Sarurday Variety

Electricity Experiments 1888?

The front cover of the book shows an intriguing picture of an electric bus from 1888. Here is the same illustration, but bigger.

Mr Rosa suggests that details of the bus and its operation are "confusing"!

8 mph would have been a terrifyingly speed! Some commentators would suggest that 8 mph would be quite a good average to achieve in central London today!

Intrigued by this box of batteries on wheels, flbb turned to Wikipedia for enlightenment ...

Michael Radcliffe Ward (c. 1859) was an English electrical engineer and automotive pioneer. After making engineering innovation in electric lighting, he went on to develop electric buses.

By 1879, Radcliffe Ward was working for the British Electric Light Company. In 1881, he designed a Gramme machine which could power 4 to 6 arc lights of 4000 nominal candle power per light. In February of that year, he ran some experiments at George's Pier Head, Liverpool along with Alderman Joseph Hubback, chairman of the light company. They used one of the Gramme machines along with a multi-tubular boiler and vertical engine supplied by Cochrane and Co. The light produced was more effective in penetrating the fog than the pre-existing gas lights.

In 1882, Radcliffe Ward was named as the electrical engineer working for the Faure Electric Accumulator Company, working with consultants William Edward Ayrton and Camille Alphonse Faure.

... and got none; beyond the second sentence above!

But author Richard has sent his notes about electric buses for a later 1907 volumes of his magnum opus. When fbb has found time to digest the information, he will return to the topic.

The problem seems to have been batteries and charging. 

Oddly, but for different reasons, batteries and charging remain problems today for electric vehicles, 120 years later!

Until fbb can assimilate more snippets, herewith a picture of a steam bus from the early 1900s.

They didn't catch on either! At least the downstairs saloon and the front top deck seats would have heating!

More to come.

'West Coast' Lumo

There has been a sort of launch (without any trains on which to travel) of the forthcoming Euston to Stirling service. The boss has had his say ...

... and strange things have been happening in the approaches to the station building at Preston.

fbb is a little unsure of what links peacock feathers and a young lady with her hat on fire with innovative low cost intercity train travel. But doubtless all will be revealed in due course.

Understanding the mind of PR consultants is well beyond the skill set of an overweight octogenarian.

A Good Idea? Hmmm?

A gang of folk in Norfolk has come up with a cunning plan ...

Why not open up a bit more track (a lot more track?), involve two heritage lines and bits of Great British Railways and, like a prestidigitator promoting a perfidious presentation, run a circular service round the whole caboodle.

If fbb reads the map aright, a through train would have to reverse at Cromer, reverse at Fakenham, reverse at Wymondham and reverse at Norwich.

That would seem to be a recipe for a slow service and lots of ludicrously expensive modern signalling. 

Welcome Wellness?

fbb is greatly encouraged by an offer which will improve his wellness; which, at 81, is a bit of a challenge!

Upon further investigation, it appears that this improvement in fbb's  general health is derived from something called Galaxy S26 Ultra.

It does sound like a chocolate flavoured health drink.

Sadly, it's  a mobile phone, innit!

For the uninitiated, "pink gold" is metallic pink in the old money while 'silver shadow' it metallic grey!

And the price of this aid to comfort, peace, and a warmness inside?

Yikes!

£1700 quid for a mobile phone? Who is conning who?

But it has got THREE  cameras!

fbb prefers Christianity which offers much the same and is completely free!

Wakefield Wants Works for Weaver

Readers may remember the recent news that Arriva was closing its historic Wakefield depot. The site is vacated, awaiting demolition. Some pictures taken near the end show the main sheds held up with scaffolding ...

... and the HQ building of the once proud West Riding Omnibus Company, all neglected and boarded up.

This former tram depot will soon be consigned to transport oblivion.

Some chap has made a model of the site, recording its better days.

Was it ever that busy under Arriva's occupancy?

Anyway, there was little chance of Arriva building  a new Wakefield depot when there is always a possibility that the boys in blue would lose the contract under Tracy's franchising plans. 

Tracy Brabin is mega metro mayor of West Yorkshire, seen below in her more famous role ...

... in Coronation Street.

The cunning plan (another one, Baldrick) is to move Wakefield city dustcarts out of their depot at Newton Bar ...

... building a new maintenance and admin building ...

... to supplement the existing covered garage ,,,

... and fill it with Weaver Network branded buses.

