coach trip to shillingstone

(Courtesy NH/IH)

When I was last down at Shillingstone in February there was a lot of talk about setting up a buffet coach, both to serve people visiting the station and passing trade from the Trailway.

Well this is the coach, a Long Marston mark one TSO destined for Shillingstone cattle dock as a buffet seating area within the next 12 months. It's currently painted Southern green one side, BR corporate blue and white the other. Guess which side looks best!

This will look fantastic when restored - we are missing Southern green on the S&D (apart from the rake at Gartell of course!) and this is probably the most emotive rail livery of all for me as I grew up on the Southern Region in the 60s, albeit on the electrified system.

new year's honours 2

The transformation of the catering coach over 2007 was amazing - from wasting asset to a real credit to the line! Occasionally opened in 2006 serving teas and coffees by mid 2007 we were offering a superb range of cooked food as well as the usual drinks and snacks, the patio area was looking great and towards the end of 2007 the coach finally got its green livery. December 2007 was great with various events happening up in the coach.

The real honours go to Debby Hitchins, who professionalised the coach and really made things happen. She also worked really hard to get the franchise off the ground by easing the transition - it was such a shame that we were let down at the last minute by the potential franchisee (reason still a complete mystery) which has left us now with no real catering team. Hopefully the Trust will be able to use its own resources to get the coach up and running again in 2008 - with the aim being to open 4 to 7 days a week in the summer. The coach will be a real profit generator for the line as well as a superb meeting place for both railfans and local people. At least we've learned that franchising is NOT the way forward and that the Trust should use its own volunteers and - eventually - local paid employess to run this very important asset.

xmas at midsomer norton

A look along the platform on Xmas day.


The up platform with the trench dug to allow electricity to the signalbox.


We had eleven for Yuletide lunch in the catering coach - our final fling!

posing in the aisles

This will embarrass Danielle! She was dancing to Reverend and the Makers during a quiet spell in the catering coach a week or two ago. And I was there to capture it for all eternity!

We've always had a fair share of fun in the coach with various parties, music, games etc. We've the Xmas meal coming up on 2 December - remember to book as about a quarter of the places have already sold out. Then we have the Santa weekend on 15 and 16 December.

There are going to be big changes to the catering coach in the New Year with longer opening hours and days. It will also be branded 'Ivo's' in memory of Ivo Peters, once all the exterior painting has been finished. And the kitchen floor is being replaced over the next couple of weeks.

Xmas meal at Midsomer Norton 2 December 2007

By way of a thank you to all our loyal customers and staff we're offering a CHRISTMAS MEAL on 2 December 2007 in the catering coach. There are two sittings, 12 and 2. The meal will be two courses. We have a strictly limited 20 seats for each sitting. Price is £6 per head for members of the public - and here's the good bit - just £3.50 for working members! There will of course be a vegetarian option! You are welcome (in fact positively encouraged!) to bring your own alchohol.

Somerset and Dorset Railway Buffet Coach
Christmas Menu 2nd December 2007
Sittings 12pm or 2pm

Festive Turkey with all the trimmings
Roast Potatoes
Vegetable Medley

Christmas Pudding and Cream
Apple Pie and Custard
Bread and Butter Pudding
£3.50 staff~ £6 visitors

Children’s Menu
Santa’s Christmas Dinner
Ice-cream
£1.50

Vegetarian option available. Please state when booking.

Crackers and festive fun

BYO Alcoholic drink

To book email Debs
0r phone 0117 3738973
Or ask Paul or Steve at the shop.

ramblers' descent

Welcome board for our visitors from Sussex.



Just part of the spread - the lunch and buffet went down a treat!



Luckily the weather was fair so many used the patio as the coach was full.



They were treated to a nice autumnal atmosphere - something the S&D does so well.

green at last!

Two shots of the catering coach from the patio side - looking resplendent in Southern region green. Lining and lettering to follow! The coach is open this Saturday for a Railway Ramblers' buffet, AGM visitors and the usual passing trade.



Rubbing down the station side and ...



... just as I was leaving the spray gun is doing its job.

connecting the community

This is the PC donated to the Trust through the BT Community Connections scheme.

