ndrailusers - Mag08

Issue 8, October 2001

Table of Contents

Editorial

Editorial The 11.07 from Barnstaple Station, on 1st September - not a ÂŁ5 day!

Picture: John Gulliver

This is the last edition of the magazine prior to this year's Annual General Meeting. At last years AGM, I anticipated that greater change would take place than has actually been the case - I should not have been so naive - and I did not anticipate that the line would be out of action, partially or wholly, for nearly half the intervening period - I should not have been so optimistic!

Problems At Barnstaple Western Summer: An Experiment By Proxy Going Continental The Cornish Railcard What's The Railway For? New Dawn It's Been A Long Wait!

News Update An Early Start Friends Of Crediton AGM Readers Write Membership Matters New Members

There has never been so much Members' Meetings promise, and so much anxious disappointment, with regard to the line's future. No-one anticipates closure, but with every passing year the infrastructure declines further, the trains get older, and the politicians step ever further backwards. We know of at least one potential bidder for the Wessex franchise who has ordered his bidding team to step down, since it is thought that the new Transport Minister, Stephen Byers, is likely to be in favour of extending the current shaky and ill-omened structure, hoping that this further example of make-doand-mend will succeed where it never has in the past!

Given the existing political setup - TOCs and Railtrack - the Group's view is that a long term franchise should be let to the best bidder (whatever that might mean, exactly) as soon as practicably possible, so that the process of investment and reinvigoration can start in earnest. The SRA should not be instructed to bodge and patch up the existing faltering structure, which has invested no more than the minimum required to keep the line operational (and has failed even in this), gracing our line with some of the most unsuitable and uncomfortable rolling stock currently available. We deserve better.

NDRUG will be launching its policy statement The Way Ahead - The Future Of Passenger Services On The North Devon Line at November's AGM. I believe that it is the first time that the Group has organised its thoughts and aspirations in such a specific, comprehensive and official manner. The document is intended to form the core thrust of the Group's future efforts to get the line the notice it merits: it will accompany letters to the SRA; politicians - local, national, and European; the RPC; Wessex franchise bidders - anyone whom we think it might influence who, in turn, has influence on others, or who make the decisions!

A structured approach is the best way the Group can influence: we must be organised and persistent - always persistent. The Way Ahead, we hope, will become an important tool in this ongoing process.

David Gosling

Problems At Barnstaple There is a problem of waste disposal at Barnstaple. No, not the lack of litter bins, still absent because of the 'security situation', but rather the grossly inadequate toilet facilities.

They are not extensive enough. Queues of men, women and children, sometimes stretching on to the platform, are common at busy times.

There are no special facilities for the disabled, nor for parents with babies, nor for separate use by staff. At times of heavy storms, people wanting to use the facilities which do exist must negotiate the torrents of rainwater which cascade from the faulty awning directly over the main entrance doorway.

The problem is compounded by the mid-afternoon closure of the station buildings. This means that there are no facilities at all from about 3.45 p.m. onwards, even though the next half an hour can be one of the busiest periods at the station, especially in summer. Your Secretary has received more telephone calls from members about this situation than any single other matter. Some have come from elderly people, for

whom the problems of poor or, even worse, closed facilities can be particularly distressing.

But even this is not the sum of it. The station car park is now a key take-off point for the Tarka Trail. The station buildings themselves house a busy cycle-hire facility. With no other facilities nearby, both cyclists and walkers seek to use those at the station. This leads to yet greater congestion. Staff are hard put to it to keep the facilities clean and to replace soap and paper. Attempts to point out that they are intended for rail users are frequently met with abuse and sometimes with threats of physical violence. At the very least, banning non-rail users does nothing to encourage them to try the trains in the future.

There is a problem here that needs action by the rail companies and local government jointly. We hope that members will be pleased to know that, since we have brought the issue to attention, Richard Burningham, Manager of the Devon & Cornwall Rail Partnership, has undertaken to raise it with those concerned. It is a matter on which we will continue to press.

