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Planning to take a train to Penzance any time soon?


nomoss
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In our part of Burgundy, many of the former railways have been converted into Voies Vertes, and you can cycle, skateboard, walk or run safely on them.

It can make a really pleasant day out cycling between the small villages, until you find one big enough to have a restaurant where you can have lunch before cycling back.

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We have one of those not half a kilometre from our house in CM.

I love it as the scenery changes with the seasons and it's also extremely well maintained.

Had some friends who lived right on the voie verte, in one of those little crossing cottages which used to be inhabited by the crossing guard (or apparently, quite commonly occupied by the guard's widow!).  Alas, they have both now departed this life and I now avoid the voie as I so associate  it with our friends that it makes me sad when I am on it.

Don't they say, never look back? 

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[quote user="richard51"]Betty, I suggest you remove the advert for your blog then

[/quote]

Ah, you've finally twigged that THAT is where you might have read it! In which case you will recall that there's nothing about any bridges... So, perhaps an apology for your rudeness might be in order now?

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Salty Sam - I did not intentionally mean to trivialise businesses going under. My intention was to say that fields are an asset that will recover and should not be given priority. The term going under was a rather poor attempt at a play on words.

Betty - Sarcastic and aggressive comments do tend to lead to automatic aggressive responses. Given the plethora of trivia going in and out of my head in a long period of time I think that my recollections were really quite accurate. A bridge is "a structure built to span physical objects such as a body of water for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle". This does fit with a cable car over the Thames. On re-reading the article which contained the reference to the bridge and also refers to your visit to the neighbours, you being republican  and not getting served with a drop of sherry, I can see why my lasting, subliminal memory was that there was an element of bragging.

You should really see the irony of putting me down with a line telling me that you don't share personal information and then, on the very next line, you advertise your personal blog.

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Meanwhile back on the original subject, it was reported on the evening news tonight that because of new flooding on the Somerset levels and an earth slip near Crewkerne all railway lines to Exeter are now closed. No date now set for when they will be restored.
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[quote user="richard51"]

Betty - Sarcastic and aggressive comments do tend to lead to automatic aggressive responses. Given the plethora of trivia going in and out of my head in a long period of time I think that my recollections were really quite accurate. A bridge is "a structure built to span physical objects such as a body of water for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle". This does fit with a cable car over the Thames. On re-reading the article which contained the reference to the bridge and also refers to your visit to the neighbours, you being republican  and not getting served with a drop of sherry, I can see why my lasting, subliminal memory was that there was an element of bragging.

You should really see the irony of putting me down with a line telling me that you don't share personal information and then, on the very next line, you advertise your personal blog.

[/quote]

So, that's your apology, then, is it? Perhaps I should ask my OH to "educate" you as to the fundamental and fairly obvious structural and engineering differences between a cable car and a bridge....And, as an aside, it's probably the worst example you could possibly have drawn on to demonstrate your argument, given that it was pretty much a vanity project by Boris and is the most expensive cable car ever built (apparently).

And I apologise unreservedly to you for your perception that I "brag". Anyone who knows me will realise that it's neither my style nor my nature to do so. But, hey...perception is reality, eh?

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As there is talk about having to move the line inland and the old closed down line has been mentioned as a cost effective answer to by-pass Dawlish  .

I had t look to see what happened to the old stations  and found this        http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/25932-teign-valley-line-research/

The links show photos of how the line looked when in use

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Is it me or are the Somerset levels called that because they are, well, level ie flat. Since prehistoric times they have, I understand, been only farmed in the summer as, in winter, they flooded. If they are level, then dredging rivers will not significantly increase the flow rate as the slope down to the sea will not increase. I suppose you could dredge them deep enough so that the sea floods back into the land? Am I missing something obvious.

Oh and why can you not open the lock gates at Teddington at low tide and let the flooded Thames river flow out to sea? (as at Mt St Michel)
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Lehaut, the levels are, AFAIK,  reclaimed land.  There are drainage ditches called rynes (spelling might not be correct) which are everywhere.

Because of the flat nature of the land, the rivers are slow-flowing (therefore not self-cleansing) and are clogged with silt.  So, you are perfectly right that dredging the rivers will not significantly improve matters.  Well, it might increase the flow for a few weeks and then the silt will build up again.  As the soil is clay (dried up silt) in nature, the nature of the land itself is not porous and does not drain well.  It is not a cost-effective thing to do.

Might be better to accept that there will be floods and perhaps have a fund to help people living there to restore their properties and not allow new building for habitation.

