Swanage Railway General Discussion

While we are all sitting around with not a lot to do, how about writing a letter to your local MP asking for support in keeping British coal mines open for heritage supplies and pointing that importing coal, with all the travel effects on the climate change situation is not a good idea. There is a great article in current HRA Newsletter (https://static1.squarespace.com/sta...c14/1588248430507/HRA+News+160+April+2020.pdf) and individual letters based on those facts would make government sit up and take notice. Don't forget to ask Richard Drax to imagine Dorset Steam Fair without coal

 

I apologise for the blatant thread drift but if like me you are lucky enough to have a pension based on RPI you may not be aware of a current government consultation to change the way RPI is calculated. Due to the current situation the date has been extended from April 29 until August 21.
The consequence of the change will be that the RPI will be 1% lower in the future with a massive compound effect on pensions and investments protected against inflation by the RPI. The consultation asks if the change should take place in 2030 or 2025 or any other date.
As an example the FT reported that Pension fund changes will cost BT £1.7bn Members will be ‘thousands of pounds worse off’.


https://www.gov.uk/government/consu...reform-to-retail-prices-index-rpi-methodology

We have been advised to write to our MP but based on my previous experience on Pensions Issues he will peddle the party line.

 

What have pensions got to do with Swanage Railway. My previous mention of a surplice of expenditure against my constant pension is that at the moment I am spending less and that the savings should go to SOS. Coal is what we should be writing to MPs ETC about. Lets keep this thread to Swanage Railway.

 

Absolutely nothing, which is why I apologised for the thread drift in my post. It is something the government are trying to sneak through as quietly as possible. My schemes members were only informed of its existence about 3 weeks before the original consultation closure date, just trying to be helpful to those anywhere in the UK who read this forum if they have RPI linked pensions or investments, especially as most of us have other things to worry about at the moment.

 

Hi all,

Some of you have been asking what has been happening on the railway to ensure security and what we're doing to keep up with maintenance. Hopefully, this self made video by one of our P way staff Billy Johnson will give you a short insight.



If you want the railway to survive then please consider donating to our SOS appeal or sharing our videos as wide as possible to spread the message. Many thanks.

 

Do you shop using Amazon? Did you know that you can donate to the Swanage Railway Trust every time you shop at Amazon, without it costing you an additional penny?

AmazonSmile is the same Amazon you know. Same products, same prices, same service. Support the Swanage Railway Trust by simply starting your shopping each time at smile.amazon.co.uk. You will be prompted to select the charity of your choice the first time you visit the page, simply search for Swanage Railway Trust.

By nominating the Swanage Railway Trust as your preferred charity Amazon will donate 0.5% of the net purchase price (excluding VAT, returns and shipping fees) of all your eligible purchases to the Swanage Railway Trust. It couldn’t be easier.

Please also don’t forget the wider ‘Save Our Service’ appeal currently running to help the railway through it’s COVID19-enforced closure. For donation options, including text to donate, please visit the dedicated website at:-

www.saveourservice.co.uk

 

I have done that via Amazon for some while, but my donation goes to Guide dogs for the Blind.

 

I don't know if Swanage are signed up, but Easyfundraising also has benefits for fundraising (even if the related Easysearch is of debatable value now the search engine is Yandex). I should add that my donations go to my church, which is also suffering from a major budgetary hole.

 

I do donate my Amazon Smile to Swanage Railway BUT it doesn't make much difference. I think Easyfundraising is a better deal, but then still peanuts compared with a proper donation and if you are ordering from Amazon you cannot use EasyFundraising

AMAZON SMILE - 86 orders
You have generated £6.10
as of May 03, 2020
Your current charity
The Swanage Railway Trust
has received
£248.73
as of February 2020

 

It is still money that wouldn't otherwise be available to the charity, and at no additional cost to the donor.

 

A few weeks ago, I posted a clip of S15 828 working the first Waterman Railways charter on 1st April 1995. I've now posted the whole 36 min programme to YouTube:

It shows 828 working a selection of mainline tours 1993-7. The final section of the programme follows her along the Swanage Railway one summer's day in 1998. I've mentioned the SR's C19 appeal in the description. There's no music on this video ;-) I hope many of you enjoy it and maybe drop a few quid in the SR appeal - thanks.

 

A worthy charity indeed although according to the Charities Commission website tonight:
Assets & liabilities Asset value
Own use assets £35,600,000
Long term investments £51,000,000
Other assets £46,000,000
Total liabilities -£9,500,000
Not sure how current lockdown policies have reduced GDftB's 'traditional' fund raising activities in pubs, charity runs, etc. but their assets situation appears to be much healthier than any heritage railway.

 

.

My choice was made some while ago long before Covid-19. Dogs- I have had them for over 50 years - and blindness is something that has affected my family and friends.
Maybe they are governed by astute people and do not waste money on unnecessary litigation.

 

Some of my family too has suffered blindness (one from birth).
GDftB have been a well run charity since 1934 to accumulate that amount of funds and, as you will know, not every registered blind person can accept a dog - especially if they live in accommodation that specifically precludes animals of any sort or they have other 'problems' [e.g. fur allergy] which stops them from having one.
Regarding your last comment - Whatever could you mean ....
Anyway, thread drift over and back to Swanage Railway General Discussion .........

 

I notice that the lights on Swanage Station are on even in the daylight. Is this not a savings to be made?

 

Is Herston Works opening on Wednesday? It is now Wednesday and the Swanage Signal Box CCTV is showing several staff around.

 

Perhaps the timer (?) needs looking at.

I hadn't heard proposals to re-open Herston Works and believe it remains in Lockdown mode.
Swanage Railway has not furloughed 3 employees, I think, so they could concentrate on essential works such as drainage clearance, fence upkeep, removing line obstructions [fallen trees/trespassers], station/buildings maintenance, etc.

 

For balance

You can oppose the destruction of green belt land via https://defenddewleyhill.org.uk/.

Highthorn was rejected and the decision quashed, and reconsideration is now expected imminently. The action group against is https://www.savedruridge.co.uk/

Patrick

 

Unfortunately the number of staff not furloughed which you have stated is inaccurate.

 

Any figures for furloughed staff who might maybe return at least part time in July to continue projects under 2 metre distance rules and do takeway refreshments.

Maybe also a low cost prebooked DMU service to ease potential road congestion and car parking in Swanage if travel by public transport restrictions are lifted? (Perhaps a big IF?)