John Gulliver

Western Summer: An Experiment By Proxy An interesting experiment is being conducted on the North Devon line. It is not being made by the operating company. Indeed, there are rumours that Wales & West would have preferred to run it at some time other than in high summer. But it is being conducted now, as I write, in late August, and it will run to the end of next month as well.

I refer, of course, to First Great Western's initiative to get people back on to the trains in Devon and Cornwall. With the main line as its spine and tickets under the banner of 'Western Summer', it involves a 'go anywhere between Taunton and Penzance'fare of just ÂŁ5. Remarkably, the facility includes most of the branches, few of which see FGW trains. Thus, by proxy as it were, lines like those to Looe and St. Ives, and of course our own to Barnstaple, have become part of a bold experiment to lure passengers back to rail by cheaper fares.

This is just the kind of initiative that our Rail Users Group has advocated for a long time. The results so far are encouraging. Trains like the 10.14 and the 12.17 from Barnstaple have been well loaded. At times they have even been over-full (although this is not to the line's long-term advantage). Similarly, trains to Barnstaple through the middle of the day have been very busy, with passengers coming from places like Paignton, Dawlish and further afield to visit the town. Most striking of all, however, have been the loadings on the 20.35 from Exeter St David's, the last service of the day to Barnstaple. Often a train whose passengers could be accommodated in a minibus with room to spare, it has recently been seen on occasions with at least a hundred people on board. By no means all of them were members of the Users Group returning from committee meetings.

One must be careful in drawing conclusions from these observations. We don't know what loadings were like last year when such favourable fares were not available. I note from conversations with passengers, however, that it was the price that got many of them on to the railway.

One family group, for instance, said that, without the ÂŁ5 fares, its trip to Penzance would have been made by car.

I note, too, that all this was done with a minimum of advertising. Something has been put out on local radio, it has been said. There may have been something about the facility in the papers, too, but nobody I spoke to had seen it. It was rather a matter of hearing about it from someone who had heard about it from someone else.

Whatever the sources of people's information, there's scope for optimism about the results. Let's hope for more experiments of this kind, and with more vigorous advertising. Lets hope, too, that the rolling stock will be made available to cater for the rush.

John Gulliver

Going Continental A day trip to Lyon by train? Not from Barnstaple, perhaps, but certainly from London with a Hertfordshire Rail Tours (01438 812125) Eurostar charter. Both trips since September last year sold out within 48 hours - all 17 coaches!

The Eurostar takes the TGV route across France. South of Paris, it is spectacular. One imagines straight, flat track, but it weaves its way at spectacular speeds up and down hills and around dramatic curves, with magnificent views of the Cevannes and the Auvergne. Oh that SNCF would buy Railtrack!

Four and three quarter hours after leaving Ashford International, we arrived in Lyons, with five and a half hours to explore its public transport

system. Right on the edge of the French Alps, the city is built around a peninsula formed by the confluence of the rivers Rhone and Saone, and is hemmed in by steep banks. At the central station, we bought Jour Liberte tickets for the equivalent of £2.50 per head. These gave us complete freedom to travel all day on the buses and the Metro, a funicular railway and a rack line, a brand new tramway system and, wait for it, trolley buses!

Now that the TGV route is open to the Mediterranean, Hertfordshire Rail Tours is planning trips even further afield, perhaps to Avignon or the central wine districts, or even to Marseille or Perpignan. A day trip, though, might leave little time for exploration!

Jim Rhodes

The Cornish Railcard One of the lasting legacies of the brief "Cornish Railways" period in the mid 1980s is the Cornish Railcard, which gives cut price rail travel within the County (plus the Plymouth—Gunnislake Tamar Valley Line) to local residents.

Priced at £7 for a year, the Cornish Railcard gives one-third off Standard Singles, Standard Day Returns, Saver Returns and Cheap Day Returns and, after 09.00 Mondays to Fridays, anytime on Saturdays and Sundays, allows a cardholder to take up to four children for an extra £1 each.

