Ex-transport planner, librarian and community rail-er. Currently writer of @BeautyOfTranspt and other things. Views my own, not employer/clients’.
Europe 🇪🇺 / lost in thought
Joined January 2013
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Oh no! I was hoping to photograph it next week for my collection of heritage artefacts at stations… I too hope it is being looked after and will be properly reinstated. As ever, small heritage artefacts help tell the story of the station and if they’re lost, so is that story.
Thank you! It’s not for long but I am delighted to be back doing some #CommunityRail in the best bit of the country.
If you are thinking “I would quite like doing that job” then you would absolutely love it and you should apply for it without delay (take it from one who knows). Also your colleagues/manager etc will be very nice. And did I mention helping non-profits make people’s lives better?
WORK WITH US! 📢
Could you motivate and support local communities to engage with their local railways and sustainable travel?
We’re looking for a community rail support officer to support our members in the Midlands and East of England.
Apply here ➡️ charityjob.co.uk/jobs/commun…
In Hoy, #Orkney today, and treated to the sight of some spectacular precision flying in the hills and corries by this @HMCoastguard helicopter. Not sure if it was an exercise or they were looking for someone/something but it was very impressive stuff.
Here is Stromness telephone exchange, which occupies half a building shared with the Royal Mail delivery office (I assume because of their shared history in the GPO).
There is a real issue with Network Rail’s speed at agreeing leases/disposals of buildings it doesn’t need. I lost a couple of community projects to reuse redundant railway buildings for just that reason. The people at NR ‘get it’ but the processes don’t support them, I think.
Operators/NR have quite a lot of freedom to make changes to e.g. stations under general permitted development, but frequently apply for planning permission anyway “to be good neighbours” as it was put to me once. So a great idea but no use if the railway doesn’t take advantage.
A long time ago I was at a rail industry journalists dinner at which a TOC MD was pondering a letter of support for beleaguered transport sec Stephen Byers. I told them not to touch the idea with a bargepole (he got the boot a week later). I would have suggested the same here!
Daniel Wright retweeted
ICYMI last week, I’ve written a book about the British Rail symbol; there’s really something in it for everyone; students and practitioners of graphic design, art and design historians, lovers of twentieth century modernism, transport aficionados, and, of course, anoraks like me!
In his new book 'Arrows of desire', Nick Job @_doublearrow takes a long look at
the revered British Rail symbol. It is making something of a comeback although, in truth, it never really went away.
You can pre-order your copy now.
buff.ly/3Sx8QGu
Daniel Wright retweeted
And, since ‘Arrows of desire’ is really all about transport and design, who better to set the scene at the start of the book than Daniel Wright, @BeautyOfTranspt, whose introductory essay is a masterpiece…
the-modernist.org/products/a…
Daniel Wright retweeted
Delighted that @LordPeterHendy, Minister of State for Rail, has written the foreword for my new book ‘Arrows of desire’
the-modernist.org/collection…
