'The urinals gleamed before me like a set of Hollywood dentures'. Mel Stride opens the new toilets at Buckfastleigh Railway Station

Spending a Penny:

The other day, I spent an extraordinary morning at the Buckfastleigh steam railway. I have visited many times but this was special – I officially opened their new toilets. And before you scoff my friends – as I know some of you will – let me tell you that this was an occasion of some distinction. Oh yes, mes amis, The Mayor of Buckfastleigh was there. The Deputy Chairman of the County. The Chairman of Teignbridge. The Town Crier. A jazz band. All neatly arranged outside the new toilet block. I was reminded of that candid camera episode in which a bemused man is greeted at the entrance to a public loo by ‘the Mayor’ and a full brass band and asked to cut a ribbon as he is told that he is the millionth person to use the facility. Emerging five minutes later still clutching his ‘certificate of achievement’ he hobbles off refusing to answer questions from the assembled ‘press’. Whilst not the millionth, I was the first person to officially visit this beauty. I cut the ribbon and plunged inside. Amazing. The urinals gleamed before me like a set of Hollywood dentures. The cubicles fantastically clean – knocked out in the sunshine like crystal boxes. Windows sparkled. Even the unblemished chrome flushers seemed to offer some curious glimmer of promise in the late morning sun. 1930s style hands pointed the way for Boys and Girls. The whole place smelt as pure as a menthol mouthwash. It was perfection. The South Devon Railway is bigger than its toilet of course. Trains wend their way between Buckfastleigh and Totnes throughout much of the year - especially from April to October. I can recommend the route - it hugs the River Dart and boasts some of Devon’s most beautiful moments. Some time ago I rode on the engine with my good friend and local councillor Charlie Dennis, and fed the furnace with a trusty shovel and felt the force of the engine heave and punch us down the track. The engine was alive and strong. The steam, the acrid whiff of hot metal, the chuff of the engine sucking and belching (or was that Charlie?) was transporting in every sense – pure nostalgia. The line opened in 1872 and closed in 1958 but was gloriously re-opened as a heritage railway in the late sixties. The whole operation is run by brilliant volunteers and the sheer imagination of their offering is as breath taking as the blast of one of her departing locos. Buckfastleigh Station has its own café and shop. It has a railway museum (look out for ‘Tiny’ the only surviving broad gauge locomotive in the world). It even has its own engineering works repairing steam locomotives. They hold dining evenings – a three hour trip with fresh locally sourced food and wine. They run Thomas the Tank Engine outings for kids (and some adults too no doubt). They are, in short, well worth a visit. As, I have to say, are the toilets. 

Boko Haram:

Recently in Prime Ministers Questions I pressed the PM on what the Government are doing to help retrieve the 300 plus kidnapped schoolgirls in Nigeria. As a father of three daughters I shudder at what they must be going through. The group responsible is known as Boko Haram, meaning ‘Western education is forbidden’. They mainly comprise Islamist extremists. Education is one of the tools by which they see Western decadence promoted  - hence their name and their kidnap of schoolgirls. This murderous movement has been responsible for thousands of deaths in the last year alone. Most of the girls were taken a few months ago – the school left as a burned out shell and many dying in the attack.

Some understandably ask why we should become involved in this situation at all? There is, of course, a strong humanitarian case for intervention although that, in itself, can never be justification enough. The other points are that we should be capable of working with others to help secure the release of these children without being drawn into any significant fighting on the ground. We also stand a reasonable chance of making a real difference – Boko Haram operate over a large area – we have the technology and capability to help. And it is not clear that Nigeria has reacted quickly or thoroughly in the face of this terrible outrage and it is possible that these girls will otherwise be long gone before any help arrives. The other reason is that Boko Haram must be stopped. Whilst it has not undertaken any international attacks yet it is anti-western, kills Christians and destroys churches – it is thought to have links to Al-Qaeda. And where these groups are not confronted – are simply left to their wickedness – then sometimes they come for you.