Beautiful Bus Stops ... BUT ... (1)

The Bad Old Days

Some readers may well remember those bad far-off days when most buses in, say, West Sussex were operated by (shock horror) one bus company called Southdown. 

What a quaint and old-fashioned idea that was. Not only that, but before the onslaught of computer technology and the internet, you had to buy a timetable book where you could find all the bus timetables for the area.

Even after the disaster of privatisation and deregulation in 1986, many county councils produced comprehensive books of timetables as here for West Sussex.

West Sussex also had their own Traveline (clever name eh?) where, for the price of a local call, you could speak to a person who knew where the buses ran because - they lived in the area and worked for their local council.

Of course, they did not have the benefit of large regional call centre technology (also called Traveline).

West Sussex did produce a booklet for the whole county detailing all the Sunday services.

It was possible to plan a pleasant Sunday out using this very weak and outdated technology. Oh, how we struggled with it!

They also produced a map ...

... which showed all the bus routes in the county, the above example being from an incredible quarter of a century ago. Now, as we all know, 

IT'S ALL ON LINE!

So, with the benefit of modern technology, West Sussex offers the bemused and befuddled traveller ...

... a map which is so much easier to use than all that tedious unfolding of a large sheet of paper. Or is it?

And it gives real time information. We must try that!

And timetables?

You get a link to Traveline. Must try that!

And printed material? Don't bother to ask!

The Good New Days

Recently West Sussex have spent loadsa money on upgrading its bus stops. And so we sent our intrepid reporter to The Wheatsheaf, Cuckfield ...

... to investigate.

O.K., No 3 son was out for a walk on Sunday and spotted things; sending pictures back to fbb mansions! 

So here is the aforementioned hostelry.

Its bus stop just peeps in centre right. But when Streetview chuntered past, it looked like this.

All you got was a pole, a flag showing the operator and a railing to lean on.

Opposite the pub, almost hidden in the hedge, you got the bonus of a timetable frame ...

...with nothing in it!

All that has changed!

The stops have shiny new bus stop flags ...

... on a square bus stop pole, not round, like the old fashioned stuff.

 There is a well-stocked timetable frame.

The top table is for Metrobus route 271 ...

... which wends its way from Brighton to Crawley.

Observant readers will note that Metrobus even explains why there might be a blank space against a particular departure hour.

It is good to have that explained for every day-set as here with fourteen times on a Sunday. fbb would have struggled to work out why there were these gaps.

It might have been better for the public if Metrobus had posted a timetable in the frame!

So congrats to Compass Travel for doing just that.

Above is the 31/31A from Uckfield to Cuckfield ...

... with a more legible timetable extract below.

And the less frequent 62 ...

... from Crawley to Haywards Heath.

Compass Travel is a good local operator that has expanded significantly in recent years. It provides good information (including maps!) and operates a well cared for fleet with regular renewals.

fbb does wonder why the Compass  timetables in the frame look different from the extracts which were taken from the company web site.

But passengers waiting at The Wheatsheaf have a technological bonus. They have a push button.

Fortunately, No 3 son pressed the button to find out what might happen.

Continued in tomorrow's blog.

 Next bus stop blog : Thur 8 May 

Brother On A Bus 2

Bro Green On His Way (mini blog)

Brother Green, resident at the Hospital of St Cross, Winchester, is on the first stages of his round Great Britain bus trip. The map ...

... doesn't match a blog page, but here is an extract showing the early stages.

This is not a race and Bro Green explains ...

There are, John proffers, several reasons for his trip.

An on-line funding App is available. 

But he has each day meticulously planned as below showing the first few days.

On Friday, then, we see him setting off from Brighton on the bus to Eastbourne, the first stage of his trek to Dover.

Yesterday was Bank Holiday which may explain why he was arriving in Dover on Friday and departing from Deal yesterday.

So why no bus from Dover to Deal?

This is the realm of Stagecoach's service 80/81 collection.  The Company web site only offers a Monday to Friday service on route 80 etc ...

.. .with no evidence of buses on Saturday, Sunday and Bank Holidays. But a Sunday and Bank Holiday service operates on the 81.

So it is not clear why the Bussing Brother has to be transported, Star Trek style, between Dover and Deal.

Hopefully we may get the detail in due course.

Whatever the cause of the interruption to his encircling endeavours, yesterday he was due  to arrive at Canterbury.

Well, it used to look like that!

The Brother is scheduled to take eight weeks for his leisurely (?) trip and fbb will not attempt to log every stage. From time to time, as information filters through the ether (IF information so filters), fbb will offer a comment or two

Nostalgia Snippet

One of farewell party at Winchester bus station was the lady illustrated below.

