Vagueness and the Aftermath - A sporadic diary

[RED-DOG]

You had to be there.

[tikay]

When I was a boy there was an advert on TV where a trendy couple were playing chess using chocolates as pieces.

"I see, you're threatening my almond Sunday" she used to say coyly.

"Yes, and he'll be threatening your leg on Monday" we used to reply hilariously.

We were so easily pleased in those days.

Click to see full-size image.

[RED-DOG]

When I was a boy there was an advert on TV where a trendy couple were playing chess using chocolates as pieces.

"I see, you're threatening my almond Sunday" she used to say coyly.

"Yes, and he'll be threatening your leg on Monday" we used to reply hilariously.

We were so easily pleased in those days.

Click to see full-size image.

75 guineas?

When do you think that was, 1950s?

I wonder how much today's equivalent is?

[arbboy]

EMR don't do any food/drinks for free in first class at the weekend i think.   Was it the weekend?

No, Friday and Monday.

First time I've ever been charged for food in 1st class.

I was outraged, almost wrote to The Times and signed it "Disgusted, Tunbridge Wells".

Wow that's pretty insane.   Don't get the 'EMR' rebrand either what was wrong with East Midlands Mainline?   I have used the trains a lot in the last few months during my driving ban and couldn't see any difference at all from the rebrand.

That's a product of the quite ridiculous Franchising system in place, & a great example of why Government should never be allowed near businesses or commercial projects, as they genuinely have no idea. (The CAA is an honourable exception, they are excellent).

Here's the (recent) timeline of what is known as the East Midlands franchise.

1996 - 2007 - operated as Midland Mainline, owned by National Express.  

2007 - 2019 - operated as East Midlands Trains, owned by Stagecoach

2019 - 2027 - operated as East Midlands Railways, owned by Abellio.


Note the near identical names of the Train Operating Companies (TOC's).

And here's the kicker - they all used the same rolling stock & tractive power units, the same staff, same destinations, same journey times, same everything. They were all identical except for the branding & livery. And each time they changed franchise, they spent £x milly rebranding all the rolling stock, locomotives etc.

Daftest thing ever.

South West Trains - extremely efficient, operating primarily out of Waterloo - did exactly the same thing last year.

They HAD been "South West Trains", operated by Stagecoach.  They then awarded the franchise to First Group, who re-branded everything "South Western Railway".  Same rolling stock, same crews, same staff, same everything. Different branding.

Thanks for confirming my thoughts that it was just money being wasted for the sake of it to justify their take overs.    The station closest to my mother's house (Market Harborough) has had a huge upgrade and the platforms rebuilt and lengthened/straightened for efficiency they said.   Wasn't sure if that happened because of the rebrand or was going to happen anyway hence my interest?

You don't have to be in the front 5 carriages now to disembark at MH now which is a bonus.  Does look rather impressive compared to how it used to look.   I imagine a railway 'judge' like yourself would totally disapprove and prefer it how it was.  It is all very corporate looking and modern now.

https://harboroughfm.co.uk/all-change-at-station/

[tikay]

When I was a boy there was an advert on TV where a trendy couple were playing chess using chocolates as pieces.

"I see, you're threatening my almond Sunday" she used to say coyly.

"Yes, and he'll be threatening your leg on Monday" we used to reply hilariously.

We were so easily pleased in those days.

Click to see full-size image.

75 guineas?

When do you think that was, 1950s?

I wonder how much today's equivalent is?

The wonder that is google helps us to discover in seconds that it was 1952/3. What a thing google is.


https://www.radiomuseum.org/r/grundig_reporter_500l.html

[RED-DOG]

When I was a boy there was an advert on TV where a trendy couple were playing chess using chocolates as pieces.

"I see, you're threatening my almond Sunday" she used to say coyly.

"Yes, and he'll be threatening your leg on Monday" we used to reply hilariously.

We were so easily pleased in those days.

Click to see full-size image.

75 guineas?

When do you think that was, 1950s?

I wonder how much today's equivalent is?

The wonder that is google helps us to discover in seconds that it was 1952/3. What a thing google is.


https://www.radiomuseum.org/r/grundig_reporter_500l.html

Incredible!

And according to an inflation calculator 75 guineas would be £1522.64. In todays money.

[tikay]

EMR don't do any food/drinks for free in first class at the weekend i think.   Was it the weekend?

No, Friday and Monday.

First time I've ever been charged for food in 1st class.

I was outraged, almost wrote to The Times and signed it "Disgusted, Tunbridge Wells".

Wow that's pretty insane.   Don't get the 'EMR' rebrand either what was wrong with East Midlands Mainline?   I have used the trains a lot in the last few months during my driving ban and couldn't see any difference at all from the rebrand.

That's a product of the quite ridiculous Franchising system in place, & a great example of why Government should never be allowed near businesses or commercial projects, as they genuinely have no idea. (The CAA is an honourable exception, they are excellent).

Here's the (recent) timeline of what is known as the East Midlands franchise.

1996 - 2007 - operated as Midland Mainline, owned by National Express.  

2007 - 2019 - operated as East Midlands Trains, owned by Stagecoach

2019 - 2027 - operated as East Midlands Railways, owned by Abellio.


