The end of each month provides me with a natural break / review point.  Our "Coffee Shop" online forum gathers monthly statistics and I can look back and see how we are doing compared to months and years previous (in raw numbers rather than as outcomes), and it's also an opportunity to look ahead at personal diaries, plans, finances, and so on.

This is starting as a Coffee Shop post.  In September, we had 1,309 new posts - some into topics that have been running for months or years, others into the 127 new topics started in the month.  These numbers are stable and that's the trend for the last five years. I find it remarkable that we find so much to 'talk' about - even new topics - especially in the light of the general dominance of social media these days, a worrying lack of new signups, and the known jolt of our restructure which launched in 2025.  To a sad extent, we have to thank (First) Great Western, the Department for Transport, Network Rail, and wider government(s) and indeed others for providing us with too many negative things to talk about along with the positives.  If train reliability was at 99% rather than 90%, if new lines had opened when completed at December 2024 rather than still not running, and if the fare system had had the shock of being simplified rather than changed with more seeming gerrymandering, perhaps we would be travelling more and writing here less.

New posts for the past 5 years


New topics for the past 5 years


I see systems changing with "nationalisation" and I write that in quotes intentionally.  There's a potential change in overall direction and management here, though it's far too early to have any certainties confirmed by seeing changes as we travel.  Rather like a big ship sailing, we know it's going to happen, we see the headlines of where it might be going, we hear the hype of how good the journey and facilities provided as we cruise away will be ... but ... that first movement from the shore as we cast off is barely visible to us, and indeed the ropes that hold the old legal framework in place have not yet been fully released as more legislation is awaited.

Continuing the cruise analogy, we have far to go and we'll see some very different places along the way.  Passenger have chosen / voted with their feet to come on this cruise, but we are now very much in the hands of the captains and crew and have very little influence over them. The running company changed the captain in July, replacing the one who was seen as struggling to manage a ship that has various issues with another who still has those issues to manage but is perhaps more charismatic and has different priorities. And who can both steer the passengers towards certain facilities and onboard products, and can make other facilities rather more expensive.  As we sail off, he has a honeymoon period during which he will be forgiven plenty.

Have you ever been on a cruise?  Lisa and I have done a number of them. They don't always go as planned.  We were due at port call at Corner Brook in Newfoundland on Aurora, but with an impending storm coming up the coast, we put out into the Atlantic to ride out the storm - holiday resumed with a little disappointment (and no compensation) but the missed stop forgotten by most soon enough.  Not a unique experience - storms stopped us making several port calls on a Transatlantic crossing that stretched 6 sea days into 10, and the Bay of Biscay and a windy Southampton put Iona back by 24 hours - again forgotten over time.  We had a cruise booked to the Baltic and St Petersburg but due to some a major falling out between Russia and Europe, changes we made that left out key ports - to the extent that we pulled out of that cruise completely - what had been booked in good faith, and not for the fault of the cruise line, had changed into something unrecognisable and not fit for (our) purpose.  And - these days - the cruise line we have been using and faithful to - has tightened its rules to the extent that with our mobility issues it is, frankly, difficult to get a booking and there's an uneasy feeling that our custom has become something of a nuisance.  I digress, and perhaps take the analogy too far.

We don't know what will hit with the rail industry and Coffee Shop topics and transaction levels as a result.  We can analyse what we have been told, we can ask, we can prepare and have "plan B" options researched, and we can decide whether to kick like h*ll or roll over and stoically accept changes.

Back onto Coffee Shop updates. The crew here - the admins and moderators - do a sterling job and we all have a lot to say "Thank you" for.  They are cruisers (oops) like you and me, enjoying the journey and the places visited, but yet with access and roles out of the public area.  And I am akin to the engineer and see my role as tuning / tweaking things to ensure safety, and as pleasant a journey as practicl.  Some of those tweaks are small ones. 

Now that we have had 18 months for our major refit to settle in, I have tweaked the boarding procedure - the front page.  You may have noticed some subtle changes over past days / the last week or two.