There is only one travel restriction - discounts are not available on the 07.46 from Gunnislake to Plymouth - so the rallcard gives big discounts to commuters as well as leisure users. This causes some consternation to Wales & West as it means that almost no season tickets are sold in Comwall and this has major implications for actually being able to collect all the fares on offer each day.

This year the card has been extended to include the two key Cornish "branch line" connecting bus services - Truronian's "Helston Branch Line" between Redruth and Helston and First Western National route 55 linking Bodmin Parkway with Bodmin, Wadebridge and Padstow.

Discounts are available on through tickets - and, very unusually, the bus add-on element is discounted too.

To buy a card, you must prove you are a resident of Cornwall, the Isles of Scilly or live in the Plymouth (PL) postcode area.

The key question is what lessons can be drawn from the Cornish Railcard for the Tarka Line (North Devon Line to you). Since the special Barnstaple—Exeter and Market Day fares were abolished by British Rail's Provincial Sector in the late 1980s, there has been a clamour to reduce local fares on the Tarka Line, especially for local people.

The Cornish Railcard is one of a number of similar schemes around the country which could be introduced, with a simple change of name, on the Tarka Line. Local discount railcards exist for the Esk Valley Line (Whitby), Highland area (West Highland/Kyle/Far North lines) and Dales (Settle & Carlisle/Skipton—Morecambe). In the last eighteen months, Wales & West have themselves introduced a railcard on the Heart of Wales Line, aimed initially at residents of Llandrindod Wells.

From the Partnership's perspective, we are certainly hoping that Wales & West can be persuaded to pilot some sort of residents' reduced rate travel scheme on the Tarka Line - ideally introducing a Tarka Line Railcard.

Of course a key consideration from the railway company's point of view is whether you give discounts on trains which are already busy, the 07.09 and 10.14 trains from Barnstaple for example. We would say you should - as part of a concerted programme to get more passengers on the trains and out of their cars, and to encourage greater usage of the intermediate stations.

Certainly, under our Rural Transport Partnership funding from the Countryside Agency, we will have the means to help fund a pilot project and we will be seeking to get one off the ground over the next year to eighteen months. There is a possibility that a Tarka Line or even Devon-wide Railcard could be included as part of any refranchising deal, or a franchise extension package. This is certainly an aspiration the Partnership has put forward, on behalf of the Tarka Line Working Party, as has Devon County Council.

It would certainly be worth NDRUG members including a request for a Tarka Line Railcard in letters to the SRA, franchise bidders and Members of Parliament.

Richard Burningham Devon & Cornwall Rail Partnership

What's The Railway For? At a recent meeting of the group's committee, members commented enthusiastically on the large numbers of passengers won by 'travel anywhere on the line for £2' that followed Yellow Hat Day (see last issue of magazine).

'Ah,' said one of us, 'but what if we carried more passengers but took less revenue?' 'It depends on what you think the railway is for,' replied Richard Burningham, who helpfully attends our meetings whenever he can.

'It depends on what you think the railway is for.' Such was the press of business that no further attention was paid to this innocent-sounding observation. But it matters that we attend to it. Should we be bending our efforts to helping the North Devon line to bring in the greatest revenue possible, perhaps to minimise its dependency on subsidy and perhaps even to contribute to its renewal? Or should we look to it to carry more and more people, reducing their dependency on cars, or to open up the possibilities of travel to those with few or none of their own? Or what?

There are indeed big issues here. Our experience with the £5 Western Summer fares bears on them (see elsewhere in this issue). So too does our policy discussion paper The Way Ahead (again see elsewhere).

Above all, though, we'd like to know what you, our members and readers, think. Our magazine has its letters pages. Do please write, however briefly, to tell us!

John Gulliver

New Dawn New Dawn is a publication produced by Virgin Cross Country. This company runs trains - almost alliteratively - between Penzance, Plymouth, Paignton, Poole, Portsmouth, Brighton and Swansea, and the north of England and Scotland. All call at Birmingham.

Virgin has spent £100m on renewing its present train fleet in order to fill the gap between 1997, when the franchise began, and autumn 2003.

