We left the story of High Green's buses with relative simplicity from 1963 which remained for 20 years plus. In 1985 we still had 73's via Ecclesfield (A6135) ...
... and 80s via Grenoside (A61).
You might just spot a 78 there which runs via new housing at Burncross, now a "suburb" of Chapeltown. The 91 now forms a circular to Greengate Lane via Ecclesfield and Chapeltown and as a 98 to Greengate Lane direct.
Mention should also be made of buses from Rotherham to High Green numbered 266 and 267 ...
... because this later service gets drawn into a modern version of the Horrors.
1985's 216 doesn't cause much grief ...
... but continues to rear its little head in heavy disguise today!
After a brief moment to catch our breath, let us whizz forward to a more recent map up to about 2012.
Stagecoach has arrived aggressively competing with First.
The main First bus route via Ecclesfield has become the 75 (every ten minutes) with Stagecoach on its tail with an 87 (also every ten minutes). TOO MANY BUSES.
The 78 (First) runs to Chapeltown (only - not on to High Green) every half hour via Burncross Bevan Way shadowed by Stagecoach 77 which ignores the new estate. TOO MANY BUSES.
Buses from Rotherham are now 66 and in a clever plan, First has joined this with its former 79 direct via Grenoside to make a mega through route from Sheffield all the way to Rotherham.
The 216 has morphed into a 72 and been extended from High Green via other bits of new housing into Chapeltown.
Next : Bring on The Clowns! (Whoops, slip of the brain. fbb meant "Partnership".)
This is a PTE map, so the colours are different.
The 75 and 87 remain similar but follow the same route at High Green. The 66 is still there but now uncoupled (again!) from the Sheffield route. First had a clever plan to number its northbound routes as 83, 84 and 85/85A. The 85 & 85A are the new 66 via Grenoside. The 72 has gained an "A" variant but that does not affect the route in High Green. The 78 has become a 79A and the 77 has vanished.
But undaunted in its aim to confuse every resident of High Green and put them off bus travel for life, the Partnership has come up with another cunning plan from 1st November.
And Yipee! Its all changing again.
The new 66 only runs to High Green at peak times; its normal terminus is now Greengate Lane. The 85 has lost its "A" variant because the 79A (formerly 77, formerly 78) has become 86 . It is now shown as almost the same colour as the unchanged 72 ; spot the difference! This 72 is not to be confused with the TWO other 72s serving Sheffield. But, importantly, the 75 and 87 have been merged into a new 1 and 1A .
And nobody has asked about the 29. That is the remnant of a once-proud hourly service between Sheffield, Penistone and Huddersfield dating from 1924 (Penistone) and 1928 (Huddersfield), even in 1968 extended to Halifax.
By 1985, the 68 (and associated X68) had become a more complex mis of numbers and routes, namely 237, 238 and 239.
But part of the service did (and the present route still does) use the main road through High Green. It now runs sporadically to Penistone only; is tendered by the PTE and thus changes operator every couple of years. Stability - poohbags!
So, with a few hours in a darkened room with icepack atop the cranium, the bus route number Masterminds among our readers will have it all sussed.
Until they try to read the new timetables, that is.
We unravel the new (and exciting?) 1 and 1A tomorrow. Keep on taking the tablets; there are still traumas ahead.
1985's 216 doesn't cause much grief ...
After a brief moment to catch our breath, let us whizz forward to a more recent map up to about 2012.
The main First bus route via Ecclesfield has become the 75 (every ten minutes) with Stagecoach on its tail with an 87 (also every ten minutes). TOO MANY BUSES.
The 78 (First) runs to Chapeltown (only - not on to High Green) every half hour via Burncross Bevan Way shadowed by Stagecoach 77 which ignores the new estate. TOO MANY BUSES.
Buses from Rotherham are now 66 and in a clever plan, First has joined this with its former 79 direct via Grenoside to make a mega through route from Sheffield all the way to Rotherham.
The 216 has morphed into a 72 and been extended from High Green via other bits of new housing into Chapeltown.
Next : Bring on The Clowns! (Whoops, slip of the brain. fbb meant "Partnership".)
The 75 and 87 remain similar but follow the same route at High Green. The 66 is still there but now uncoupled (again!) from the Sheffield route. First had a clever plan to number its northbound routes as 83, 84 and 85/85A. The 85 & 85A are the new 66 via Grenoside. The 72 has gained an "A" variant but that does not affect the route in High Green. The 78 has become a 79A and the 77 has vanished.
But undaunted in its aim to confuse every resident of High Green and put them off bus travel for life, the Partnership has come up with another cunning plan from 1st November.
And Yipee! Its all changing again.
And nobody has asked about the 29. That is the remnant of a once-proud hourly service between Sheffield, Penistone and Huddersfield dating from 1924 (Penistone) and 1928 (Huddersfield), even in 1968 extended to Halifax.
But part of the service did (and the present route still does) use the main road through High Green. It now runs sporadically to Penistone only; is tendered by the PTE and thus changes operator every couple of years. Stability - poohbags!
Until they try to read the new timetables, that is.
We unravel the new (and exciting?) 1 and 1A tomorrow. Keep on taking the tablets; there are still traumas ahead.
Next Horrors blog : Thursday 22nd October
FBB i have a feeling with the 91/98 used in the mid 80's used to run the full loop, the 94 was introduced by Sheffield & District (aka Caldaire) to run Chapeltown - Sheffield - Handsworth (asda)
ReplyDeleteThanks anon. I have before apologised for my ignoramce in developments undr the daftness of post deregulation competition. One day (If I live long nought) I will be able to fill the gaps!
ReplyDeleteWhat is the restriction partly shown on the first page of the 1985 timetable for route 73?
ReplyDeleteThere was a setting down restriction on many less frequent "outer suburban" routes to prevent their being used by inner city passengers. Other services had "minimum fare" making shorter trips significantly more expensive.
ReplyDeleteAnd look at those memorable (?) frequencies on the 73 & 80 at the top of the blog. The past isn't all golden, despite what we like to tell ourselves
ReplyDeleteHow's your journey planner coming along? Is it ready yet?
ReplyDelete