Taking the above headline from the "official" title of this blog, fbb decided to use some of the remaining time in Guildford to try out "the experience". Things would begin at the bus station.
In 1950, the town opened not one but two bus stations. One was on Onslow Street, very close to the present site ...
... and the other was on the site of the former Connaught Hotel.
fbb's inadequate knowledge cannot identify the exact location of either, but this contemporaneous article from "Commercial Motor" explains all.
The present bus station was constructed as part of the Friary shopping centre, so it was that your sweltering blogger set off from his launch lunch, replete but "glowing" for the short toddle down the road.
The set-up was slightly disorientating for the old man, because you entered, obviously, on the ground floor ...
... where you might expect another exit to take you to the buses, also at ground level. But you need to ascend to an upper level to emerge at ground level!
First impressions can be very revealing, and, frankly the ambiance was dull and gloomy.
On the wall was a departure screen showing the usual, but less than useful, list in time order ...
... below which was a rather tired plan of the station with information as to what left from where.
It was a destination index in alphabetical order BUT it was quite hard to read, especially in the gloom. Although there were electronic displays at, say, the hospital, there was nothing at each individual stand. Your only source of "real time" was those lines on the departure list that showed "xx min" - many showed only departure time.
Obviously, there were no timetables on display anywhere but fbb did note a rather faded departure list for service 1 via the University, his steed of choice for the short ride to the hospital.
It informed any members of the public foolish enough to use it ...
... that it was at Friary Bus Station (thanks a bunch for that "big revelation"!), that it was valid from 6th January 2019 and that it was updated for Uni term times.
But therein lay a snag. Last Friday was well into the lengthy Summer Vacation. Indeed the postedeeven told its readers when these vacations were.
fbb espied no "separate timetable".
So, for Monday to Friday at least, it was completely useless unless you just wanted to go the the hospital. Poor.
But what do we see a little further through the gloom?
Paul's Caff (noted for later refreshment, if necessary - it usually is!) and a shiny illuminated sign complete with new wheely logo for Arriva. Bingo - at least some printed info might be acquired. And yes, super smashing, there was an extensive display just inside the door ...
... which was utterly locked! Lunch break!
Even more galling was the apparition of a real human being sitting behind a computer and looking very much alive. Doubtless this "operative" was entitled to a break but the whole set up was simply NOT a good exemplar of Customer Service.
Safeguard was worse!
Next door they had an office ...
... with a huge display for route 4 and 5 but, in this case, the smiling person seen on the door was just another poster. It was clearly no longer in use for the public.
And Stagecoach? NOTHING. No office, no leaflets, no posters and nowhere to find out!
These three companies are in competition and, if fbb has grasped the idea aright, the usual idea in a competitive situation is to do everything possible to encourage people to buy your product (a ride on a bus) in preference to the other blokes' goodies.
There was no incentive to travel on any of them!
It was difficult to get an impression of the whole bus station as time was limited - but a bit of follow-up research confirmed the layout.
There was a long line of "third world" shelters along Commercial Road.
... which fbb thought were no longer used. But they were!
In contrast, the main head-in stands were busy with a constant queue of buses waiting to nose in. These were on the bus station side of the lavish Stands 18 to 22.
The problem with the busy stands was that there was insufficient room to queue - more than an dozen eager passengers would spill out and partially block the walkway.
There was one big positive about the Friary facility. It is still there.
A proposal a few years ago to relocate to a smaller site seems to have faded into the greyness of aspirational town centre "improvements".
One proposal was to use Mary Road car park which would be ...
(a) further from the shops
(b) too small
(c) harder to get into and out
... otherwise a super scheme!
Far better, you would think, to build a better bus station on the existing site?
Aha! But if that were done, the Council could not make zillions from selling the land for an extension to the shopping centre.
Sadly (actually fortunately) shopping "malls" in the centre of towns do not, currently, offer "good investment potential" - hence the comparative silence about the new inferior bus station site.
Time will tell - but the currently facility badly needs a clean up, an opening up, better electronic information and, above all, a well staffed all-operator enquiry office. As usual:-
But, at last, the weary old boy sets off on his competitive bus ride.
Next Guildford blog : Friday 19th July