It is now investing £1bn in 34 Voyager trains and 44 Supervoyagers. The difference? Supervoyagers tilt; Voyagers don't. A further £200m is being spent on a maintenance contract for these trains. Delivery of the trains has started and they are already being introduced into service.

The South West should see them this winter.

Virgin intends to run a clockface service on all its routes. The timetable has been horrendously difficult to compile (I had a glimpse of draft 79!). For the present, the important times to remember for Exeter are 18 and 58 minutes past the hour. Some of the increases in service frequencies are startling. Cheltenham now has 18 trains a day from Birmingham, it will have 44, Reading's 17 a day from Birmingham will rise to 42, Stafford's 28 to 51 and York's 13 to 34. Plymouth's 12 trains a day will go up to 19, with 4 of them continuing to Penzance, Paignton's service will double from 2 to 4.

Exeter will be served by two routes: VT1 and VT4. VT1 will run from Plymouth every hour. The first train at Exeter will be the 07.18 and the last 21.18. The trains will run alternately to Glasgow and - rather surprisingly - to Blackpool. The later trains will not go the whole way.

Probably the last service to Glasgow will be at 14.18 (arriving at 20.47), to Carlisle at 16.18 and Preston at 19.18. The 21.18 will arrive at Birmingham at 23.54. (these times are based on current information and may change.)

Service VT4 will call at Exeter every two hours, i.e.; 07.58, 09.58 and so on, and will terminate at Darlington, rather than Newcastle or Edinburgh, because trains will have to be turned round at Darlington to maintain the clockface service. These trains will also not call at Leeds because of the congestion there, despite the £245m spent on upgrading its station. All this means that 10 trains will leave Birmingham each hour, with one entering or leaving every three minutes. Birmingham station is not a very hospitable place and Virgin will employ 50 'Welcome Hosts' to help passengers transfer.

The main disadvantage of the new service is that Exeter will lose its direct trains to Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds, Newcastle and Edinburgh.

My initial reaction is not to change at Birmingham, but to stay on as long as possible. If one's train is late and a connection is missed, one's seat may have been rebooked for later stages of the journey and later connections may be full. For Liverpool and Manchester, I would change at Crewe, for Leeds at Sheffield, and for Newcastle and Edinburgh at DarIngton. All these stations are served by other train companies, so waiting times should be short.

Will it work? It certainly deserves to: this is the most imaginative improvement in rail services for many years. There must be reservations about timekeeping. Standards of punctuality and reliability way above anything prevriously achieved by our railways will be required. Provided

that the timetable is not too ambitious, there is some scope for recovery of lost time. ÂŁ200m is being spent on increasing maximum permissible line speeds. The trains have impressive acceleration: 0 to 60 in 70 seconds.

There will be some who hope it will not work, but Virgin plans to double the number of passengers from 15m a year to 30m. We can only wish them well.

Finally, it used to be every small boy's ambition to be an engine driver. Now is the time to realise that ambition, as Virgin is paying over ÂŁ30,000 a year. Certainly, if the timetables are kept, every penny will be earned.

Hugh Butterworth

It's Been A Long Wait!

Top left: The exterior of the refurbished waiting room. The original structure was used wherever possible.

Top Right: A Class 66 trundles through Crediton station with one of the recently reintroduced ballast workings from Meldon.

Bottom: Nice waiting room, shame about the rolling stock! A Class 143 four-wheeler pauses outside.

Pictures: Richard and Linda Rogers

At long last, after many wranglings between Railtrack, Wales and West and the insurance companies, the go ahead was given for the work on Crediton's up side waiting room to be completed - and the result is splendid! An extra store room has been constructed on the left side to match that already existent on the right: also, a window has been built into the back of the structure - all with the blessing of the planning authorities, for this is a Grade II listed building. This, together with the promised works to be undertaken by Devon County Council on the station approach road, and the improvements that we hope will be forthcoming under the new Rural Transport Partnership, could turn Crediton into a station worth visiting in its own right - a hundred and fifty year old gem. All it needs is a little imagination...

