
Robin L.

 

Deleted.

 

Lack of space to provide a bigger buffet at BL At galas the facilities are supplemented by an external catering van. The QB breakfast service will hopefully have extra space in future.

 

The Station Farm site at Bishops Lydeard will, in time, provide all the development space needed.

In the meanwhile it would be a very sensible use of the QB coaches at times when they are static, in an easily accessible bay platform, to test the market for more Catering at Bishops Lydeard. There are issues to deal with, such as waste drainage, but these things are far from insuperable and the prospect of working the asset harder is a good one.

Robin

 

Thanks for pointing out my failures, @tracker I'm now quite aware that you along with thousands of others must have banged the door of the cafe at Lydeard on a frequent basis over the last decade or two or three. And despite loud and regular requests, the folks at the cafe are ignoring this huge demand. But somehow I don't think that is the true picture so kindly prove me wrong.

Let's start again. Calculating demand is based on tangible evidence. I assume you (and others?) have been in regular contact with the cafe folks and you can, perhaps, reveal their replies to us here.

All the best for 2018

[EDIT: the above response comes over as a tad harsh for which I apologise. Perhaps I might better simply refer to my earlier posting which suggested the majority of our visitors seem not interested in a meal on the station at Lydeard before catching the train. Of course there will be some, like @tracker , who want a breakfast or meal, but I sense it would not at this stage be cost-effective. Any move towards providing more appropriate accommodation and a wider selection of hot food really does need to be justified. I'd love that demand to be found and improvements justified.]
Steve

 

A rather clear example of the kind of nonsense posted here, I'm afraid

The Policy applies to staff.

My understanding from replies from three Plc people is that the wording - especially that which suggests any mention of the Railway on social media is not permitted - will be looked at.

Steve

 

Might I be allowed to point out that the BL Café is open on every running day. While they cannot provide a Full English they do have a comprehensive range of snacks.
Just outside the station we have a deli, again no sit down option, but an excellent range of fresh snacks, many served hot, including the footplate favourite - the brunchie.
Lastly it may be worth mentioning that the Lethbridge Arms (quarter mile walk.) will be serving breakfast to its guests most mornings. A phone call the night before may well secure a place in their dining room.

 

Signalman’s morning.

 

We make an exception on our visits to Portmadoc. We bypass breakfast, have bacon butties on the train, and finish our day with a meal in Spooners. A Spooners at Bishops Lydeard serving breakfast would be ideal for us.

 

Sorry to be obtuse but. You bypass breakfast at Porthmadog but you would not at Bishops Lydeard ?

As an observation I have regularly eaten in, and even better sat outside Spooners, eating or drinking. With all the will in the World, the view from either platform at Bishops Lydeard (even with a loco to admire) cannot compare with that from outside Spooners whether looking North, towards Snowdonia and Cnicht (the Matterhorn of Wales'), East along the Cob (best when the afternoon arrival from Caernarfon runs in alongside the waiting departure for Blaeneau Ffestiniog, often a Beyer Garrett standing next to a double Fairlie) and South to the buffer stops and the Harbour.

I am sure the majority of our passengers starting at Bishops Lydeard (not enthusiasts) head for Blue Anchor, Dunster or Minehead (where there are fine seascapes) and may well partake of Lunch or Afternoon tea etc., perhaps after a mid morning snack on the train.

As somebody else has posted, in all those locations the WSR seeks a balance between providing facilities itself and supporting local establishments eg snacks on the station at BA and DR, a more extensive service in the Turntable Cafe at MD. A common destination from Minehead is Watchet, again a station treading carefully wrt local establishments.

On this site we naturally tend to concentrate on the needs/desires/prejudices of enthusiasts. Most of the revenue that supports the day to day operation of our unique preserved Railway emanates from holiday makers, day trippers. Our competitors are the many and varied tourist sites in Somerset, our fellow team players are the other Heritage Railways, from whom we can learn much; but Bishops Lydeard is not Porthmadog or Caernarfon.

Michael Rowe. Semi-educated anorak.

 

Pete - I think avilability and diverssity of choice may be the answer. At kidder you have the static choice of the Valley suite, full cooked available or the museum, hot sandwiches. Just outside are AJ's, mentioned above. You then add on the gala walk on breakfast rather than that being the main food provider

 

What a lovely cosy scene. There must be very few better ways to see in the first morning of 2018!
May peace and goodwill reign amongst you all this coming year.

 

Just a quick line - an aquaintance who does not do 'Trip Advisor' took her daughter and grand-daughter on a Santa train from Minehead. She reports that the whole experience, from start to finish, was wonderful, great atmosphere, and excellent staff with just the right 'touch'. Well done all involved.

 

I always try to do a turn on 1st Jan. starts the year off right.

But I generally make my coffee in a bigger pot...

Robin

 

I would have thought that most (but not all) holidaymakers visiting the railway would be staying in a local B&B or hotel, and would therefore have had a breakfast included in their room charge. Whereas local visitors could well break their fast at home. This only leaves enthusiasts who might travel long distances for a one day visit, and having left home early would feel the need for breakfast on arrival. So I would agree that the enthusiast view is probably the minority.

Whilst reading the many pages on this thread, and enjoying most of them, I have not visited the WSR for many (far too many) years. Indeed my last visit was in the early '80s when the railway was very much Minehead based and few trains went through to BL. Since then the line has literally turned itself around so that the emphasis seems to be on visits starting at the southern end. I really must plan a proper visit this year. In my defence for most of the last 40+ years I have been volunteering at two other lines and they have taken most of my time.

Michael