at the grand re-opening of pontrilas railway station

sad news.

it's a NO.

there will be no grand re-opening of pontrilas railway station

this is a pity because it would certainly be very useful to horsemouth (instead of getting out at abergavenny or at hereford and having to get the bus, or get someone to come and collect him in the car, he could get out at pontrilas (and probably walk, or get someone to come a short distance to collect him). and it would certainly have a big impact on the area (though as horsemouth tends to argue with these sorts of projects it would not improve things for everybody)

'coun(cillor) price replied he had concluded that the project “offers poor value for money as, should it be built, it is likely that the scheme will not create additional capacity but will simply transfer journeys from other stations or the bus network”.' 

yes. but surely that applies to any new stop on an existing line. it's not exactly 'build it and they will come' is it?

it's ok. horsemouth had no great faith in them making it happen. he doesn't see the scale of the economic benefit (sticking hay on a railway line on the other hand...). 

instead there seem to be plans afoot to open a hereford parkway out by the hereford skylon park enterprise zone and to have a service to and  from birmingham there. but even there they can't make the sums add up. 

once again the money seems to have run out for infrastructure outside london. 

so why the sudden change of heart? 

even down here in herefordshire people are capable of learning the lessons of rishi sunak's dallying over HS2. everything was fine at the fat controller's meeting until the cheque came (with a fortune cookie) and now the tension, apprehension and dissension have begun. this seems to be a hill sunak is prepared to die upon (that and potholes in your roads to misquote de la soul).

sunak's mandate has become a bone of contention once again. his mandate (by historical accident) does not  derive from being elected by the electorate at an election. but, in any event, prime ministers are not elected by the electorate as a whole, the MPs of their parties are elected). nor does it derive  from adherence to the manifesto that whichever PM last elected was elected on (as if it were some kind of enforceable contract). rather his mandate derives  directly from the unwillingness of tory MPs to call a leadership election or vote against their own party in a vote of confidence. 

where is sunak now? 

he looks strong if he stops HS2 and weak if he doesn't.  (maybe he is only doing this so he can look sensible). the way it's going they'll probably depose him and re-instate liz truss. they have thrown so many u-turns they don't know which way is up anymore. they've become overtired. time for bed says zebidee. 

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and so to horsemouth's readings.

norman douglas's old calabria continues to go well. he certainly knows his calabrian historians. here we find, that successor to barrius, the historian, humanist and priest girolamo marafioti. unfortunately the critic soria (at least according to norman douglas) is not impressed by his referencing (or at least not for the right reasons).

'to make his shop appear more rich in foreign merchandise, he did not scruple to adorn it with books and authors apocryphal, imaginary, and unknown to the whole human race.'

here horsemouth shows you one of the last d n'b tunes horsemouth was really keen on, together by logistics. grooverider would often open with it at grace.

today horsemouth is involved in some bollocks with the car. there doesn't seem to be a proper plan. who knows maybe they will end up getting the bus.