David Gosling

News Update Following the letter in the last NDRUG magazine, the Chairman, David Gosling, has written to Devon County Council raising the issue of the desirability of a connection being made at Crediton, on Summer Sundays, to Okehampton out of the first train from Barnstaple. Also raised

was the issue of Crediton being (accidentally, it is understood) omitted from Dartmoor Railway's Exeter/Okehampton Sunday train timetable, in their leaflets, and the fare applicable for those just using the Dartmoor Sunday trains between Crediton and Exeter. The latter problem arises when a passenger wishes to travel from Crediton to Exeter and is charged the full Sunday Rover rate! A response is awaited.

Meanwhile, I have received a positive response from South West Trains to the suggestion that Barnstaple connection times be shown in their Waterloo-Exeter timetables for the benefit of the increasing numbers of passengers now using Waterloo as their London terminus. Increased use of Waterloo is being made for a variety of reasons; mainly better reliability, cheaper fares and the connection into Eurostar services.

Committee meetings are normally held every six weeks or so, in the evenings, either at Barnstaple, Eggesford or Crediton, with occasional visits near other stations. These meetings are open to all members, who are encouraged to raise any relevant matters during the 'members issues' item on the agenda.

The Bideford and Instow Railway group are to be congratulated in all their efforts to enable passengers once again to travel by rail at Bideford. The diesel locomotive and brake van shuttle trains ran on 12th August, the Group's open day, reportedly carrying over 550 people: well done to all those involved. NDRUG wish BIRG every success with their longer term aim to restore rail services from Bideford to Barnstaple.

Well done to all those who have provided and maintained the excellent floral displays at stations along the North Devon line. It is certainly an example that could and should be followed at the main line stations in the South West at the very least!

An 'exchange' visit has taken place with the prominent Totnes Transport Group. I recently attended one of their committee meetings which led to my accompanying them on a night visit to Plymouth Diesel Depot, arranged by First Great Western.

The excellent Crediton 150 exhibition will continue to be open at The Station Tea Rooms this winter, where photographs of May 12th's events are still on show. Most of the historical photographic display has now been properly framed and presented, and will be progressively augmented, any suitable offerings being greatly appreciated. Historical information is in the course of being compiled and will be prepared and displayed when available. The 7mm ScaleSeven model of Crediton Station (c.1900) will be improved as time permits, forming the focus of the ScaleSeven; South West Group's meetings at the Tea Rooms.

The non-Welsh services formally operated by Wales and West have now been set up as Wessex Trains, run by National Express as a shadow franchise, to be joined sometime in the near future by the Waterloo-Exeter route. Wessex Trains headquarters will be, from 15th October, at Exeter. It is hoped that at least the commercial and operational needs of the South West's branch and secondary main line services will receive the level of senior management attention that they have obviously been lacking for some considerable time; some would say since BR closed its Plymouth Divisional office in the mid-1960s.

Winter Saturday services see the number of trains on the North Devon Line increased to nine each way (compared with last winter's seven) the same as the Monday to Friday service with four trains each way on Sundays.

Okehampton-Meldon Viaduct steam and diesel trains will again run this winter, with special Santa trains before Christmas: full details from Dartmoor Railway on 01837 55637/55330.

Further news from Okehampton comes in the form of the reintroduction of stone train services to destinations in the South.

For the first time since June 1998, railway ballast is being transported, on up to three days a week, from Dartmoor's long-standing railway-based quarry. The contract is expected to last until March 2002 at least.

Tony Hill

An Early Start I should like to thank David Latimer, of Cheshire Railtours, for once again supporting the Tarka Line by running his recent trip to Bridgnorth, on the Severn Valley Railway. It gives us not living in the big towns - and without a car - the chance to get out on the train and visit interesting places. The beauty of this train was that it started from Barnstaple, where many people had been able to travel by car from the surrounding area, including Bideford. I had previously been on a Cheshire Railtours trip to Llandudno where, like Bridgnorth, we had a couple of hours to look round and get a bite to eat. I enjoyed looking at the places of interest and at the architecture - the old castle, for example.