And that's why franchising us going to cost mega bucks in West Yorkshire. Yorkshire tykes with flattats and coal in t' bath (is that still a valid stereotype?) had better not expect cheap fares if Wakefield is typical of the rose tinted (whoops, green tinted) future.

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PETER, JAMES and JOHN

had failed to support Jesus as he prepared for his expected, his pre-planned crucifixion.

Also overnight and very early on Friday morning, Peter had denied he knew Jesus before the ...

COCK

... crowed; as accurately predicted by Jesus.

At the arrest, most of the Lord's followers had fled. The 'trial' was corrupt and illegal; a terrorist had been released; the crowd had bayed for Jesus crucifixion and Pilate had chickened out.

Two missing words!

Jesus has been crucified - a horribly painful death - he had breathed his last"and been hurriedly placed in a borrowed tomb.

On the Saturday, nothing happened - it was the Sabbath when no work, not even a proper burial, could be undertaken.

Historically, at this point, the Jesus story was over.

There would be no Christianity!

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  Next Variety blog : Sunday 5th April 

212 Packed Pages ...

And Packed Is The Word!

Not all of the 212 A4 pages are as packed as the above but even the author was concerned that fbb might struggle with the small print. "But it was the only way," he wrote in his e-mail, "to cover the topic effectively".

When fbb started his Biblical Studies course at Sheffield University, he was advised to buy two books to supplement Professor Payne's two year course on The History of Israel. One was by John Bright and the name was appropriate. Although lacking any pictures, the text was easily understandable and needed only a modicum of effort to assimilate.

The other was by respected German scholar Martin Noth (pronounced 'Note') and it was really hard work to read. In fact, fbb simply didn't!

fbb wondered how he might react to this volume ...

... kindly sent by the author for possible review.

Two things are important to grasp before you start with £15 from your hobby budget.

This is not a book of pictures although there are plenty of them.

This is not a book about bus routes, there are very few maps.

But it us a book about buses, and this volume is from a fascinating time in the history of the Capital's public transport. As operators move from horse bus to various forms of motorised passenger carriage vehicle, Richard Rosa delves deep into the formative tears of the internal combustion engine.

Goodbye horses and hello horse power ...

... and, as we now know, what a profound and eventful period of change it was.

In the pre 1904/5 years of Part A ...

... the variety of the humble "omnibus" was astounding. For those of us just about familiar with the type B ...

... or even its less well known predecessor, the type X ...

... the scope of the book is amazing.

Even the range of buses in use in 1905 was varied ...

... even mind boggling.

Reviewing a book that is so detailed and so thorough would be a challenge to any enquiring mind and Mr Rosa is right to be concerned about small print and fbb's ARMD.

Your visually limited blogger will need some advanced technology ...

... and some stamina!

Here is just one small paragraph without context.

It effectively shows the breadth and depth of the author's research.

All fbb can do is to extract snippets from its various chapters as a means of understanding the near academic level of the work.

Tomorrow's snippet will, in part, explore buses powered by technologies other than little explosions inside metal pots. There was steam, of course, but what about today's power ways craze? 

Be amazed!

To be continued.

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It's  one of THOSE weekends again. Good Friday morning service at Church; helping (actively but in sedentary mode) with children's Easter 'happening' at church on Saturday. 

Sunday and Monday are the fbb's monthly Fellowship meetings, with church prayer meeting on Monday morning.

Son and daughter-in-law are visiting (camping nearby) for the weekend.

Other than that, just a pleasant and peaceful Easter weekend.

Of course, with a brief blog or two to compose!

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Judas gets a bad press being labelled the "betrayer" of Jesus. It is not quite as clear-cut as that. The authorities were uneasy about arresting Jesus while the passover festival was in full swing or "the people might riot".

The bribe of ...

THIRTY

... pieces of silver was a generous fee for guiding the arresting party to Jesus in the quiet of the Garden of Gethsemane.

At Thursday's "Last Supper", Judas left early, told by Jesus to "go and do what you have to." Surprisingly, Jesus was very much in charge of his own destiny.

Judas returned the money and hanged himself in guilt and remorse. But he did what he had to buy God's plan!

But at sunset on Thursday, Friday happened ** and more people let Jesus down ...

... notably three (missing names) who fell asleep while their Master was deep in anguished prayer for the events of Friday.

One of those three went further and let Jesus down three times in a row.

Jesus had said that he would. The disciple said he never would; but by the time this avian creature spoke up, he has fulfilled that prophecy.

