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Also the loss of revenue from motor fuel duty, with fewer car jouneys being made (Yes, seriously! I have seen this given as one of the reasons for not reinstating the Lewes - Uckfield route)

Two things: first, why did the trucker try to drive onto the crossing with the lights flashing and the barriers dropping? Secondly, the time and distance it took the train to stop from speed (had the engineer already put the brake in when he saw the obstruction)? They certainly like their train horns in the USA!

Except that the hypothetical worst case scenario happened. You don't think it a good idea to investigate why, so that prventive measures can be taken to prevent a re - occurrence? Speaking as a non - railway person.

Agreed, but should it happen all the time?

Happens all the time near our house. We have a situation where two residential streets go into a sort of approach road from the main through road. It forms the stalk of a 'T' with them both. I have, on a number of occasions, watched cars turning right onto the stalk either completely on the wrong side of the road (with no cars coming the other way - can no - one turn right properly?), swerving to get back into the correct lane when they see me approaching either junction, beckoning me out when I'm turning right at either junction, or looking nonplussed when I just exercise my right of way when turning right.

Yes, it seems more and more that our PM was showing some "Leadership"!

The other one I read was the first of the Rape series. I just couldn't remember the title (50 - odd years ago)

Years ago, I read a book called The Fire People by Alexander Cordell, about those working for Crawshay and Guest, and ending, IIRC with the hanging of the leader of an uprising; and another by him which ended with the Newport Rising.

I think the ambition is still there for a green plan; I think Labour have balked at putting a figure on the amount to be spent, so as not to give ammunition to the other side. I wish they'd stop worrying what commentators will say and be a bit bolder in their aspirations.

The point I was making was this; your 31 million people are those that pay income tax, but as I have pointed out above, that isn't the only tax that people pay, also there are quite a few adults that don't pay any tax at all; the discrepancy between the numbers on the voting register and those paying income tax shows that. VAT, on most goods to which it applies forms 16.6666.....% of the cost of purchase; 60 - 70% of the cost of motor fuel is tax.

Same old mistake of just taking income tax as "tax"; there are about 40, million people who able to vote (650 seats x average electorate of 62,000). Presumably they all buy VAT - registered goods, or some like alcoholic drinks, or smoke, or fill their vehicles with fuel, on which large amounts of other taxes are paid. Your cost may not be even that high!

You have to go back at least 30 years before the end of WW2 to find the start of the decline of the UK.

Yet!

Are there no "Express" - type shops near you? I have a small Coop, several other shops, a post office, a pharmacy, several fast food outlets, a vet, all four remaining local pubs, the railway station and several beauty salons within about 15 minutes walk, although I don't use the latter😁. The local town centre is only just outside these limits. I have walked to football matches, about 30 minutes on largely traffic - free routes, several times; I would say that not driving there is the norm. For context, I am 71 years old in May, slightly overweight, and with slightly raised blood pressure

Do you have a (non tinfoil hat conspiraloon) source for that?

Cars only became really "affordable" in the UK in the early 1950s, about 50 years after the first reliable types took to the roads. Even then, without adequate fast roads, motor travel could be a toil; I can well remember it taking all day to travel from March to Dundee by road in 1963.

Or electric - powered or pedal assist bicycles and tricycles, for short journeys at least. I'm already seeing cargo bikes in major cities. On 15 - minute cities; can anyone tell me the problem with having all the main requirements for civilised life with 15 minutes, either walking or other active travel means? There are too many cars on the road; too much space in towns and cities is given over to car parks. And so on.

Not to mention the need to demolish structures built on the old formation, and to evict two preserved railways!

Given the way that the project has been kneecapped by two of the last three governments (the second didn't get a chance, it only lasted 49 days), should that really be a surprise?

Part of that is surely that MSM operators are now "embedded" with the force they are reporting from, and are only able to report on that which they are allowed to see, or be told about via a press release. The hundred - odd journalists killed in Gaza are doing the world a favour.

Whjat sort of tonnage are those bunker barges?

I take it that the reinstated lines are going through the cutting where the digger is, rather than on the other side of the station?

The top one looks like a 4 - 6 - 0 to me; is the ashpan behind the rear coupled wheels?

The idea of the Parliamentary Train lingered on among railway workers; immediately after the first collision at Quintinshill (May 1915) one of the signalmaen inquired of the other " What's happened ?"; to which the other replied "My God Jimmy, you've got the Parly standing there" (according to LTC Rolt, anyway).

Bears repeating, again and again; the price of everything and the value of nothing. It's not confined only to public bodies, either. You'd be surprised at how many private bodies, when putting capital projects out to tender, only look at the installation costs, rather than those over the whole life of the installation.