Five volunteers SUSPENDED from NYMR

[Railpassion]

Journey times are extended. Pickering to Grosmont used to be 50 minutes  but now is 1h10 minutes with a lot of waiting around. 

The 1200 departure to Whitby takes 1h50 minutes!!!

 

[Boris]

I'm nicking this from the unofficial NYMR forum which is from another disillusioned volunteer that kind of covers what has been going on since covid:

 

"Firstly I'm going to apologise in advance on two counts. First the likely length of this post and, more significantly, because I am going to be extremely forthright about certain of the hierarchy both recently departed and those who are currently clinging on to a rapidly sinking ship.

Why am I posting? - because for over thirty years (admittedly on and off due to work and family commitments) I volunteered on the line. I packed it in two years ago when the Park Street Politbureau instigated a pathetic pretence of a system which required me to lie to prospective customers. It isn't easy concealing a six or seven coach train with empty seats from passengers I was told to turn away as "full".

As an ex-volunteer I now occupy my armchair, In 2023 I visited as a fare-paying traveller twice. In 2024, unless there is an increasingly unlikely rethink. I won't be visiting at all. What our so called "professional" managers have done and are continuing to do sickens me.

What do I mean? Basically the line , it's stations, it's principles, it's ethos, it entire purpose has ben hijacked by a buch of mealy mouthed, self-serving, PR balls spouting aparachiks who have stolen the line we love from the members, the supporters, the donors and the volunteers, They have turned it into a duff patiche of what a preseved railway should be. They favour pointless press prattle above preservation, they preach but don't practice, they leach but they don't learn, they demand but don't deliver,

A few facts? The NYMR is a substantial line which needs some paid employees which is fair enough. However the NYMR has 8 times the number of paid staff per working volunteer than the average UK preserved line ratio. The NYMR operates diesels on four times more diesel loco miles (as a ratio against steam) than the typical line. Even the diesel infested ELR is eclipsed in comprison.

The new season is about to start and what happens just two weeks later? Goathland, for the average member of the public probably the only station they'll recognised is closed for bridge repairs. Yes I know it needs those repairs - In fact I've known that for about six years now, though it seems to have taken the Park Street mandarins by total susprise. We've had a £10million fundraiser - Surely the necessary monies could have been spent on repairs during the closed season?

What about Joe Public? - The answer seems to be sod them which isn't really a sensible policy objective. In 2022 we turned them way at the booking office, apart of course those we discouraged with compulsory pre booking, or undeciperable website and then farcical fare structure,

So to 2024 as per the NYMR propaganda machine. Laura Strangeway, Acting CEO at the NYMR, said, “Last year marked a huge milestone for the NYMR, celebrating 50 years of our much-loved heritage railway. This year, we have an exciting line up starting with our season opening and a special Easter family experience, as well as huge anniversary milestones for some of our home-fleet engines.In addition to the return of some much-anticipated events, we’re also working hard behind the scenes to put together a brand new ‘Lights, Camera, Traction’ film trail at the NYMR highlighting some of the incredible blockbuster films and TV series that have been filmed here. So watch this space. We are so grateful to each and every member of staff and our volunteers who continue to spread the knowledge and magic of our heritage railway line to all of our visitors. As a charity we rely on the income and donations from our visitors to keep the NYMR steaming ahead and this year is no different. We can’t wait to once again welcome visitors to our living museum."

So a living railway museum highlighting trains? - No just highlighting blockbuster films and TV. How about a diesel gala in June, and unofficially in July, and in August and possibly September.

What about "Through the decades"? - Like the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s? - Why not import air-conditioned MK2F coaches for that true plasticised Inter-City experience. Then stick on the Class 31 diesel to prode electrics to complete the trainset and just maybe as an afterthough a smoke machine on the front which won't be audible due to sealed windows and historic air-conditioning noises.

Spend a million or three constructing a carriage stable but fail to provide enough preserved carriages.

Make sure every advert shows steam but every high season train has to be diesel.

Instead of promoting heritage why not promote personal "celebrity" culture, or better stilll a dung heap on which they can stand for adulation and into which they hopefully then sink.

