Arriving, like the fbbs, from the west, the main stop is Lyme Regis Post Office. This is the stop that they missed, situated some way up the hill from the "Square". The view has change little since the 1920s when this touring coach was snapped at a similar position.
At the foot of the hill, however, things have changed quite significantly over the years. This view along Bridge Street, the main road out to the east, shows how narrow the road was. Note fenced area under the livery stables sign ...
... of the Pilot Boat Inn. Later, in deference to the development of tourism, this plot became the town's public conveniences, seen here under the lamp.
Property on the seaward side of Bridge Street was demolished to widen the road from impossibly narrow to just plain narrow...
... and the toilets have been made more luxurious. But a few yards along the (widened) street comes a sharp left into Church Street. Today the corner is controlled by traffic lights, but it is still very tight. In the 1960s an East Kent coach came to grief ...
... and, in the late 70s ...
... Alan Dawney of Sheerness decided to take his passengers into the town hall. Whoops.
Turn left here (you can do nothing else) and you are in Church Street.
The road is still narrow and, despite warnings a-plenty, large vehicles can come to grief as they think they will get through by somehow defying the laws of physics. Some weeks back fbb added, as a blog snippet, an altercation between two First buses ...
... which took hours to unravel. Back in the early 70s the same problem occurred ...
... and similar paint-scraping "comings together" still happen with expensive regularity.
After walking along this decidedly thin piece of highway and completing their shopping, the fbb's sought luncheon and followed the signs to ...
... in Coomb Street. The plan was to take away a takeaway [for Mrs fbb, a "carryoot"] but the caff had seating (bliss), a senior citizen's meal-deal at £5.95 (double bliss) and it was refreshingly cool despite the activities of the fryer (treble bliss).
Scrumptious and excellent value was the fbb's sated opinion; a cup of really fresh tea, a goodly chunk of tasty cod, a ladle of delectably glutinous processed peas (so much better than frozen garden for a chippy meal) and what was described as a "half portion" of chips. A full portion would have been a challenge!
Internally replete and with a satisactory purchase for Archie Robin's first ...
... there was time to hie to the bus stop and watch the world (and the buses!) go by. Service 31 to Axminster left at 1334 but fbb and Mrs arrived at the stop at least 15 minutes ahead of time.
It was then that "Getting Stuck Part 2" began to evolve.
This timetable display says it all! The First Northampton web site has been changed in the last couple of days. It now admits that service 4 (Obelisk Rise) is withdrawn completely. This replaces a similar but incorrect note saying that 4A (Acre Lane) had gone completely.
The insignificant detail (?) that 2 and 4A ave just lost their Sunday service is not mentioned in "News and Initiatives" on-line. The dregs are, however, correctly (but sadly) shown in the timetables section. These pitiful remains will be in operation for just one month then it will be the last of First in Northampton.
No-one has bothered to change timetable displays at the stands in Northampton Bus Station.
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The final gasps of omnibological death for First Bus in Northampton.
click on the image for increased legibility
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Next Bus Blog : Thursday 15th August
Yesterday afternoon although the timetable information for First service 4 at the bus station has now been removed people were still queuing at the stand for a bus that will never come. No one (County Council, First) has done anything to tell them (But it's all on our website) Remember this is organised by stupid folks with smart phones.
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