“I really can't see what the fuss is about. There are ample signs diverting those unable to use the footbridge through Victoria Park. It isn't that much of a hassle, as the 'bluebadge brigade' all park along Hyde Road by Crossways anyway.”

“......and karen got drunk in her bedroom on cheap tesco's red wine and fell asleep. She dreamed about being a serious author, not one who would review her own works under a different name but one who be actually read.”

“I would have thought locals would like to see Torbay back on the literary map again. It's been a long while since Agatha died from the effects of arsenic and old lace and Kipling rode his bike along the prom on the eve of an apocalyptic war, after all.”

“All the best novelists attract hostility, Rose... I've had good feedback so far, actually. It's only the usual stalkers with personality disorders on here who go out of their way to post their bile on Amazon. It's not a hairdryer, you know. Books appeal to certain readers and not others. It's definitely not a novel for hardline Tories, that's for sure... indeed, they're obviously threatened by it...”

“Cherrie54, The tourist that spends more time looking on the Herald with Torbay than she does in her own Back yard..

Typical tourist that think they own Torbay whilst there here. boring.”

“mmmm looks like people have been walking over the crossing with their eyes closed - the closure notice was posted on 12th December, and it says the crossing could be closed for 18 months, so the business's should think themselves lucky it is only two weeks.

By the way the gates were removed in 1973 I think you will find when they were replaced by the barriers that are there now. With 39 year's service do not think that it is about time they were renewed? Do the Residents / Business's not want this work to be done safely for both the users and the contractors?”

“Re below,

ERRATUM: Delete the words "and becoming" (final sentence).

Toodle Pip!”

“Dear Cherrie54,

You have said "...Wow baby at last you've made a good comment....", when in fact, of course, this was said previously! (Do learn how to click on the "View All" button, my dear.)

As for the history lesson that's required, the railway was there long before the roads which we know today were laid out. Originally Brunel wanted to bring the railway into what was then the town centre (Church Street/Winner Street), but in the face of objections from the local populace, he was obliged to build a more expensive causeway through boggy ground (now Preston seafront, lower Polsham and Victoria Park) to the east of the then town centre. This survives today and is the reason for the railway's elevation on a high embankment. In fact, a whole swathe of the area to the east of the railway is reclaimed land and we all know to this today how often many parts of this remain boggy underfoot, difficult to drain and vulnerable to flooding and becoming .”

“Wow baby at last you've made a good comment.Well it does take some doing. Not so sure about the general right of way though, as don't know what was there before railway track. By the way does this now mean you will give an actual comment from now on instead of being a proof reader for the forum?.”

“Dear cherrie54,

Notwithstanding a distinct inability to spell, punctuate or use an apostrophe, it would seem that you have an effort to read effectively as well. Sometimes it is far better not to advertise one's shortcomings quite so obviously. Anyway, in case you missed it the first time round, all I said was as follows and, contrary to your totally incorrect assertion, there's not one incidence in this of any grammatical nitpicking (and do note the correct spelling of "nitpicking", dearie) -

"... Strange how when an announcement like this is made (with ample notification to all and sundry who may be affected), certain self-appointed know-alls post comments as if they were engineers or are somehow in a position to know all the minutiae of the complex repair project which needs to be undertaken.

Look, Network Rail is not merely going to close this route for fun or out of spite, is it? So why, cherrie54 and DavidPBrooks, do you think all of a sudden that YOU know best when you most clearly do not?

It should not be forgotten that ever since the Victorian era the railways have had extremely powerful authority bestowed upon them and, given that they own the rights over land in question, they could quite legitimately just close the gates permanently if they so desired. Access across the tracks is a privilege granted by the railway authorities; it is most certainly not a general right of way.

And who knows, with the gates closed, I would not be surprised if the traffic doesn't actually start to flow more smoothly through the town centre as there will be no awful build-ups of cars along Hyde Road once drivers have to keep moving on through. If you care to remember, a similar thing happened along the Torbay Road in Torquay when the Rock Walk work started - as vehicles didn't have to keep stopping every few yards to let parkers in and out, the traffic just rolled on through to everyone's satisfaction which it still continues to do to this day with the new layout ..."”