WH Smith Closed NYD !!

[Butts]

On my journey from Stafford to Liverpool I arrived at the Station expecting to be able to buy my copy of The Independent.

Stafford Station had no catering or retail outlets open at all.

Never mind I thought Liverpool Lime Street WHS is bound to be open with thousands of people arriving by train for the Hull match.

Sadly it was also closed :cry:

Unusual for such a facility to be closed at a major UK Station - I wonder if they were closed everywhere across the network ?

 

[Masboroughlad]

Rubbish isn't it?

I think station retail units should be let with terms in the contract about opening hours.

Let's face it, they must make enough money the rest of the year!!!

 

[rdeez]

I was also at Stafford station NYD morning and spoke to one of the staff who said Pumpkin almost certainly wouldn't be open the entire day, nor Smiths, but he reckoned the coffee stall on P1 would be...at some point. Sadly I didn't get a coffee on the train either as there was no first class host.

You'd have thought they would all open at least for Sunday hours!

 

[Butts]

I was also at Stafford station NYD morning and spoke to one of the staff who said Pumpkin almost certainly wouldn't be open the entire day, nor Smiths, but he reckoned the coffee stall on P1 would be...at some point. Sadly I didn't get a coffee on the train either as there was no first class host.

You'd have thought they would all open at least for Sunday hours!

Which service were you on ? - I was on the 1123 to Liverpool there was a host serving the "dishwater". Could you not have showed your ticket at the Café ?

 

[GatwickDepress]

I'm fairly certain the WH Smith at Hastings was open when I passed through yesterday, I know the the various coffee outlets at MKC/London Bridge/Hastings were open.

Maybe closing day comes early in Stafford? :P

 

[yorksrob]

WH Smith at Euston was open yesterday.

 

[91101]

WHSmith at Gatwick (South Terminal Arrivals) and East Croydon were all open yesterday.

 

[Mugby]

I changed trains at Stoke-on-Trent yesterday just after 11am and nothing was open, not Pumpkin, the private coffee shop, not even the booking office!

And when I walked through Derby on arrival, nothing was open here, not Subway, Spar Shops or Tesco Metro.

 

[Soyyo]

I managed to get a cup of tea from the trolley on the new TPE 350 from Manchester to Glasgow - there was a catering trolley and TWO hosts. This was on departure from Wigan at about 0740.

The train was practically empty and Carlisle station (where I got off just after 9) was completely deserted, as was the City Centre.

Things were getting going by the time I was back in Preston, where the Upper Crust on the platform served me a nice latte and pastry just after 11am. The bar was also doing a good trade!

 

[PHILIPE]

I have known of instances not just on NYD but also during the whole Xmas and New Year period. Had to wait on a freezing cold platform at Bristol TM one morning because the Pumpkin was closed. They would have done a roaring trade as there were scores of people waiting for a Westbound XC service.
Also at Gloucester once when changing trains the Pumpkin was opening later sso unable get a coffee. Also, XC trains were being diverted into Gloucester and reversing due to Engineering work (forget which direction was blocked) and scores of passengers milling about many of whom had come of replacement buses.

 

[merlodlliw]

It is a condition of license that all motorway outlets are open every day including Xmas & New year, Network rail who I presume sign the contracts should imply,if trains run you open, its got too sloppy now,no one cares anymore.

 

[bnm]

It is a condition of license that all motorway outlets are open every day including Xmas & New year, Network rail who I presume sign the contracts should imply,if trains run you open, its got too sloppy now,no one cares anymore.

And who would subsidise the businesses to open all the times trains run, were such terms of lease forced on railway retail outlets? The alternative would be legislation. I don't see the need.

Simple economics. If the business owner/franchisee doesn't feel that income will cover costs with operating profit then why should they open?

Motorway Service Areas perform an important road safety function, so it's right that legislation forces them to open 365 days a year to provide fuel, rest, toilets, payphones, hot food and hot drinks and access for up to two hours to carry out emergency repairs or to arrange vehicle recovery. HGV drivers must also be provided with shower and secure locker facilities.

HGV drivers have to take statutory breaks and other motorists are recommended to take a 20 minute break every two hours. Very different circumstances to providing refreshment facilities at a railway station.

 

[traji00]

I work at the London Liverpool Street branches and (as with last year) only one store was open till 8pm.
Xmas day & Boxing day are the only times we close -- unless things are done differently by region.

