ONE record Bude holds and wishes it didn’t is that it is further away from a railway station than any other town in England, writes Christine Williams.

At a meeting chaired by Richard Wolfenden-Brown at the Falcon Hotel last Tuesday, April 16, members of campaigning group ‘Connect Bude’ were encouraged to find that this fact was mentioned in a report published on April 4 by a select committee of the House of Lords.

The subject of the report was the future of seaside towns and in it Lib Dem peer Lord David Shutt of Greetland states that the Beeching era had often left communities well beyond the ‘end of the line’. He mentions concerns about the resilience of the only railway line connecting Cornwall to the rest of the UK, namely the route from Exeter to Plymouth via Dawlish, because of significant problems caused by extreme weather. He says there should therefore be an alternative route to Plymouth and Cornwall and the Exeter-Okehampton-Plymouth route, being a link capable of restoration, was the obvious solution. The gap from Tavistock to the Meldon railhead to the west of Okehampton was only 15 miles and closing that gap would mean that the North Cornwall coast would benefit from nearer rail access. It would ultimately give towns such as Bude some hope that they could be ‘embraced in the rail network’. The report mentions that the lines from Barnstaple to Bideford and between Bodmin Parkway, Bodmin General and Wadebridge were also capable of restoration.

Treasurer Michael Moore reported that seven new members had joined in the past month and that Connect Bude’s finances were in a healthy condition, the more so thanks to a successful and enjoyable fundraising concert, ‘Swann Songs’ held at the Falcon Hotel, which had made a net profit of £234.75. Plans were discussed for a membership drive during the summer and suitable events and venues suggested.

Dr Michael Ireland of Okerail said that posters and frames to hold them as well as timetables for the Sunday rail services beginning next month between Okehampton and Exeter would soon be available. Following his recent contacts with GWR plans were being discussed for two special trains from Okehampton later this year with destinations yet to be decided.

The next Connect Bude meeting will be at the Falcon Hotel on Tuesday, May 21.