Firstly, I have made some changes on the home page, in the data block
1. It now defaults to the last 20 topics rather than the last 3
2. Topics times are also followed by dates where they are from before the current day
3. The time and date of the page generation is now included in the header line
4. Threads updated in the last 40 minutes are marked "Hot Update"
5. Threads last updated between 40 and 80 minutes ago are marked "Recent"
Where a topic is new, it is flagged as such in preference to "Hot Update" or "Recent" and not in addition

Sample front page showing changes


Second, the main viewing / editing page has a link to the live departure board for Birmingham New Street replaced by the word "Testing!". No code changes yet - but it will link to the station nearest where you are when browsing the page.  Some 1,000 of 2,500 stations - including (almost?) all in our area are in the 1,000; code work is needed to pull various bits of logic I have together to make this work, to not irritate by constantly asking for permission to track, and to know what to do when the request comes in when you are nearest to the other 1,500 stations.  I also need to check conversions between names and the variety of naming and coding conventions our industry has for stations

Third, I have restored "espresso" pages that were locked out of use due to an infestation of automated accesses for quite a while, and in testing them this morning I have found and fixed a bug that it wasn’t reporting "0" for new topics at the very start of the month.  The heading now included the dates range for which posts are summarised (this will help crawlers) and the report is two tone striped board by board to help your eyes run across.

Espresso this morning, with and without zero bug




None of these major changes; "steady as she goes" is the basic ruling, keeping legal, safety and privacy matters, including data security, to the fore. There are potential issues that can pop up unexpected, and others issues that we know may pop up into the future - we are not an isolated world, but rely on our suppliers and our customers.

Moving on from the Coffee Shop, the last 10 days have brought forward planning for the next year, triggered by (as I'm sure they intended) the Interrail sale that offered travel through 32 countries for up to 3 months. It has been their standard for the last few years to offer a sale with good discounts at the end of November, but this year there has been a sale with an exceptional discount (but with much more limited cancellation options) two months early.  Cutting a long story short, a lot of working things out at home, and a decision to buy, followed through in the last 48 hours together with checking on cash flows, etc; the next year's major travel dealt with in cost terms.   I somewhat follow online groups with regards Interrail; I have moved from being a consumer of the expertise of other group members into a much more centrist role, and have found myself answering lots of questions from nervous newcomers based on personal experiences over the past three years.

Which leads me on to something else I have been looking at / thinking about, and the start of a new month and the final quarter of 2026 - where do I spend my time and what and who do I 'support', and why?  I -love- being helpful (perhaps too much sometimes), and I get satisfaction from that help being effective - getting results - and of getting back some sort of flag to know I've helped.  And I -hate- waiting around, being let down, being ineffective, being needlessly rushed, doing something because someone's too lazy to do it themselves, answering after ship has sailed, and not being trusted will full information on which to help.  Wow - I suspect - no - I know - that the boot is on the other foot sometimes and I'll fail to provide feedback or answer as I probably should.

An email of 26th August, calling for no more than a confirmation of receipt on an important matter, has not even received the courtesy of that receipt.  A visitor to our home, an hour of advice willing given, and a follow up email to the powers-that-be to help someone's personal situation hasn't even been acknowledged by either the visitor or her chaperone/contact who set up the meeting, and should know better. A promise to fix / listen / contact has been lost into the cloud of - perhaps - other priorities and where that's a repeated pattern from someone it makes me less inclined to help them, and certainly warns me that I should not rely on them to - ever- get back with me / do anything they faithfully promise.

Pet Facebook peeves, then (and the Coffee Shop avoids most of these):

* Anonymous posts that have no reason to be anonymous. Why - when I declare who I am, should I interact with you without knowing who yo are?  And should I really "open up" when you don't?

* Names like UnforgettableAsparagus5913, SilverHedgehog602, CapableFlower5603 and KnowledgeableRaspberry2588. At least they help me know which anonymous person I am talking to in a sea of 'em.  Capable Flower indicates that he or she is not capable without help, and Knoweldge Raspberry shows a lack of knowledge. 

* Turning off comments as you post. So you ask a question in public that other would probably like an answer to, but then only leave private messages available for anyone who might benefit from an answer. Not exactly community spirit?

* "Sharon H***** turned off commenting for this post" and "Karen M**** turned off commenting for this post".  I love it when the original poster thanks for follow ups and appreciate that such messages may be added while I am composing an answer.  But why oh why turn off commenting in most circumstances?  It is so frustrating to write a long answer that's lost on submit because of this turn off, and which included other data that could be pertinent.

* Don't post wildly off topic, especially to advertise, and don't post with such volume that your inputs are discounted.  Make the headline of title line a good one, and don't make me read the first comment and click on a link in it to get the complete story

* Give me/us the full facts

And having said all that, I am perfectly happy to address questions that provide hooks onto which to hang informative posts ...

"Has anyone traveled to Bristol, England? Is it safe? Is there a recommended neighbor to stay in?"

 

Oh - false alarm - looks like they're all re-instated.

 
This'll be fun this morning ...


and all subsequent services to and from Okehampton and Barnstaple until lunchtime.