So to the board I make this promise - I won't be troubling you again unless and until you restore sufficient NYMR steam power rather than the pointless half term hire of a "celebrity" loco that 90% of customers have never heard of. I won't be troubling your tearooms which increasingly resemble American diners, I won't be troubling your booking offies by either buying tickets or as a volunteer selling them. I won't be there when the last disillusioned volunteer finally quits.

Finally if you have decided I'm a boring old fart then yes you're right. I'm also fast approaching that great trainset in the sky and for the last twenty years the NYMR Historical Trust were my main beneficiary to the tune of around £650,000. - Not any more - I don't want to support your three-ring circus, your salaries or your egos. I say to the board you have lost my trust, you have lost my volunteering, you have lost my respect, you have lost my legacy and, most important you have lost the support of virtually every volunteer I've spoken to. You won't often hear a traditionalist quoting Oliver Cromwell addressing parliament in 1653 but I'll do so.

"Gentlemen, you have sat here too long.In the name of God go! "

[Boris]

36 minutes ago, Railpassion said:

Journey times are extended. Pickering to Grosmont used to be 50 minutes  but now is 1h10 minutes with a lot of waiting around. 

The 1200 departure to Whitby takes 1h50 minutes!!!

 

 

it was only 45-48 minutes under BR with a higher linespeed, it's been an hour to an hour and 5 minutes in the time I was there, but they have extended the journey times basically because a lack of of suitable locos mean extra changes that have to be factored into the timetable.  

[BoD]

22 minutes ago, Boris said:

I packed it in two years ago when the Park Street Politbureau instigated a pathetic pretence of a system which required me to lie to prospective customers. It isn't easy concealing a six or seven coach train with empty seats from passengers I was told to turn away as "full".

I may be being naive, thick, or both, but why on earth would he be asked to do that?

[Matt37268]

46 minutes ago, Boris said:

I'm nicking this from the unofficial NYMR forum which is from another disillusioned volunteer that kind of covers what has been going on since covid:

 

"Firstly I'm going to apologise in advance on two counts. First the likely length of this post and, more significantly, because I am going to be extremely forthright about certain of the hierarchy both recently departed and those who are currently clinging on to a rapidly sinking ship.

Why am I posting? - because for over thirty years (admittedly on and off due to work and family commitments) I volunteered on the line. I packed it in two years ago when the Park Street Politbureau instigated a pathetic pretence of a system which required me to lie to prospective customers. It isn't easy concealing a six or seven coach train with empty seats from passengers I was told to turn away as "full".

As an ex-volunteer I now occupy my armchair, In 2023 I visited as a fare-paying traveller twice. In 2024, unless there is an increasingly unlikely rethink. I won't be visiting at all. What our so called "professional" managers have done and are continuing to do sickens me.

What do I mean? Basically the line , it's stations, it's principles, it's ethos, it entire purpose has ben hijacked by a buch of mealy mouthed, self-serving, PR balls spouting aparachiks who have stolen the line we love from the members, the supporters, the donors and the volunteers, They have turned it into a duff patiche of what a preseved railway should be. They favour pointless press prattle above preservation, they preach but don't practice, they leach but they don't learn, they demand but don't deliver,

A few facts? The NYMR is a substantial line which needs some paid employees which is fair enough. However the NYMR has 8 times the number of paid staff per working volunteer than the average UK preserved line ratio. The NYMR operates diesels on four times more diesel loco miles (as a ratio against steam) than the typical line. Even the diesel infested ELR is eclipsed in comprison.

The new season is about to start and what happens just two weeks later? Goathland, for the average member of the public probably the only station they'll recognised is closed for bridge repairs. Yes I know it needs those repairs - In fact I've known that for about six years now, though it seems to have taken the Park Street mandarins by total susprise. We've had a £10million fundraiser - Surely the necessary monies could have been spent on repairs during the closed season?

