On Feb 26, 10:08 am, "Joe Patrick"
wrote:
Given that London is a major international tourist destination, and
having noticed many tourists staring in bewilderment at the line
diagrams in the trains, I think it's likely that many passengers do
appreciate being told the next station name in advance. There are many
examples of over-provision in announcements, but this isn't one of them.

But if you're going somewhere, do you just get on a train and hope
someone will announce where you've got to get off? Whenever I've been
somewhere I've researched in a guide book or online to find the
nearest station. It's rather like announcing where you can change for
other lines, surely you'd plan your journey beforehand and work out
yourself where you've got to change.



Or, looking at it another way, if you didn't know where any of the
lines went without an announcement, it wouldn't be any use to be told
that you could change to one of them, because you wouldn't know if it
took you where you wanted to go.

I can't see any point in any of the announcements, apart from the ones
reminding you that the next station is closed and other variations
from the published service.

Another thought is that if the people who are presumed to most need
the announcements are foreign tourists, a muffled announcement of a
station name that they possibly don't know how to pronounce is useless
anyway. When I'm in a foreign city, even one where I can use school
French, I find announcements completely useless and have to rely on
diagrams. Even if I can make out the station name, I don't know what
they are saying about it.

On Feb 26, 3:42 am, "John Rowland"
wrote:
wrote:

(a) the new name for the Imperial War Museum

National War Museum...

and (b) the replacement for the Order of the British Empire?

Order of the British Nation.

I was so busy pontificating I forgot to answer Marc's question (maybe
I should go into politics). OBN sounds ok to me. Order of British
Excellence was also suggested by a parliamentary select committee in
2004. Alternatively why not widen the membership of some of the
various other archaic Orders (Order of Merit, Order of St. George, the
Psychedelic Garter etc) which have been traditionally reserved for
small numbers of the aristocracy & military? People might complain
that "it isn't the same" - but that is the point.

On 26 Feb, 03:42, "John Rowland"
wrote:
wrote:

(a) the new name for the Imperial War Museum

National War Museum...

and (b) the replacement for the Order of the British Empire?

Order of the British Nation.

Shurely "Order of the Brown Nose"?

James.

On 25 Feb, 21:43, " wrote:
So what would you choose as (a) the new name for the Imperial War
Museum and (b) the replacement for the Order of the British Empire?

I say leave the Imperial War Museum alone. These days they'd set up a
focus group and call it Consignia. And if you think I'm joking, have
you seen the replacement Birmingham Museum of Science and Industry?

James.

Joe Patrick wrote:
Given that London is a major international tourist destination, and
having noticed many tourists staring in bewilderment at the line
diagrams in the trains, I think it's likely that many passengers do
appreciate being told the next station name in advance. There are
many examples of over-provision in announcements, but this isn't
one of them.

But if you're going somewhere, do you just get on a train and hope
someone will announce where you've got to get off? Whenever I've
been somewhere I've researched in a guide book or online to find the
nearest station. It's rather like announcing where you can change
for other lines, surely you'd plan your journey beforehand and work
out yourself where you've got to change.

Joe: you're a railwayman yourself, I believe, so of course you would
carry out that research without a second thought, and so would I. But
there are many, many people who visit London and find it all rather
confusing, and are genuinely anxious about whether they are on the right
train, where they have to change etc.
--
Richard J.
(to e-mail me, swap uk and yon in address)

MIG wrote:
On Feb 26, 10:08 am, "Joe Patrick"
wrote:
Given that London is a major international tourist destination,
and having noticed many tourists staring in bewilderment at the
line diagrams in the trains, I think it's likely that many
passengers do appreciate being told the next station name in
advance. There are many examples of over-provision in
announcements, but this isn't one of them.

But if you're going somewhere, do you just get on a train and hope
someone will announce where you've got to get off? Whenever I've
been somewhere I've researched in a guide book or online to find
the nearest station. It's rather like announcing where you can
change for other lines, surely you'd plan your journey beforehand
and work out yourself where you've got to change.

Or, looking at it another way, if you didn't know where any of the
lines went without an announcement, it wouldn't be any use to be
told that you could change to one of them, because you wouldn't
know if it took you where you wanted to go.

I can't see any point in any of the announcements, apart from the
ones reminding you that the next station is closed and other
variations from the published service.

I found it helpful to be told that Notting Hill Gate was the next stop
today, having been engrossed in Metro for several stations. Seriously,
all you are saying is that you know your way around without any help.
Thousands aren't so fortunate.

Another thought is that if the people who are presumed to most need
the announcements are foreign tourists, a muffled announcement of a
station name that they possibly don't know how to pronounce is
useless anyway. When I'm in a foreign city, even one where I can
use school French, I find announcements completely useless and have
to rely on diagrams. Even if I can make out the station name, I
don't know what they are saying about it.

But your average foreign tourist here speaks and understands English
rather better than most Englishmen abroad understand the local language.
I agree that muffled announcements aren't much help, even if you do
understand the language. But the latest LU examples (District and
Piccadilly) are actually very clear.
--
Richard J.
(to e-mail me, swap uk and yon in address)

On Feb 26, 4:19 pm, "Richard J." wrote:
MIG wrote:
On Feb 26, 10:08 am, "Joe Patrick"
wrote:
Given that London is a major international tourist destination,
and having noticed many tourists staring in bewilderment at the
line diagrams in the trains, I think it's likely that many
passengers do appreciate being told the next station name in
advance. There are many examples of over-provision in
announcements, but this isn't one of them.

