Yesterday, May 6th, Was Not a Good Day

The (Dubious) Power of the Press?

Remember Eve? That is Eve Mathews, community photographer for the Sidmouth Herald.

She, together with her camera, was one of the passengers on the first ever 9A bus between Seaton and Lyme Regis. In yesterday's edition of that celebrated voice of all that is Sidmothian was Eve's report of the trip.

It was illustrated by a "family group" taken in front of the bus at Lyme Regis Square.

The article, like fbb's blog, focused on the party atmosphere but also commented on the late availability of publicity for the service. But it was the only press report for the new route.

Readers may also remember that fbb failed to realise that some 9As still run via Seaton Esplanade, namely journeys from there to Exeter. To make this clear, fbb has arranged for "Esplanade Beach Road" to be added to the data in the GoTimetable Seaton app. (available  FREE  from all good appliance shops? No; from the Google Play Store.)

It is worth pointing out to possible clients for new GoTimetable apps that an update takes a matter of minutes and involves the simple process of inputting a revised timetable page as a lump.

Seemples.

But readers will forgive fbb for a less than cheery attitude to today's blog. Nearly 12 months after No 2 son was shot dead in America, the news has "broken" on Facebook. This has led the Isle of Wight local paper to pick up the story ...

... and run it as the main front page banner in yesterday's edition. The text is factual and contains tributes from some of Neil's friends.

The detail is both unnecessary and pointless; it will not change anything so fbb will not reproduce it here.

Mr and Mrs appreciate the positives; but it has been hard to take. But their faith in a God who upholds is undiminished. Whether using such an "old" story to attract readers to a newspaper is morally right is debatable. But it was a tough day.

Made slightly tougher, coincidentally, by a call later yesterday morning from the Crematorium with a request to come over and collect Neil's ashes. 38 years of life, with all its highs and lows, packed in a cardboard box.

To complete the memorable threesome, fbb's father would have been 100 years old yesterday.

fbb owes much to Neil. The little suite of programing loveliness that allows data to be slid easily into the GoTimetable app ...

... was written many years ago for use with the xephos system. For the technically minded it takes a printed PDF bus timetable page and wiggles it electronically into a CSV file whilst retaining its "shape". It is then sucked into the database with very little further editing. It is fair to say that Neil made possible much of what fbb does today.

It was, of course, Neil who invented the soubriquet which adorns (?) the author of this blog. He set up an ebay account to sell some spare Great Britain Bus timetables.

He didn't tell his father of the details, and dad was thus surprised to receive an email addressed to the "fat bus bloke"!

There is some cheer within the sad memories.

But perhaps fbb may be allowed to lighten the mood a little. On the way back from the Crem, this notice popped into your bloggers line of vision:-

It becomes less weird when you read the top of the board ...

... but perhaps an "and" between "lunch" and "all day" might help?

Assuming they did arrive this morning, fbb will have a "better late than never" First Bus leaflet for the new X52 which starts tomorrow. It has been on the local app since April 11th.

And, yes! They will be changing Kingsway to Kings Way.

 Back to normal blog : Sunday 8th May