a CONNECT Bude meeting was held at the Bude Tourist Information Centre on February 22 and was attended by members and supporters ranging in age from 12 to people old enough to remember when steam trains were still operating on the Bude line, writes Christine Williams.

Having updated members on the progress they had made and with 335 members and supporters, chairman Richard Wolfenden-Brown explained that they were setting up a new ‘Events Action Group’ to focus on garnering support by the house to house distribution of Connect Bude literature, membership drives, attending local events to hand out leaflets and arranging fundraising and social events.

With transport secretary Grant Shapps repeatedly stating that he wants to ‘reverse the Beeching cuts’ it is likely that the communities that shout the loudest across the UK will get their lines reinstated.

“Let’s shout loud and make our voices heard”, said Richard.

Some volunteers came forward to set the ball rolling and a group photograph was taken outside.

On the previous Tuesday, February 18, a committee meeting was held at The Falcon Hotel. No date had yet been announced for the start of daily train services between Okehampton and Exeter.

The fact that the line is leased to Dartmoor Railway Community Interest Company which has just gone into administration may have complicated matters but news from Okerail suggested that there might be firmer news in March.

Meanwhile, hoping to obtain funds for a feasibility study on the Bude line, they were still waiting for news of their application to Great Western Railway (GWR) ‘Customer Improvement Fund’ promised last autumn.

However there was brighter news for Bude Coastal Community Team whose application for a grant from the National Lottery’s ‘Climate Action Fund’ had reached the last 40 out of 600.

Much of the meeting was devoted to an update on the threat to the 6/6A bus service from Bude and Holsworthy to Exeter.

Peter Smith had sought support from Bude-Stratton Town Council, Cornwall councillors Peter La Broy and David Parsons, Barry Parsons Devon County councillor for Holsworthy Rural, MP for North Cornwall Scott Mann, MP for Torridge and West Devon Geoffrey Cox and Exeter College.

All are in favour of protecting the service to Bude, and will be taking it up with Stagecoach. Cllr La Broy has met with Cllr Geoff Brown who is the cabinet member at Cornwall Council responsible for transport and has secured a promise for a strategic review of public transport in the Bude area. Mr Mann has met with the managing director of Stagecoach to make clear that the 6/6A service is essential to Bude and that, unlike cuts proposed in other parts of Stagecoach’s local network, no public transport alternatives exist for this service. Stagecoach already receives £90,000 a year from Devon and Cornwall councils to subsidise the 6/6A service and since Stagecoach launched its consultation exercise the government has announced it is investing £167-million in bus services from which it is hoped that Stagecoach will benefit.

Members of the committee remembered when the buses from Bude went non-stop from Okehampton to Exeter but in recent years they leave the A30 and wander through villages, making the journey much longer.

It was hoped that the new Go-Cornwall buses starting in April will provide Bude with a better service.