But ... Never On A Sunday?

And Not Ideal After Lunch!

Public Transport is not easy at the best of times, but on a Sunday; even less so. Compared with Monday to Saturday, there are no buses between Seaton and Axminster on the Sabbath and Stagecoach route 52A between Exeter and Seaton is sparse in the extreme.

Let's try from the other end. Are there service 11 buses past the driveway to Brunel Manor?

Indeed, the same frequency as Monday to Friday. 

So the answer is looking less than attractive but, with a sigh, we will try bus all the way. For a change we will use Traveline this time. Mrs fbb would really appreciate hanging about for nearly two hours at the end of the drive, having been shooed out after lunch.

She could leave at 1254 and miss lunch alltogether!

Half an hour of vicarious excitement at the northern end of Shaldon Bridge is not overly attractive. There is a stop for the service 2 which runs via Newton Abbot. Here it is on the right just past the lights that let you off the bridge.

But where is the bus stop FROM Brunel Manor. Not on Bishopsteignton Road, it would appear, despite a likely looking blue blob on Google maps.

With half an hour to spend, fbb would recommend continuing in to Teignmouth itself, possibly calling at Arnies Sarnies.

Oh dear, it's closed on Sundays in the winter!

Then there's a delightful 23 minutes at Livery Dole.

Again, would it be better to stay on the 2 and travel on into Exeter?

Of course it would. Such are the dubious joys of Journey Planners!

Can we do better by including train?

NO!

The problem is getting from Brunel Manor to a railway station.By the time you have st off in the wong direction to do that, even the slow bus option is quicker. (less slow!)

We might consider the possibility of using a National Express coach. Nah! Don't even consider it!

In fact it would appear that the only sort-of reasonable route using public transport all the way is by bus. Most would say that such a schedule is not reasonable!

So maybe fbb Could offer to collect his good lady wife from Axminster? Assuming that Mrs fbb could persuade Brunel Manor to let her wait in the porch, she could take the 1554, change to train at Teignmouth and change again at Exeter.

An earlier journey at 1413 is a bit tight for a 1300 lunch, all the more so because it involves a panicky search for a service 31.

The sad fact is that Sunday travel by public transport is rarely easy and, for a normal female type person travelling alone, probably just impossible if it involves changing from train to bus. Even a fat elderly blogger would not relish getting back from Brunel Manor on a Sunday.

Of course fbb would not expect his beloved to take that return journey, even if she were willing to try the outbound run. 

In practice, a chum from the Isle of Wight came to stay for a few days and she drove the two of them in her shiny red motor car.

An you are right. It wasn't a red car like this one!

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Falcon Flies Tomorrow

Stagecoach South West's surprise and innovative new coach service between Plymouth and Bristol starts tomorrow. An hourly service, seven days a week, with an introductory fare of £1 per trip, is some launch. In the company's staff bulletin there are some photos of the coaches taken at various locations served.

PLYMOUTH

EXETER

BRISTOL AIRPORT

BRISTOL

Actually the coach route doesn't serve any of the locations pictured except the terminal building at Bristol Airport!

fbb is planning his mega trip on Tuesday 16th. More information later.

Your author would appreciate any comments from those who beat him to make an early ride! Contact fbb@xephos.com

 Next model rail blog : Sunday 14th February