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For 2023 (and 2024 ...) - we are now fully retired from IT training.
We have made many, many friends over 25 years of teaching about Python, Tcl, Perl, PHP, Lua, Java, C and C++ - and MySQL, Linux and Solaris/SunOS too. Our training notes are now very much out of date, but due to upward compatability most of our examples remain operational and even relevant ad you are welcome to make us if them "as seen" and at your own risk.

Lisa and I (Graham) now live in what was our training centre in Melksham - happy to meet with former delegates here - but do check ahead before coming round. We are far from inactive - rather, enjoying the times that we are retired but still healthy enough in mind and body to be active!

I am also active in many other area and still look after a lot of web sites - you can find an index ((here))
Busy day in Melksham

Yesterday, Chris Graying MP (shadow transport minister) and Michael Ancram QC MP (our local member) visited Melksham ... and specifically Melksham Station. Regular readers will know that our service is under threat of severe curtailment in December, and Chris and Michael came to support us and the campaign that's hosted on our web space at www.savethetrain.org.uk.

\"Chris

From Left - Chris Grayling, Michael Ancram, Graham Ellis, Margaret White (Mayor of Melksham)


Many, many others present too Superb interaction / discussion. VERY impressed by the MPs; clearly both very well prepared and knew their stuff. Cutting a long story short, everyone was in agreement that the proposed cut decision is flawed and daft. Swindon - Melksham - Southampton is a success story, with rapid traffic growth since this 5-a-day service replaced the 2-a-day service we had until 2001; ticket sales up 8 fold according to the office of the rail regulator, passenger now 32 per train according to figures supplied by First, the current operator.

Reasons / thoughts / actions discussed (that information appearing in detail on the "train site" over the next few days), but hinging largely on the Department for Transport trying to save money on smaller services while Network Rail runs away asking for billions for grandious schemes. The tragedy is that it would "only" cost 5 million to reverse ALL the cuts in the South West, insignificant beside the 28 Billion that Network Rail is now asking for. And the cuts are a short term expedient; as traffic grows, as it would IF the 5-a-day or 2-hourly service was provided, the economics of the service mean that it would end up carrying more and more passengers, for less and less subsidy. Without the trains, you're displacing 109,000 journeys per year to the car, to other "dogleg" routes with awkward changes at Bath, and to the local bus that doesn't even go where people want to go (Swindon, Salisbury, Southampton), nor even go to the station in Chippenham.

I swung by the station this morning just before the 09:15 to Southampton called. About a dozen people waiting, some with suitcases as if on a longer journey. Others with pushchair and kids in tow - perhaps going for a day out at the seaside? What a tragedy it would be if this is the last summer this can be done.
(written 2006-07-08, updated 2006-07-10)

 
Associated topics are indexed as below, or enter http://melksh.am/nnnn for individual articles
G101 - Well House Consultants - Getting to and from Melksham
  [40] Take the train to training - (2004-09-06)
  [154] Railway train service, Melksham station - (2004-12-17)
  [187] a popular bus number - (2005-01-23)
  [413] Save the train - (2005-08-13)
  [486] Rail services under threat - Swindon, Melksham ... and Newquay and Bicester too - (2005-11-05)
  [538] A company we can work with - (2005-12-23)
  [606] Train service from December - (2006-02-14)
  [715] First way to get rid of customers - (2006-05-09)
  [790] Shadow Transport Minister to visit Melksham - (2006-07-02)
  [814] Melksham Railway Calendar 2007 - (2006-07-25)
  [856] The train returns for a few weeks - (2006-09-05)
  [952] Coming from London to Melksham by train for a course - (2006-11-28)
  [1085] Lawrence Webb's Melksham Taxi service - (2007-02-18)
  [1428] Travel Across Wiltshire - the game - (2007-11-11)
  [1511] Buses from Well House Manor, Melksham, to Bath - (2008-01-18)
  [1567] Melksham - Swindon. Train v Bus v Car - (2008-03-07)
  [1594] Please support improvements in our train service - (2008-03-28)
  [1723] Bath - Melksham - Devizes. Bus route changes, new timetable - (2008-07-26)
  [1802] Motorcycles welcome at Well House Manor - (2008-09-19)
  [1997] Travelling to a course - station pickups - (2009-01-16)
  [2057] Train and Coach fares from London (and airports) to Melksham - (2009-02-26)
  [2367] Learning to program - how to jump the first hurdles - (2009-08-20)
  [2493] Melksham buses to/from Chippenham, Trowbridge, Bath, Devizes, London - (2009-11-05)
  [2634] London to and from Melksham by public transport - (2010-02-13)
  [2789] Melksham to London (Heathrow, and Central London) - (2010-06-02)
  [2791] Bath to Melksham buses - times - (2010-06-03)
  [3276] International travel to the UK - coming to Melksham - (2011-05-03)
  [3751] Public transport for international arrivals into Melksham - (2012-06-04)
  [3752] Melksham Visitors Map - Bus routes and train lines to and from the town - (2012-06-04)
  [4168] Travelling to and from courses - much easier from December 2013 - (2013-09-08)
  [4701] Pretty at the station too - (2016-07-06)


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The case for exceptions
References and Pointers in C++
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Busy day in Melksham
Remember a site's non-technical issues too
Perl delegate - much more than just a delegate
The Wilts and Berks Canal
Is Java the right language to learn?
Strange housewarming
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This is a page archived from The Horse's Mouth at http://www.wellho.net/horse/ - the diary and writings of Graham Ellis. Every attempt was made to provide current information at the time the page was written, but things do move forward in our business - new software releases, price changes, new techniques. Please check back via our main site for current courses, prices, versions, etc - any mention of a price in "The Horse's Mouth" cannot be taken as an offer to supply at that price.

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