What about Joe Public? - The answer seems to be sod them which isn't really a sensible policy objective. In 2022 we turned them way at the booking office, apart of course those we discouraged with compulsory pre booking, or undeciperable website and then farcical fare structure,

So to 2024 as per the NYMR propaganda machine. Laura Strangeway, Acting CEO at the NYMR, said, “Last year marked a huge milestone for the NYMR, celebrating 50 years of our much-loved heritage railway. This year, we have an exciting line up starting with our season opening and a special Easter family experience, as well as huge anniversary milestones for some of our home-fleet engines.In addition to the return of some much-anticipated events, we’re also working hard behind the scenes to put together a brand new ‘Lights, Camera, Traction’ film trail at the NYMR highlighting some of the incredible blockbuster films and TV series that have been filmed here. So watch this space. We are so grateful to each and every member of staff and our volunteers who continue to spread the knowledge and magic of our heritage railway line to all of our visitors. As a charity we rely on the income and donations from our visitors to keep the NYMR steaming ahead and this year is no different. We can’t wait to once again welcome visitors to our living museum."

So a living railway museum highlighting trains? - No just highlighting blockbuster films and TV. How about a diesel gala in June, and unofficially in July, and in August and possibly September.

What about "Through the decades"? - Like the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s? - Why not import air-conditioned MK2F coaches for that true plasticised Inter-City experience. Then stick on the Class 31 diesel to prode electrics to complete the trainset and just maybe as an afterthough a smoke machine on the front which won't be audible due to sealed windows and historic air-conditioning noises.

Spend a million or three constructing a carriage stable but fail to provide enough preserved carriages.

Make sure every advert shows steam but every high season train has to be diesel.

Instead of promoting heritage why not promote personal "celebrity" culture, or better stilll a dung heap on which they can stand for adulation and into which they hopefully then sink.

So to the board I make this promise - I won't be troubling you again unless and until you restore sufficient NYMR steam power rather than the pointless half term hire of a "celebrity" loco that 90% of customers have never heard of. I won't be troubling your tearooms which increasingly resemble American diners, I won't be troubling your booking offies by either buying tickets or as a volunteer selling them. I won't be there when the last disillusioned volunteer finally quits.

Finally if you have decided I'm a boring old fart then yes you're right. I'm also fast approaching that great trainset in the sky and for the last twenty years the NYMR Historical Trust were my main beneficiary to the tune of around £650,000. - Not any more - I don't want to support your three-ring circus, your salaries or your egos. I say to the board you have lost my trust, you have lost my volunteering, you have lost my respect, you have lost my legacy and, most important you have lost the support of virtually every volunteer I've spoken to. You won't often hear a traditionalist quoting Oliver Cromwell addressing parliament in 1653 but I'll do so.

"Gentlemen, you have sat here too long.In the name of God go! "

That is incredibly strong and emotive. 

[Boris]

41 minutes ago, BoD said:

I may be being naive, thick, or both, but why on earth would he be asked to do that?

Because in 2021 and I think 2022 the NYMR only allowed prebooked travel and the management didn't want people travelling on the positioning moves for the bookable trains despite running as passenger trains, stopping at stations etc.  So rather than letting passengers buy a ticket and telling them that they may have to move seats if someone turned up with a booking for that seat passengers had to be turned away, I could understand it kind of in peak season but in low season it was crazy, trains ran empty.

 

I can vouch that "the train is full" is  what booking clerks were told to tell passengers having seen the messages myself.

 

You can imagine the hassle (to put it politely) this policy caused and most of the volunteer booking clerks left.

[Morello Cherry]

It seems to me that some senior managers at the NYMR began to believe their own hype about the NYMR and took their eyes off the ball and stopped looking and listening.

 

Given the issues at the WSR, SVR, PR, ELR (MHR, FR in the past as other example) and the NYMR it seems there is something very rotten in upper management in the preservation scene.

 

There is a general disconnect between volunteers and senior managers. In some cases we have unprofessional amateur senior managers who don't have the management or human skills to run large organisations and treat the railway as their own personal fiefdom, or managers coming in from outside who don't get the organisation and end up pissing off not just the volunteers but also other supporters.

 

*I will caveat this by saying that I know the GM of a mid length preserved line which is getting by and thus far has had no major dramas recently. The only thing that annoys them is unprofessional volunteers, but this is a small group within a larger group so I get that volunteers are not exactly an easy bunch of people.

