With a new war well underway in the ME, it would be well to review and perhaps to increase stocks of oil derived fuels.
Not just petrol, but also diesel, heating oil, paraffin, and LPG.

Shortages are possible, esp. if the situation escalates.

Petrol storage is limited to 30 L. It should not be stored in living accommodation.
Butane storage within a home is limited to two cylinders each of 15 kilos or less, no limit on outdoor storage.
Propane should not be stored in a home, no limit outdoors.
Almost any volume of paraffin, diesel fuel, or heating oil may be stored.

A war in the ME is most unlikely to affect supplies of coal and fire wood, but shortages are possible if people use extra coal or wood in place of other fuels that are scarce or expensive.

 

Indeed, Chris.  Another change, another 10 minutes, another messing about with luggage and any mobilty aids, another change for people unfamiliar with the transfer to get confused/lost and an opportunity to get cold and perhaps wet.

Oh - and another chance to take a "where is this" quiz picture.

 
You have a really interesting conundrum here - and one that plays with the lives of beautiful dogs in looks and character.   Our two exist and are here with us and they are lovely family pets but only because of the fearsome sport from which they were [retired/rescued] (and people will argue whether they really are rescue!).

Greyhounds are treated far much more as a disposable commodity in Ireland, and a number of specialist rescues such as Bristol DAWG in our area have more rehoming offers than local dogs in the area for rehoming, and I see posts from time to time welcoming hounds coming to England to retire.  From what I read, they are more scarse in the USA and there's also a flow across the Atlantic.  There's a Far Eastern element too.

I don't pretend to have an answer. I do know that the breed could become at risk if there was no racing at all worldwide.  I know that some of them love to run for pleasure, and that they are delicate dogs as top atheletes can be delicate - always getting scrapes and grazes even in our environment.  Our Lulu came with clear evidence of a pretty dramatic history, for sure ... but the since she arrived she's got more major and minor marks and hindsight suggests that she may have suffered in a horrific industry, or just had the accidents she's prone too.

There are bad and good trainers ... we have some locally who rehome their ex and failed racers in the community, and some have arrangements with the like of Dog's Trust who have an arrangement to take some greyhounds in when they retire.  I sense the UK trainers are kinder than the Irish ones, but that's based on what I read and what I read may not be balanced - a false evidence sample.

Oh goodness - this is a safe space where I can spew this out in arena where so many people have highly charged views.   We know the history somewhat of our current too, and we knew it for Billy who was an "outlier" and not one of the pattern.  And don't get me started on lunchers, or on various bull terrier types.

Lisa commented "you see lots of pictures and cuddly labrador puppies, but have you - ever - seen a greyhound puppy?"

Err - you haven't asked, Chris - happy to respond if that WAS a question.  Think I have done.

 
27 to any stop between Baker Street & Warren Street & change at same stop for the 205

 

Perhaps a good place to log my two journeys Swindon to Melksham

Yesterday at 22:31 (Friday 13th) from Swindon
18 passengers on train into Melksham. where 10 got off and 3 on. [21/13]

Today at 15:14 from Swindon
36 passenger on train into Melksham, where 18 got off and 2 got on.  [38/20]

 
I'm posting this topic here, as an 'impartial' member of the Coffee Shop forum - grahame may have been reluctant to post such, as he has a vested interest in greyhounds - although I haven't asked him whether that's the case here.

So, from the BBC:


That BBC news article continues, in some detail, so I won't quote all of it here - but please do click on the link if you would like to read more.

Meanwhile, I have become increasingly familiar with grahame's two greyhounds, in Melksham. They are both great characters, the senior one leading their pursuits over the lawns towards squirrels, pigeons, a neighbour's cat, or indeed anything else they spotted 'on the ground'.

Chris.

 

Follow up posted to the International Group I'm in ... hence the bias here:



As from 21st June 2025, Paddington Station will NO LONGER be served by bus route 205 to Euston, St Pancras International, Kings Cross and Liverpool Street.   This bus route has been my personal recommendation for passengers arriving in London from the West Country, Bristol, South Wales and the Cotswolds carrying on to Eurostar services to France, Belgium and The Netherlands.

There is no suggested bus alternative. Bus route 46 does run from Paddington to St Pancras, but takes you a very long route through North London and takes nearly an hour for the journey. The London Underground Circle line, and Hammersmith and Ciry lines, both run from Paddington (Platform 16) taking between 12 and 15 minutes to Kings Cross St Pancras.  None of these direct journeys are included on the Interrail / Eurail pass.

You can use your Interrrail / Eurail Pass from Paddington (platform A - entrance from near platform 1) to Farringdon on the Elizabeth line, and change there onto a northbound Thameslink train from platform 4 to St Pancras.

The 205 was a very useful way for those with heavy luggage and in wheelchairs / with limited mobilty to get from trains from the West of London to International services from St Pancras and services for North East of London.
 
An article in The Standard alerted me to news of the change and told of consultations with local residents.  It acknoeldged that the change is an unpopular one, but told us that the change has been made for cost and efficiency reasons, promising a better service on the remains of the route which - however - does not serve Paddington. No mention is made in the article of consultation with long distance / limited mobility customers for whom this was the best cross-London option

 
Sea Shanty weekend 2025 - steered well clear. Huge queue at Truro for the Branchline, clearly going to take over an hour, possibly 90minutes, to get on a service for Falmouth at 1100 this morning. GWR/GBR can and must do better getting resilience support buses at hand. The event itself needs to be supported adequately by public services. I suspect once again those on the network were forced out of the station to join the queue again.

