The fbbs Went By Bus
On the Tuesday of their brief holiday in Llandudno, your elderly explorers were aware of an official Daish's outing costing £12 per person. Unlike Lochs and Glens, where trips out are included in the overall price, Daish's charge extra. With Lochs and Glens you keep the same coach and the same driver all week. But Daish's subcontracted the Tuesday trip to Alpine.
Instead of going to Betws-y-Coed for £12 each, the meanie old crocks decided to go by service bus on the Wednesday. It transpired that the fare was £4.70 return, a concession to the holders of English OAP passes.
Their departure stop was just round the corner from the hotel and named "Marks and Spencer".
Of course, there was no Marks and Spencer store to be seen, the site having been vacated some time ago, presumably when a new store opened in the retail park a short struggle along the road. fbb did spot where it once was ...
... and confirmed his suspicions photographically c/o Google!
Llew Jones route 19 was due at 0945. The information on the stop was ...
... useless. It was the same level of helpfulness on the other frame.
The air temperature was, it seemed, only just above absolute zero and Dai the Driver failed to appear at 0945. We had seen him go "the other way" towards the Palladium terminus at 0905, so were ever hopeful.
Dai the Driver arrived at Not Marks and Spencer at 1015! No apology or explanation was offered.
Our first major traffic objective was Llandudno Junction station.
Here all passengers were summarily turfed off the Solo and on to another Solo ... 
... which was ready and waiting courtesy of Dai the Spanner, obviously so because he was wearing a hi-vis vest in fetching dayglo orange - although its glo was weakened with age!
... whilst Dai the Driver observed sullenly.
But we were soon back on the road and across the river to the town of Conwy complete with Castle. Buses thread their way through the castle walls ...
... all a bit tight, even for a Solo!
We eventually break out and set off southbound.
Service 19 bimbles happily down the western bank of the Conwy river on the B5106 ...
... before crossing over to Llanwrwst and taking the A470 into Betws-y-Coed.
Between Conwy and Ty'n-y-Groes the 0945 was scheduled to wiggle off the B5016 as per the map below ...
... to serve Henryd and Rowen.
It didn't!
Then when we arrived at Ty'n-y-groes we stopped short of the road junction and short of the bus stop.
The B5106 was closed and we had to divert via the A470. There seemed to be no arrangement to access the unserved route, so anyone waiting thereupon would be disappointed.
But the diversion allowed us to cross the Conwy river once again ...
... and experience Tal-y-cafn station on the railway line to Betws-y-Coed and Blaenau Ffestiniog.
The gates are/were still operated by hand, not by wheel in a signalbox or remotely under cctv control. When the above picture was taken there was a man to do it. Look, there he is in the above picture, enjoying the sunshine ...
... sitting outside his dinky little hut!
Sweet but costly in labour. The above are pictures from a while back but it looked much the same when fbb and Llew Jones' Solo crossed over the crossing.
Alas, fbb spotted no gate keeper.
And so out on to the A470 for whatever this interesting day might offer.
It offered another Solo in a layby.
Actually it was the same Solo that we left at Llandudno Junction because the new Solo had "developed" a fault - the windscreen wiper on the drivers side did not function. Dai the Driver had phoned Dai the Office en route and Dai the Office had diverted Dai the Spanner to whizz down the A470 and swap back.
And, of necessity, swap the ticket machine back as well!
So off we set again to collect and drop passengers in Llanrwst, the largest community en route.
But as Dai the Driver drove out of the town there was a further communication from Dai the Office. This caused Dai the Driver to do a second circuit of the town, to cross the Conwy river ...
... and back-track along the unserved bit of the B5106 all the way to Trefriw; where one weary passenger was waiting. Presumably she had phoned Dai the Office to ask where the ------ the bus was. Equally presumably Dai the Driver was not intending to go back and had to be ordered to do so.
A quick reverse in a side road at Trefriw ...
... and on to the stand ...
One female passenger was duly collected ...
... and conveyed all the way back to Llanrwst for another exciting loop to the town stop - what a joy and a delight.
From here is was straight and still very late to arrive at Betws-y-Coed.
It was damp and gloomy!
... and the fbbs were in desperate need of toilet facilities after all the excitement.
Please Note
Weekend Variety blogs may be postponed to appear later next week.
Next Betws blog : Saturday 21st September
You may be interested to know that holders of Welsh concessionary bus passes can travel on the Conwy Valley rail line for free. I doubt (but don't know) if there's a discount for English pass holders.
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