Sunday Oddments

Carnival Chaos Confusion

Yesterday (Saturday 10th June) was the date for the annual Northampton Carnival. fbb was often taken, in years gone by, to enjoy this spectacle by his devoted Maiden Aunt.

By today's opulent standards it was quaint and amateur with a mixture of trade floats, community efforts and individual "fancy dress".

There were bands as well.

Bus services were disrupted as the floats passed, but drivers just tagged on to the end of the parade and peeled off as soon as the roads were clear. The inspectors on Wood Hill sorted it all out with skill and experience.

Yesterday, apparently, things were different. the route was quite simple. Starting from near the old Racecourse on Kettering Road, the parade moved into town ...

... where it performed a loop.

Young fbb used to sit on a wall at the junction of Derngate and York Road. The wall is still there!

The jollity now returns to its star point via the Wellingborough Road although the loop has changed and no longer passes the young fbb's temporary pedestal.

Here is Stagecoach's notice as forwarded by Northampton bus watcher Alan.

For those unfamiliar with the geography of fbb's former home town, these arrangements are explained on  map.

Each of these termini is something over ONE MILE from  the town centre.

Are they having a laugh? Why cannot the buses be diverted round and across the worst of the route, controlled by experienced inspectors like in the olden days.

fbb is sure his readers can supply the answer. If not, just re-arrange this well known phrase or saying.

WE

BOTHERED

CANNOT

JUST

BE

THE

PASSENGERS

LET

SUFFER

The Superb Smell of Steam

Remember that mixture of oil, grease, steam and coal that filled our lungs as we waited eagerly for our train? fbb remembers with some affection.

There was something special about the experience; to which could be added coal smuts in the eye as we peered out of the window. Now you cannot even peer out of the window.

First First Customer Service Improvement Director

A press release appeared on Thursday last announcing a positive new appointment by First Bus.

The news continues with a soundbite from Elaine herself.

Whilst fbb is encouraged to see a move to better customer service as part of a bus company's plans, there is a slight fear when he reads "quality First Bus multi-channel" in the above quote.

When Ms Rosscraig was with Stagecoach, this report appeared.

Was this the short-lived ICE scheme?

Will the lovely Elaine ensure that First South Yorkshire produces SOME publicity instead of the present almost nothing at all? Does "multi channel" include printed timetables and maps? Or will her efforts all be lost in the mire of electronic on-line delivery?

And managers are getting younger every year!

Super Stop Signs
At the conclusion of a recent Cornwall branding blog (read again), fbb asked if any of his readers had any piccies of the new livery and stops for real. Correspondent Roger was way out west recently and sent a whole batch.

Roger obliged.

His ride was from St Ives bus station ...

... on service A3, formerly 300 but now hourly seven days a week. Here he spotted the first example of Atlantic Coaster stop branding ...

... alongside Tinner, replacing former route 18. A typical flag was snapped at St Just ...

... and the bus continued through from Lands End to Penzance as an A1 (formerly 1A).

Here is a branded stop at Porthcurno ...

... and a combo stop back in Penzance; this time with the "Mousehole" branding for the No M6 bus to - erm - where does it go?

Roger's tour ended at Penzance where th bus station is having a make-over.

Roger reported that the route and the buses were all branded and the whole lot was very tidy and professional. One or two stops, he noted, were either incomplete, blank or had faded to blank. Mayeb they ran out of vinyls?

He did not report on loadings, but the pictures suggest that passenger numbers were not great. But it is still early days for this brave and positive development.

But many thanks for responding to the fbb appeal for photos.

 Next Wantage Update blog : Monday 12th July