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There was not a uniform assumption that "anything would be better" in the '90s: there was also a feeling that BR was being shaped to make it attractive to buyers rather than focussed on the passenger customer. It has been one positive of the period since privatisation, but only after a number...

GWR comes close to the single catering offer. They explicitly limit complimentary items in First Class to nothing more substantial than soft drinks and biscuits, crisps and cakes, and even that only on their official 'high speed' Intercity routes. For full (very full) meals, their excellent...

The initial (2006 - 2009) refurbishment introducing leather seats in 1st class was remarkably bland, and I always thought that it was a bit of a downgrade with the slippery seats and the loss of the reading lights. The flat colours, cold lighting and same paint as standard class didn't suggest a...

In which case, as 'John Webb' suggests, a field telephone or stand-alone magneto ringer will excite the bells without complication. However, a GPO/BT linesman's telephone with built-in ring generator might be a more appropriate option given your father's profession! E.g. the 704 or 286...

I've never used them, as my 746 lives on a landline and my 232 is connected to VOIP, but Bluetooth-landline adapters, such as the 'XLink BT', are available which pair with a mobile phone and allow calls to be placed/received on an external telephone, including old GPO phones. They usually have...

E.g. September 2001, Monday to Friday: Bristol TM Bath Spa Chippenham Swindon Didcot Oxford 0620 0632 0644 0702 0724 0743 0715 0729 0741 0803 - 0836 0902 0915 0926 0943 1008 1030 1000 1012 1024 1040 1105 1126 1128 1140 1153 1210 1232 1254 1330 1341 1354 1412 1437 1459 1428 1441...

Part of the Major government's "Citizen's Charter" initiative, the provisions of the Passenger's Charter came into force on 3 May 1992 (I presume a timetable change date). It still offered only discretionary compensation for ordinary tickets, but stated that this was expected to be "vouchers to...

Also seemed very startled at a sooner-than-expected arrival when "The next station is Earley!?!" "This is the chief steward speaking" and "The buffet car is now open for the sale of teacoffeehotchocolatelightsnackandrefreshments and also a licensed bar" are long-gone phrases burned into my...

In isolation you are absolutely right to imply the time-worn expression of 'buyer beware': but it's worth remembering that the size of packets was regulated by law for decades, and the weight of certain goods for centuries, which means that there is good reason for the typical consumer to think...

... and only the departure time of the outward journey is shown on the return trains page, so you can't see how long you will have between outward and return trains if you are planning a day out by rail.

Unleaded 134.9p, diesel 144.9p at Shell near Newton Abbot yesterday.

This was still running in the January-March 2000 Great Western timetable. 1005 from Paddington, 1730 from Penzance. Two courses for £17, three for £21. Open to both standard and first class, of course, just as it should be.

You are right - it's intended as temporary, and will be voice only. It's a stand-alone product so customers who take broadband won't be able to take both on the same line - though it looks like it could be ordered on a second line if required. It will help with the closure of the PSTN as it will...

A new, and welcome, development for voice-only telephone customers: Openreach are now preparing a "SOTAP for Analogue" product. It will continue to provide the appearance of a traditional analogue PSTN line to existing voice-only customers who have equipment that requires a traditional PSTN line...

I prefer train lavatories to have windows, because natural light is much brighter, makes the small compartment much less claustrophobic and often makes it feel cleaner. It's something that I miss in modern British trains. Even something as small as a 30cm round 'porthole' would be nice. I've...

The most common type of payphone in the UK - which is 40 years old - was originally designed to calculate charges based on meter pulses from the exchange, but BT removed meter pulsing about 15 years ago, so all their payphones have been modified to calculate the charges based on time and...

If they use dedicated PSTN phone lines, they would need to be updated. However, they might already be connected through the mobile networks, or VOIP or even run through the premises own switchboard.

Payphones, which still host millions of calls each year, will indeed need to be upgraded. Many are protected to a certain degree for various reasons, including areas of high risk of accident and suicide: about 5,000 of the 20,000 remaining boxes are 'protected' by Ofcom and 1,400 of those are in...

I would rather see empty seats (aka "space for passengers to spread out in comfort") with the potential for growth on some sections than regularly crowded trains on other sections discouraging long-distance travel. In the unlikely event that we end up with more surplus Voyagers than takers...

The signage guidelines recognise that high-level signs are above headlamp reach; there would often/usually be similar reflectorised signs on poles ahead of the bridge within the range of headlamp beams. As for dedicated illumination, I thought that it was covered by The Traffic Signs...