 

One of the weirder things I've found within the railway scene is on the one hand over-deference and obsequiousness to authority 'Thank you Mr so and so' and on the other refuseniks for whom 'everyone else is an idiot apart from me', which I actually think is part of the reason why so many railways are running into problems. Cliques are always an issue.

 

John Bailey when posting on National Preservation always came across as having a condescending attitude of 'I'm the master and you are just ignorant proles'. I get the sense that the tendency of people to fawn on authority means a lack of critical voices - a lack of anyone to say 'Is this wise?' and the fact that people will storm off in a huff over the painting of an awning makes it easy for managers to dismiss and ignore criticism as 'just the usual discontent of the awkward squad - ignore it, they will still turn up on wednesday for their turn, they will still visit for the galas, they always do'. There is a lot of management group-think.

 

I think that every single case of a preserved line getting into trouble has been entirely avoidable, not once has it been unforseen, in fact in every single case there have been Cassandra voices warning which have been ignored by people who should have known better.

 

 

[adb968008]

8 hours ago, Matt37268 said:

That is incredibly strong and emotive. 

20+ years then quitting, I wouldn't expect less.

What do volunteers get for 20 years work.. nothing, this isn't redundancy or retirement, you will be forgotten in a week.

you are not paid, you have no value.

its hard to learn you are worthless and opinion counts for nothing.

That is how it is unfortunately.

 

It does worry me, where preservation is heading and is Charity models right for heritage railways ?

 

The roots of heritage lines are groups of volunteers, rallying a cause. So decisions are by like minded individuals towards a common cause.

You cant ignore in the years theres been loads of passionate discussions about competing ideals but it produced the industry that exists.

 

The problem with charities I see is it divorces those volunteers from the cause. Charities are basically businesses who can make their own decisions without accountability to the volunteers, indeed they can even get rid of the very volunteers who created the charity, or marginalise them to supporters groups.

 

Theres a lot of kudos to be had by being a charity director, so you can often see career builders taking such roles, who often lack the passion, history, dedication of the volunteer cause, but place the badge along side their external professional role to elevate themselves, and often are appointed by peers in such roles at the charity and are hard to remove and dont answer to the volunteers.  where as volunteer groups election to higher position requires group consensus of the membership, as does their easy removal.

how about this scenario…

 

1. Group of lads found a football club,

2. Rattle a tin for years, buy a pitch

3. Elect the players, captain, club admins, pay annual subs, does well, builds a stand, bar, other buildings

4. joins league, starts earning real money

5. Decided to protect the club from the risks of the league, so make an ltd for the business side of the games revenue using clubs directors.

6. Decide turning the business to a charity for tax and fundraising, turn over club assets to the charity, directors are self elected to charity rules and self governing. Club members become the supporters club.

7. Directors change strategy, appoint new board members, from ex Professional clubs, local authority, sports bodies, arts foundations and a property investor. Decide you dont need to join the supporters club to be a volunteer member of the football club.
8. The supporters Club members dont like it but cannot change it. Stress occurs, supporters club is asked to leave, and supporters club ultimately folds.

9. Charity decides to spin off a new CIO, with own directors in place. Reports trading is hard, costs high with paid staff, cannot get volunteers. CIO Agrees to sell the ltd business to those directors for £1 who form a for profit ltd. Charity closes, ltd sells the land for property development, directors cash out.

 

I’m seeing various patterns like this at preserved lines around the country, many around the 6,7,8 mark.

 

Its usually step 7 when you see the explosions of time served volunteers on the internet, who realise their life passion is for nothing and theres no influence on management for their efforts.. often resulting in major fights between the charity and the supporters club who founded it. At this point its too late.. the child is an adult and its left home for good.

 

I do think in the future we will see selected lines become owned by companies like Merlin Entertainment, others maybe become charities controlling multiple lines. For some closure, part closure, redevelopment is a possibility, and others maybe reintegrated to the network as a rail, guided bus, tramway or cycle path.

i’m not convinced railways, hospitals and aid agencies all fit well in the same corporate framework.

Edited April 3 by adb968008

[Jeremy Cumberland]

8 hours ago, Boris said:

Because in 2021 and I think 2022 the NYMR only allowed prebooked travel and the management didn't want people travelling on the positioning moves for the bookable trains despite running as passenger trains, stopping at stations etc.  So rather than letting passengers buy a ticket and telling them that they may have to move seats if someone turned up with a booking for that seat passengers had to be turned away, I could understand it kind of in peak season but in low season it was crazy, trains ran empty.

