In your absence a group of 4 and 5 year olds from Chippenham picked up three bags of rubbish from the pick up/drop off and neighbouring areas at Melksham station having travelled by train from home.  They thoroughly enjoyed it.

 
Out and about yesterday - first time in a month - and a trip on a Heart of Wessex Day Ranger ticket taking me from Melksham to Swindon, to Weymouth and to Redland.  My intention was to do even more on the train, and to sit and write as I watched the scenery go by.  But the best laid plans ... can be so much improved on. 

The weather in Weymouth was glorious, and a short stay there extended to four hours taking pictures of the wide variety of scenes through the heart of the day. I only left when getting tired; so much more I could have done should I have had the energy. And on the trains - no writing - rather an opportunity to chat with friends who happened to be travelling too - "K" on the way down, catching up on matters transport and West Wiltshire, and "S" on the way back, talking Wessex Wanderers, Community Rail and its future.  Together with new friends who joined us at Chetnole on their way home to Doncaster, having walked from Maiden Newton as one leg of a long distance walk from the South Coast to the Humber.

No, the day did not go as planned.  Yes - it was better!

All the trains ran.  Longest delay, 15 minutes (cow on the line at Thornford). Pretty much all of them were busy - in habit, I walked through the Weymouth train after it had left Melksham and there were around 100 passengers on board.  And on the way back in, I switched to the 273 bus from Bath to Melksham - the first Saturday evening with an improved timetable with a couple of big gaps plugged. I took one of the retimed buses and we left Bath after the Guildhall pickup with most seats taken, which is promising on a first day.  I head a couple of folks talking about "this is good" too.  I had been going to wait for the final plug - the extra 22:10 from Bath Bus Station (the 23:20 still runs too) but I was feeling my current limits.

And so back in Melksham – in time to catch “The Fisheries” before it closed; I had been really tempted to get Fish and Chips in Weymouth but had been already full and the hankering had been brought home.   Very interesting to hear a shout out across the chippie – “Been on the trains today, Graham” and, yes, “S”, I had been.  I am so much in my element working with public transport – not always in agreement, but so much with the technical strength and respect of others around – what a wonderful confirmation (and contrast to other goings on) that makes me realise than my decision to concentrate on that aspect is 110% right. 

Really good to see public transport working. We may (and will) grumble and look to improve, correct and provide a number of aspects, and we need to – but at the same time we use and celebrate what we have and encourage others to use it too.

























Home - Melksham Station (on foot - just over 20 minutes)
Train to Swindon (Heart of Wessex Day Ranger - £18.30 on senior card)
Train to Weymouth
Lots of walking around
Train to Bristol Temple Meads
Train to Redland
Train to Bristol Temple Meads
Train to Bath Spa
Short dash to Bus Station
Bus 273 to The Bear in Melksham (Senior bus pass)
Walk to The Fisheries
Walk home (10 minutes)

Total distance walked - 6.5 miles.