Post by Railway Trains on Jun 29, 2013 13:15:44 GMT -5
I here copy a message that I have just sent to the Bluebell Railway chat group. As I am not sure if it will be permitted on there I reproduce it here. In my opinion the Bluebell has now come out of the closet as a business, plain and simple.
Perhaps it is now time for the membership to vote with their feet and thoughts of a day of (in)action come to mind.
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If it was not obvious to members until now then it is today 100% clear that the Bluebell is no longer any sort of society or friendly group of like minded people but is a business with a management who do as they wish without consultation and without thinking that they SHOULD ask first, and perhaps without thinking what might be the long term result of their decisions.
I do wonder if this management really understand that if it were not for the members who give freely of their time there would not be a Bluebell Railway. The finances simply do not add up without this free labour. Yes a few people would happily pay to work on the railway but not enough volunteers EVERY day and it’s a different matter when cover is required all day and evening EVERY day in the summer.
Upset the members enough and even the most dedicated may take a sickie in protest with the possibility of insufficient staff to safely open the line.
I was going to visit today but when I heard the tooting and looked on line voted with my feet and visited another railway instead. OK as I am a member I would have only spent a few GBP but I can’t think of any other way to protest.
Incidentally you will have noticed that after many months my messages are still on moderation because I have in the past dared to say what I thought and not toed the line, once according to those who placed themselves in “authority” I overstepped the mark, so it will be interesting to see if this message is allowed through the net.
A sad, sad day that may have repercussions for many years to come.
Robert
Perhaps it is now time for the membership to vote with their feet and thoughts of a day of (in)action come to mind.
##############################
If it was not obvious to members until now then it is today 100% clear that the Bluebell is no longer any sort of society or friendly group of like minded people but is a business with a management who do as they wish without consultation and without thinking that they SHOULD ask first, and perhaps without thinking what might be the long term result of their decisions.
I do wonder if this management really understand that if it were not for the members who give freely of their time there would not be a Bluebell Railway. The finances simply do not add up without this free labour. Yes a few people would happily pay to work on the railway but not enough volunteers EVERY day and it’s a different matter when cover is required all day and evening EVERY day in the summer.
Upset the members enough and even the most dedicated may take a sickie in protest with the possibility of insufficient staff to safely open the line.
I was going to visit today but when I heard the tooting and looked on line voted with my feet and visited another railway instead. OK as I am a member I would have only spent a few GBP but I can’t think of any other way to protest.
Incidentally you will have noticed that after many months my messages are still on moderation because I have in the past dared to say what I thought and not toed the line, once according to those who placed themselves in “authority” I overstepped the mark, so it will be interesting to see if this message is allowed through the net.
A sad, sad day that may have repercussions for many years to come.
Robert