Note the near identical names of the Train Operating Companies (TOC's).

And here's the kicker - they all used the same rolling stock & tractive power units, the same staff, same destinations, same journey times, same everything. They were all identical except for the branding & livery. And each time they changed franchise, they spent £x milly rebranding all the rolling stock, locomotives etc.

Daftest thing ever.

South West Trains - extremely efficient, operating primarily out of Waterloo - did exactly the same thing last year.

They HAD been "South West Trains", operated by Stagecoach.  They then awarded the franchise to First Group, who re-branded everything "South Western Railway".  Same rolling stock, same crews, same staff, same everything. Different branding.

Thanks for confirming my thoughts that it was just money being wasted for the sake of it to justify their take overs.   The station closest to my mother's house (Market Harborough) has had a huge upgrade and the platforms rebuilt and lengthened/straightened for efficiency they said.   Wasn't sure if that happened because of the rebrand or was going to happen anyway hence my interest?

You don't have to be in the front 5 carriages now to disembark at MH now which is a bonus.  Does look rather impressive compared to how it used to look.   I imagine a railway 'judge' like yourself would totally disapprove and prefer it how it was.  It is all very corporate looking and modern now.

That's where it gets sillier. The permanent way (track) & infrastructure (Stations, signalling etc) are owned by Network Rail. The line through Market Harborough was on a long curve, so trains had to slow down considerably. Network Rail then decided to partially straighten the curve to speed up "through trains", & part of that work involved remodelling & modernising part of the station. The Station is managed by the TOC (East Midlands Railway) but owned by Network Rail. Work was further complicated as the Station is a Listed Building.

The work was due to be completed in 2012, but it over-ran slightly & was eventually (almost) completed in .....2019. Just the 7 year over-run then.

The change of TOC was not a "takeover" as such, the Franchises only last for set periods, usually between 8 & 15 years. After that the Franchises go out for bids &, very often, a new TOC takes it over & re-brands everything.

On December 8th this year the WCML (West Coast Main Line) franchise, (Euston to Birmingham, Manchester & Glasgow etc) currently operated by Virgin Trains & using those posh tilting Pendelino units, expires & it transfers to a different company, First Group. They will use the very same Pendelino sets, driven by the same crew & staffed by the same people. I don't know this for sure, but I'd bet good money they will use new Livery & Branding, which will cost plenty. As if regular passengers give a hoot what colour their train is.

Virgin had hoped to retain the Franchise, but they were disqualified from bidding as Wooly Jumper had been a very naughty boy. (True story).

[Longines]

Harborough is my local station, used to commute daily to London until recently. I used to enjoy the small brick built waiting room on platform 1 in the morning - leather sofas and heaters on max made the early starts at ridiculous o'clock a little easier to bear. Now it's the identikit bus shelters open the the elements and steel benches, so much for progress.

Sure I read somewhere that Harborough has one of the highest proportions of first class season ticket holders in the country, it's probably the furtherst station on the Midland mainline from which it's managable to commute and there's serious money in some of the surrounding villages.  I could do door-to-desk in 1h45m with a following wind where colleagues living in outer London would take around 1h10m to do the same - I was more than happy to trade 70 minutes each day for living in the country in something bigger than a shoebox.

[tikay]

You know that saying - "things were better in the old days"?

It's bollox.

This was what we were watching in 1984/5.

Click to see full-size image.

[RED-DOG]

You know that saying - "things were better in the old days"?

It's bollox.

This was what we were watching in 1984/5.

Click to see full-size image.

Kelly Monteith.

Where the fek did he come from, and where the fek did he go?

[RED-DOG]

Harborough is my local station, used to commute daily to London until recently. I used to enjoy the small brick built waiting room on platform 1 in the morning - leather sofas and heaters on max made the early starts at ridiculous o'clock a little easier to bear. Now it's the identikit bus shelters open the the elements and steel benches, so much for progress.

Sure I read somewhere that Harborough has one of the highest proportions of first class season ticket holders in the country, it's probably the furtherst station on the Midland mainline from which it's managable to commute and there's serious money in some of the surrounding villages.  I could do door-to-desk in 1h45m with a following wind where colleagues living in outer London would take around 1h10m to do the same - I was more than happy to trade 70 minutes each day for living in the country in something bigger than a shoebox.

I often wonder if those who have a regular long commute and have the wrinkles all sorted out enjoy the enforced separation, the 'alone' time, as it were.

[Longines]

I often wonder if those who have a regular long commute and have the wrinkles all sorted out enjoy the enforced separation, the 'alone' time, as it were.

God yes. I loved that hour twice a day that was just me, a window and my thoughts.

[RED-DOG]

I have a long commute today. From here to Derby by car on a Friday afternoon.

I need to be there by 3pm so I'm setting off at 1pm.

[RED-DOG]

If I happen to arrive early, I know a place that does great sausage cobs.

[Longines]

My new commute includes the M69. Takes me around 35 minutes door-to-door if I go early and finish late or an hour in the rush hour. Took me 50 minutes just to do Fosse Park to the M69 the other morning thanks to a broken down car so I've been trying the back roads. This week's near haul included 3 rabbits, a fox and 4 tractors.