Thursday 29 March 2018

Another Collection of "Stuff" (2)

Sid Is In Trouble
Apparently, although his coaches are plastered with a special cheap fare offer ...
... the Advertising Standards Authority have (amazingly) discovered hat it is very difficult to find any journeys at the bargain price of £1 (plus 50p booking fee). Shockingly, they looked at services between Aberystwyth ...
... and Birmingham.
Another astounding revelation!
Stagecoach have agreed to have a "different focus" - i.e. tell the truth - on their web sites!

It's All On-line Episode 542 - Sheffield
Attempting to chase up timetable changes due from the end of April, fbb dutifully logged on yesterday and ...
... the site was "down" yet again. Not just "down" but giving full details ...
... of weather disruption from ten day ago.

Why?

It's All On-line Episode 543 - Weymouth
Thanks a bundle, First Bus, for keeping us all informed via a Twit from  ...
... 7 days ago telling us which buses were operating normally. And, as a bonus, First have posted (viewed on fbb's phone) a map of their Jurassic Coaster services with X54 and X55 buses back for the "Summer". 
The map does pop up correctly on the laptop but which ignores the X55 ...
... which serve Bovington Tank Museum and Monkey World.
This table comes from the PDF of the excellent Weymouth timetable book.
But the web site warns us that:-

We are experiencing problems serving our timetables at the moment. Until we get this resolved, you can call Traveline on 0871 200 22 33 or visit www.traveline.info

As ALL the timetables are in this booklet, shouldn't the web site cross reference to those tables rather than Traveline?

All together now ...

 IT'S ALL ON LINE 

Sid Goes Sightseeing
News also from Stagecoach that a Megabus (Megasightseeing) tour of London is about to start.
The above from a trade periodical, but the Megasightseeing site says much the same.
And, despite our first item above, there were seats available at £1 for early days of the service when fbb looked yesterday evening.
It will be interesting to see if they survive that Advertising gauleiter's diktat.

And Sid has bought a camera.
Let's hope he doesn't try to use it which driving the bus!

Now, how many sightseeing companies are competing for the tourist's cash? And will the "mega" style of "on-line booking only" tempt confused tourists from "furrin" parts?

Porlock P S
Whilst seeking extra material for the blog written mainly by a contributor, fbb came across this on-line picture.
Further information, please?

STOP PRESS - at 0755 this morning an email from a West Somerset correspondent answered fbb's question in some detail. More later!

Non-Stick Sticky Backed Plastic
A comment writer points out, from bitter personal experience, that "stick-on" vinyls become "fall-off" vinyls when applied to glass. So the Buses for Sheffield non-publicity non-campaign might come to a non-sticky end sooner that planned!

How sad!

[Chortle, chortle!]
=======================================
Post Palm Sunday!
There was a third act of provocation or confrontation as Jesus approached his own arrest and execution.
He told a little story. It was about the owner (God) of a vineyard and its tenants (The Nation of Israel).
When the time came to gather the grapes, the owner sent a slave to the tenants to receive from them his share of the harvest. The owner sent another slave, and they killed him; and they treated many others the same way, beating some and killing others.

The people had, largely, ignored the prophets sent to encourage them to turn back to God

The only one left to send was the man's own dear son. Last of all, then, he sent his son to the tenants. ‘I am sure they will respect my son,’ he said. But those tenants said to one another,
This is the owner's son. Come on, let's kill him, and his property will be ours!’ So they grabbed the son and killed him and threw his body out of the vineyard.

And who might that son have been? Easy peasy!
It does not take a genius (or a committed Christian) to see that Jesus death was not some rragic accident, or simply a piece of mis-placed political or religious arrogance by the authorities - IT WAS AN INEVITABLE PRE-PLANNED ACT OF SELF SACRIFICE.
Plenty of Failures - so what was the plan?
Tricky to achieve from on a Cross?
---------------------------------------------------------------

5 comments:

  1. As the £1 fares only existed as a marketing tool, I wonder if the end result of the ASA's ruling will be that no £1 fares are available. A "victory" for the complainants that means everyone loses?!

    ReplyDelete
  2. There are plenty of examples where vinyl stays on bus glass for years. Stagecoach locally have had "Free WiFi" roundels in exactly that spot on the destination glass without trouble for several years, likewise First Bristol with their day ticket offer.
    The winners though have to be the "Get around in Bath" ones which survived for about 10 years, the only missing bits being where windows were replaced (then they looked a right mess, but that's a different issue).

    ReplyDelete
  3. Firsts Jurassic Coaster webpages are out of date.

    Seaton is now off Firsts ports of call, so the Seaton Trams are no longer accessible directly by First. One will need to change at Lyme Regis to a Stagecoach 9A.

    Also the map does not show the Durdledoor and Lulworth route of the X54!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Porlock - from the internet

    the Amazon book title
    The Blue Motors Remembered: History of the Porlock Weir, Porlock and Minehead Motor Service Company Ltd.(1916-54) Hardcover – 1 Jan 1994

    A Photo comment on 14/08/16 – 06:04
    Blue Motors HQ and main garage was in North Road at Minehead, under what is now a block of flats. A small sub-depot existed at Porlock Weir, some 8 miles from Minehead and this building (which still stands) was capable of holding two of their vehicles. For a long period Blue Motors operated the Porlock Weir – Porlock – Minehead bus service hence the out-station.
    Chris

    More recently Martyn Babb traded as The Blue Motors from the Fuel Depot in Minehead. Amongst other things, Blue Motors had the contract for the 285, the county council tourist circular service from Minehead to Exford returning via Porlock. Quantock ran that service commercially as the 400 or 600 on some days and weeks. Blue Motors also ran the Mineral Line excursions in conjunction with the steam railway. The licence was surrendered on 31/12/2012.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Jurassic coaster map.
    The Wessex 2018 book has the correct map showing X55 plus 500 and 501.
    Their website under network maps also has the same correct map.

    ReplyDelete