And who she, pray?

Glorious!

Cloak : Chasuble : Cassock

Mrs fbb, a world expert on ceremonial ecclesiastical political attire (???), assures fbb that Brother Green does not wear a "cloak" as part of his uniform.

The Hospital calls it a "robe". 

fbb thinks that technically it is a Cassock ; not to be confused with a Hassock ...

... kneeling for the knees.

New And Empty 379

Forming yesterday's 1655 to Beer. As there has been no publicity, this SuBH service, a clone of Axe Valley's 885, would expect to be lightly loaded.  

Nobody alighted. Nobody boarded. The person on the trolley was a passer-by passing by. Also, note the big bus to cope with the crowds.

fbb will sample the service on Sunday next for a more complete report

Tomorrow he examines technology in West Sussex!

 Next bus stop blog : Weds 7th May 

Happy Hospital Higl;ight

You Can Visit The Hospital

Parking is not easy at this hospital so it is better to go by bus. Bluestar route 1 from Winchester bus station is ideal and you would alight here at the Bell Inn ...

... where you are at the driveway to the hospital.

You might meet John Green, who is renowned for trundling around on his trike, because he lives in the hospital!

At visiting times, he would normally be dressed like this with the hat and the badge ...

... being a clue. But you will not see any doctors or nurses; you will never visit a patient on a ward; nobody will ever be taken to theatre, because it is a real historic hospital.

Semantically the word "hospital" is associated with hospitality, hostel, hostelry, hospice and hotel. It was a place where guests could obtain repose and refreshment.

This place of repose and refreshment is "The Hospital of St Cross and Almshouses of Noble Poverty" and may well be the oldest such institution in the UK. And, boy, it is splendid.

Legend has it that Henry of Blois, a grandson of William the Conqueror ...

... was walking in the Itchen Meadows. He was supposedly stopped by a young peasant girl who begged Henry to help her people, who were starving because of the civil war. A little further along the river, he discovered the ruins of a religious house, he resolved to use the site to establish a new community to help the poor. How much of this is fact is unclear, but we do know that Henry of Blois was young, wealthy and powerful: a monk, knight and politician in one. Appointed Bishop of Winchester in 1129 at the age of 28, he founded the Hospital of St Cross between 1132 and 1136.

Of course, it has changed a bit since then. Resident "Brothers" (no females) have to be 60 or over and either single or widowers. But the almshouses, now modernised, are delightful ...

... the gardens and grounds ditto.

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Very reposeful!

The hospital's tradition of charitable refreshment for pilgrims passing by is still maintained today. 

If you go to the Porter's Lodge ...

... and ask for the "Wayfarer's Dole" (note the origin if the word "dole") you will be supplied with refreshment in the form of beer and bread.

These days, quantities are symbolic rather than substantial ...

... but, it's the thought that counts! 

fbb thinks this "tradition" probably only applies when the hospital is open to the public, but maybe the porter on duty will, indeed, dispense the dole if woken up at 0300 on a cold winter's night. Or maybe not!

Sadly, like many monastic establishments in the 21st Century, St Cross is short of residents.

So Brother John Green, a sprightly 85 year old, has decided to do something about it.

Brother On A Bus

Thus it was on May 1st that he set off on a heritage and ancient bus.

The Mayor of Winchester offered his best wishes ...

... and off they went through the arch and ...

... all the way to Winchester.

At the city's bus station, Bro Green joined his first service bus, operated by Stagecoach.

After a further bout of farewells ... 

... our intrepid octogenarian (older and braver than fbb who likes his home comforts too much) set off on his first genuine bus journey, the first of many.

But were was he going?

Why, he was travelling to Winchester, of course ...

... but via the whole of Great Britain's coastline.

fbb will explain more in tomorrow's mini-blog.

One things is absolutely certain. His full round trip will be far more comfortable ... 

... than his heritage ride from Hospital to Winchester!

OU 9286 is a 1931-built Dennis 30cwt (1.5 ton) bus fitted with Short Brothers body for King Alfred Motor Services.

There wasn't much room for the 21st century posterior on the diminutive Dennis as can be seen in a comparison with a more modern vehicle.

But here it is in service in Winchester all those long years ago. Gosh, the bus is nearly ten years older than Brother Green.

Both have worn very well.

To be fair, the seats on the heritage bus are surprisingly comfy for one passenger but ...

... very "convivial" for two!

  Next Brother bus route blog : Tues 6 May