rammergramps (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

than you for sharing it should have been protected

LMSStanier (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

At the very least he should have had the decency to at least acknowledge the letter if not reply to it. When anyone writes to their MP at the House of Commons they're duty bound to reply to it. This Government were prepared to bail out the car industry (because of all the hue and cry made by or through the media). Yes we have moved into hi-tech and service industries such as banking. But the banking has now spectacularly crashed and the Government have bailed some banks out with our money.

exilenm2 (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

What did you expect him to do? British manufacturing industry has been in decline since the 1870s - inevitably so. We could only compete with the 3rd world if we paid ourselves 3rd world wages. Instead we've moved into hi-tech and service industries - like banking. Of course there is some irony in the fact that governments around the world are now keen to subsidise the banking sector in a way they wouldn't do for manufacturing.

exilenm2 (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

It is of course not immediately obvious why a largely car-driving or bus-using general public should pay taxes so 5% of the population can travel by train. The environmental arguments used today were not really considered then. Once railways ceased to break even then they were vulnerable - look what happened in the USA where passenger rail travel almost disappeared altogether by the 70s

exilenm2 (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

presumably taffy402 doesn't live in rural France where not only trains but buses are almost non-existent. True, France has TGVs and good services between large towns and around Paris but anywhere else .... you need a taxi. If you can find a taxi outside office hourse which can also be difficult. The country which HAS got public transport sorted is Germany. The smallest village will have either a train or regular bus service.

taffy402 (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

Looking to the future a bit, I lived in France for many years,their rail system both TGV and national S.N.C.F are fast clean and modern. The intercity fares are reasonable and the local trains where I lived are cheap and frequent. So why is it WE can't get the same service. The reason is the French government see the advantages of a good rail system and are willing to pay for it. Maybe its time to have a management in charge of the rail system who are from the industry them selves

taffy402 (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

Macmillan put Marples in charge of transport,he owned a road building company building motorways. Marples then employed beeching to streamline the railways and make them pay. Macmillan Wilson and Heath all put their knives into the railway network. Even today in some areas like Mid Wales the South West and many other areas its hard to get about now there's no trains. It was lunacy. The same bunch of idiots also saw the end of the aircraft industry as it was. Remember the TSR2.

157657 (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

Oh my Goodness!

JamesTheEdge14 (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

Thats terrible.... A bet loads of men died to build that. wa a bunch of high rise 1960s twitts.... ad rather have that, than a 1960s eye sore.

pompyhelen (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

that looks victorian as well surely it shud have been listed?