 

In 2021, the railway I volunteer on was doing full Covid cleaning between journeys, and the last thing we would have wanted was people getting up and moving about.

[rogerzilla]

GWSR has a spectacularly low ratio of paid staff to volunteers.  How do they do it?  I know it's a rich part of the country, possibly with more early retirees, but I doubt they're all interested in trains.

 

While I think there is probably much truth in the rant copied above, the sums of money involved, and the wafer-thin difference between profit and loss, mean you need to run it like a business as well as a charity.  The problem is that people get imported to run these railways for their track record in PR or fundraising, not their sector-specific knowledge.

[Nick C]

8 hours ago, Morello Cherry said:

There is a general disconnect between volunteers and senior managers. In some cases we have unprofessional amateur senior managers who don't have the management or human skills to run large organisations and treat the railway as their own personal fiefdom, or managers coming in from outside who don't get the organisation and end up pissing off not just the volunteers but also other supporters.

 

2 hours ago, rogerzilla said:

While I think there is probably much truth in the rant copied above, the sums of money involved, and the wafer-thin difference between profit and loss, mean you need to run it like a business as well as a charity.  The problem is that people get imported to run these railways for their track record in PR or fundraising, not their sector-specific knowledge.

 

It's not just railways - Mrs C used to volunteer for a local hospice in one of their charity shops. She and quite a few others quit after they spent vast amounts of money rebranding after a similar change in upper management from 'cause' people to 'fundraising' people - and going on things I've overheard, said fundraising people clearly have no idea that different markets need different approaches - they are apparently trying to turn the shops into "boutiques" - which might work in London, but has no hope in Basingstoke!

 

3 hours ago, adb968008 said:

how about this scenario…

 

1. Group of lads found a football club,

2. Rattle a tin for years, buy a pitch

3. Elect the players, captain, club admins, pay annual subs, does well, builds a stand, bar, other buildings

4. joins league, starts earning real money

5. Decided to protect the club from the risks of the league, so make an ltd for the business side of the games revenue using clubs directors.

6. Decide turning the business to a charity for tax and fundraising, turn over club assets to the charity, directors are self elected to charity rules and self governing. Club members become the supporters club.

7. Directors change strategy, appoint new board members, from ex Professional clubs, local authority, sports bodies, arts foundations and a property investor. Decide you dont need to join the supporters club to be a volunteer member of the football club.
8. The supporters Club members dont like it but cannot change it. Stress occurs, supporters club is asked to leave, and supporters club ultimately folds.

9. Charity decides to spin off a new CIO, with own directors in place. Reports trading is hard, costs high with paid staff, cannot get volunteers. CIO Agrees to sell the ltd business to those directors for £1 who form a for profit ltd. Charity closes, ltd sells the land for property development, directors cash out.

 

This is exactly what has happened to our local football club - I still haven't figured out quite how the 'local businessman' who bought the club managed to also get hold of the land, which had been given to the people of the town by the original benefactor, but of course that was all he wanted - and the fact that it has a covenant on it requiring to remain as a sporting facility for the people of the town seems to count for nothing - the stadium has been derelict for several years since he kicked the club out, and the planning application went through despite vast local opposition...

[Oldddudders]

16 minutes ago, Nick C said:

It's not just railways - Mrs C used to volunteer for a local hospice in one of their charity shops. She and quite a few others quit after they spent vast amounts of money rebranding after a similar change in upper management from 'cause' people to 'fundraising' people - and going on things I've overheard, said fundraising people clearly have no idea that different markets need different approaches - they are apparently trying to turn the shops into "boutiques" - which might work in London, but has no hope in Basingstoke!

That is sad indeed. In Torbay, Rowcroft, a leading local hospice, has several shops run by volunteers, with all the bonhomie you would hope for, but evidently has some sassy people in a back office who specialise in market segments. So folk CDs I donated after Deb died were in many cases put carefully on ebay, where the market is discerning, rather than lingering on a shop shelf on the off-chance of a sale. Professionalism has an important place in the multi-million pound charity sector, but needs to be the right sort, which this thread indicates may not be the case on every preserved railway. 

