Assorted Addenda

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DBP Celebrated by First

Last Sunday (15th May) the Doncaster Bus Partnership swung into action.

The First Bus contribution (a mixture of many cut-backs and a couple of improvement) includes a batch of 13 new single decks which were vaunted in a typical press release and photo.

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The happy quintet is, from left to right,

Doncaster Councillor Joe Blackham, i/c Transportation 

Mayor of Doncaster Ros Jones 

Nathan Broadhead, Performance Manager, SYPTE

John Young, Commercial Director, Stagecoach Yorkshire 

Daryll Broadhead, Operations Manager, First Doncaster

Would it be an indication of management enthusiasm to say that the PTE and the two bus companies had sent their "B list" celebrities?

A more telling comment on the "Partnership", however, was a report from one of fbb's Sheffield newshounds who visited Doncaster on Tuesday, last. He explained:-

I went to Doncaster, en route to London. A display and table had been set up in Frenchgate Interchange where one could obtain copies of the new Partnership Route Map (hurray!). Leaflets listing the changes were available. The only printed timetables were two from First: 8/8a/87/87a and 55/56, with Doncaster Partnership branding.

The staff (both First and Stagecoach) said they would be there for the next two weeks and were expecting many more timetables (The printer had let them down! Lame excuse.). 

They had piles of photocopied sheets from the TSY website; timetables for some of the most changed Stagecoach services for which there was obviously a high demand, but no Stagecoach printed leaflets.

As usual a very poor show indeed for such major changes.

When fbb met the Stagecoach "man" on Thursday, he also was told that leaflets has been "delivered late from the printers"

Yeah, right.

That wouldn't be because they sent sent late from Stagecoach to the printers, would it? Only eight short weeks since the routes were registered with the Traffic Commissioner; it has been a bit of a rush.

Yet another disgraceful performance by all concerned.

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London Route 59 Extras
fbb forgot to mention. Two pictures to bring back happy/sad memories. Firstly, a snap of one of the "lodges" that graced the original frontage of Euston Station now demoted to a caff.

Also, all-but swallowed up by the bus station, is the pub that carries the "sacred name".

If only!

But route 59 is operated by Arriva, itself owned by Deutsche Bahn, wholly owned by the German Government. At Aldwych, fbb spotted a route 23 bus, operated by Tower Transit ...

... an Australian company. Such are the joys of a privatised bus service?

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And Thanks Roy
A Sheffield correspondent was in Waterloo Station on the same day as fbb hied northwards and kindly sent these two pictures. The murals are in the link between the Colonnade entrance on Waterloo Road and the main station (see map below, lower right).

One shows a typical London left hand drive double decker (!) ...

... complete with a pastiche of "The Birth of Venus" by Botticelli.

The original dates from about 1480. Then there is an equally (un)typical SouthWest Trains train.

This time the "bit of culture" invokes Seurat's "Bathers at Asnières".

The artworks are part of a significant effort to "improve" the South Bank area by Souith Bank Mosaics whose web site is (here).

'Tis amazing what you can find on a London bus ride!

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Not a New Southwest Trains Livery?

Up to now, fbb has not had camera in hand when spotting this little enigma; nor can he remember reading anything about it. Maybe a blog reader can help? But here is an SWT diesel unit at Axminster Station in a non-standard livery.

This was the train on which fbb travelled to London last Thursday and as he approached Waterloo he spotted another one similarly attired. In case you don't spot the difference, a 159 normally looks like this:-

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London Buses MUST be Red!

Except when it suits the accountants to make oddles of lolly by selling all-over advertising. fbb's Borismaster was advertising a Crunchie.

This was followed by a service 390 advertising Hawaiian Express.

It's not a brand of pineapple smoothie; it's not a cheap flight company; it's not a holiday advert. It's for a Pizza!

But fbb reckons that all this garish adornment weakens and cheapens the brand. Borismasters are ugly enough (and reputedly hated by the bus company engineers) without lurid illustrations plastered all over their barmy bulbousness.

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Tomorrow, your chubby author is again playing catch-up. Things have been happening in nearby Zummerzet which fbb has missed; and that was before the demise of Webberbus.

 Next Somerset blog : Wednesday 18th May