Saturday Variety

Massive Minor Mayoral Mistake?

fbb has fond memories of the Mayor of Toytown, oft frustrated by the burdens of office and by Larry the Lamb. But he did wear a silly hat and a large gold necklace! Likewise the Mayor of Trumpton.

Oft accompanied by his obsequious Town Clerk, he oversaw the efforts of the town's fire brigade. 

Three cheers for Captain Flack and his well known team, Pugh, Pugh, Barney McGrew, Cuthbert, Dibble and Grub.

In view if this incontrovertible historic evidence, we find it difficult to come to terms with modern Mayorality ...

... and no silly hat!

But Kimbo has a problem ...

... someone's got their sums wrong. Now, to fbb's simple pea-like brain, just mislaying a modest one hundred million smackers seems (a) a lot of money, and (b) gross incompetence.

But not to our Kim, oh, no.

Whooops; they forgot that they would need to pay "the lads" (and lasses!) for driving the buses.

But what is £100 million between friends?

Nice to know, isn't it, that a mere hundred million sovs of lost money will make no difference; and the plan still "represents good value for money".

You Thought You Understood!

We all thought that the Welsh Government had already taken over all the trains in the Principality. Apparently the takeover is incomplete but the articles don't seem to explain why.

fbb thinks it is to do with (a) who pays the big bills and (b) who provides the money.

Ideally, the Waled Senedd wants to sign all the cheques but would very much like the UK government to provide more of the money or even all of the money. Quite how that fits with "devolution" is unclear.

More Devolution

Steve (Mayor Rotherham) intends to own and run his yellow trains.

Quite how this all fits with Great British Railways is equally unclear. May be the railways will be neither Great not British.

But GBR  seems to be happening ...

Great British Greater Anglia!

This time Heidi has sent her assistant to cut the tape.

Sir Peter Hendy did the business at the launch.

Also at the launch, somebody asked the Anglia MD the obvious but tricky question.

"Will GBR bring us all reduced fares?"

The answer from boss Jamie Burles says ...

... "No it won't!"

Livery Delivery

We tend to forger that Britain's railways alread has a red, white and blue livery. Here are some examples on real locos ...

... and in a couple of "traditional" carriages in model form.

Smart, innit?.

But with the richer blue as launched by Peter; and a broader white boundary between windows and body side, it would look Great, British and far more Railway than the zig zaggery currently proposed.

You could easily find room for an accurate Union Flag depending on window position.

Come on Peter and Heidi, make it look like a train!

 Nexr Variety blog : Sunday 19th July