[Boris]

4 hours ago, Jeremy Cumberland said:

In 2021, the railway I volunteer on was doing full Covid cleaning between journeys, and the last thing we would have wanted was people getting up and moving about.

The Moors only cleaned down at the end of the day, despite what their publicity said.  A set would drop on lot off in Whitby at 1340 and the same set would take people out again at 1400.

Edited April 3 by Boris

[Morello Cherry]

3 hours ago, Nick C said:

 

 

It's not just railways - Mrs C used to volunteer for a local hospice in one of their charity shops. She and quite a few others quit after they spent vast amounts of money rebranding after a similar change in upper management from 'cause' people to 'fundraising' people - and going on things I've overheard, said fundraising people clearly have no idea that different markets need different approaches - they are apparently trying to turn the shops into "boutiques" - which might work in London, but has no hope in Basingstoke!

 

 

This is exactly what has happened to our local football club - I still haven't figured out quite how the 'local businessman' who bought the club managed to also get hold of the land, which had been given to the people of the town by the original benefactor, but of course that was all he wanted - and the fact that it has a covenant on it requiring to remain as a sporting facility for the people of the town seems to count for nothing - the stadium has been derelict for several years since he kicked the club out, and the planning application went through despite vast local opposition...

 

It isn't a new thing either. I used to work in council kitchens. We were a mix of paid staff and volunteers and it varied from location to location. But as the paid member of staff who dealt with the volunteers it was always interesting and a challenge. There were some volunteers who were very particular about somethings and would get very upset if things weren't how they wanted them to be, there were those who would come and do their thing week in week out and you'd never know they were there and there were others for whom volunteering was a central part of their lives.

 

At the same time there were two sources of tension - some of my fellow paid staff who were on minimum wage resented middle class volunteers and if an opportunity to make a mountain out of a molehill with a volunteer came up then you could bet your life they would take it. The second one and far worse was when one of the council officers (ie not an elected official but one of the administrators) would come down in their very expensive car (always with the expensive cars). It always struck me as to how divorced they were from reality - divorced from understanding our dependence on the volunteers to make a fairly basic social service work, and divorced from understanding the volunteers' relationships with us. Something like a minor change - let us say no more free cups of tea for volunteers because they've worked out that it could save some small amount. The policy would be passed down from above, but it would be down to the staff on the ground to enact the policy and the council officer would get in their car and drive off until their next royal visit to us. What would then happen is that people on the ground like me would get caught between angry volunteers who think they are being taken for granted, or it is punching down, and at the same time, my more antagonistic colleagues using it as a perfect excuse to pick fights with volunteers. Upshot is, loads of volunteers say I've got better things to do with my time and leave, which means we struggle to run the social service (in the end because of things like this the number of volunteers collapsed so they had to privatise the service which meant that everyone's council tax bill went up and the service is much worse than it was before).

 

Now here's the thing - I get that things have to change and this is especially true with tourism. What worked 20 years ago might not work now.  Timetables are one such example - when I was a kid, I loved that there was an early morning train, I could get up have some breakfast, walk down to the station, get the train by myself, have a train ride, get back, walk back for lunch and then do something else in the afternoon. However, now the last thing I want is an early train. It can be difficult to institute change - especially if you do it in the way in which most managements carry it out and if you have an air of simmering resentment between different groups in the organisation.

 

I forgot to include Llangollen on my list of railways that have had self inflicted problems in recent years. But the thing is that in every case it was a case of management taking their eyes off the ball and becoming obsessed with other things - the WSR and its toxic politics (have they fixed the track yet?), Llangollen and the engineering fiasco, NYMR managers who seemed to be more concerned with telling other people how to do things rather than their own infrastructure and volunteer relations. I can't think of a single line where problems blew up (except by act of god such as a landslip) where there hadn't been loud voices beforehand saying 'this is problem' and where those voices hadn't been dismissed by either management or by other volunteers dismissing them as being 'negative'.

