Geograhical Location Excuses....

[Bermudian Green]

The distance is such that it's just as easy to hop in the car and drive from home to Exeter Airport, rather than make you way to Plymouth Central, spend an hour on the mainline to get to Exeter, change at St David's for the link to Exeter Central/St David's for the train to Cranbrook station (which hasn't been built yet) ... and then you'd need a bus or taxi from there (once it's built) to the airport, about a mile or two away. The fastest link from Plymouth to Whimple (next station 3 miles down the line from Cranbrook) I can see is an hour 42 mins. You can drive to it in around 50 minutes from Plymouth.

Agreed, but surely some forward thinking can over come that, and get the links improved. We don't have space for an airport, fine. So create a viable link to the big one up the road.

The only way this would ever work though is if there is a good reason for people to visit Plymouth. Either that reason is created/advertised, or we maintain the status quo.

 

[pilgrimage]

Why not change the name of Exeter airport to Devon airport, might help a bit when selling Plymouth.

 

[Steamer]

Why not change the name of Exeter airport to Devon airport, might help a bit when selling Plymouth.

Why would Exeter want to do that just to please the riff-raff down the road. The airport name helps market Exeter and I would think that the lords and ladies of Exeter are mighty pleased with their airport.

 

[Bermudian Green]

Why not change the name of Exeter airport to Devon airport, might help a bit when selling Plymouth.

Why would Exeter want to do that just to please the riff-raff down the road. The airport name helps market Exeter and I would think that the lords and ladies of Exeter are mighty pleased with their airport.

Then let's piggy-back on that and advertise it as Plymouth's airport too. More passengers, more income for the airport, expansion, more jobs in Exeter etc etc.

 

[Steamer]

Why not change the name of Exeter airport to Devon airport, might help a bit when selling Plymouth.

Why would Exeter want to do that just to please the riff-raff down the road. The airport name helps market Exeter and I would think that the lords and ladies of Exeter are mighty pleased with their airport.

Then let's piggy-back on that and advertise it as Plymouth's airport too. More passengers, more income for the airport, expansion, more jobs in Exeter etc etc.

All sounds very cute but as Plymouth has no say whatsoever in the naming rights of Exeter airport, and why would they, I cannot see what would be in it for Exeter to give up the name of their cherished airport.

If Plymouth want more exposure on the great stage, the folk of Plymouth are just going to have to get off their lardy arses and do something. Mind you, with the number of exiles living away from Plymouth, it would appear that a lot of folk have done just that. Says a lot for the great southern city doesn't it.

 

[pafcstafford]

I don't think there's much wrong with the city of Plymouth, i think people have it wrong here. It's the fact of having no decent towns or cities any where near the decent city of Plymouth which is the problem.

 

[Bermudian Green]

All sounds very cute but as Plymouth has no say whatsoever in the naming rights of Exeter airport, and why would they, I cannot see what would be in it for Exeter to give up the name of their cherished airport.

If Plymouth want more exposure on the great stage, the folk of Plymouth are just going to have to get off their lardy arses and do something. Mind you, with the number of exiles living away from Plymouth, it would appear that a lot of folk have done just that. Says a lot for the great southern city doesn't it.

I tried to explain the why in my question. "More passengers, more income for the airport, expansion, more jobs in Exeter etc etc". Both cities, and the south west in general, will benefit.

The problem, as I see it from afar, is the lack of ambition to do something. Look at what Exeter has achieved in terms of its airport and it's rugby team, to name just two. Plymouth has done what to connect to the rest of the country?

This isn't a knock at Plymothians, but towards those elected to do something to help the local economy.

 

[Steamer]

All sounds very cute but as Plymouth has no say whatsoever in the naming rights of Exeter airport, and why would they, I cannot see what would be in it for Exeter to give up the name of their cherished airport.

If Plymouth want more exposure on the great stage, the folk of Plymouth are just going to have to get off their lardy arses and do something. Mind you, with the number of exiles living away from Plymouth, it would appear that a lot of folk have done just that. Says a lot for the great southern city doesn't it.

I tried to explain the why in my question. "More passengers, more income for the airport, expansion, more jobs in Exeter etc etc". Both cities, and the south west in general, will benefit.

The problem, as I see it from afar, is the lack of ambition to do something. Look at what Exeter has achieved in terms of its airport and it's rugby team, to name just two. Plymouth has done what to connect to the rest of the country?