I have found that Cheshire Railtours staff give out a great deal of information on the train and come round asking if everyone had enjoyed the day out. The charge of ÂŁ32 was well worth the money for such a good day out. Mr. Latimer is also to be thanked for the support he gives our

line by running some of his trains from it. He also announced on the train that the raffle profits would be given to NDRUG. This is a very nice gesture.

As a farmer, I had to get up at three o'clock in the morning so that I could see to the animals before getting a lift to the station, but it was well worth it!

Len Gillard

Friends Of Crediton Two meetings have recently been held at Crediton Station Tea Rooms for the purpose of establishing a group of interested persons whose job it will be to formulate ideas leading to the submission of detailed projects for consideration by The Countryside Agency. The initiative stems from work being carried out by Kim Leech, recently appointed Rural Transport Partnership Officer, who works closely with Richard Burningham of the Devon and Cornwall Rail Partnership. Rural Transport Partnership funding, courtesy of The Countryside Agency, will provide the finance, but community volunteers are required to provide the ideas - and, quite possibly, some of the work!

The main thrust of the initiative is that, if no local group comes up with any practical ideas, then no money will be forthcoming. Quite simple!

The North Devon Rail Users Group obviously has a part to play here, but the message is a very important one. We have long bemoaned the lack of finance available for local projects and here, at last, is a chance to obtain what we have long wanted. But if, at the crucial moment, we sit back and do nothing the money will slip through our - and the line's - fingers, and we will leave ourselves open to justifiable criticism.

It is not only Group members, however, who may take part in this opportunity for improvement. Women's Institutes and local parish councils, for example, together with individuals, are all invited to come forward.

Kim, who chaired both meetings, had decided that initial efforts to get the ball rolling were to be made at Crediton, but representatives from Newton St. Cyres also attended. It is intended that, eventually, project groups should be operating along the length of the line, involving all sorts of people in all sorts of initiatives. It may well be that some stations having few or no volunteers will be merged into groups already established. Thus Newton St. Cyres may join with Crediton.

Topics put forward for consideration at the second meeting, held on 25th September, included new posters with a Crediton slant professionally designed, painted and printed, based on locally derived ideas. The re-routing of the town bus was discussed (any money for which should come from available funds), and the provision of what might be termed a 'dial-a-taxi' service, between the town and the station, designed to meet the trains. Whether this service might be free of charge was not, at this point, considered. These suggestions, eminently suitable for consideration for possible finance, do not, of course, involve further involvement of 'Friends' activity once set up and running: these are examples of ideas which will subsequently be put into practice by others.

Further ideas concentrated on the visual appeal of the station. Flower provision was an obvious subject, but, sadly, there was a lack of commitment shown in relation to maintenance and watering. Certain projects may only work if 'Friends of Crediton Station' do their bit. Money for suggestions requiring a hands-on approach may not be forthcoming, or may have to be returned, if unused. An offer was made to construct one or two running-in boards - large station signs mounted on posts bearing, in this case, the name Crediton. This would be a prime example of providing the skill and effort whilst others provide the cash. There must, surely, be many more possibilities of the kind.

The idea is to give the station the dignity that its 150 years deserves: it could become one of the town's heritage centres - if the will is there.

The signs would be one of many characteristic touches revitalising the station's appearance. It all depends on the flexibility and vision of the train operating company (now called Wessex Trains - but really Wales and West in disguise) and Railtrack. If they have imagination enough to allow those willing to enhance the station (which, after all, we use), based on the knowledge that it will be funded completely by others, and closely monitored and controlled, then some real progress may be made. Otherwise, the money will simply go to waste.

In the meantime, think what you would like to see done at your local station. Remember, some things may involve getting your hands dirty but not all. We need to provide ideas, and possibly in some areas, commitment. Others will provide the finance. Please, don't let this opportunity pass us by. We will let you know, through this magazine or by individual communication, of further progress with this initiative, and how and when you may be in a position to contribute.