Edited April 3 by Morello Cherry

[rogerzilla]

I just looked up the ticket pricing strategy.  That's moronic.  How many visitors will be there on holiday for a week and only want one day on the railway?  They won't come, but the locals will buy a ticket and ride ten times, generating no revenue.  Did they do a survey first, or any basic modelling?

 

SVR was giving free return trips last year but the maximum risk they took was one non-paying visit per full price ticket sold, and the free trip couldn't be used for galas.

[08221]

2 hours ago, Oldddudders said:

That is sad indeed. In Torbay, Rowcroft, a leading local hospice, has several shops run by volunteers, with all the bonhomie you would hope for, but evidently has some sassy people in a back office who specialise in market segments. So folk CDs I donated after Deb died were in many cases put carefully on ebay, where the market is discerning, rather than lingering on a shop shelf on the off-chance of a sale. Professionalism has an important place in the multi-million pound charity sector, but needs to be the right sort, which this thread indicates may not be the case on every preserved railway. 

Rowcroft were amazing when my mum passed away with cancer 2 years ago - so supportive to both my mum and my dad.

 

My sister in law says they are the poshest charity shop in Torbay!

[rogerzilla]

I believe the new General Manager is the former marketing lady featured in the TV programme.  Without getting personal, I remember there was an example of a bizarre free ticket strategy in the programme, being her idea, which almost went horribly wrong.

 

Edit: series 1, episode 2, teachers go free

Edited April 3 by rogerzilla

[JohnKS]

1 hour ago, rogerzilla said:

I just looked up the ticket pricing strategy.  That's moronic.  How many visitors will be there on holiday for a week and only want one day on the railway?  They won't come, but the locals will buy a ticket and ride ten times, generating no revenue.  Did they do a survey first, or any basic modelling?

 

SVR was giving free return trips last year but the maximum risk they took was one non-paying visit per full price ticket sold, and the free trip couldn't be used for galas.

We holidayed in Whitby twice in the last couple of years and both times have considered a ride on the NYMR, but were put off by the price of the tickets. I don’t want a ticket which is effectively an annual pass as it’s very unlikely that I’ll be back in that area within the next 12 months. I just want one day out but I’m not prepared to pay for an annual pass when I’m not able to use it because I don’t happen to live on the doorstep.

[Boris]

1 hour ago, rogerzilla said:

I believe the new General Manager is the former marketing lady featured in the TV programme.  Without getting personal, I remember there was an example of a bizarre free ticket strategy in the programme, being her idea, which almost went horribly wrong.

 

Edit: series 1, episode 2, teachers go free

She is not a nice person and has a history of ensuring anyone who disagrees with her quietly disappears, whether paid or volunteer.  They're screwed

[Wheatley]

Shorter tickets are available (from £13.50 according to the website), but are not bookable online nor are the prices displayed on the website. They aren't doing themselves any favours. 

 

"Shall we go for a ride on the train ?"

"Cool ... (looks up fares and prices).... How Much ??"

"Don't be tight"

"No, really, how much ? It doesn't say. Unless we go and actually ask them in person" 

"Sod that. Sea Life is £16 each."

"Booked". 

[rogerzilla]

It's free to sit and watch the goths in Whitby, should you be there on one of the right weekends!

 

https://www.yorkshirecoastalcottages.com/blog/whitby-goth-weekend/

 

They're the only people who bought Hornby's steampunk range.

Edited April 3 by rogerzilla

[Wheatley]

48 minutes ago, rogerzilla said:

It's free to sit and watch the goths in Whitby, should you be there on one of the right weekends!

"Daddy, why is that lady on a lead ?"

[Boris]

11 minutes ago, Wheatley said:

"Daddy, why is that lady on a lead ?"

Why are that mans keys attached to a chain that goes up his kilt?

 

That one's definitely real!

[Matt37268]

1 hour ago, rogerzilla said:

It's free to sit and watch the goths in Whitby, should you be there on one of the right weekends!

 

https://www.yorkshirecoastalcottages.com/blog/whitby-goth-weekend/

 

They're the only people who bought Hornby's steampunk range.

I don’t think anyone bought any of that tat! 😀

Edited April 3 by Matt37268

[APOLLO]

Best thing in Whitby !!

 

 

Brit15