Recent content by urbophile

Ideally the former: the residents of Speke deserve a much better connection to the city centre than the current slow bus service. Second best, a tram-train link from the Airport, joining the slow line from Parkway to Edge Hill and then into the city centre either via the Wapping tunnel or...

They are, on Merseyrail.

It's not comparing like with like exactly. Belgium has very strictly defined language territories; in Wales there is a mix of languages in most places. But given the appropriate software it should be possible to prioritise Welsh in majority Welsh-speaking areas, and English in the others. In...

Well yes. I'm not really recommending that particularly, just the efficiency with which the systems can switch from one language to another when necessary/

The Community of the Resurrection (an Anglican monastic order based at Mirfield in West Yorkshire), has always numbered train enthusiasts among its past and present members.They even run a Railway Retreat each year (open, of course, to the public). One of the attractions is that the monastery is...

Which is why we have something to learn from the Belgian approach. If the train/station is in England (or even a majority English-speaking part of Wales), prioritise English;otherwise, prioritise Welsh. I suspect the problem is that TfW haven't got up-to-date software that allows that...

I wonder if anyone has done an actual survey to test the theory that there would be a large amount of common ground in a Venn diagram of altar servers, church bellringers, real ale fanatics and railway enthusiasts. In particular, for the last category, volunteers on preserved railways.

Outing myself as another ordained railway nerd. I hesitate to say 'enthusiast' because I can't get excited about technicalities, but there is something about the connectedness of a railway system which appeals on a deeper level. But the fascination of many clergy-people* for model railways...

'vimp' (single f sounds like English v). In some cases the final p can be omitted, so 'bum'!

Mutation. A complicated grammatical rule that, I presume, native Welsh speakers do automatically but learners like me are still no nearer understanding. Makes life interesting!

About a year ago I travelled from Liverpool to Chester via Runcorn on a Transport for Wales service. My (very possibly faulty) memory tells me that the automated PA announcements were entirely in Welsh. That is unlikely and I suppose they were made in both languages, although I think the Welsh...

What's to stop them installing a ticket machine on the platform nearest the car park?

I Would have thought Stratford (London) posed some challenges depending on your journey combination. But perhaps more confusing than long distance.

Well easy then. Have just one or the other open, never both together.

It must depend on where you live in London. When I have used a bus in Brixton it is not unusual for passengers to shout 'thank you' down the bus when getting off in the middle door. Introverts like me would find that embarrassing, but it seems right and natural to say thank you if leaving by the...