Welcome to the 'New Somerset and Dorset Railway'

The original Somerset and Dorset Railway closed very controversially in 1966. It is time that decision, made in a very different world, was reversed. We now have many councillors, MPs, businesses and individuals living along the line supporting us. Even the Ministry of Transport supports our general aim. The New S&D was formed in 2009 with the aim of rebuilding as much of the route as possible, at the very least the main line from Bath (Britain's only World Heritage City) to Bournemouth (our premier seaside resort); as well as the branches to Wells, Glastonbury and Wimborne. We will achieve this through a mix of lobbying, trackbed purchase and restoration of sections of the route as they become economically viable. With Climate Change, road congestion, capacity constraints on the railways and now Peak Oil firmly on the agenda we are pushing against an open door. We already own Midford just south of Bath, and are restoring Spetisbury under license from DCC, but this is just the start. There are other established groups restoring stations and line at Midsomer Norton and Shillingstone, and the fabulous narrow gauge line near Templevcombe, the Gartell Railway.

There are now FIVE sites being actively restored on the S&D and this blog will follow what goes on at all of them!
Midford - Midsomer Norton - Gartell - Shillingstone - Spetisbury


Our Aim:

Our aim is to use a mix of lobbying, strategic track-bed purchase, fundraising and encouragement and support of groups already preserving sections of the route, as well as working with local and national government, local people, countryside groups and railway enthusiasts (of all types!) To restore sections of the route as they become viable.
Whilst the New S&D will primarily be a modern passenger and freight railway offering state of the art trains and services, we will also restore the infrastructure to the highest standards and encourage steam working and steam specials over all sections of the route, as well as work very closely with existing heritage lines established on the route.

This blog contains my personal views. Anything said here does not necessarily represent the aims or views of any of the groups currently restoring, preserving or operating trains over the Somerset and Dorset Railway!

Monday, February 20, 2012

wanted!



WANTED!

As we move from the early stages to a more mature
state we need a number of key people to help us spread the word about the New
S&D and rail resurgence in general. Ideally we'd love to have the following
people -

PRESS OFFICER - to inform all media of
happenings and developments along the S&D.

SALES OFFICER - to develop mail order and internet sales, also attend events
up and down the route to promote the line. At a later stage will be fully
responsible for building shop stock at Midford and Spetisbury.

PROMOTIONS OFFICER - to promote the line via meetings etc. Would also liaise with local and
regional government, working as a lobbyist for the New S&D. Would work
closely with the PRESS OFFICER.

LEGAL OFFICER - to take care of
insurances, trackbed purchases, working arrangements etc

TREASURER - to take care of the accounts, make payments etc, and advise on financial
matters.

MAGAZINE EDITOR - desperately needed to edit a quality magazine
for the New S&D - two issues a year.

If you are interested in any of
the above posts please email me at leysiner@aol.com

Ideally the sales
officer position needs to be held by somebody local to the line - would happily
split this role Dorset/Somerset if it makes it more manageable! Ideally the
Promotions Officer would also live locally to the line. The other posts can be
distant from the line.

10 comments:

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Steve Sainsbury said...

Congratulations Compulsory Purchase Man - your most sensible post yet!!

Anonymous said...

I wonder if CPO mans carers are aware he's escaped?

Eddystone said...

Is he a Jedi master? ...sounds a bit like Yoda moved to the dark side if you ask me...

Steve Sainsbury said...

The really hilarious thing is that CPO Man emailed me afterwards and claimed that the first comment in this thread showed that there were some people who felt the same way as him!

I'm growing more and more convinced that CPO Man is, in fact, CPO Boy. I reckon he's about thirteen, judging by his extraordinarily odd posts which swing from one subject to another with no concept of reality!

Great stuff. I may start posting his replies to a whole new blogsite dedicated just to him! Make him into a minor celebrity so he can buy a new pencil case or school cap or something.

Eddystone said...

Aha! he's really a covert exponent of the road transport Lobby! Check this out...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/irishrailwayimages/6607533959/

Steve Sainsbury said...

Great to see he's using the name we've given him - small victory there I reckon! An oil tanker spotter - should have guessed, blending a dying form of transport with a dying industry.

The really sad thing is that this now seems to be developing into a personal vendetta because he thinks I'm somebody else. If only he knew ...

And I love the way he seems to think I'm some big mover and shaker in the S&D community when I'm nothing of the sort. I just do my little bit, like we all should. But the blog does average about 300 hits a day so I must be doing something right for the S&D. This is a totally selfless thing, and he doesn't seem to get that yet.

Hopefully he'll grow up after he leaves school and has sown a few wild oats. Often these really anti S&D types become our strongest supporters. We shouldn't be too harsh on him. I did some pretty mad things when I was his age ...

Doubt we'll hear from him tomorrow - he's got double geography first thing in the morning.

Steve Sainsbury said...

Just had CPO Boy's headmaster phone me. Apparently he was caught trolling in IT class yesterday and the school is contacting all his victims. I told him that we'd enjoyed CPO's posts and he had us all laughing, although he'd now suddenly started getting nasty and swearing. He doesn't like you either now Eddystone! I don't know who he thinks I am but he's obviously got real issues with somebody!

Turns out I was wrong, he's not 13 but 14. Apparently he's had a lot of trouble from bullying at school, mainly from girls. It all stems from his first day at school (secondary school mind) where he turned up wearing a sailor suit and driving a pedal car!

I don't think we'll be hearing from him again. His headmaster says I have to report him if he writes again, I've also got to send him copies of all his comments. Not sure whether I should!

Anonymous said...

CPO Boy could be the great great grandson of Earnest Marples!

Steve Sainsbury said...

Well he certainly seems to have lost his 'marples'!