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Voyager breakfast with Richard Branson

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graham43404

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Just seen on Facebook that there is an auction to have a once in a lifetime chance to have a one to one with Richard Branson on a Virgin Supervoyager from Euston to Crewe on Tuesday 30th August, proceeds going to Cancer Research UK.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Breakfast..._Tickets_LE&hash=item336b1ddbb6#ht_580wt_1139

At the moment the bid stands at £2050

You can bet that the table for this little chinwag will be nice and clean :p
 
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Butts

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Just seen on Facebook that there is an auction to have a once in a lifetime chance to have a one to one with Richard Branson on a Virgin Supervoyager from Euston to Crewe on Tuesday 30th August, proceeds going to Cancer Research UK.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Breakfast..._Tickets_LE&hash=item336b1ddbb6#ht_580wt_1139

At the moment the bid stands at £2050

You can bet that the table for this little chinwag will be nice and clean :p

Will they get any black pudding and perhaps two eggs and toast that is above lukewarm :p
 

Minilad

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He used to be your boss didn't he - was it better in Virgin Days than Cross Country ?

The usual crap about him being my boss. Oh if I had a pound for every time someone has said that.
He wasn't my boss. I doubt he even knows a train from his own backside.
Unless of course its a photo opportunity
 

All Line Rover

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Ha! How comical that they've picked a Super Voyager, on which the breakfast is disgusting! :lol:

Perhaps they've picked the Super Voyager because, since the breakfast is smaller, it would take less time to eat than on a Pendolino! :lol: (The eBay page says breakfast with Richard only lasts 30 minutes, even though the Euston to Crewe journey usually lasts about 1h 40m.)

I suppose it's only a good thing since the money raised is going to charity.
 
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Butts

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The usual crap about him being my boss. Oh if I had a pound for every time someone has said that.
He wasn't my boss. I doubt he even knows a train from his own backside.
Unless of course its a photo opportunity

Let me change the question..

Was it better working for Virgin or Cross Country ?
 

CosherB

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I think I would be tempted to say say to him "So then Richard what on earth were you lot thinking when you got rid of the HST's on cross country and replaced with cramped smelly trains with far less capacity". Then I would ask him to pass the ketchup :lol:

He'd say "hey, trains are a business to me. I don't know what you're talking about when you say 'HST', but I have excellent staff who understand these things. Our trains are full, were when we had the Crosss Country franchise, we provide a service the public likes, and it's profitable for the group. Cross Country are a fine organisation who picked up where we left off. As for Virgin, there's lots more we'd like to do on WCML and if we get the franchise next time we'll implement them. Here's the ketchup".

What else would you expect? A technical discussion on the relative merits of HST v. Voyager? ;)
 

Butts

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In what way do you mean better.

Communication with staff....

Training.....

Advancement Opportunities....

Discounts on Company Products (Holidays with Virgin ?).....

Feeling of belonging ?.....

Pride in Employer ? .....
 

Minilad

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Communication with staff....

Training.....

Advancement Opportunities....

Discounts on Company Products (Holidays with Virgin ?).....

Feeling of belonging ?.....

Pride in Employer ? .....


Training. We do the training we need to do. Nothing more nothing less So thats a draw

Advancement Opportunities. Always jobs advertised on the notice board. So I would say equal

Discounts on company products. Had a Virgin Tribe card which I used twice. Once for a flight to New York Second a Holiday in Florida. Got discount but as Virgin is expensive I probably could have got something as cheap without the card. My last experience with Virgin Atlantic I vowed never to fly with them again so no loss. I suppose advantage Virgin Just

Feeling of belonging / Pride in Employer. Not relevant in the real world. Its a job and as long as I am driving trains I don't care who I am doing it for So equal
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Industrial relations, working conditions, pay...

Industrial relations. Pretty much equal. Never had a major problem in the time I have been there. For either company

Working Conditions. Jobs are longer with Arriva. But Virgin were very lax and we knew things couldn't go on like that. Working conditions wise though nothing much has changed

Pay. It has continued to go up at a rate of above inflation. When the pay deal goes through in the next week or so we will be paid higher than West Coast so no complaints there
 

Butts

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Training. We do the training we need to do. Nothing more nothing less So thats a draw

Advancement Opportunities. Always jobs advertised on the notice board. So I would say equal

Discounts on company products. Had a Virgin Tribe card which I used twice. Once for a flight to New York Second a Holiday in Florida. Got discount but as Virgin is expensive I probably could have got something as cheap without the card. My last experience with Virgin Atlantic I vowed never to fly with them again so no loss. I suppose advantage Virgin Just

Feeling of belonging / Pride in Employer. Not relevant in the real world. Its a job and as long as I am driving trains I don't care who I am doing it for So equal



I take it they both have "Mission Statements" that no one believes in - even the author - usual corporate bull**** :roll:
 

Minilad

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I take it they both have "Mission Statements" that no one believes in - even the author - usual corporate bull**** :roll:

Virgin love all that garbage. They really love all the PR stuff.
Style over substance should be the Virgin motto
Most people on the shop floor just want to get through the day
 

AlterEgo

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Just seen on Facebook that there is an auction to have a once in a lifetime chance to have a one to one with Richard Branson on a Virgin Supervoyager from Euston to Crewe on Tuesday 30th August, proceeds going to Cancer Research UK.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Breakfast..._Tickets_LE&hash=item336b1ddbb6#ht_580wt_1139

At the moment the bid stands at £2050

You can bet that the table for this little chinwag will be nice and clean :p

If anyone's interested, the train will be in Crewe for a short stop. There may well be quite a few press types around, as Ronan Keating and Pamela Stephenson (plus a few other celebs) will also be on the train. Three members of VT staff have also been selected on merit to travel on the train from Crewe - breakfast not included! :lol:

PM me for more info.
 

junglejames

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The usual crap about him being my boss. Oh if I had a pound for every time someone has said that.
He wasn't my boss. I doubt he even knows a train from his own backside.
Unless of course its a photo opportunity

No, he wasnt your immediate boss, and he had very little to do with the running of the company. But he was in charge of the parent company.
Calling him your boss isnt 100% accurate, but it isnt a total lie either.
 
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The last time I had a 1 - 2 - 1 with Branson was in 1972 - he had not started the Virgin megalith then

My conversation was - "Can I have 2 tickets for the Hawkwind Concert at the Brixton Sundown please" He muttered Ok and we sawpped cash for the tickets dead easy and he seemed calm and placid.....

Breakfast with him now - hmmmm not sure what I would say other than "this breakfast is cr+p compared to the pre-pendolinho trains when I got a fully prepared and delivered breakfast in First Class Euston to Lancaster - what in God's good name is this rubbish......"

Trouble is the way fares are going the bid is not going to be that much different than a full First Class Anytime Return ticket....

C
 
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