Well, Not Really ...
Sheffield Transport ran a significant network of bus services into Derbyshire's peak district including Bakewell, routes that continued in the PTE era ...
... and on into pre-privatisation "SYT" times.
But slowly and inevitably First lost interest and most of their inherited Derbyshire routes went to other operators.
All that remained was the 272 to Castleton now joint with Hulleys.
Likewise ALL routes to Chesterfield were abandoned or lost to competition. The last iteration (200, 201, 202, 203 and 204 via Dronfield) all ended up with Stagecoach as did historic Sheffield Transport routes 62, 64 and parts of 99. None of these remain in their original form although similar 43, 44, 50 and 50a do still exist.
It was the X17 that took the fbbs to Chesterfield, fast and direct - but fbb wanted a different experience for his return on Tuesday afternoon.
The Story So Far
... which gives us a clue as to the historical reason for these communities. We move into open country and the ride is rural and very pleasant ...
... but with little chance of adding numerically to the single passenger, viz fbb.
Service 80 brushes past Spinkhill ...
... although there is not much to brush past. In a burst of omnibological excitement we divert to the turning circle, installed by South Yorkshire PTE ...
Stagecoach 71 and 72 (plus numerous complex variations) ran from Sheffield to Killamarsh and on to Chesterfield via various convoluted routes. These were replaced by Stagecoach 80 with occasional journeys numbered 80a.
Best not fret about the detail because it has all gone anyway.
Stagecoach threw in the towel and noble Hulleys of Baslow stepped in with boundless but misplaced enthusiasm and took on a shortened 80 between Chesterfield and Crystal Peaks.
Like Stagecoach, Hulleys threw in another towel, toiletries which now litter the roads around Killamarsh.
And First Bus won the tender for the 80 and announced that the company was returning to Derbyshire.
Hmmm.
So it was First Bus 80 that fbb took from Chesterfield to Killamarsh after saying a tearful farewell to his beloved in Tuesday. As he writes this blog, the beloved in on her way back from Swanwick to the Travelodge in Sheffield prior to a return to Seaton today.
After waving goodbye to Trent's Comet, the old bloke tottered across New Beetwrll Street and under the bridge linking car park with shops to await hus steed on stand B5.
And there it was on the electronic departure list high on the wall ...
... and more helpfully low in the frame at stand B5.
And very encouragingly, there in the distance a First Bus bus lurked.
A modest assemblage was waiting for it - just FIVE passengers plus fbb.
Frustratingly, two of the assemblage of five occupied the four front seats top deck, Otherwise there was plenty of room for fbb!
Despite the exterior livery, the interior was dowdy and unimpressive. fbb wonders why bus companied do a repaint job but leave the innards very toil worn. The impression is disappointing.
So the houry 80 is urbanised as far as Brimingtom, providing a hospital link, a less than helpful one way wiggle at Calow and the only bus between there and Brimington. Direct buses from Brimington to Chesterfield run via Tapton.
Although the Hospital was busy with full cat parks ...
... there was no custom for fbb's 80.
There were no customers on the estate at Calow ...
... and after our front seat hoggers left south of Brimington, fbb was the sole remaining passenger.
If this loading was typical, it is not at all surprising that Stagecoach and Hulleys both gave up!
Brimington's one way system ...
...was traversed without incident and without passengers. And so on to Staveley.
Most Stavelians would be aiming for Chesterfield direct or even Mansfield. In one direction, they have a mini bus station ...
... again with no takers for the 80! Then, there is another wiggle via the estate at Mastin Moor where the time point is at the "Miners' Welfare" ...
... when it provided a bus service to the village, despite its being in Derbyshire!
Double excitement as an X1 Speedlink bus was resting there. Sadly, it was just the 80 to Chesterfield, bereft of passengers like fbb's vehicle.
More rural ...
.... as we approach High Moor ...
... and our first boarding passenger since leaving New Beetwell Street!
But at Norwood something truly magical happens.
It happens unheard and unseen from within he bus, but here we cease to be a service 80 and become a 120k.
In our new guise we pick up oassengers in Killamarsh ...
... and become a bus gong all the way through Sheffield to Fulwood ...
... one time home of fbb and visited on Monday evening ...
... yet again travelling in a 120k.
No one can say that this blog does not imbue its readers with wide-eyed excitement at the possibility of boarding a bus in Chesterfield and then, ages and ages later, getting off in one of the more western suburbs of the great Steel City!
But that excuement will have to wait a while until fbb tackles the enigmatic "k" suffix in a later blog.
fbb knows you can hardly wait!
Next Topless blog : Saturday 29th June
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