 

[AndyHudds]

The shop and the Ritazza coffee stall were both closed at Huddersfield too. There was plenty of passengers about though, in fact I'm not really sure why a lot of stuff close on NYD anyway.

 

[Northern_Light]

Bit different up here in the north of Scotland. Not so much as a single train running!

I understand that the New Year holiday is relatively new south of the Border, so I can see why people down south would find reason to grumble about station retailers picking and choosing when they open. Especially as there are services running.

But up here, New Year is so ingrained in our culture that just about everything goes into total shutdown mode. Retailers such as ASDA and Morrisons have in recent years tried to change this by actually opening their doors on the 1st Jan. But they have a long way to go if they are hell bent on a culture shift in Scotland.

 

[sheff1]

WH Smith closed at Sheffield as well. No problem, though, as Whitlestop was opening selling newspapers.

 

[Blindtraveler]

Rubbish isn't it?

I think station retail units should be let with terms in the contract about opening hours.

Let's face it, they must make enough money the rest of the year!!!

agreed. A few better Sunday hours would be good too! All that said, I had to pay a stupid taxie fare on Wed due to a bus not going where I wanted it and given this was NYD, In Scotland, the new year country, and a bus out of Edinburgh where, even at 16:00 foalk were still going home from the party the transport opperaters need to get a finger out too ↲ 0oh and before the Workers need a holiday too campaign gets going, the bus depots round here are overflowing with Polish foalk who will gladlw work for eenuts so Il bet therdq money to be made here.↲

 

[rdeez]

Which service were you on ? - I was on the 1123 to Liverpool there was a host serving the "dishwater". Could you not have showed your ticket at the Café ?

Unfortunately, I was on the 9.25 XC service

 

[Butts]

Unfortunately, I was on the 9.25 XC service

Cheapskate..... How much was your ticket to Liverpool ? (mine was £9.00 First Class STA to Lime Street)

 

[1e10]

Is there a WHSmith at Bristol TM? I tried looking for one a few weeks back, I could have swore I'd seen signs for it. I saw a sign pointing to a door, went in and there was just a rack of magazines in a bar?

 

[PHILIPE]

Go out through the barriers. straight ahead and on your left

 

[gswindale]

It is a condition of license that all motorway outlets are open every day including Xmas & New year, Network rail who I presume sign the contracts should imply,if trains run you open, its got too sloppy now,no one cares anymore.

Since when?

Last time I travelled on 25th Dec (2 years ago), Membury services had the actual car park coned off with the only access being into the petrol station.

 

[8A Rail]

Being the 1st January, you will find some major retailers including WH Smith will close on that particular day in different parts of the country too, regardless of location. Certainly the likes of M&S, Boots stores close on that day too so it is no surprise to me to see that Lime St Bch was closed. By the way I work in retail and I was working, not sure why as there was not much trade!

 

[1e10]

Go out through the barriers. straight ahead and on your left

Thanks for that, I'll keep that in mind.

 

[GearJammer]

Since when?

Last time I travelled on 25th Dec (2 years ago), Membury services had the actual car park coned off with the only access being into the petrol station.

I bet the lorry park was'nt coned off?
And the garage can provide everything you need that you could get from the main buildings.... with quite a few even having shower facilities.

 

[rdeez]

Cheapskate..... How much was your ticket to Liverpool ? (mine was £9.00 First Class STA to Lime Street)

Oops, I probably wasn't clear in my first post. Heading in the opposite direction, to Birmingham! And paid £6 for the privilege. I ended up getting my morning fix from McDonalds in Birmingham. One place you can rely on to be open more or less any time...!

 

[Impey0711]

Whsmith and upper crust was shut at watford junction I wanted a coffee and only till I see the operator and conductor of the 10:17 southern train to clapham then I realised that AMT coffee opened at 10am

 

[Goatboy]

And who would subsidise the businesses to open all the times trains run, were such terms of lease forced on railway retail outlets?

Who subsidises MSA's to do the same thing?

 

[edwin_m]

Who subsidises MSA's to do the same thing?

Service areas have a concession agreement, which includes amongst many other things a requirement to keep a minimum level of facilities open 24/7.

 

[GearJammer]

Who subsidises MSA's to do the same thing?

Road hauliers.... £15-30 to park for the night!