One of the surprises in our world is that many, many people want God to do something about all the nastiness in the world, yet they continue to let Him down by breaking His code of conduct.

But it will all be resolved today, the oddly named GOOD Friday!

** FACT : in Jewish thinking, days ran from sunset to sunset.

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 Next Variety blog : Saturday 4th April 

Tram Troubles : Trading Troubles

Replacement Buses Rag Bag

Back in the days when Stagecoach operated South West Trains and painted their units in bright distinctive liveries, their Hampshire company has a fleet of buses in SWT livery to match the trains.

Some of them had been repatriated from Hong Kong. Thus, the overall image was maintained, despite the frustration of disruption.

What might you expect to see on tram replacement services in Sheffield now that the mayoral authorities the trams? 

Apparently, anything with a wheel at each corner. 

The contractor has to move his buses all the way from Wakefield. Do drivers have to travel, or are casual people recruited from Sheffield?

The pale blue one, seen here at the Herdings bus turning circle ...

... which was once with First on the York Park and Ride! 

It did get a dark blue paint job.

There is no need to investigate the ancestry of this decker ...

... also snapped in the Herdings turning circle. But you would not immediately spot this livery ...

... as being ex London. For that you need the reg. Number and the Internet!

This rather gloomy grey Merc ...

... was once a more cheerful maroon with YourBus ...

... briefly an intruder in Derby and Nottingham. Shopaholics will spot the frontage of John Lewis ...

... occupying the footprint of part of the former Nottingham Victoria station. 

But the best historic timeline applies to this bus.

Previously it wore a plain yellow yellow for the ailing Bournemouth Transport 'Yellow Buses' business ...

... but, even further back it was with Bus Vannin (that's Isle of Man to ye and me!) ...

... with an obviously "furrin" registration plate.

Now, were fbb running Supertram, and were he planning the consequences of digging up a huge section of track, he would want his replacement bus services to look reliable and confidently professional.

A multi-coloured collection from the queue for the scrapyard does NOT inspire confidence in the hearts and wallets of the paying customer.

Negative house points are awarded to Travel South Yorkshire and a dunce's cap for big cheese Oliver Coppard.

Must do better!

Thanks to Sheffield correspondent, Roy, for pictures of the replacement vehicles.

The End Of Yorkshire Buses

It sounds dramatic, and it is for a small company mainly involved in tendered work. This was its on-line announcement ...

... and a full text version.

It is with a truly heavy heart that we share this news.

After much thought and consideration, the continued rise in costs which includes fuel and many other significant increases has made it no longer sustainable for us to continue operating. This has not been an easy decision, and it is one we have fought hard to avoid however with further cost increases forecast on the horizon the decision has had to be made sooner rather than later.

From the very beginning, Yorkshire Buses has been about more than just transport. It has been about community, connection, and the people we have had the privilege to serve every single day.

We want to take this moment to sincerely thank each and every one of you, our passengers, nurses, supporters, staff, and partners and the rest for your loyalty, kindness, and support over the years. Your encouragement has meant more to us than words can express.

To our incredible team, past and present, thank you for your dedication and hard work. You are the heart of everything we have done.

While this chapter is coming to a close, we will always be grateful for the journey we have shared together.

Thank you for being part of our story.

As is often the case with this sort of business, the company has operated a variety of routes in West Yorkshire over recent years.

These have included a vintage open topper!

Likewise, the fleet has been varied. Here are two versions of allocation on service 61/61A, small ...

... and larger.

Here is a timetable extract for the 61/61A.

The 116 and 212 are hourly and more main line in character.

One operation over the border in Doncaster was the Sunday service on Arriva's 51.

Currently, West Yorkshire Metro is scurrying around trying to find alternative operators.

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A huge part of all four gospels deals with the last week or so of Jesus' life. So much challenge and encouragement is packed in to well over one third of the written account. So it's all important.

So we have seen triumph (of a sort, Palm Sunday); anger at the corruption of God's House, anguish at the future that was waiting for both the temple and Jerusalem (both destroyed in AD70).

The foolish virgins (better word, bridesmaids) who wuere locked out of God's eternity because they were not ready.

But from now on things become very personal.

A woman (unnamed in Matthew's account) poles expensive ...

PERFUME

... over Jesus' head. She is rehearsing the anointing of his body for burial, a self sacrificing act of worship and commitment.

True commitment to God (to Jesus if you like - both are the same) is what makes a difference.

But sometimes that commitment is beyond us.

What is missing here ?

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Next book review blog : Fri 3rd April