Lynton and Barnstaple - Operations and Development

Regarding Tracked Trails #39, received today:
Why are opportunities always like buses?

 

Damn...I just knew I should not have bought my wife that new season Hermes handbag for our anniversary.....I suppose I shall just have to sell another 'lost' Rembrandt now....:-(

 

Hahaha! Come back, Tom Keating - all is forgiven.

 

As others have quite rightly said, a spectacular own goal and a complete waste of time, money and energy by the Trust which ought to be digging the railway out of its planning hole. The allegations are at best flimsy and it is difficult not to conclude that this is being pursued for personal reasons. Any Trustees who condoned this unprofessional behaviour over many months should be ashamed. This is supposed to be an enjoyable hobby for goodness sake! Unfortunately it's the classic behaviour of weak leaders when they feel threatened or are out of their depth. Several other heritage railways over the years have similarly suffered from leaders spending precious time and money on doubling down on their questionable decisions. I occasionally donate to the Trust but my money now will be going to another group in the L&B family.

 

Anne first got involved with the L&B several years ago, when she lived in Canterbury. She joined the Kent Area group, but then sold her home, upped-sticks and moved to North Devon to take a more active role in the railway she (and most of us) holds in such high esteem.

 

Nat Pres members also on Exmoor-NG may have noted the following recent post:

The NWAG was formed in 2004 and has carried out many exhibitions and fundraising events over the years until now. Another sad consequence of recent poor decision-making.

 

Like Anne, Bob Barnard has worked tirelessly for the L&B in running NWAG and on signalling design - we owe him very many thanks. It is very sad and completely understandable that he had felt compelled to take this action - we can only hope that the Trust wake up.

 

There must be more to this story. What changed?

 

You can probably join up the dots Jo...

 

Approaching 'Old Fogey' status I am constantly amazed by the increasingly outrageous things that people do these days which would have been unconscionable a generation or two ago. And it started before social media. I've heard said it was down to the parents, and I am tempted to think they are right.

 

rosy glasses syndrome

 

In this weather, I'm quite partial to a nice chilled glass (or two) of rose....

 

I left my colouring pencils in Kindergarten...

I don't know what's going on there, but the GWSR and I think the kesr lost most of their area groups, due to reducing attendance.

But it sounds like an additional trigger here.

 

Read the last 50 pages of the thread, maybe!

 

@Breva, for the avoidance of doubt, I will include the full post from Exmoor-NG, with the author's permission, and which I trust will clarify the reasons behind this move:

 

What did you have in mind in this context @Michael B ?

 

@Old Kent Biker - thanks, that is clearer.

NB I am of sorts an OKB as well - I took my bike test in Ashford - and failed :-(
Six months dicing with daredevil motorcycle courriers in London soon cured that, and I am now an OGB - Old Gloucestershire Biker. Hence the 'Breva' handle

 

The second world war changed a lot of things for a lot of people and how they felt about the World. I am not sure if this has left us with a generation of angry people that wanted to make sure it was never repeated or with a new current generation of people that now think that if you don't agree with their views it needs to be taken down and band.

Sorry but life is not fair get over it. I don't have a problem with many of societies so called current issues, If I want to ingnore it I will, but just who makes them current issues? someone who wants attention? The old saying nothing to see here move along please comes to mind.

 

Are you saying it is ok for the trustees to behave as they have and are doing?

 

My comment chiefly arose from the way Anne Belsey appears from social media and the newsletters to have been excluded for no apparent justifiable reason that I can see. I was hospitalised two days before the AGM and couldn’t get to it, but the report of it I read stated that, following the justification offered that was not accepted by individuals speaking from the floor, (and maybe a vote ?) which forced a rethink. Many of us have worked in business where ethics were paramount, but a minority these days appear to think the need or desire makes it alright for them to be overriden. Denial that anything wrong was done when actions taken appear to be against the rules (even the law) has to be challenged in my view. Otherwise, what is the point in having rules or the law ?

On a personal front, readers will be aware from a previous posting that a 252-page book of drawings of the L&B was published in 2012. Largely of my making, these had taken 50 years to prepare, and done to illustrate a new history of the Railway. The author had offered to put my (mainly 1” to the foot) drawings on a computer 20 years before. The only reference to me in the book (which included uncredited my own photographs and those belonging to others whose permission to publish I had not then sought) was that we had met and I was writing a history. That and the removal of the joint copyright notices made it clear the author regarded the work soley as his. Which raised the fear I would be sued for breach of copyright if I published. I was forced to get the book withdrawn from sale until my right to publish was established. I had already seen with my own eyes evidence of a conscience.

These two incidents along with the routine ignoring of the amber on traffic lights, and even the red, these days, are examples of the attitudes of some that caused my comment.