BR ownership

The Hammersmith branch (from Green Lane Junction just east of Westbourne Park station) came into the control of the Underground in 1948, but Royal Oak remained in BR ownership until 1970, despite GWR trains ceasing to call there in 1934.

Tube passenger numbers

Epping's long-term increase in passengers is probably explained by the fares policy, which puts it in Zone 6 whereas all the neighbouring stations on the Bishops Stortford line are way outside the Zones. Which is why Epping has a big problem with car parking capacity.

Marylebone is interesting, because although it has indeed seen a resurgence since Chiltern Rail took over 20-odd years ago, 1951 was before the Great Central line started to be run down in the first place. It would be interesting to see its figures for c1984.

Cathedrals

Lincoln is officially a Minster as well, although most people call it a cathedral.

Leeds is by no means no means the only city with a Catholic cathedral but no Protestant - see e.g Brentwood, Nottingham, Salford and Westminster.

Guildford is my least favourite - it looks like a power station, and being out of town you rarely get congregations of more than half a dozen. It is, however, the only one in which I have been the cantor.

My life story

Having walked both Offa's Dyke and the Pennine Way, which follow the borders between England and Wales, and England and Scotland, I couldn't possibly guess how many times I have been to the three nations on the mainland of Great Britain.

I have been to the Channel islands three times, visiting five of them in total. (technically there are two dependencies, Jersey being governed separately from the rest). Also been the Isle of Man and Northern Ireland, but the Republic is one of ten EU countries I have yet to visit. (the others are the Baltic States, Denmark, Finland, Croatia, Poland, Bulgaria, Cyprus and Czechia (although I was there when it was still part of Czechoslovakia). I haven't kept a tally of those I have visited though.

I visited both Slovenia and Slovakia both when they were respectively part of Yugoslavia and Czechoslovakia, and again after independence, so I'm not sure how to count them.

Outside the EU I have been to Russia, Ukraine (2) and Moldova (when they were all still part of the Soviet Union), Turkey (2), Egypt, Morocco, Switzerland (6) and Liechtenstein (but only passing through non-stop on the train)

M&S food

In 1984, M&S had already been selling food for more than fifty years.

The Cotswold line

The Cotswold line is a slow cross country service, albeit run as an extension of the London Oxford line. It is quicker (less than three hours) to go to Hereford via Newport.

That said, five direct trains a day from London is a luxury some county towns/cathedral cities can only dream of.

Newhaven Marine

The sophistry around what is needed to keep a line open is beyond comprehension. I guess in this case the diversion of the train is permitted because of work on the line (just as it would be if any other line is being worked on) And they are running a passenger service to Marine that anyone with a valid ticket could use. But there are no such tickets at present because issue of such tickets has been suspended because the station is closed for safety reasons.