Low cunning?

Even the Gricerati have been invited to the Transport Ministers' Christmas drinks reception hosted by Geoff Hoon on Tuesday evening.

We wonder whether any of the railway hacks will be brave enough to ask Lord Adonis to explain the table in the Rolling Stock Plan which the Prince of DafTness claimed was 'crystal clear' to him?

Or come to that will anyone dare seek a steer on who is going to be announced as preferred bidder for the Frankenstein train on Thursday?

Actually the announcement was scheduled for Friday but was brought forward to the 18th.

No doubt this is unconnected to the fact that Modern Railways and the Railway Gazette are both having Christmas do's on that very day.

DafT are presumably hoping that the technical hacks will be too tired and emotional to coherently brief the Nationals on this procurement disaster?

Battle of the Barriers

At last good news for gricers!

Britain's beleagured bashers have a new champion despite the shock of last week's Wolmargate!

Yesterday the muesli-munchers of York backed the cranktocracy as part of the city's 'Battle of the Barriers'.

Regular Eye readers will know that there is significant resentment in the city over the National Express plan to gate York station, which will inconvenience visitors to the NRM and local residents alike.

As anger grows the local Green Party have taken to picketing York station to encourage an NX rethink.

The leaflet they handed out contained the following statement:

8. Railway enthusiasts should not be discouraged
Most railway enthusiasts are knowledgeable about the railway and are responsible citizens.

That means that they behave sensibly on railway premises, and, as the railway press has been pointing out in the controversy about attempts by staff to prevent photography, enthusiasts can be useful extra eyes on platforms to identify anything untoward.

To discourage them would therefore be unwise, and it would alienate the railway's natural friends.

Any attempt to stop large numbers of people attending the visits of steam specials would be a disaster for relations with the public.

Perhaps York Greens should be asked to write the revision to ATOC's still unpublished enthusiast guidelines?

Out of sight...

Following the Government's decision that a legal product must now be hidden by retailers Old Holborn has some good news.

Read Old Holborn here...

The Fact Compiler is slightly concerned that this could have a dramatic impact on TOC car park revenues, which of course are unregulated.

What a clown!

This from Southport.gb.com via WNXX...

Read the rest of the story here...

Eh?

Sugar Daddy?

A quick visit to Wolmar's website to catch up on the Manchester "No" vote.

But what's this?

An ad for sugardaddie.com!


The Fact Compiler hopes that Mystic Wolmar is not suffering a mid-life crisis?