This isn't a knock at Plymothians, but towards those elected to do something to help the local economy.

I am also trying not to knock Plymouth but the city, like all cities is multifaceted and many of the facets are not working too well. Years ago, when I was a yoof and generally stupid, someone said that I thought the world owed me a living and in my stupidity, I said it does. The come back was "No it doesn't". That is how I see Plymouth and it's so called ambitions. The world doesn't owe Plymouth a thing and Plymouth cannot expect anything. They cant expect a rich sugar-daddy to take their team to the prem, they cant expect an airport, motorway or train line. In fact they cant expect a new stadium, John Lewis, a dockyard or any feckin thing.

If the Plymouth burghers and folk of Plymouth want something enough, they will just have to go out and get it. Go and lobby Parliament on mass, block the motorway, drive taxis around Parliament Square at two mile an hour, fly banners from light aircraft over Wembley. Shout loud and demand things. But then again, nice Plymouth, easy going Plymouth, leave it for someone else to do Plymouth, If Plymouth folk want something, they need to put up or shut up . . . COYG . .

 

[Quinny]

I tried to explain the why in my question. "More passengers, more income for the airport, expansion, more jobs in Exeter etc etc". Both cities, and the south west in general, will benefit.

How many more passengers? One of the problems with Plymouth Airport was just how little it was used. I can't see how investing in better links (and the only cost effective way would be a shuttle-bus service to Exeter from Plymouth) would suddenly make hundreds more Janners (than already do) use the airport on a daily basis.

The problem, as I see it from afar, is the lack of ambition to do something. Look at what Exeter has achieved in terms of its airport and it's rugby team, to name just two. Plymouth has done what to connect to the rest of the country?

Exeter has only just held on to the rest of the country thanks to the M5, but (and this is my opinion, having lived in Exeter and the surrounding area for the last 20-odd years) they got lucky when the Met Office decided to relocate to Exeter: it was that more than anything else which has been a catalyst for the local economy

This isn't a knock at Plymothians, but towards those elected to do something to help the local economy.

TBH they'd be better served pushing for a new, quicker rail link across Devon. Currently the quickest rail journey to London is around 3 hours: the average is nearer 4. It takes nearly an hour for the train to crawl around the coast from Plymouth to Exeter: a new line and shaving 30 minutes off the journey between the two main Devon cities would benefit Plymouth much more.

 

[Bermudian Green]

Steamer - completely agree. Perhaps there isn't the will, but who am I to complain? I don't live there.

Quinny - I agree the Plymouth route was little used, but just how much advertising was ever done by "Plymouth" to get people to use it. I found it ridiculously cheap to get down from Gatwick, now it costs three times as much and takes three times as long.

Anyway, we're not in charge. Nothing will change on the infrastructure front until someone rises up and takes a stand.

 

[IJN]

Perhaps it's simply the fact that the lay backedness and loyalty which typifies Plymouth, and is some sense, is why some people find it attractive is the thing that causes it to not leap forward.

I often smile when I see people from afar (that's not solely aimed at you Jerry) extolling the virtue of getting off one's arse.

I think people forget what makes up the DNA of this part of the world.

Not saying it's right, just saying what is.

 

[Bermudian Green]

Perhaps it's simply the fact that the lay backedness and loyalty which typifies Plymouth, and is some sense, is why some people find it attractive is the thing that causes it to not leap forward.

I often smile when I see people from afar (that's not solely aimed at you Jerry) extolling the virtue of getting off one's arse.

I think people forget what makes up the DNA of this part of the world.

Not saying it's right, just saying what is.

Not solely, but just a little bit? :greensmile:

You are of course completely correct. To bring this thread full circle though, Argyle fans can't complain about geography being an issue if no attempt is made to put a suitable transportation network in place to make it a non-issue.

 

[crownhill pilgrim]

Perhaps it's simply the fact that the lay backedness and loyalty which typifies Plymouth, and is some sense, is why some people find it attractive is the thing that causes it to not leap forward.

I often smile when I see people from afar (that's not solely aimed at you Jerry) extolling the virtue of getting off one's arse.

I think people forget what makes up the DNA of this part of the world.

Not saying it's right, just saying what is.

I'd agree with that - apart from maybe the loyalty bit (as pertaining to one's local footy club rather than Liverpool FC