Another 'Phil Sayer' bites the dust.

[metrocammel]

Unfortunately it seems Phil Sayer's famous Huddersfield announcement has been switched off for the last time. I was at Huddersfield yesterday, and noticed they were fitting the new 'orange LED' screen, replacing the seemingly more advanced and versatile colour monitors. The rather 'camp' standard TPE voice was doing 'test announcements', but was also announcing actual trains, so it appears another relic of BR at Huddersfield has bitten the dust.....

 

[Bayum]

Depressing times =(

They better not got rid of it at New Street...

I wont be best impressed!!

 

[Metroland]

Its only a matter of time before Jasper Carrot is doing it!

 

[1D53]

Sad news He was in fine form only on Saturday. Not looking forward to experiencing the terrible new TPE Announcements Least they've made an attempt to make the screens fit in at Huddersfield than other stations - Huddersfield's look like http://jst.fotopic.net/p55262494.html.

 

[Jordy]

Bad news indeed, that TPE announcer is bloody awful!

Anyone for a tribute sound file

 

[Phoenix]

Birmingham has still got the guy it has had for quite a long while.
Anyone remeber the lady announcing voice at Birmingham international???

 

[EE Type 3]

The female who does it at Crewe sounds tasty

 

[voyagerdude220]

Agreed

 

[metrocammel]

Birmingham has still got the guy it has had for quite a long while.
Anyone remeber the lady announcing voice at Birmingham international???

The announcement at New Street is a bit of an anomaly it seems. Most stations seem to 'lose' their old announcements at the same time as the stations are fitted with new train information screens, ie, Huddersfield is losing it's old screens AND the announcements. New Street, however, has had several screens fitted in the last few years, from Solari through to the current LED screens - But Phil still remains!

 

[Jordy]

The Phil system at New Street is the more 'advanced' and more automated DITRA system, Huddersfield was the more basic one which needs more manual input, which may be why New Street has hung on longer.

 

[dan_atki]

The Ditra (the system the announcements run off of) is normally connected to the same system used to control the screens/boards.

I have been of the impression (I'm sure I read it somewhere) that Phil is being lost due to incompatibilities between the Ditra and the system controlling the visual information hence why both are replaced together.

Obviously, the way around this (and hence why BHM has retained Phil) is to use boards which use software that is compatible. Other than that, a new system has to be made. Upon changing the system on Thameslink North, First and Network Rail discovered an incompatibility so had to develop a new system... with Phil's voice (although I think the way the system has been put together is rather shoddy - i.e. doesn't give out specific enough information about delays, can't say 'London Midland' nor 'Kempston Hardwick' at Bedford). From this, it would appear TOCs know Phil is best for the job - the only problem they have is overcoming the incompatibility between the systems. If they can't then Phil is sadly replaced.

 

[P156KWJ]

Muffly marge at Nottingham has been broken for weeks now. Occasionally you still get the smug female voice going on about flash photography and flushing train toilets in stations. Now we often get one of the gruf sounding speakers who doesn't seem to care about his job "platform 4... 1030 service to London calling at Leicester......... 1030 to London plaform 4." Never says East Midlands Trains or Cross Country, and never says St Pancras

 

[Guinness]

One of the Derby Female Announcers and the ability to make every station name a few letters longer.

"Platformm 4 for the 21.22 East Midlands train service to Nottinghammm, calling at Long Eatoonn, Beestonnn and Nottinghammm"

 

[metrocammel]

One place I hope they don't get auto-announcing is Manchester Victoria. They have recently replaced their screens. They have been changed twice in the last year, initially from the BR CRT screens, to an awful LCD system, which were impossible to see if there was a glimpse of sunlight. Anyway, they have now been replaced with orange LED screens, however, the same man, who has apparently been announcing there since the 1970s is still doing his stuff! It would be an absolute end of an era if he was to go!

 

[O L Leigh]

Its only a matter of time before Jasper Carrot is doing it!

I remember waiting for a local train at Brum NS in the days before Phil Sayer and almost falling off the platform edge because I was laughing so hard at the announcer calling an "all shacks" Cambrian Coast service in a full-effects broad Brummie accent.

Then again, some of the auto-announcers are appalling. I'd rather go back to Digital Dave the Dagenham Dalek on our trains and stations, because at least he said the names as they were pronounced locally rather than in some bastardised standard version that bares no relation to the actual name as said by those who actually use the stations. For example, Digital Dave would call Elsenham as "Ell-zn-um", which is how everyone in the area says it. The new Posh Sonia calls is at "Ell-sen-hem". What the...?

However, the prize has to go to the old BR-era female voice on Cambridge station who clearly ennunciates every letter in true Radio 4 fashion. My favourite is always "Stan-steD MounT-fiT-chiT".

O L Leigh

 

[adambro]

Been through Hudds a few times lately, new screens look good and I'm not fussed about the announcements. I did note recently that the old screens still had a sticker saying that, amongst other destinations, Sunderland trains stop at Leeds. I can't remember the last time Hudds had any direct trains to Sunderland!

 

[P156KWJ]

One of the Derby Female Announcers and the ability to make every station name a few letters longer.

"Platformm 4 for the 21.22 East Midlands train service to Nottinghammm, calling at Long Eatoonn, Beestonnn and Nottinghammm"

I know exactly who you mean - she says it in one style of voice too.

I really like the ones on 365s which go "this train is for.......Blundon Kings Cross'

 

[Max]

I did note recently that the old screens still had a sticker saying that, amongst other destinations, Sunderland trains stop at Leeds. I can't remember the last time Hudds had any direct trains to Sunderland!

Before the Metro was extended to Sunderland, TPE (Arriva at the time) used to run fairly regular services through to Sunderland. These, however, were pulled to free up paths.

 

[metrocammel]

Before the Metro was extended to Sunderland, TPE (Arriva at the time) used to run fairly regular services through to Sunderland. These, however, were pulled to free up paths.

I think you'll find it was even before Arriva!! Wasn't it Northern Spirit back then?? I seem to recall a NS Transpennine service to Newcastle, via Sunderland at one point in history.

 

[janewaysbun]

One of the Derby Female Announcers and the ability to make every station name a few letters longer.

"Platformm 4 for the 21.22 East Midlands train service to Nottinghammm, calling at Long Eatoonn, Beestonnn and Nottinghammm"

yeah she has the strangest voice i've ever heard, sounds like she's been doing the job for far too long. i still find it strange that Derby hasn't moved over to an auto-annouce system, considering the size of the station and the number of services run each day - I guess when the refurb is complete EMT will install it?