LucaZone
Member
This is a heads up that both Maidenhead and Burnham stations have become hostile to Photographers!
I went out for a few hours on sunday afternoon out of bordem and approached the ticket office at Maidenhead. The staff there were quite welcoming and more than happy to let me onto the platform without a ticket. All they asked was that I pop into the station mangers office on platform 4/5 I think and let him know im around.
Well I got up there and this very grumpy large guy came out the office and basically proceeded to come up with every excuse under the sun why I shouldnt be on the platform, why I cant take pictures (of the few trains that DO run on a sunday afternoon) and that official written permission would be needed from First Group on any occasion.
He went on to claim that even if I had a ticket and was travelling, he would escort me off the premisses if I attempted to photograph anything. So I was promotely lead off the platform by the gate staff.
I suspect he was having a bad day!
I then headed down the burnham, as the sun was in the wrong place for Taplow. Read the signs that a Bus service was in operation due to engineering works, and that nothing was stopping at the station. Not a problem I thought as the best pics are of trains on the fast line anyway.
Well I didnt even make it 10ft up the platform from the station canopy before I was run down by a station manager! I didnt even know the station was manned! Ive been to Burnham more than a hundred times and all hours of the day and night and never seen a soul. Theres no ticket office, barely a waiting room, and several self operated help points if there are any isses, but this guy had an office at the far end of the building from the stair case.
Granted he wanted to know what I was upto as there were no trains, so noone should be on the platform. I explained I was just after some nice sunset train pix, but he was having none of it. Again stating things already mentioned at Maidenhead, as well as the fact that there were many un-desirables in the area that he was being cautious of. Despite the fact I asked him whether I really looked the type to be looking for trouble, he escorted me back to the stair well and requested I seek permission before attempting again!
This was all around 3pm on a Sunday afternoon!
I went out for a few hours on sunday afternoon out of bordem and approached the ticket office at Maidenhead. The staff there were quite welcoming and more than happy to let me onto the platform without a ticket. All they asked was that I pop into the station mangers office on platform 4/5 I think and let him know im around.
Well I got up there and this very grumpy large guy came out the office and basically proceeded to come up with every excuse under the sun why I shouldnt be on the platform, why I cant take pictures (of the few trains that DO run on a sunday afternoon) and that official written permission would be needed from First Group on any occasion.
He went on to claim that even if I had a ticket and was travelling, he would escort me off the premisses if I attempted to photograph anything. So I was promotely lead off the platform by the gate staff.
I suspect he was having a bad day!
I then headed down the burnham, as the sun was in the wrong place for Taplow. Read the signs that a Bus service was in operation due to engineering works, and that nothing was stopping at the station. Not a problem I thought as the best pics are of trains on the fast line anyway.
Well I didnt even make it 10ft up the platform from the station canopy before I was run down by a station manager! I didnt even know the station was manned! Ive been to Burnham more than a hundred times and all hours of the day and night and never seen a soul. Theres no ticket office, barely a waiting room, and several self operated help points if there are any isses, but this guy had an office at the far end of the building from the stair case.
Granted he wanted to know what I was upto as there were no trains, so noone should be on the platform. I explained I was just after some nice sunset train pix, but he was having none of it. Again stating things already mentioned at Maidenhead, as well as the fact that there were many un-desirables in the area that he was being cautious of. Despite the fact I asked him whether I really looked the type to be looking for trouble, he escorted me back to the stair well and requested I seek permission before attempting again!
This was all around 3pm on a Sunday afternoon!