 

Thank you, and, yes, I do wonder. 

HOWEVER ...

* not all public transport is about proving transport for people living in the area it passes through; in the case of Gloucester to Hereford, I've seen it promoted as  South West / Central Southern to North West bypass avoiding Birmingham

* our government is demanding more housing and within reach if economic engines.  Take a five mile wide band from Gloucester to Hereford and you have roughly the same area as Milton Keynes ... population around 350,000 and a new city.

I would agree that as a line just to serve the localities along the way as they are, it has about as much chance as a revival of the Bideford, Westward Ho! and Appledore,

 
I would love to know if this should be characterised as a reduction (which it clearly is for some) or a re-arrangement.  How many flights from Ronaldsway go to London City, Heathrow and Gatwick each week on the current timetable, and how many will there be to Heathrow and to Gatwick in the new arrangement?

As a generality, I'm disappointed to see direct services lost. But yet where a service sprays out to multiple destinations which have connections between them, there is some argument for concentrating them all onto fewer routes rather than serving more badly.  In this case, lost between the BBC's potential headline grabbing and the Loganair marketing wording, I don't know where the balance lies.

 

That's fair (or fare?) enough.  The Coffee Shop's  headlines / targeted area of operation is the Great(er) Western area and outside that area there's spray but no intent to cover everything worthy of discussion.   Even today after tens of thousands of threads, I often find topics that might be of interest that we don't / haven't covered and I am personally quite happy for links to be shared too if you wish, though it might (at times) feel a bit "off" to do so.

 

We're headed out beyond public transport in this discussion - but then this IS `'The West but NOT trains in the West"

Personal thoughts and logic ...
* leaders the world over can gain a domestic "bounce" from an international war. Sometimes one has to wonder if part of the reason for the war being waged in a way and to the degree that it is ... is to get that domestic popularity bounce.
* where a number of countries club / co-operate together in a war, it is only going to be natural for the "enemy" to undertake activities to reduce / harm the effect on the war from / by the stooge countries. Natural but a potentially dangerous escalation. Supply chains have many branches and leaves in the modern world.
* Even at the distance we are from Fairford, we noted a significant increase in heavy aircraft flights going over where we live.  We don't know what they are doing / where they are going and what they are doing when they get there, but we do note that is they are on military missions, they are probably directed by the US Department of War, which is the new name given by the US President to what used to be the Department of Defence.

 

To put the stops into context - this Mao does appear to show them updated



I have seen many cities where the buses pass under the station and there's either a separate exit to the buses down steps / lifts / escalators, or an entrance off the a passage way / second subway from the main one.  And I also note that Cattle Market Road passes directly under the south end of platforms 2/4, 6/8, 10/12 and 13/15

 
Severn Beach line and Filton Abbey Wood shuttle trains have train managers, and presumably the longer distance trains calling there do too!

Stapleton Road station is not great for access. The access roads are long and bumpy, and it is a bit of a lively area with plenty of uneven pavements and pavement parking.

I can’t say I’d recommend it.

 
A propos of nothing, the No.8 is now a 24 hours a day service, whereas the Eastern Entrance is closed from 00.00 to 05.45. Which is to reiterate that the No.8 doesn’t just serve Temple Meads from that stop.

 

Note to self......bunker must have sliding roof.

 
I had an event at the university this evening - at 18.45 there seemed to be a fairly steady stream of people exiting the new East exit, including plenty of non-students heading towards the number 8 and beyond.

Incidentally, I forgot to take a picture but the new University building has a Solari board in the lobby. I think it was supposed to be asking students profound questions, but I couldn't help wondering whether they were just jokes waiting for a punchline! 

 

I seem to recall an interview with Mark Hopward saying that if he could electrify Filton to Bathampton via Temple Meads, it would be enough to run battery electric units to Weymouth and Portsmouth based on current technology.

 
Ok, question from an out-of-county resident....

Do the trains generally calling at Stapleton Road carry a guard/train manager?

I know the station is unstaffed. Was wondering whether I can get there in my wheelchair. It does seem as though residents park on pavements there, looking at Google Maps, certainly coming off the trains from Bristol side (Pl. 1?)

Heading for Downend....is it safe around the station into the evening in winter?

Thanks all

 
Not to be done inside the bunker, though: carbon monoxide and all that. 

 

In all honesty I prefer a nice BBQ.

 

Well, you're the one who keeps bringing them up! In a manner of speaking. 

 

Please, no, not the pickled eggs again! 

 

There is no previous topic here on the Coffee Shop forum, grahame: we have not previously discussed this case here.

