fbb has kept a loose eye on the subject if this particular celebration which has its origins in an event of 50 years ago. It began here ...
... at Stony Stratford and continued to here, the flesh pots of Bletchley.
Bus route 388 joined the two although its inception was just a smidgen less than the big 50 years ago. It was soon numbered MK1, ran via the A5, carried hardly any passengers, but was the first service provided specifically for the New City of Milton Keynes; which celebrates its 50th Birthday this very weekend.
In 1967, development of the new town of Milton Keynes began following its formal designation as a new town on January 23rd. Its purpose was to help alleviate London's chronic housing problem and to provide a commercial centre for Buckinghamshire. It was called Milton Keynes after the existing village of that name.
The celebrations are many and varied ...
... and fbb has searched diligently but can find no event rejoicing (?) in the City's bus services over the last half-century. So he will do so in this blog!
He leaves his readers to enhance the intellectual rather than physical celebration by filling in the gaps and enhancing the detail. The pictures show, from top left then clockwise:-
(Whoops! It should, of course, be "Arriva").
Meditate on This
Commuters sitting cross-legged on a carpeted upper deck, waving joss sticks and chanting "om"? Actually, no.
But fbb thought that any bus ride was a recipe for for inner peace and happiness - man!
The old man has yet to find out which actual vehicle it is. But it offers a level of comfort almost akin to Yorkshire Coastliner's new vehicles ...
... or something from Reading.
But this offer might well be of use to those who have suffered at the hand of Southern, The Departments of Transport and the Rail Unions!
lululemon Athletica Inc., styled as lululemon athletica, is a Canadian athletic apparel retailer. It is a self-described yoga-inspired athletic apparel company and a designer and retailer of technical athletic apparel, which produces a clothing line and runs international clothing stores from its company base in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The company makes a number of different types of athletic wear, including performance shirts, shorts, and pants, as well as lifestyle apparel and yoga accessories.
fbb buys nothing else for his wardrobe of sportswear!
The above is a "Box Space Short Sleeve" and costs modest £68. It makes model railways seem cheap.
And talking of model railways ...
It Pays to Shop Around - Caveat Emptor
From time to time, fbb welcomes a special guest to enjoy the outdoor mini-layout that graces fbb mansions' rearmost appurtenances, i.e. the back yard. The railway enthusiast with a penchant for Thomas the Tank Engine stories ...
... is 4 year old Archie Fearnley, son of "you know who".
fbb has been looking out for such a locomotive, but cheaper than the new price tag of £44, a bit much to spend on a "toy" engine. He was initially interested to see this offer in the on-lane catalogue of Hattons of Widnes' "pre-owned" stuff.
But the model had too many faults and simply wasn't worth £34 of meanie fbb's pocket money. Pity. But then a separate Hattons mailing list popped into the blog-office in-box.
£31 for a new loco seemed a bargain. But first, your cynical blogger needed to check that the quoted "list price" was accurate and not simply a "trade puff". So to the Hornby web site.
Wowsers!
Not only was a new Thomas only £29.49 but the advert said that, by spending only an extra 51p, postage would be free. (Hattons charge £4). A pair of Troublesome Trucks were added to the order which was duly delivered yesterday, 20th. The order was placed at 157 on the 18th.
Excellent service.
The order came in a a typically small box with just a modicum of packing material.
After diligent inspection by the fbb towers security team ...
... the loco was pronounced safe by the expert and duly displayed in the model railway testing department's workshops, i.e. the dining table.
It looks great!
Next "Assorted Stuff" blog : Sunday 22nd January
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