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West Somerset Railway General Discussion

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

  1. Bayard

    Bayard Well-Known Member

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    From the Bailey report:
    "I would not recommend trying to transform the PLC into something else nor, with its current shareholding structure, is it a suitable vehicle to act as the operating company for a Charity. It’s probably better to start with a clean sheet, create a new operating company (as a controlled subsidiary of a new Charity) with employee contracts transferred under TUPE regulations together with licences any anything else the operating company needs to run the railway. The existing PLC would become dormant." so the latter.
     
  2. Maunsell907

    Maunsell907 Member

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    Good Morning Big Al,

    I read this last night and thought what has my good friend Rodders done. One of the
    reasons I am pleased to claim his friendship is his no messing about down to
    earth directness, an invaluable asset when times are difficult.

    Therefore after reading your intended sanction I read back to find what he had
    written that so exercised you. After reading Rodders posting I made a few phone
    calls. As a result of those calls I am saddened to find out what apparently was
    sent in writing to a long serving, much respected ( both on the WSR and
    throughout both the Heritage and the 'Main Line' sectors) person.

    I suggest you are in a position to ask the questions. If there is a denial , ie
    nothing occurred; no body will be more delighted than my self. If on the
    other hand the action occurred then I would like to see a public apology
    to my good friend Rodders.

    Thank you, Michael Rowe
     
  3. Bayard

    Bayard Well-Known Member

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    That's all very well, Mr Rowe, but what neither you not rodders154 have clarified is whether this has anything to do with the WSR. Quite apart from that, no one is suggesting that such a letter wasn't sent, that is a straw man, fit only for lighting-up fuel, all they are doing is questioning rodders154's motive in mentioning the letter, which, unless he is the "long serving, much respected ( both on the WSR and throughout both the Heritage and the 'Main Line' sectors) person" you mention, is none of his bloody business and is an obvious ad hominem attack on another forum member and therefore contravenes the rules of the forum.
     
  4. martin1656

    martin1656 Nat Pres stalwart Friend

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    It was only a matter of time before " certain People " would post in support of Rodders, Well , Michael, maybe you should look at the relevant posts, and consider before posting, Clearly, there is a personal animosity behind his postings, that, if I'm honest show him in a bad light, In her defence, Ms White, has stayed silent , not responded, to his postings, she deserves credit for that, if someone has had to resort to legal means to fight a perceived wrong, it is not anyone's place to get involved, its between the persons concerned, no one else,
    Like Rodders you were I believe a former PLC board member, who, I understand some trustees of the WSRA , in who's name you sat, had some concerns over the direction the board were moving, can you conferm this?
     
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  5. jma1009

    jma1009 Well-Known Member

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    Doesn't the WSRA AGM start in 15 minutes or so?
     
  6. Maunsell907

    Maunsell907 Member

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    I am not keen to post on NP these days but:

    I have never been a WSR Plc director. I was a co-opted Trustee and latterly Vice Chair of the
    WSRA from December 2015 to October 2016. I had a simple role, to attempt to bring some
    stability to the WSRA ahead of an AGM and election of a set of Trustees

    ( I leave it to others to decide whether I achieved this. As an aside I was disappointed that
    the Business Plan I presented to the Members at the AGM, a copy to every attendee, was
    apparently consigned to the WPB, but I have broad shoulders .)

    Regarding the letter. It has everything to do with the WSR. Unpleasant behaviour !

    NMichael Rowe
     
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  7. Monkey Magic

    Monkey Magic Part of the furniture

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    Your silence on the abuse that the ten including Robin White have received is deafening.

    I note that you completely fail to condemn the abuse in the media, on social media and elsewhere.
     
  8. Triumph 2500S

    Triumph 2500S Well-Known Member

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    As I have said continuously there have been problems at the WSR from day one

    When I joined the WSRA in 1974 there was a move to remove the then Chairman the late John Pearce of Lydeard shop fame.

    I did not attend the 1976 meeting and forgot all about it maybe I was more interested in just getting on with volunteering!

    There was even a three day Crown Court Case against David Rouse @ a cost of £2,000 a day over an alleged theft of two steam pipes value £15. The Judge intervened and threw out the case for 'Inconsistent evidence'

    Yes these problems and the vitriol that goes with them go back a long way

    Unless and Until this continuous bun fight stops we will NEVER progress and in fact the very thing we are all fighting over may be LOST forever
     
  9. FrankC

    FrankC Member

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    To be clear to @Bayard : if the Chairman of the Trust to which I belong receives a communication from a member of the Trust threatening legal action, then it is certainly the business of those in the railway that support the Trust. @Monkey Magic : you refer to “abuse”. What actually was this and where was it? I think you may be confusing reasonable criticism with abuse.
     
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  10. torgormaig

    torgormaig Part of the furniture Friend

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    This is all getting too silly for words. I have not got a clue what this fighting is all about now, but it serves no purpose whatsoever that I can see.

