Sunday Variety : "It's Disgraceful ...

that's part of the blog - the Church Service isn't "disgraceful"!!!

Church Link ...
... available (here). Service starts 1030

Today's service has been pre-recorded.
The Minsters are having a break
before "Car Park" services start in September

... It Ought Not To Be Allowed."

Alan emails from Northampton with a bit more nostalgia from the early days of Children's entertainment.

He reminds fbb of the Larry the Lamb stories from the days of "Childrens Hour" on the steam radio. fbb was not a fan.

For those that are far too young to remember ...

Toytown was a BBC radio series for children, broadcast for Children's Hour on the Home Service. The plays were based on a set of puppets created by S. G. Hulme Beaman, who also wrote the stories for the series. The first Toytown plays were broadcast in 1929, and the pool of stories was re-used until the end of Children's Hour. There were 31 plays in all.

The series starred Larry the Lamb, the central character, and his clever sidekick, Dennis the Dachshund. In each story a misunderstanding, often arising from a device created by the inventor, Mr. Inventor, occurs which involves Ernest the Policeman, the disgruntled Mr Growser the Grocer and the Mayor.

"It's disgraceful; it ought not to be allowed", was nasty Mr Growser's catchphrase.

The September issue of Buses magazine reveals a Mr Growser moment.

Stagecoach South West is to close its Travel Shops in Exeter ...

... and Paignton.

Now we all know that Exeter and Paignton are places unlikely to attract visitors from outside the area, so, on this basis, Stagecoach has decided that nobody much will need to make any enquiries. After all, (all together now) ...

It's ALL ON LINE

Well it is if you have a good idea of what the answer is when you start looking.

The article includes an explanation of the decision which says it all. Mr Stagecoach says, "We are not taking as much money at the Travel Shops as we used to, so they are no longer viable."

So that's it. An enquiry office is not for enquiring, it's for taking in the cash. The people who enquire are not spending any cash are they?

Spending on bus fares? Well, yes; but it doesn't show on the Travel Shop spreadsheet. So it doesn't count.

Will Stagecoach lose revenue as a result of this potty decision? Of course it will, but it will be blamed on the corona virus, traffic congestion, the low price of petrol, the growth of on-line shopping, the insipid influence of the Russians and the late delivery of new buses, Exeter bus station and the General Manager's new suit.

But there is worse to come.

Stagecoach Devon etc. has always produced some excellent printed material, eagerly collected, clutched, kept and consulted by droves of tourists each summer.

So, to encourage extra business year by year, the Company is to stop printing any leaflets. 

After all (all together now) ...

It's ALL ON LINE

Never mind, proffers the press release, customers can request a leaflet and Stagecoach will print one out for them there and then.

And where will this printing service take place?

Of course, in Exeter and Paignton Travel Shops!

Whoops!

"It's disgraceful; it ought not to be allowed"

Put all this together and Stagecoach Devon is one of the lead contenders for the new 7Ps award.

Might this prestigious award soon sit proudly on the desk in Exeter Travel Shop?

Whoops!

Nice Seats - Pity About The Train Service!

A twitterer has enthusiastically twitted a picture of a refurbushed Class 156 diesel unit belonging to Northern Rail ...

... but not the unit itself, but its re-covered seats and refurbished interior.

The Twitterer writes ...

Ray Stenning adds another touch of modesty!

But Northern (that's part of the UKs nationalised railway network), has come up with a cunning plan to cope with low passenger numbers "in these unprecedented times".

They have decided to stop running trains!

Well, on at least one line.

It is all to do with Northern's staff shortages, but quite how the withdrawal of a footling little Manchester branch line is going to make a huge difference to the mess that Northern still "enjoys" is not at all clear.

And, apart from a few peak time buses there is no replacement road service. Northern have suggessted their customers should walk to neighbouring stations on other lines; for a reasonably fit adult it will only take 20 minutes.

And Mr Growser's catchphrase?

"It's A Disgrace ... It Ought Not To Be Allowed."

Positive Publicity

It deserves to win!

That's the way we used to do it ...

... but the trains were a tad slower!

More Stuff tomorrow.

Hailing At Hayling, No Longer Failing
A few days ago, fbb reported on the "new" First Bus route from Portsmouth to the Hayling Ferry at Eastney. fbb suggested, on the basis of on-line information available at the time, that the every 45 minute bus did not properly connect with the hourly ferry,

Thanks to correspondent Peter, fbb can correct this view.

The ferry company will introduce a new timetable to meet the bus.

Still no public transport on the Island side, though.

 Next Bank Holiday Variety blog : Monday 31st Aiugust