West Somerset Railway General Discussion

Well Bonfire night is imminent.....
Seriously, as I said earlier, it’s becoming difficult for current WSSRT members to decide who to vote for at the AGM. Instead of reasoned debate from both sides outlining their proposed course of action to bring peace to the WSR, all we are getting is threats of legal action and allegations of bullying.
What we need is some facts about both sides proposals so that we can make a decision on how we vote. Bit like the hustings in a General Election but hopefully without prospective trustees being photographed kissing babies...

 

And Barrie, I suggest you might also have overstepped the mark with regards to libel, and so a timely/not delayed apology would be in order.

 

If only nothing worse than custard pies were being thrown.

 

I’ve seen what “the 10” propose and have seen nothing to make me change my view of their platform. If I compare their conduct to that of the current board, I see clarity, transparency and integrity. The trustees’ approach to this agm, even accepting that the GDPR breach was unwitting, has been nothing of the sort. Their more vocal supporters’ attitude is something else.


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Nice to see that members of the S & D Trust had an enjoyable day out behind their pride & joy on the MHR today, even if the weather didn't play ball - she looks & sounds right at home!

Looking forward to seeing her at work over the Alps in the next year or so.

 

Quite agree.

David, would you care to help ‘reset’ the debate by asking some questions?

Perhaps tomorrow morning after a sleep?

Robin

 

Well, I think the WSSRT has always been problematic since it amassed it's shareholding in the WSR Plc thanks to the WSR plc board that goes back many years.

It probably didn't want to become the WSR plc board's "poodle"; but this is what has happened, and the WSSRT is as exposed as the SDRT due to a 50 year lease with all the same problems I won't go over again this evening, except for that all important shareholding thanks to the WSR plc board.

The WSSRT pays pennies for what it occupies at BL and BA. Always liked the Museum at BL. Not much interested in model railway layouts personally.

It's collection of GWR carrriages are rotting away in the open - not a good state of affairs by any measure.

What I suggest is a new Coombes report.

John Bailey is not acceptable due to the redacted sections of his report and everything else that he has also been tainted with.

 

It’s been bugging me for a while Robin, so I don’t need to sleep on it. Is it your intention, and your fellow trustees, to bring about a regime change which will lead to the the downfall of the current PLC or do you have other ideas to bring peace to Somerset. If so, what? All I ask is for some clarification as to what is going on. As far as I am aware, the WSSRT had a very small membership (around 100 I believe) which has now almost doubled to 200, presumably by new members who are possibly sympathetic to your proposals, although I can’t be sure of that.
As I said in my previous post I am looking for the protagonists in this debate to present their case logically and honestly so that members can make their decision. As a member of the legal profession I am sure you can appreciate that.
David.

 

Neither side looks good at this point, and both seem to be pouring more petrol on to the fire of the WSR .... cycle path or dual carriage way anyone, it looks the most likely outcome.

Both sides seem to want to take power in thier way, and thier way ONLY - irrespective of what is good for the railway, or that the other side might have even a few good ideas.

My only conclusion is that none of the protagonists of either side should end up on the initial board of the eventual controlling charity, however that is formed and in what ever the duration. It would help the 10's cause if they made this statement before the WSSRT election. I doubt they will, as both sides (in reality, small cabals of soot-blinded and spade-blinkered idealistic fools), seem to want a fight - its so sad, especially for those actually trying to get a railway running again.

 

Having just watched Sam Mendes's "1917", it does seem to me that the real generals are sitting behind the lines, out of the crossfire and the WSSRT trustees and candidates are the poor bloody infantry slogging it out on the front line, more cannon fodder than loose cannons.

 

So, are you of the opinion that everyone should have sat on their hands and done nothing when the S&DRT were summarily kicked out of Washford, amongst other actions of the Plc board?

 

Don’t know whether you’re looking at the same Facebook page that I quoted in post #33947 but I don’t see anything particularly vitriolic posted by a member of this forum.

 

I recall that the WSSRT10/11/12 indicated that the intention was to navigate, subject to the approval of members of the WSSRT and WSRA, the changes they want to see and then to ideally step aside and allow others (untainted?) to be able to run a reorganised WSR.

It is worth noting that if people are unhappy with the 10 they don’t have to vote for them at the WSSRT and they can vote against any proposed changes at the planned WSRA-WSSRT conference.

This I think gives the volunteers, supporters etc a ‘triple lock’ of checks and balances. Which to me undermines the claims of a cloak and dagger takeover or power grab.

 

I'm off the opinion that two wrong's don't make a right, and that none of these actions help the railway.

Both the S&DRT and the WSSRT situations look like purposeful chosen attack wars by both sides. For what ever claimed "rightful" reasons, to the oustide - both are wrongs, and further both have been approcahed in a purposefully antagonistic way.

Hence why both sets of protagonists should be excluded from the initial board of the eventual controlling charity. They have both shown willful personal, professional and railway neglect/love of cordite over sitting down and talking. The two sets of protagonists may be on different sides, but personally both sides should be in the same gaol for the same reasons.

 

That’s an easy one.

I’m about to turn the light out, so will ensure that our ‘pulling together’ document is reposted tomorrow.

What we want to see is a single lead charity, created by a collective process involving all major stakeholders (not just led by one) having the WSR plc as a wholly-owned subsidiary of that charity.

This would bring propriety, trust and consensus back into the WSR family.

That’s a fair question which we have thought about. If you have read our material you will know that we are committed to that new Charity Board being subject to an appointment panel and us not taking up / continuing in office unless recommended by that panel.

In personal terms you may recall that the Coombes report recommended that those at the front of the battle to remove the X6 not stand for WSRA office for a substantial breathing space and I kept to that until the WSRA Chairman felt that sufficient time had passed.

Let me give my personal commitment to do nothing to stand in the way of a bright, compliant, inclusive, trustworthy future for our Railway and the work of the WSSRT within that.

I want folk to be proud and delighted to say they are WSR volunteers, staff and supporters, back in its rightful place in the top tier of heritage Railways, not sad or embarrassed to announce their affiliation or afraid to air their views.

Goodnight

Robin

 

WHAT ? ! I suggest you get your facts right, the S@DRT have not done anything remotely antagonistic but have been abysmally treated.

As I understand the situation, talks are still in process .....

 

Well, what would you consider would have been an appropriate and effective course of action to take? I didn't suggest that I approved of the actions taken, but your post suggested that there was a way that wouldn't have provoked the sort of reaction from the Plc that we have seen in these pages. It does seem to me that the WSSRT candidates are being attacked for defending themselves. Were they supposed to sit back and let misleading posts full of half-truths be posted without responding. What would you do if someone put up a post containing misleading comments about yourself?

 

(Edit - Deleted)

 

What makes you think those activities are mutually exclusive? It is possible to do all of them.
Anyway, as you keep pointing out, once the new charity is formed and the WSSRT's shareholding is so much waste paper, then they are liable to go the way of the S&DRT. Who will bother with the rotting carriages then?