Dear members of Paignton Probus Club.
Here is information for you regarding the planned Club’s Autumn Outing. We will be
travelling by train, both, to Exeter and back, to see the Christmas Market, plus the Shops.
*This day outing is also open to your: Spouse’s, Partners, adult family members, and friends.
The plan is:
To travel by train from Paignton to Exeter Central Station on Thursday 28th November
From here we will be able to visit and enjoy the pre-Christmas Market, which is held
annually on the Cathedral Green. In addition, you will have a chance, if you so wish, to look
at the Exeter shops decorated and lit up for Christmas.
Group Meal: i will, subject to numbers, be trying to pre-book a restaurant (Cote most
probably), like we did last year, for a lunch. However, the cost of your meal, here, or else
where, will ‘not be included’ in the £8.00 advance payment which is required in order to
attend this club day out.
Even if you are booked for the group meal, all food & drink costs must be paid by
yourselves / the individual(s) on the day, directly to the restaurant. For those that have said
‘they wish to attend a group meal’ a second deposit payment is required in advance (*see
details of this below).
Those who that have ‘not booked via me for the group meal’ you are of course, free to
make your own arrangements for food & drink whilst we are in Exeter (although, the group
meal is normally very good fun).
*If separated from the group: To travel home to Paignton, ‘all persons’ included in this
group outing must meet up with the others at 15.35 hours (3.35 PM) ‘In the Exeter Central
Railway Station booking hall’ prior to our train’s departure ‘as we must all travel together’.
On the day: Please be at Paignton Railway Station at 10.00 a.m.! Our train departs at
10.24 a.m.
We should arrive at Exeter Central Station at 11.18 a.m. It is then a level walk from here into
the Main Street, also, on to the Cathedral Green where the Christmas Market is (so is Cote).
Our group’s return trip is from Exeter Central Railway Station: We are ‘Meeting at the
Station in the booking hall’ at 15.35 hours (3.35 PM). Our train departs at 15.50 hours
(3.50 PM), it is due to arrive back in Paignton at 16.45 hours (4.45 PM). **This train should
miss the impact of children leaving school to travel home, also shop and office workers
returning to their homes (it did in 2023).
Note: Our train times maybe subject to change, if this happens, this info will be conveyed
to you as soon as I / we, receive it. Currently, both trains, the outgoing, and the returning
one, are scheduled to be without any station changes (and are the quickest trains).
The Costs – The train cost is very reasonable thanks to their ‘GroupSave Discount Scheme’
which saves a third or so off the normal fares. This system is operated by the National Train
company for groups of people ‘travelling together’ of between 3 & 9 people (see note below
re numbers greater than this).
In addition to the train cost, the club have added a small administrative charge to cover, all
phone calls, paper and printing etc, making the total cost £8.00 per person.
Please note: The small administrative charge will be going directly into your Paignton Probus
Club funds.
For those wishing to attend the lunch meal at Cotes Brassiere Restaurant please book
directly via me / Chris Martin. This restaurant normally asks for a deposit, last year this was
£10 per head (I have agreed to pay this in advance for up to 12 people I.e. £120!), but I will
require each of the 12 people who have booked via me, to pay me directly for this, by
cheque or cash, in advance by / before Wednesday 20 th November 2024 please.
Sorry, but ‘failure to do so’ will mean your place at the group meal will either, be given to
somebody else, or, be cancelled altogether.
Note: All personal payments to Cotes Brassiere Restaurant for your food & drinks can only
be made to them by card! ** All meal booking deposits made to me will be refunded to you (provided
you attended) by me Chris Martin (They cannot be not deducted from your restaurant bill).
Note:- The restaurant operates a policy of not refunding any deposit for cancellations made less than 72 hrs before the booked date.
A further note re our train travel: For the eagle eyed of you! The number per group I stated
above was between 3 to 9, the smallest group being of 3 persons.
***Last year the staff at Paignton Railway Ticket Office told us not to worry about the
maximum number (9) as they would sort this out for us, and they did. They’ve said the same
for this year’s trip.
To book your attendance on this outing please kindly give your group’s lead name, plus,
your party’s total numbers (i.e. who is coming with you) to John Osmond along with your
payments of £8.00 per person in your group.
Any changes to the train times, or, costs, for this day outing will be provided to members
once they are known.
This should be a fun day out for us all (it was last year).
Kind regards Chris Martin – Paignton Probus President 2024 – 2025.
P S – Wellness notes:
Dress according to the forecast weather conditions for this day!
Re Toilets, there are toilets on Exeter Central Station. The Xmas Market has temporary
toilets set up on their site. The Cote Brassiere Restaurant also has toilets downstairs. Plus,
there are some nice Public Toilets close by, however, last year you needed a twenty (20)
pence coin to access them!
** A Safe Free Warm Space. Should the weather be cold and / or wet (snowing ��), or, you
simply arrive back at Central Station too early to meet the others when travelling home to
Paignton. The Royal Albert Museum, which is situated next to Central Station (almost). Is
free to enter, is warm and dry, plus, has a disability lift to enter, plus, has a nice Café, &
toilets. But do, please make sure that you are in the Central Station Ticket Hall on time!
Finally: Should you encounter problems whilst in Exeter, phone me on 07802 314280.
This said, there is nothing I can do if you miss the groups train, you will just need to
purchase another train ticket, at normal single price, to get you home.
Paignton Probus Club 