200 years anniversary of first UK train complaint

Saturday 27th September 2025 represents the 200th anniversary of the opening of the first public steam railway - and the first complaints about the railway - between Stockton & Darlington.

The first train ran 15 minutes late and generated a tsunami of complaints from travellers demanding refunds, some of which are still outstanding. Additional complaints were made about soot entering the carriages and settling on the stale bread used to make sandwiches.

Problems continued on day 2, with Stephenson forced to offer a replacement horse and carriage service. Complaints continued to dog the service, even after British Rail took over its running after the Second World War. The long standing issues were only resolved when British Rail closed the line in 1967.

Author: bobski (H/T deskpilot)

Image: JerzyGórecki - Pixabay

Israel complains Eurovision voting is rigged

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British people thrilled with more opportunities to complain about the weather

Climate Change is gaining unlikely popularity with a notoriously difficult to please bunch: the British public. A record 164 million signatures has been garnered for the new petition: Keep the Home Fires Burning.

Norah Bates of Sconfield, who set up the petition last week, said, 'I was standing at the bus stop, waiting for a service that ended up being cancelled, and we had so much to moan about we hardly even noticed we'd been waiting there for four hours. I had to have a toe amputated due to frostbite, and I've never been happier. It made me think, "maybe I'm not alone?"'

A random, friendly billionaire who very kindly sponsoring the petition confirms, 'Research shows it's not just climate change that is making Brits happy. Poor-quality products and services all help to generate our well-renowned Blitz spirit that makes us the envy of the world.'

Story by: lostandflounder

Photo by Urban Vintage on Unsplash