Pointless signs - Wakefield Kirkgate

Derbygate: By Royal Appointment...

This from The Mirror...

Prince of Wales to visit Bombardier in morale-booster for workers

He will make a much-needed visit to engineers at the historic Bombardier plant next Friday just two weeks after the Canadian owners spared it from closure

Good on HRH!

Can it be long, Eye wonders, before Gideon and the Department for Transfer arrange a visit to Newton Aycliffe by Naruhito, the Crown Prince of Japan?

UPDATE: This from Otto von Primark...

To save any Thameslink embarrassment will Prinz Karl avoid travelling to Derby in der königliche Zug (prop DB)?

Latest ABC - Railway Magazine up over 6%

It's ABC time again...

As Eye points out each year most industry titles don't submit their circulations to ABC audit, so a bowler tip to those who do.

Here the 2011 circulation figures for industry titles (with 2010 figures in brackets):

Railway Magazine 36,523 (34,168)

Steam Railway 32,266 (32,441)

RAIL magazine 19,801 (20,006)

Railway Gazette International 10,548 (10,258)
Eye's man in the Dead Tree Media comments:
Whilst the general trend in the print market is one of declining sales, railway titles are holding up well. Railway Magazine, sold by IPC in 2010 to Mortons, is the market leader for the 5th successive year and has recorded an impressive growth in sales of 6.85%! But with the chill winds of recession blowing across all sectors of the economy it’s going to be tough in 2012.

Eye wonders if the new owners of Ian Allan's railway titles will submit to ABC audit?

UPDATE: This from Citizen Kane...
Eye readers may be interested to see the circulation of some other titles.

The Beano manages 38,333, whilst Bob The Builder pulls in a mere 37,505.

On the plus side their circulations are down 4.4% and 16.9% respectively.

PM in Paris and in unrelated news...

So today the Prime Minister is in Paris signing an agreement with the Frenchies to rescue the beleaguered UK nuclear power industry.

iDave is to be praised for ensuring that the lights will remain on and electric trains can continue running for a good few years yet.

Meanwhile, in unrelated news, Eye would like to congratulate Keolis SA and SNCF on winning the West Coast franchise.