But if you're going somewhere, do you just get on a train and hope
someone will announce where you've got to get off? Whenever I've
been somewhere I've researched in a guide book or online to find
the nearest station. It's rather like announcing where you can
change for other lines, surely you'd plan your journey beforehand
and work out yourself where you've got to change.

Or, looking at it another way, if you didn't know where any of the
lines went without an announcement, it wouldn't be any use to be
told that you could change to one of them, because you wouldn't
know if it took you where you wanted to go.

I can't see any point in any of the announcements, apart from the
ones reminding you that the next station is closed and other
variations from the published service.

I found it helpful to be told that Notting Hill Gate was the next stop
today, having been engrossed in Metro for several stations. Seriously,
all you are saying is that you know your way around without any help.
Thousands aren't so fortunate.



I am saying nothing of the sort. I thought I was quite clear that I
thought that these kind of announcements don't help.

Let's imagine that I am in Paris. I get on a train on Line 4 without
knowing what line my destination station is on or where to change.

How would it help me to hear an announcement that I am at a station
with a French name where I can change to line 6?

In real life, I would have found out what line my destination was on
and where to change, and I would recognise the place from seeing its
name written on a station sign, having looked at the diagram and
noticed as I passed the stop before.

I would generally be much more attentive to diagrams and passing
stations in Paris than I am in London, because I don't know my way
about. I would not make much attempt at understanding any
announcements.

On Feb 26, 3:26�pm, "James" wrote:
On 25 Feb, 21:43, " wrote:

So what would you choose as (a) the *new name for the Imperial War
Museum and (b) the replacement for the Order of the British Empire?

I say leave the Imperial War Museum alone. These days they'd set up a
focus group and call it Consignia. And if you think I'm joking, have
you seen the replacement Birmingham Museum of Science and Industry?

James.

James,

I am in agreement with you. I travelled past Imperial College
(Paddington) today and was reminded that this institution, on its
divorce from the University of London had the prime opportunity to
"update" its name, and has chosen not to do so. Good for them!

As for those keen on renaming honours, can someone suggest why, given
that she died well over a Century ago, the Victoria Cross is not
renamed, for example, the Elizabeth Cross? (As for precedents, the
Albert Medal and Edward Medal were both subsumed into the George Cross
in 1950s). However, I don't think that anyone is seriously suggesting
that this should happen, because the name is far too valuable and
historic. I would suggest exactly the same of the Order of the British
Empire. By all means devise a new honour (e.g. O.B. - the Order of
Blair should of course be given to all the brown-nosed scum who have
"loaned" his party money), but I would prefer that historic Orders are
left alone.

Those that are the most treasured, of course, the Garter, Thistle and
Royal Victorian Orders are most treasured because they are untainted
by political corruption, being in the personal gift of the Sovereign -
as I believe should all others.

Marc.

On Feb 26, 5:41 pm, " wrote:
On Feb 26, 3:26?pm, "James" wrote:

On 25 Feb, 21:43, " wrote:

So what would you choose as (a) the ?new name for the Imperial War
Museum and (b) the replacement for the Order of the British Empire?

I say leave the Imperial War Museum alone. These days they'd set up a
focus group and call it Consignia. And if you think I'm joking, have
you seen the replacement Birmingham Museum of Science and Industry?

James.

James,

I am in agreement with you. I travelled past Imperial College
(Paddington) today and was reminded that this institution, on its
divorce from the University of London had the prime opportunity to
"update" its name, and has chosen not to do so. Good for them!

As for those keen on renaming honours, can someone suggest why, given
that she died well over a Century ago, the Victoria Cross is not
renamed, for example, the Elizabeth Cross? (As for precedents, the
Albert Medal and Edward Medal were both subsumed into the George Cross
in 1950s). However, I don't think that anyone is seriously suggesting
that this should happen, because the name is far too valuable and
historic. I would suggest exactly the same of the Order of the British
Empire. By all means devise a new honour (e.g. O.B. - the Order of
Blair should of course be given to all the brown-nosed scum who have
"loaned" his party money), but I would prefer that historic Orders are
left alone.

Those that are the most treasured, of course, the Garter, Thistle and
Royal Victorian Orders are most treasured because they are untainted
by political corruption, being in the personal gift of the Sovereign -
as I believe should all others.

Marc.

No need to rename or abolish honours named in honour of people, just
the ones named after a defunct political institution (the Empire)
which is no longer celebrated. Perhaps you're right about not
tainting the psychedelic garter etc; but I think historic orders would
best be left alone if we left them to history and stopped awarding
them. Time to start something new - how about a 'Diana' award for
being nice.

John Rowland wrote:
wrote:
(a) the new name for the Imperial War Museum

National War Museum...

But which nation - or should the Commonwealth stuff go?

and (b) the replacement for the Order of the British Empire?

Order of the British Nation.

Could that risk getting bogged down in the concept of a "nation" as a
"people", with its ethnic/linguistic connotations? It's not a problem
with Empire, which is purely a bit anachronistic.

More practically, if the honours were abolished or given a more
touchy-feely name, it would mean that the newspapers would have nothing
to moan about during the slow news period around the new year.
--
Arthur Figgis Surrey, UK