We've finally found the time to set it up in the catering coach, where it will soon be Internet connected via WiFi. At the same time the coach will become a WiFi zone so that visitors can use their laptops - all free of charge.

heritage open day 1

Three nice shots of Wulfric in the signalbox today. The station was very busy all day with visitors. It was nice to see that many of them were young - hopefully future members and volunteers of the Trust! Particular thanks today to Jeff Harris, Doug Auckland and Ann Cook who turned out all day to help visitors. All four new volunteers with an interest in working in the coach have been taken on - the first result being that we'll be open tomorrow (Sunday 9 September) up at the coach!



Danielle is more interested in posing than pulling levers ...

set fair for the bank holiday

At last a run of good weather - so take the chance to come down to Midsomer Norton this Sunday and/or Monday.

The catering coach will be open Monday, together with the shops and signalbox. There's probably nothing better than lazing around in the sun at the station when the weather's like this! Except for enjoying a meal on the station patio of course!

The new menu at the coach was a resounding success last Sunday when we reopened after a 7 week break. The catering coach is currently being painted in Southern Region green.

sunday best

The catering coach is open again! With a new menu, new ethos and even a new volunteer signing up ...

It will be a month or so before we're open every Sunday, and it's all dependent on a lot more volunteers signing up for induction - but if you live locally why not think about it? You'll get full training and a food hygiene certificate, free of charge.

At the moment the following dates are definite for catering coach opening -

Monday 27 August (Bank Holiday)
Saturday 8 September (Heritage Open Day)
Sunday 23 September
Sunday 7 October
Saturday 13 October (Railway Ramblers & AGM)
Sunday 4 November
Sunday 18 November
Saturday 8 December (Santa)

The new menu moves us well away from the old 'greasy spoon' fry ups and into more select food, but still at our remarkably reasonable prices!

Opening times are generally 11am till 2.30pm, later closing on event days.

The site was busy today as was the coach and shop. Main work focus is the Silver Street safety works.

my last monday

Yesterday was my last regular Monday at Midsomer Norton. I'll be switching to Thursdays from 16th August, so the shop will be open an extra day each week.

Typically the day was rainy and overcast, but busy in the shop! The modernisation of the catering coach has also started, hopefully full reopening will happen by the August bank holiday!

barbecue

Phil Jones (No 10 driver) and Julian Jefferson (Telegraph Editor) are press ganged into making the new barbecue - just an hour before opening Saturday evening!


A view from behind the DJ decks and into the new gazebo - Wulfric on iPod.


Not so quiet evening as the first bars of Enter Shikari's 'Sorry You're Not a Winner' reverberate around the patio.


The gathering around the barbecue.

All in all the Midsummer at Midsomer weekend was a resounding success, with many new members joining and a few more volunteers. Brake van rides were extremely popular, as were the cream teas up in the catering coach. Special thanks to Ann Cook and Debs Hitchins (catering), Dave and Hermione (barbecue), Phil Jones (brake van rides), John Rideout (signalbox), Paul Mitchell (shop) and John Bridges (tombola), plus many others who gave up part of all of the weekend to introduce our lovely line to the wider public.

mixed signals

Here's the problem. The main event over the weekend is the disco and barbecue on the catering coach patio. Both need good weather to work. Being conscientious we've been trying to find out what the weather's going to be like. Problem is nowhere is saying the same thing - we've had everything from dry and sunny through light rain to heavy rain - and Torro have a convective discussion with a threat of light tornadoes. So which is it to be?

We've had some weather this week - the shot above is of Bristol on Tuesday evening. This was the tail end of a storm that hit Portishead flooding the High Street. It missed us but just minutes later a separate storm lashed south Bristol, drenching us in about 2 inches of rain in 15 minutes with constant lightning.

Good news is that the Meteorological Office site shows it as being sunny at 18.00 hours tomorrow, just as the disco begins.

catering supernova

The catering coach is entering its final stage of development! After the Midsummer at Midsomer Event (23/24 June) the coach will be closed for a few weeks whilst the coach is stripped internally, the kitchen floor relaid, the seating area carpets replaced, our new 8 ring oven connected in a totally redesigned kitchen area and the outside painted in Southern green. At the same time our volunteers will be getting a new mobile mess van so they can work remotely from the site and still get food and drink!

Expect a big relaunch some time at the end of August (bank holiday weekend?) with special guest and naming ceremony - and probably a bar and disco! There will be an expanded menu at our usual unbeatable prices.

In the meantime visitors will be able to get basic cold drinks etc from the station shop. Please be patient - the wait will be worth it!