It Happened Like This.
Chum and former colleague Peter, in whose penthouse (?) suite the fbbs are staying (complete with 24 hour butler service aka Mrs fbb!); sent the old man this cutting from a December edition of the local rag, the Sidmouth Herald.
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Sidmouth will host the launch of a £1.5million fleet of new double-decker buses next month with an appearance from Olympic hero Mary King.
Mary Elizabeth King MBE is a British Olympic equestrian sportswoman who has represented Great Britain at six Olympics from 1992 to 2012, winning two silver and one bronze medal in the team eventing. She lives in the Sidmouth area.
Stagecoach has organised an event on the Esplanade on Tuesday, January 8, after investing in eight state-of-the-art vehicles for the popular 52 service that runs through the town.
Mary will be on board a vintage horse-drawn omnibus from Stagecoach co-founder and chief executive Sir Brian Souter’s personal collection. The London 2012 silver medallist and the omnibus will lead a procession involving a quartet of the new buses along the seafront. Invited guests can choose between a vintage or 21st Century travel experience.
All of the new vehicles present will sport a special livery depicting a variety of Sidmouth scenes.
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It was a pure co-incidence that your esteemed author had booked up a stay in Sidmouth at the same time. So he e-mailed Stagecoach at Exeter for full details and promptly received an invite to the festivities. Thus fbb aims to attempt a live real-time blog with pictures. And at no time will his hands leave the end of his arms. So please return to this blog anytime after 1045 this morning to see what is happening. If technology fails completely, an account of the launch will be blogged after the lunch!
Or perhaps an account of the lunch will be blogged after the launch.
Or perhaps an account of the lunch will be blogged after the launch.
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1045 Anticipation
fbb is sitting patiently on a seafront bench near the Sidmouth Lifeboat Station (left) awaiting the various arrivals.
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1100 Oration
formalities and speeches from important people ...
... who will be identified tomorrow! Then Olympian Mary King ...
... cuts the ceremonial tape with the "ceremonial" pair of Stagecoach Devon head office scissors.
a parade of vehicles along Sidmouth Esplanade. Ready for the off (including Mrs fbb) in the omnibus ...
... or in the omnibus ...
... readers decide which is better!
refreshments in the Devoran Hotel
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1130 Transportation a parade of vehicles along Sidmouth Esplanade. Ready for the off (including Mrs fbb) in the omnibus ...
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1145 Delectation
refreshments in the Devoran Hotel
After his turn on the horse bus ...
... (thank goodness for today's pneumatic tyres!) ...
... it was coffee and cakes for fbb (and Mrs) c/o Stagecoach.
Thanks very much. A bit more info tomorrow!
Thanks very much. A bit more info tomorrow!
Next Bus Blog : Wednesday 9th January
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