Electric trains and mothballs

In the Mercury's "Business Monthly" supplement on 23 January, there was an article relating to the electrification of the Midland Mainline and the perceived benefits of bringing Leicester within an hour of London by train.

Inset within the article was a piece about the testing of Virgin's Pendolino tilting trains in the county. However, in true Mercury research style, this states that the last time electric trains were seen in Leicestershire was in 2005 and that the track was mothballed once the testing was completed.

Clearly, this is not true as the new London Underground stock being built by Bombardier in Derby is currently being tested on the test track. If I am not mistaken these are "electric trains" and a section of track has been electrified to replicate the London Underground system.

One of the new London Underground trains returning from the test track is seen above at Bagworth, Leicestershire on 11 January 2012. The train has two locomotives and a barrier wagon at each end.

Spellchecker out of order?

Wednesday 14 December 2011 - Mailbox, page 15

When publishing a letter about the musical Grease, the Mercury's caption to the accompanying photograph described it as a msuical.

Clearly, the reliance on spellcheckers does not extend to captions.

Use a spellchecker? - Get a Brain!

21 November - page 19. In an article, by David Sharman,  about a girl being left penniless by a bus driver, the Mercury reported: " Her father, Brain Sansom, said..." .



Now, he might be called Brain or, more likely, Brian - you decide!

Badges ?

On 18 November 2011, p.19 under the headline "Long-serving police officers recognised" the Mercury reported that the officers received special badges from the Lord Lieutenant. Surely they did not receive a mere badge but the Police Exemplary Service Medal, awarded to full time police officers for 20 years service.

In the photograph accompanying the article there is no sign of a "badge" only the above medal so presumably that is what they were awarded.

Front or back - it's yellow!

On Wednesday 24 August, p.50, the Mercury's football reporting included "Inside Football" by Steve Pumfrey in which refereeing was discussed. In particular, the first booking of City goalkeeper Kaspar Schmeichel on Saturday.

"...Schmeichel protested at the end of the match that he was unaware of the first yellow card he received for time wasting. Television evidence suggests Schmeichel had his back to goal when he was carded for the first time..." 

Perhaps this should read "back to the referee"! If he had his back to the goal he would have seen the card!

Which Schmeichel?

Saturday, June 25 - back page. - City News by Rob Tanner.

Latest transfer news included the following interesting gem:

 "Meanwhile, City should find out whether they will complete the signing of goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel next week."

Lets hope it's not the retired Peter but his son, Kaspar. (or perhaps Schmeichel the dog from Coronation Street!)

Tall, Taller but not the Tallest

In a full page article (Wednesday 22 June, p10), Lee Marlow reports on the proposal to build a Wind Turbine on the Severn Trent site at Wanlip.

Apparently it will be 436 feet tall which is taller than St.George's Tower in the city c.400 feet. He goes on to compare it with other structures well known to Mercury readers...  seven times higher than the Angel of the North, nearly as big as Blackpool Tower (518 feet) and only 150 feet shy of London's BT Tower (580 feet).

He states "It will be the tallest structure in Leicestershire"

Clearly Mr Marlow either (a) doesn't get out much, (b) knows very little about the county or (c) is wondering at night what the red lights above the north eastern horizon are.

Obviously, the tallest man-made object in Leicestershire is not St George's Tower or the Cardinal Telephone Exchange on Humberstone Gate ( 2 metres taller), nor will it be this proposed wind turbine. Since it was built in 1968 the TV mast at Waltham-on-the-Wolds has been far and away the tallest at 1033 feet , 2.37 times taller than the turbine!

It can be found at:    52° 48′ 5.92″ N, 0° 48′ 2.62″ W