Spookier? Ah Well : Nuclear Harwell (1)

The Wanderers Wend Their Way To Wantage

Having enjoyed their ride on Stagecoach X9 and explored the massive and disruptive work in progress on the celebrated Botley Road bridge in Oxford, fbb and No 1 Son trotted off in anticipatory mood to Oxford station, hardly glancing at its associated buses.

Oxford station entrance lies hidden behind the line of trees in the above picture which does, unfortunately, make the entrance rather gloomy.

It seems that the station has been in the process of rebuild and improvement for the last 50 years.

The station was substantially rebuilt by the Western Region of British Railways in 1971 ...

... and it needed it!

Further improvements being carried out during 1974 including the provision of a new travel centre, and the new main building and footbridge were added in 1990 by Network SouthEast.

But it only has two through platforms which, to put it simply, is nowhere near enough ...

... hence the new entrance and other major changes necessitating the rebuild of the bridge.

As an indication of the "tight" scheduling needed at Oxford, the touring twosome arrived on platform 3 to observe the train for London Paddington awaiting departure at 1300.

The stopping train to Didcot Parkway followed just 4 minutes later.

This diesel unit ...

... provides a generous hourly service for locals offering connections at Didcot, particularly westbound.

Note the hourly service (1332) from Oxford to London via Didcot. The 1300 referred to above takes the avoiding line and does not make the Didcot call. Note also that every two hours the Didcot stopping train has begun its journey at Banbury.

The stop at Appleford is only every two hours.

Here, the minimalist station ...

... with minimalist facilities ...

... tempted no passengers to board or alight for or from the minimalist village.

The church is magnificent!

Yes. I remember Appleford ...

The name, because silence was shocked

 As the two coach-train drew up there

Unwontedly. It was late Oct.

The doors bleeped. Someone cleared his throat.

No one left and no one came

On the bare platform. What I saw

Was Appleford - only the name

And willows, willow-herb, and grass,

And meadowsweet, and branches dry,

No whit less still and looming grey

Than the dark clouds in the autumn sky.

Indeed, poet Edward Thomas got it so right - even if he wrote about Adlestrop a mere 37 miles away near Moreton in Marsh!

Upon arrival at Didcot, the wanderers had a modest 40 minutes before their next and last journey. After liquid (but non alcoholic) refreshment in the Didcot station buffet on platform 4/5 ...

... they moved on to the bus terminal outside the station to enjoy the view. 

On the way fbb noted the entrance to the GWR Railway Centre ...

... and some excellent signage back up to the platforms.

But we now move from train to bus.

fbb was intrigued to know how the branding for Didcot area bus services (as described by Wikipedia) was working. They are run by Thames Travel now almost completely absorbed into GoAhead's Oxford Bus.

The Connector brand is used for Didcot focused services, and covers routes between Didcot and Oxford, Abingdon, Henley-on-Thames, Wallingford, Wantage, Grove, East Hanney, Newbury, Harwell Campus, JR Hospital, Great Western Park and Milton Park. The Connector brand also covers the Science Transit Shuttle, which operates between Oxford and Harwell Campus and between Wytham and the JR Hospital, under contract from the University of Oxford.

All together now, "Oh no they don't"

Apart from one sole example snapped by fbb the previous day ...

... the brand, like so many in today's transient bus world, has  passed into historic oblivion.

Yet there is a full timetable (undated) on line for one Connector service ...

.. via Harwell ...

... and every 30 min on to Wantage - just what the fbb generations required! And there are even more buses to Harwell only.

It is a good thing the Wantage wanderers ignored the X32 and sought out the current service. The internet is so useful - but only if you know what is right and what is utterly wrong before you start looking.

The fbbs were, correctly, awaiting the X35 ...

... which was due to leave from a stop with a very different brand from Connector.

So on  Wednesday   the tour will, at last, visit Harwell!

And the bus was branded the same as the bus shelter! Shock and awe!

  Next nasty Nice blog : Tues 29 October