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Another find in the great clearing up process. A souvenir tea towel headed "Glesga Patter", thoughtfully translated as "A comprehensive Guide for Making Conversation in Glasgow".
The following caught fbb's eye : translations below.
your kind felicitations are agreeably accepted
I am rapidly running out of patience
And, in recognition that this is a public transport blog:-
this is a far as your ticket permits you to travel
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Lastly from St Andrews ... Bus Station Beautiful?
A couple of weeks ago, fbb published this print from a decaying slide, offering the opinion that it might have been St Andrews' bus station taken on the chubby one's honeymoon. His return visit confirmed that it was indeed so, with the 2013 shot clearly showing the tall (but now window-less) doors on the depot today.
Presumably the original garage and bus station were typical 1930s builds by Alexanders, later Fife, Later Fife Scottish and now Stagecoach. fbb guesses that Fife Council paid for the new building and Stagecoach provides the staff.
There is a welcoming "feature" with directions to key locations on the town ...
... and inside there is plenty of information. Fife's computer has been busy churning out a comprehensive index ...
... with a shiny penny for multilingual headings. Although it would not be too difficult to interpret the list below! fbb wonders how our friends from Nederland would cope with "Buslijn 23 naar Auchtermuchty"?
There is the usual set of departure lists with a very useful summary of everything to Leuchars Station.
A selection Stagecoach leaflets was displayed but, of course, no mention of other operators. There was also yet another version of the town's network map, making the whole thing even less comprehensible ...
... and indicating that some of fbb's detailed research, fortunately not yet committed to blog, was, bluntly, utterly wrong! Fife Council tell us that the bus station is staffed ...
... for unusually generous hours. Fife also tell us that the supervisor lives in the travel shop.
Nice ... BUT ...
... he doesn't open the window after 1700 Monday to Friday, after 1200 on Saturday and at all on Sundays. So what exactly does "staffed" mean?
Despite these criticisms, it is really, really good to have a bus station when all about you are losing theirs. So full marks to Fife and Stagecoach for making an excellent effort which could, ideally, be that bit better.
One more serious moan, however, concerns the usual elderly bladder problem!
Mrs fbb, desirous of relief, attempted to use the "facilities" ...
... even at the significant price of six shillings (30p) as subsequently discovered on Fife Council's web site. Despite a diligent search of the equipment, she could find no indication of price or availability and, rather than either vaulting athletically over the turnstiles (?) or sacrificing successive inputs of specie, decided to suffer and seek solace elsewhere. Perhaps, now, you have to go on-line to be told how to, erm, pee?
One very big bad house point.
There is the usual set of departure lists with a very useful summary of everything to Leuchars Station.
One more serious moan, however, concerns the usual elderly bladder problem!
One very big bad house point.
Next bus blog - Saturday 27th April
Ah, the bus stance. A species only found in Scotland.
ReplyDeleteAnd at least with paid-for toilets they are usually in good condition. Indeed, in Rothesay they are a tourist attraction.
To clarify- St Andrews is unusual among Fife bus stations because it is owned and operated by Stagecoach, rather than by Fife Council. The opening hours (to 2230) are standard across Fife for all bus station buildings, as are the ticket office hours. When the enquiry offices are shut, the staff on-site can handle casual enquiries, but do not deal with ticket sales. The majority are council staff, and are primarily there to manage the building, whereas at St Andrews, because of the depot alongside, they are Stagecoach staff, and are also supervising the operation. Hope this is clearer!
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