Blackadder star helps staff learn train announcements

[John Ashworth]

Blackadder star helps staff learn train announcements

BBC 14 May 2012 Last updated at 00:26

Blackadder star Tony Robinson has helped coach rail staff to deliver new "comedy" announcements.

Written by Richard Preddy, who wrote the sitcom Green Wing, the announcements aim to make the Birmingham to London journey enjoyable.

In one, passengers listening to "noisy iPods" will be advised to get a better taste in music.

Robinson, who played Baldrick, spent a month helping Chiltern Railways staff learn the lines.

The announcements will also be heard at London Marylebone Station.

'Racing Underground trains'

Preddy said: "We have all waited for a train or a bus into work as the rain pours down and bustled our way to a seat and I think comedy can help to alleviate that stress.

"Everyone we met was so enthusiastic and the feedback so far has been fantastic.

"It's important to note that we aren't trying to turn everyone into a comedian.

"Rather we are hoping to bring out a little more of the staff's personality and humour via their day-to-day announcements and help cheer up the commuters along the way."

The announcements passengers will hear include:

"I'd like to welcome passengers boarding this 7.33 from Birmingham Moor Street to London Marylebone. If you've just bumped into someone who you barely know, you now have one hour and 30 minutes of awkward small talk. Good luck."

"For any passengers who've not visited London before, do please prepare yourselves for the capital's overwhelmingly calm and relaxing pace of life."

"We will shortly be passing through West Ruislip where we will be racing the Underground trains. Do please feel free to cheer for our driver."

"Will any passengers listening to noisy iPods please get a better taste in music. Thank you."

[John Ashworth]

Taking a leaf from Kulula.com's book?

[Steve Appleton]

Except that Kulula has toned down many of their humorous cabin announcements in recent times. They are apparently no longer "compulsory" and cabin staff who wish to are free to just make use the "standard" announcements. However upon a landing in Cape Town last month on Kulula, one steward who was almost certainly a local Cape resident produced a "welcome" announcement that had all of us on board in absolute stitches, by humorously slagging Cape Town, its facilities and its local populus in his pitch-perfect Cape accent. We were still giggling as we disembarked into the terminal.

[John Ashworth]

I recall them welcoming us to Cape Town, "called the Mother City because it takes 9 months to get anything done here". I also recall them reminding us to take all our personal belongings, cellphones, etc with us because the cabin crew would be auctioning anything that was left behind.

I hope to fly Kulula.com next week, so I'll see if they're still up to standard!

[Steve Appleton]

They are! Not worth paying the extra to fly on a "full service" carrier just to get 20 mm more leg room (unproven), a free sandwich and a free beer or two on board.

Kulula out of Lanseria really is a breeze - worth the few rands extra that Kulula surcharges on some fares over their ORT prices. That airport is so much quicker and more human-sized than ORT. Also print out your own boarding pass at home and you by-pass the check-in queue and trot right up to the security gate if you have no bags to check in. Free coffee in the departure lounge too!

[Kevin Wilson-Smith]

One airline that does not make me enthusiastic.

They are frequently late and if you fly them a lot (as I did once upon a time) the cracks about "we hope your car is still there in Johannesburg" wear a bit thin the 3rd or 4th time around - especially when you are 4 hours late.

[John Ashworth]

We flew Kulula twice in the last week. They don't make as many jokes as they used to. Both flights were slightly late. For various reasons we got to the airport very early one day and found we couldn't check our bags in until two and a half hours before the flight - that seemed strange to me, as I'm used to "proper" airlines where there is no such time limit. We appreciated the humour painted on the sides of the aircraft. One had "This way up" with large arrows; another had helpful signs telling you where the windows, seats, galley, captain, engines, rudder and black box were located.