Brummie Guy back at New Street

[onlinespotting]

I'm not sure if this is old news or not but when I first visited Birmingham New Street after it was reopened they had removed the Brummie Guy and default 'Anne' was announcing on all platforms. When I visited last Saturday they had reinstalled him on 2/3 6/7 10/11. Also I noticed that safety and security and luggage announcements are now given concourse wide by different local announcers.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Good, I did think that, like the Scottish one, the idea of a local announcer was a nice touch.

 

[The Planner]

He has recently left to become a signaler so it is all recordings now.

 

[onlinespotting]

He has recently left to become a signaler so it is all recordings now.

Platform announcements have been recordings by him for about a year now.

 

[47271]

Good, I did think that, like the Scottish one, the idea of a local announcer was a nice touch.

Ah, but if you're Scottish the obviously west coast accent cloned from Glasgow stations to Waverley jars when you hear it.

Somebody did raise this point in all seriousness in conversation the other day. NR can't win whatever they do...

 

[D1009]

And if he's the guy I think he is, I remember him telling someone quite forcefully that he is NOT a Brummie, he's from Stourbridge!

 

[Bletchleyite]

Platform announcements have been recordings by him for about a year now.

Along similar lines, but a little OT, I wonder if the AviaVox Dutch woman (who is heard at just about every UK airport these days) still does manual announcements at Schiphol? Not been there for years.

 

[stuartmoss]

Again slightly off topic from the original post, but I remember the announcer at Newark Northgate a few years ago, his voice did make me chuckle.

 

[Jimini]

Again slightly off topic from the original post, but I remember the announcer at Newark Northgate a few years ago, his voice did make me chuckle.

The one who says "London Kings Cwoss"?

 

[onlinespotting]

Ah, but if you're Scottish the obviously west coast accent cloned from Glasgow stations to Waverley jars when you hear it.

Somebody did raise this point in all seriousness in conversation the other day. NR can't win whatever they do...

The Scottish announcer was originally Juliet who was the station manager at Edinburgh it is now Karen who is a customer service advisor at Glasgow Central, she also announced at Queen street

 

[stuartmoss]

The one who says "London Kings Cwoss"?

That's the fella, definitely not a voice for wadio!

 

[HarleyDavidson]

There used to be announcer at Guildford who wouldn't say Waterloo, as he thought loo was crude. :roll:

Then there was one at New St in the 80's who couldn't say Guildford or Havant it was Guild Ford & Have Ant.

 

[TDK]

You can't beat Mr. Mumble at Crewe, he is a legend.

 

[XCTurbostar]

Platform announcements have been recordings by him for about a year now.

Not correct, after the New Street re-opening, it became just Anne for the period between then and now.

Evidence: I commute everyday!

Thanks,
Ross

 

[Bletchleyite]

Even if one wasn't a fan of a Brummie accent, having a male and a female voice is a good thing because it means people can tell apart announcements on adjacent platforms. That indeed is why it is typical to alternate the voices as they have done.

Though as I've said before I do quite like the way the male and female voices almost banter with each other on VT's new system. You get something similar on the S-stock on LUL for a different reason - a commanding male voice warns you to mind the gap, but a calmer female voice gives you useful information. I believe there have been a load of psychology studies on this kind of thing.

 

[CheesyChips]

A little bit of trivia I guess, but on the Moscow metro, specifically on the trains, a female voice makes all the announcements when the train is travelling away from the city centre and a male voice on the way into the city centre.

"Your boss calls you to work and your wife calls you home" was how I was told to remember it.

 

[BurtonM]

Along similar lines, but a little OT, I wonder if the AviaVox Dutch woman (who is heard at just about every UK airport these days) still does manual announcements at Schiphol? Not been there for years.

Don't think so, if memory serves Schiphol has electronic announcements, but I've not been to 'dam in a couple of years.

 

[onlinespotting]

Not correct, after the New Street re-opening, it became just Anne for the period between then and now.

Evidence: I commute everyday!

Thanks,
Ross

You're being a bit of a pedant there, considering I opened the thread with the information that he has now returned. Perhaps I should prefix my sentence 'apart from the period since the reopening... His voice has been recordings ...'

 

[XCTurbostar]

You're being a bit of a pedant there, considering I opened the thread with the information that he has now returned. Perhaps I should prefix my sentence 'apart from the period since the reopening... His voice has been recordings ...'

Maybe your right. I was only providing additional information.

Thanks,
Ross

 

[louis97]

He has been able to return now the lounge system on the CIS has been turned off, I knew it'd not last long. He was removed when the CIS was setup ready for it (when it started doing the short announcements without calling pattern). Obviously he had left so was unable to record the lounge clips.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Has the confusing lounge nonsense gone away, then?

 

[louis97]

Has the confusing lounge nonsense gone away, then?

It has!

 

[Bletchleyite]

It has!

Good stuff.