Have a Break ... Breaking News

 The Book Review Is Postponed 

The World Cup

A Scottish web site has revealed some excellent news for supporters of Scotland having reached the final stages of the World Cup next year. Pictured below is the vessel allocated, here shown on a recent hurriedly arranged test run!

Here us what the news item reported.

CALMAC TO RUN FERRIES TO AMERICA 

In an emergency bid to get Tartan Army fans to the World Cup, the Scottish Government has confirmed Caledonian MacBrayne will be running direct ferries from Oban to New York, Boston and Miami this summer.

The flagship vessel, MV Lord of The Isles, will take just 11 days to cross the Atlantic… weather permitting… and assuming it doesn’t break down off Barra.

Fans have been warned the ferry may be delayed due to high winds, low winds, medium winds, paperwork issues, seagulls or someone losing the keys.

A CalMac spokesperson said:

“We’re confident we’ll get most fans there in time for kick-off.”

Bookings open Monday. Cancellations expected by Tuesday.

On The Same Theme : GBR

fbb has been keeping an eye on this momentous launch of a controversial livery for the new shiny people-orientated nationalised British Railway network. What the media seems to have missed in its excitement (?) was the massive public launch at London Bridge Station in London. YouTube vloggers have been hard at work in their efforts to absorb the highlights of this massive display, similar to the launch of Network SouthEast at Waterloo all those years ago.

Only it wasn't.

The most obvious evidence (if you had the time to notice it!) was sticky backed plastic adorning the ticket barriers.

Would passengers have noticed? Or would they just register, with a tedious sigh, yet another advertising campaign to ignore?

There was a mat stuck to the floor ...

... and some screens had a fully liveried page amongst many that were as normal.

The highlight (?) was a model railway display by Hornby.

Faced with such a panoply of powerful publicity, the video director spent most of his screen time on pictures of the new livery Class 800 whizzing round the track.

It was very exciting! YAWN!

Another vlogger posted a better pictures.

The Hornby stand also had a huge banner ...

... and ... steps back in amazement ...

... a pseudo simulation which, as far as your aged and suspicious blogger could gather from the Tube of You, allowed the kiddies to control the train a it as it passed by. But not much.

Now for the shock news!

fbb doesn't think a real full-sized train exists in this livery. If one did exit the launch would have been at a London station where Class 800s actually operated. It wasn't and they don't at London Bridge!

fbb also suspects that ALL the pictures of "the new identity" were from the same keyboard as the simulation. There is no train in this lurid livery.

Unless anyone knows better.

Under New Management

No, the London Overground does not run to Hounslow - yet; but the proposed West London Orbital might do so.

The news items refer to the change of operator of the whole Overground network. The overall control continues to rest with Transport for London, the new operater will merely operate according to the diktat of Mr Khan and his chums. It is, just like Bee Line in Manchester, a franchise.

The public will not notice any difference, assuming that the new operator doesn't bodge it.

And the new operator will be ... tada ...

... our well loved friends at First.

fbb had to think hard to remember which company is currently operating the trains.

It's Arriva!

And There's More!

After withdrawing all its open top buses in Cornwall, then withdrawing everything in Cornwall, guess what? First has bought an open top bus business. What was the Bath Bus Company, later sold to RATP, will now (like RATP London) be with First Bus.

Also in the deal is the prestigious Air Decker A4 route between Bath and Bristol Airport.

Then there is the much bigger London topless contender with the Great British Railways style livery!

Why close a raft of open top bus services then buy a raft of open top bus services? Who can ever understand the corporate minds that control the UK bus industry.

There is an industry rumour that First paid £17 million for their business - which would have supported a lot of Cornwall bus routes for mamy years!

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 L oss and  L ament

Quirky Answer : It was poet, Lord Byron what writ it!

In 720 BC The Asyrians, under the command of their big cheese, Sennacherib, invaded and, effectively, destroyed the Northern half of the broken Kingdom of Israel. The invasion was utterly destructive of people and property.

The picture below shows the attack on Samaria, known as the Northern lot's fortress city.

The city was destroyed and thousands slaughtered.

The army continued south sweeping all before it with little hope of defence against its military might; using archers, chariots and siege engines.

The Northern Kingdom did not survive, leaving the much small area, called Judah, utterly vulnerable. On marched Sennacherib to threaten Jerusalem itself. Thus reports Lord Byron.

The Assyrian came down like the wolf on the fold,

And his cohorts were gleaming in purple and gold;

And the sheen of their spears was like stars on the sea,

When the blue wave rolls nightly on deep Galilee.

For the Angel of Death spread his wings on the blast,

And breathed in the face of the foe as he passed;

And the eyes of the sleepers waxed deadly and chill,

And their hearts but once heaved, and for ever grew still!

But, oddly and inexplicably, with he siege of Jerusalem in full swing, Sennacherib went home taking his cohorts with him. The Bible says that God had something to do with his withdrawal.

All was sort of stable in the south until 597 BC when the Babylonians invaded and took thousands of the Jews into exile. Ten years later the Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed.

You might well ask where God was during these utterly destructive times. Wasn't this His "Promised Land". Some Promise, Eh?

People ask exactly the same question today?

Why didn't God DO something?

Why doesn't God DO something?

Maybe He has?

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 Next Nottingham blog : Sat 13th December