 

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/transport/london-bus-route-cuts-tfl-30-205-euston-paddington-marble-arch-b1229839.html

More to follow on this ... but I am in conference today

 
Ouch

 
As an occasional user of this service I was disappointed to learn that Paddington will no longer be served from 21 June, with buses being diverted from Baker Street to Marble Arch, replacing service 30. the 205 was a useful link from Paddington to Euston, St Pancras, Kings Cross and Liverpool Street stations, those journeys now requiring a change en-route. The only mainline terminal station served by a direct bus from Paddington is Victoria

 
From the BBC:

 
It must be getting to the situation whereby it would be cheaper for GWR to have their own fleet of minibus(s) and deckers dotted around the network.
As they used to have x years ago..

Whilst they might be able to call on Transport Solutions, availability of staff and vehicles is sketchy these days.

 
An update, from the BBC:


The BBC articles continues, in detail, so I won't quote all of it here: please do click on the link if you want to read more.

A very sad event. CfN.

 
From Rail Advent:

 
Alterations to services between Weymouth and Westbury

Due to a shortage of train crew between Weymouth and Westbury:

Train services running to and from these stations may be revised. Disruption is expected until 12:00 14/06.

Customer Advice
Owing to a shortage of train crew we are unable to operate the full advertised timetable of train services between Weymouth and Westbury this morning.

A limited combination of coaches and MPV's will operate over this section of line but kindly note owing to the local road layout the larger vehicles are unable to serve many of the stations which will be served by the MPV's instead. Any customers at Weymouth who had intended to travel to Westbury or beyond on the 09:30 and 11:30 departures may use their tickets to travel on South Western Railway services to Southampton Central and change there for GWR services to Westbury and Bristol.

Please accept our apologies for any inconvenience this may cause.

 

This put me in mind of the weird guy begging on the train up from Sutton to London Victoria the other year, going way beyond inappropriate and making every woman on the train feel insecure.

Gateline staff unable to do anything other than let him through at which point he worked his way round the concourse and then the Wetherspoons there. Their staff knew him well and put him out.

As we had half an hour connection time between trains we attempted to find security staff to help, one attended, interrupted him as he was successfully relieving a couple of encumbered international tourists of some cash, talked with him for some time, then, off he went and five minutes later he was continuing to work passengers on the other side of the station as we left for our connection.

Mark

 
From GWR:

 

We had an interesting session yesterday about multi-leg air fares ... with the lady from Ryanair explaining some of the issues as far as attribution of income and responsibility when something goes wrong. Lively.

 

 
I am struck by watching "Fare Dodgers" that the BTP are often not around when needed to deal with regular/aggressive fare dodgers, tailgaters etc and as they don't have the power to detain them the RP/gateline staff have little option but to let them go despite frequently calling for their assistance.

Perhaps a more visible/rapid reaction presence to make arrests would be more of a deterrent?

Otherwise it tends to be the more compliant customers who have often made honest mistakes that tend to get punished.

 

As I posted elsewhere on this forum SWTSMBO and I recently travelled from DIG to PAD, via EXD, without having our tickets checked on either train. DIG is ungated and the IET terminated at one of the ungated PAD platforms.

Mr. Sutherland appears, as they say, to be having a giraffe!

 
Now showing on RTT

 
It looks like the 07.33 did start from Weymouth but not showing on RTT.

 
UPDATE The 11.30 Weymouth to Gloucester will now start from Westbury so no trains in the up direction until 13.30. Not good.

There will be be a replacement bus for the 09.30 service:

 
No up services from Weymouth to Westbury before the 11.30 service with the 06.38, 07.33 and 09.30 all cancelled.

In the down direction the 06.50 and 08.50* Westbury to Weymouth services are cancelled.

*06.55 Cheltenham Spa to Weymouth will be terminated at Westbury.

 

Split tickets cause all sorts of challenges. They may offer the traveller a cheaper journey, but they cause all sorts of challenges to the operators. I have heard stories of folk purchasing split tickets for their journey; showing the relevant part when asked to show their ticket; and then applying for a refund for the tickets not checked - and openly boasting about it! That is certainly a form of fare evasion.

 

I'm not sure on the numbers ... but to let people evade fares because of the threat of them assaulting staff members would be a slippery and lawless slope indeed.

Not rocket science (and I'm sure it's being done) ...

1. Reduce fare evasion in the first place
* Remove loopholes in the system that make it easier to avoid paying the right fare in the first place
* Clarify the fare system so that it's very clear indeed what isn't allowed

2. Apprehend those who still and knowingly evade fares in a more secure way

 
from what I recall there are 200 assaults on TfL staff per week and 100 are ticket related issues.

How much is the cost of 100 staff per week being assaulted and having time off work as opposed to the amount of fares being lost.

As a by line when using the London Underground,the amount of times I have seen passengers get right behind a fare paying passenger and go through right behind them.

 

 
From the BBC