David Gosling

AGM This year's Annual General Meeting takes place at the usual venue, The Henry Williamson Room at Barnstaple Library, on Wednesday 14th November; 18.30 for 19.00.

At the time of writing, all existing committee members are willing to stand again for their respective posts - though it is possible that this might alter before November 14th. Forms will be available, at the door, for those of you wishing to nominate others. In the meantime, please feel free to contact either the chairman or secretary should other nominations be forthcoming, or, for that matter, any other reason.

There will be a change this year from the usual format. Due to the limited amount of time we are able to give to an invited speaker, Tony Hill is to arrange a special meeting, with an invited guest speaker, early in the new year.

This year, after the official business is over, David Gosling and John Gulliver will give a presentation, illustrated by slides, relating to the publication at what we trust will become the focal point of the Group's aspirations for the future development of the North Devon Line.

The Way Ahead - the Future Of Passenger Services On The North Devon Line has been produced by the committee over the last six months or so and represents the starting point for a concerted effort to persuade the relevant authorities of the wisdom of adopting a more visionary and committed approach to the improvement of the line, instead of the current make-do-and-mend policy. It is not the last word: it will be amended and improved as time progresses and our aims are modified through experience. But it is a start, and it is important.

The Way Ahead will be launched at the AGM: copies will be available for all those attending. Come and see what the future holds.

David Gosling

= Umberleigh = Give three Cheers for Wales & West!

- Whose jolly crews did not protest, But took our wheels to Umberleigh -and returned us, lunched and slumberley, Whom we must thank most humberley.

On the train and off again, So that is why we think it best To dine and wine with Wales & West!

Poem by Michael Hamilton Drawing by Jed Falby

Readers Write

Combined Ticketing Thanks for the magazine which was a good read as usual. As a (long-distance). Exeter City supporter I was of course hurt by your gibe at the size of the crowds at St. James' Park, although I have to confess there may have been an element of truth in it!

It did get me thinking about possibilities, however, and I wonder if any thought has been given to doing combined rail/football match tickets? I know the football club is always on the lookout for marketing ideas, so too W&W. Perhaps there is some scope for the two getting together? Based here in Brussels, Belgium, it's not easy for me to do much but maybe the Group could make a suggestion at an appropriate moment? All the best and keep up the good work.

David Morgan NDRUG member since 1978 (1 think!)

Fares Fair Even for those of us reeling from the £5 return First Great Western Summer and Virgin Trains' 50% offer (£9.90 Exeter—Leeds return!), it is difficult to forget how expensive rail travel can be: it gets enough publicity! Yet there are bargains around, particularly if you book in advance or use facilities like the Freedom of the South West Rail Rover.

How many realise that, despite the fact that half of the trains do not stop there, Tiverton Parkway is a 'premium price' station compared with Exeter and Taunton? Tip: buy two tickets, one for Tiverton to Exeter or Taunton and return, the other from these places to your destination.

An analogy is National Express. Buy a return to Tiverton and a further return to your destination. Berry's provide the competition - and low fares!

Jim Rhodes

Special Thanks We wish to thank all those people who help us both, from booking our seats to arranging for help from those wonderful people on our connections. Thank you.

Mr & Mrs West

Yellow Hat Day As a participant in 'Yellow Hat Day' and following upon Mr John Gulliver's endearing article in June's magazine, I suggest that we make 'Y.H.D.' an annual event, combined perhaps with members' outing.

Any yellow hat would qualify - or could we interest Wales & West in supplying more of their 'fetching' standard issue peaked caps again?

Geraldine Sainsbury

Membership Matters If you know someone who you think might like to join NDRUG, please use the enclosed membership form: further copies may be obtained from the Membership Secretary.

New Members Mr and Mrs Papworth, Barnstaple Mrs Walters, Barnstaple Miss Hipsey, Plymouth Mr Phillips, Down St. Mary

Members' Meetings AGM; Henry Williamson Room, Barnstaple Library Wednesday 14th November; 18.30 for 19.00 February 6th—to be announced Linda Rogers