    Surely Mods its time to lock the thread - and throw away the key!

    Peter
     
  11. Bayard

    Bayard Well-Known Member

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    Fair enough, but that still doesn't absolve rodders154 from breaking forum rules. "It's not what you do, but the way that you do it."
    As to your second point, I suppose the five trustee candidates simply changed their minds after a series of friendly chats with kindly and well-meaning parties.
     
  12. 60044

    60044 Member

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    I have been struck by the way the "cult of personality" predominates on the WSR. There has been much talk of the need to find a suitable independent chairman, but I'm surprised that John Bailey has not piped up to point out that what would be far better would be a low key, non-executive chairman that provides effective guidance and support to the General Manager - this is how the NYMR (and most other railways) operates, after all. How many railway chairman are well known? The Chairman at the NYMR, for example, as I'm sure he will confirm, does not have an executive function in the way it seems to be at the WSR. If the situation at the WSR continues as it is then I fear the incoming GM has little chance of being anything other than a mouthpiece for the Chairman.
     
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  13. Monkey Magic

    Monkey Magic Part of the furniture

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    It was here, it was yesterday and it was last weekend. Yesterday we saw transphobic abuse aimed at Robin Moira White.

    I am pretty clear about what is reasonable criticism and what is abuse.

    As per usual, you and your cronies make every excuse, try to deflect, engage in whataboutery, justify, deny and excuse. But what you never do is condemn.

    Whatever, you may think about the 10/15, as people or their decision to stand as trustees of the WSSRT, there is no place for the abuse that has been levelled. That you, Michael Rowe and Rodney Greenway continue to fail to condemn this abuse says everything about the rotten heart of the WSR.

    Stop with the excuses.
     
    Last edited: Sep 26, 2020
  14. Greenway

    Greenway Part of the furniture

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    The noticeable things about this latest spat between two WSR people is that is would have passed by with little comment and been buried along with all the other posts on this thread, except that some folk decided they should rattle cages.
    Far more people read this thread than post on it - something often forgotten I guess.
    What I don't see is Rodders post being regarded as an attack on someone, but many posts, which also may be seen as an attack, are made against JJP and others following the PLC line, but seem acceptable.

    Incidentally I did not see those posts mentioned by Monkey Magic, and have no idea, therefore, who made them. I don't wish to know, as it happens.
     
    Last edited: Sep 26, 2020
  15. Muzza

    Muzza New Member

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    I am surprised at myself that I am still following the soap opera that is this thread.
    I guess that the only reason is that I am waiting to get to the part where the S&DT is treated fairly and with respect by a board that has appeared to treat them with contempt.

    True, I know nothing of the personalities involved - other than what I can work out from what has been written. There may be many factors involved that I don't know about.
    But going solely on the way that the individuals supporting each of the two "sides" conduct themselves on here, I have no trouble working out where my sympathies lie.

    Passions are strong, and I can think of two reasons why. Either the WSR is a wonderful railway worth fighting for, or it is filled with individuals who simply want to hold their grudges against each other in perpetuity.
    I certainly hope it is the former.

    I wish success to whoever wants to run the railway for the benefit of those who volunteer on it and support it financially, and for the surrounding community (and to whoever will honour the agreements with the S&DT).

    Best of luck.
     
  16. Alan Neil

    Alan Neil New Member

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    Would help a lot instead of raking over the same old ground and washing dirty laundry in public.
     
  17. jnc

    jnc Well-Known Member

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    I think the problem is that it's both! :)

    Noel
     
  18. Bayard

    Bayard Well-Known Member

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    I recall quite clearly members being banned for ad hominem attacks on JJP and others. While such attacks have been let by in other cases, so have attacks on Robin White and others, the sanction of banning being one used with moderation by the moderators. Also the mods appear to be distinguishing between posts that, inter alia, contain an attack on an individual and posts like the one by rodders154, where the attack is the sole purpose of the post.
    Yes, such things tend to disappear rather quickly from Nat Pres, somewhat conveniently for those who would like to pretend that they didn't happen.
     
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  19. Snifter

    Snifter Well-Known Member

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    Frank,

    You clearly were spared the sight of what was posted. It was utterly vile. Fortunately, no-one can hide in these days of electronic communication and as a one-time Head of Ops for a former internet company in the boom years, let's just say that the trail of breadcrumbs was very easy to follow. I have been on the receiving end of some deeply unpleasant communications elsewhere however I actually felt sorry for those concerned. If that's all they have by way of a reasoned argument then there's little hope for them. I'm always up for a battle of wits but others seem to prefer unarmed combat.
     
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  20. Robin Moira White

    Robin Moira White Resident of Nat Pres

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    WSRA Trustees after AGM elections today:

    Barrie Childs
    Geoff Garfield (Vice Chair)
    John Glover
    Michael Leigh (on sabbatical)
    Nigel Power
    Jeff Price
    Mike Sherwood (Chair)
    Robin White
     
    Last edited: Sep 26, 2020

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