There is a very detailed topic on another forum: I'll provide details 'behind the counter' (our board for admins and moderators only).

CfN. 

 

The 8 is currently on a small diversion after leaving its its new stop due to road works. When those are finished it will go on a more direct route along Avon Street direct onto Temple Way.

Others have already mentioned the fact the new stop is actually easier for people to get to and use.

And remember the 70 and 72 buses also serve the stop on Station Approach so it isnt just the airport buses.

 
From the BBC:

 
The PM has stated that iran is believed to be involved in the foiled attack at RAF Fairford.
It therefore appears that both russia and iran are waging a hybrid war against the UK .
Future attacks may affect supplies of food, fuel, and utility service. Stock up and be prepared !

 

I agree, it is relatively easy to electrify plain track. Complex junctions and locations with limited clearances are a lot more expensive. This points to electrification of MOST of a route whilst omitting the more challenging parts.

 
I totally hold my hand up to Bristol Temple Meads station's effect on my mood - and I did start by saying that I was walking off a niggly back too so was able to mystery shop the station with a couple of disabilities layered one on top of another.
Also, this year started with a 24 hour weather-related delayed arrival at Bristol extended by an hour, courtesy of a mid-evening cancelled GWR connection from Newport - the arrival from Newport would have been able to connect into a train from Bath but for the fact that in a more or less empty station it was platformed at the country end of the station and as it departed, passed the passengers off the Newport train.

Then, some of the poor practices at Bristol Temple Meads are widespread within the transport industry - for example, the way the industry uses digital display screens. Given the capital and installation costs of £15 - £25000 per unit for the models used in the new entrance, managers are then moved to justify the expense by putting the kitchen sink on them - or don't stop to consider that a screen of that sort is going to have a pixel pitch of perhaps 60 - 80 ppi so that lovely dense bus mapping table they've chosen to display for 40 seconds will have around 8 pixels to render the height of a typeface. That's very sortable once people think 'Are rotating carousels really appropriate for this information?' but no ones in reflecting/listening mode on that - when people raise it as an issue the response tends to be 'We're information professionals and we know better'. An aspect of this though is that it tramples on various pieces of disability legislation... and the passenger workround

Leaving Bristol for a moment, it's only a couple of years since the 'Euston Station screen issue' blew up in all sorts of directions, as its deployment had effectively destroyed the ambience of the concourse as well as generating safety issue and users of the station were at best *really* fed up with it. That was a large-scale example of poor use of display technology, but at any urban bus stop you may find that you glance up to check the bus arrivals and find yourself looking at a recruitment ad or travel promotion.

Back to Bristol. Apologies, you've asked questions and I'm not doing a very good job of answering them. Since I'm thinking of those L B Foster 'Inform' screens at the east entrance, yes, one of the pages-in-rotation does address the issue of the Number 8 bus move. I took a photo of the page (it's below) and you can see the issue...



And further apologies for my persistent terrible attitude to the station. To be fair there are also good things:

Holding the lift for a chap heading back to Swindon with a very broken suitcase - he'd been for a few days to Butlins Minehead, the suitcase shedding its handles along the way, yet was very cheerful about several things, including an impending running race on the Two Tunnels route.

The East entrance's level access of course, and the sense of space within and through the entrance.

The fact that climbing aboard the number 8 bus was a bit like getting on a fairground ghost train from the way it departed the stop and promptly dived into a grid of minor roads and then through a mouse-hole of a tunnel beneath the main line before managing to serve the site of Bristol St Philips station, from the stop outside which it picked up several passengers, though none dressed sixties-fashion.

Also, back to Temple Meads from Clifton Down Station on a cheerfully busy 158 heading for Weston Super Mare - and which disgorged a truly impressive flow of its passengers at Lawrence Hill.

Hearing of the forward plans for the spare train shed: that's good too.

And lastly the very quick journey home, which showed what the area's transport system can deliver when the services exist, and they connect. When the 620 is able to stop in Manvers Street once more, that even makes the connection somewhat robust, though I'm heartily disappointed for others that the opportunity isn't taken to have many of the Faresaver services use those stops.

 
It should be noted that the 8 bus is surely much more likely to be used by students needing to enter/exit the new campus than the airport bus would be?   And the stop is very handily located for that.

 

It's there to prevent regular usage forming a public right of way

 

It was sadly blown over (unsurprisingly) the next morning

 

Blimey, that is some serious observations you have shared there.
Judging by the lack of positive comments about any of the renovations in any of your posts, I think it is safe to say you may be looking at it all with an already negative opinion?
Just my thoughts "thinking out loud" added above in red