OH did a calculation this morning, after watching the news, and worked out that on a 100 acre farm (small, in other words), with just one inch of rain, there is 6000 cubic feet of water per minute!

Sometimes you do wonder why human beings seem to think that they can "tame" nature in some way and that there is always a solution (oops, sorry about the unintended pun) to be found. 

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Lehaut...here's a little picture that might help you understand the answer to your last question

[url]http://www.ph.ucla.edu/epi/snow/teddington_satellite.htm[/url]

Teddington lock is but a pimple on the bum of the problem or the solution. The Thames between our village and Teddington - about 40 Km of river in terms of distance - is, to quote the Environment Agency, "The largest area of undefended floodplain in England" (with apologies to the Somerset levels...) so I guess it it had just been a simple matter of opening Teddington lock, someone would have thought of that by now [:D]

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The Thames is constantly monitored for flow rate and the sluices are opened and shut to control it.  They were when I had a boat and paid my bit to put it in the Thames at Reading many years ago . .

The Thames barrier also comes into the calculation  re tidal surge .... I don't think its just a question of opening the locks and letting it all rip through into London.... I imagine the cost of London being flooded and saying goodbye to the underground system  has a lot to do with how the Thames is controlled and how flood water is held back  ...It is small change the payouts for flooded houses up stream  if it  prevents the City of London  being flooded .

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Sweet 17

And on that basis, much of the Netherlands should be left to go under water since drainage is long term not possible.

What is missing is not the ability to do something, just the will. Whether it is cost effective may in part be the reason why there is no will.

At some stage the metropolis centric UK population are going to realise that their food does not grow in Tesco. Probably 3 weeks after they decide they do not need to stay in the EU!!

Anyway one thing we can thank the EU for is that they refused to give Cheddar cheese an AOC - if they had there would be more than a few unhappy punters on this forum for one. Most of the genuine cheddar comes from cattle kept on the levels.
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[quote user="sweet 17"]

Lehaut, the levels are, AFAIK,  reclaimed land.  There are drainage ditches called rynes (spelling might not be correct) which are everywhere.

Because of the flat nature of the land, the rivers are slow-flowing (therefore not self-cleansing) and are clogged with silt.  So, you are perfectly right that dredging the rivers will not significantly improve matters.  Well, it might increase the flow for a few weeks and then the silt will build up again.  As the soil is clay (dried up silt) in nature, the nature of the land itself is not porous and does not drain well.  It is not a cost-effective thing to do.

Might be better to accept that there will be floods and perhaps have a fund to help people living there to restore their properties and not allow new building for habitation.

OH did a calculation this morning, after watching the news, and worked out that on a 100 acre farm (small, in other words), with just one inch of rain, there is 6000 cubic feet of water per minute!

Sometimes you do wonder why human beings seem to think that they can "tame" nature in some way and that there is always a solution (oops, sorry about the unintended pun) to be found. 

[/quote]

According to the lady on the politics show , centuries ago monks managed to maintain the levels...you really would have thought that modern man could come up with a solution to offset all the environmental changes that have been made.
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[quote user="Russethouse"]According to the lady on the politics show , centuries ago monks managed to maintain the levels...you really would have thought that modern man could come up with a solution to offset all the environmental changes that have been made.[/quote]

Noticed this in the Sunday Times which just about sums it up nicely;

"so they didn't strengthen the rail link in Dawlish because of a

wildlife survey. They wouldn't dredge the levels because of the

environment, they let thousands of cows die to save a few badgers, all

our rivers are blocked because we are not allowed to clear them.

Let's be clear Politicians, RSPCA, friends of the earth, RSPB and

environmentalists, YOU are the problem!! LEAVE farmers and country folk

to sort out the country like we have done for years!! When you have made

your cities (and London is an excellent example) something better than

the mess they are in, then we may believe your opinions are worth

listening too!!."

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Andy, I can't comment on Holland because I don't know anything about it.

I do know a bit about the Somerset levels, having lived in Taunton for some years and having even owned 2 houses there.  No more family there, however, and friends I have contacted have not experienced difficulties where they live.

I hear what you say about having the will.  I daresay that, in Holland, they have to get on with it as much of their country is below sea level and they have the money, the economic imperative and therefore the political will to do something.

Somerset, OTOH, is a bit of a backwater (by UK standards) and is utterly charming though perhaps not judged by the standards of industry, money-generating, job-creating, etc. etc that the government seems to be all about.

