comments on fbb's journey on Sunday are deferred
fbb has happy memories of occasional visits to Leicester as spotty youth and/or student and, from hazy memory, the city was not good for transport integration. Bus and rail stations were well spread out and much skill was needed to find them. St Margarets was (and still is) the departure point for many out-of-town services, originally run by the huge Midland Red company.
Its somewhat dated concrete waiting shelters have been replaced by something much better ...
... and the Leicestershire bit of the old Midland Red is now Arriva (blue).
Some services used to run from the yard of Southgates depot, still sporting its "Midland" fascia some 9 years after the Arriva depot closed.
The Peacock Street frontage was reported as a listed building, but local contacts suggest the whole block may have been demolished. Midland Red buses also left from Newarke Street, near the historic "Gunpowder Magazine" and more recently than the examples pictured below.
More recent arrivals include Centrebus in orange a blue, running tendered routes and some competitive mileage. Then there is the Haymarket bus station, which, as its name suggests, is on Charles Street.
From the City centre diagram, and thinking historically, fbb assumed that the Haymarket bus station was for First Routes. Not so, as you can see.
Leicester City Council produces an excelllent, comprehensive but almost incomprehensible network map ...
... which might just be a little easier to follow if it used LESS colours, dots and dashes.
But, sadly, when fbb was looking, there was no simple, single source for Leicester's timetables. The City's web site directs the enquirer to Traveline, which seemed to have a lot of "greyed out" and thus unavailable maps. Clicking on a PDF timetable button for Centrebus service 55 brought the message,
But, sadly, when fbb was looking, there was no simple, single source for Leicester's timetables. The City's web site directs the enquirer to Traveline, which seemed to have a lot of "greyed out" and thus unavailable maps. Clicking on a PDF timetable button for Centrebus service 55 brought the message,
"We are sorry we are unable to generate a timetable at this time." Sadly not an unusual experience at Traveline. In fact, the East Midlands site seemed in a very bad way. An off day? But with no other easy source of comprehensive Leicester data, very much bad news.
The sad fact is that there is no obvious logic in what leaves from where and to where. The city centre diagram may, like their route map, be comprehensive but it is hardly comprehensible; more a magical mystery tour!
Surely something more helpful could be devised?
Never mind, eh? fbb is scheduled to take a wander around the City centre tomorrow (Tuesday) morning. Further comments will doubtless be blogged!
Never mind, eh? fbb is scheduled to take a wander around the City centre tomorrow (Tuesday) morning. Further comments will doubtless be blogged!
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fbb's mini Advent Calendar: December 12th
and Goodwill to all Men
And we all echo that heart-warming feeling at this festive season. Except that it simply isn't a correct quote from the Bible text. The idea that, in some incomprehensible way, a magic "Peace" dust is sprinkled liberally over hitherto bolshie and argumentative relationships in the run-up to December 25th is another folksy nonsense that has no place in the real CHRISTmas.
NO Peace and Goodwill? That can't be right.
It's not that there isn't any;. the question is, to whom are these God-given goodies given? The Peace and the Goodwill are ONLY on offer to those who are part of God's family. This is what is written in Luke's gospel ...
Suddenly a great army of heaven's angels appeared, singing "Glory to God in the Highest Heaven and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased."
Luke Chapter 2 verses 13 and 14
The source of Peace is via a relationship with Almighty God himself. Pleasing God without His help ain't so easy!
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Next Blog : due Tuesday December 13th
"The sad fact is that there is no obvious logic in what leaves from where and to where. The city centre diagram may, like their route map, be comprehensive but it is hardly comprehensible; more a magical mystery tour!
ReplyDeleteSurely something more helpful could be devised?"
What's wrong with the "Where to Board Your Bus" lists? I assume you've seen it, as it's the same document as the city centre bus map.
Thanks for a fascinating blog. Southampton also has several bus operators and no official single source of information. That's why I started sotonbus.blogspot.com - Maybe Leicester could do with something similar.
ReplyDeleteI am preparing a blog on "Where to Board your bus in Leicester"; to be composed after a site visit. At first glance it is VERY confusing but hopefully a visit in real rather than virtual reality will improve perceptions.
ReplyDelete