The Somerset wetlands are, I believe, one of the few remaining self-sustaining wetland areas in Europe.  There is wildlife unique to the area, yes, so Salty Sam, it MIGHT just be worth preserving?  Then there is the willow growing industry, also a dying area of activity.  Where would cricket bats and hot-air balloon baskets come from, I ask you?[:P]

If Gengulphus sees this and cares to comment, I am sure he would have some very interesting things to tell us as his experience would exceed mine by hundreds of years![:D]

RH, it's all very well talking about monks but I daresay they were far fewer in numbers than the present day population and they could allow vast tracts of land to be under water for long periods of time.  We are, after all, the victims of our own success in reproducing ourselves and in wresting a living out of inhospitable territories.  

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[quote user="You can call me Betty"]Lehaut...here's a little picture that might help you understand the answer to your last question
[url]http://www.ph.ucla.edu/epi/snow/teddington_satellite.htm[/url]

Teddington lock is but a pimple on the bum of the problem or the solution. The Thames between our village and Teddington - about 40 Km of river in terms of distance - is, to quote the Environment Agency, "The largest area of undefended floodplain in England" (with apologies to the Somerset levels...) so I guess it it had just been a simple matter of opening Teddington lock, someone would have thought of that by now [:D]
[/quote]

Anyone around your way screaming for the Thames to be dredged, Betty?

 

 

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RH, it's all very well talking about monks but I daresay they were far fewer in numbers than the present day population and they could allow vast tracts of land to be underwater for long periods of time.  We are, after all, the victims of our own success in reproducing ourselves and in wresting a living out of inhospitable territories.  


 But technology has also come on somewhat...obviously not enough !

Here abouts there is the rehash of a battle between South Oxfordshire and Berkshire over a route that frequently floods as it is causing chaos in Henley and Reading, additionally the closure of the road through Wargrave is making queues of several miles on the alternative route.

People in Wraysbury and Cookham are not very happy as in both places they feel the Jubilee flood relief scheme to save Maidenhead has adversely affected both places

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[quote user="Salty Sam"][quote user="Russethouse"]According to the lady on the politics show , centuries ago monks managed to maintain the levels...you really would have thought that modern man could come up with a solution to offset all the environmental changes that have been made.[/quote]

Noticed this in the Sunday Times which just about sums it up nicely;

"so they didn't strengthen the rail link in Dawlish because of a

wildlife survey. They wouldn't dredge the levels because of the

environment, they let thousands of cows die to save a few badgers, all

our rivers are blocked because we are not allowed to clear them.

Let's be clear Politicians, RSPCA, friends of the earth, RSPB and

environmentalists, YOU are the problem!! LEAVE farmers and country folk

to sort out the country like we have done for years!! When you have made

your cities (and London is an excellent example) something better than

the mess they are in, then we may believe your opinions are worth

listening too!!."

[/quote]

This might be worth listening to as well:

http://www.sciencemediacentre.org/expert-reaction-to-somerset-flooding/

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Norman,

interesting though the experts * in your link may be they seem to have as much knowledge of Holland (2 provinces of the Netherlands) as does Sweet17.

Lack of hydraulic gradient may be a problem, but the Dutch have solved negative gradients. Or put another way - environmental agency sphericals.
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[quote user="NormanH"]
Lack of hydraulic gradient may be a problem, but the Dutch have solved negative gradients

I doubt that that was by dredging.[:)]
[/quote]

Give up, Norman. Logic, knowledge, and expertise can't win these days.

Thanks for your informative and enlightening posts.

 

 

Jeremiah, 5:21

Which, for the benefit of anyone not understanding, (previously some have been puzzled by biblical references, which given the apparent educational level of some here doesn't really surprise me) refers to a verse in the book commonly known in England as "The Holy Bible" - the Jewish bit.

 

 

 

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[quote user="nomoss"]

[quote user="You can call me Betty"]Lehaut...here's a little picture that might help you understand the answer to your last question

[url]http://www.ph.ucla.edu/epi/snow/teddington_satellite.htm[/url]

Teddington lock is but a pimple on the bum of the problem or the solution. The Thames between our village and Teddington - about 40 Km of river in terms of distance - is, to quote the Environment Agency, "The largest area of undefended floodplain in England" (with apologies to the Somerset levels...) so I guess it it had just been a simple matter of opening Teddington lock, someone would have thought of that by now [:D]

[/quote]

Anyone around your way screaming for the Thames to be dredged, Betty?

 

[/quote]

They DID dredge a bit just upriver of us a couple of years ago. It was for her in the big house across the way to have an archimedes screw fitted so they could harness a bit of the river to provide off-grid power to said big house. She's probably generated enough leccy since Christmas to light up the whole of Berkshire for months..[:D] Otherwise, seriously, NO.

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