Chum David, whom you will remember is a lorry driver on a weekly run to France, is an occasional user of Dover Truck Stop. Common on the continent and appearing more in the UK a "Truckstop" is a specialised service area designed for long distance lorry drivers.
The one at Ashford is quite posh ...
The caff is good vale, says Dave, and the secure parking is very necessary these days unless (like Dave) you can live in your cab. The Truckstop is located on Menzies Road at Whitfield. Just along the road is the Stagecoach depot ...
... and nearby is Whitfield's Tesco Extra.
So all life is there in its amazing richness. It was as Dave was settling down for his nosh and a cuppa that he noticed a strange apparition; something that you would not expect in a Truckstop.
A selection of Stagecoach bus leaflets for Dover! Not only that, but all the Stagecoach services that call near the Truckstop were included.
The 61A pops in at peaks ...
... the 90 is an occasional daytime visitor ...
... and the 12 joins the main 61 service at nearby Tesco.
Do truck drivers take their scheduled relief and, having parked, nip in to Dover for the nightlife? Or are the leaflets there because it is almost next door to the bus depot?
Either way it beats most train stations, many town centres and even some bus stations.
Three hearty cheers for Stagecoach Dover!
Remarkable in Rutland
Rutland is England's smallest mainland county with its capital at Oakham. There have been attempts to dispose of Rutland, first by splitting it up between neighbouring authorities and then by making it part of Leicestershire. But it fought long and hard and won back its independence.
Oakham has a lovely railway station ...
... where you will find an Airfix signal box constructed at a scale of 12 inches to the foot.
Yes, the plastic kit (1959!) was based closely on Oakham box ...
... and cost 2/- (10p)
fbb bought one of the originals but Dapol still makes the kit, now priced at £7!
It makes up into a jolly good model ...
... but the one pictured above has been "done up" a bit.
About seven minutes walk from the railway station is John Street. This offers locals and those on the move two excellent facilities. One is a Wilko store and the other is ...
About seven minutes walk from the railway station is John Street. This offers locals and those on the move two excellent facilities. One is a Wilko store and the other is ...
... Oakham's bus station. Ostensibly it doesn't seem much of a bus station - a row of stops and a full length shelter with typically "basic" seating.
But at the opposite end of the set of the stands is what makes this "bus station" special. There is a waiting room.
Thanks to Northampton correspondent Alan we can take a look inside.
There are seats, of course.
There is a bus departure screen which ...
... was displaying lots of duplicate bus journeys. Actually, it wasn't working properly but at least it gave the right information even if it was repeated. Also there was a train departure display.
But two especially good things; a hot drinks machine (working!) and a rack of timetable leaflets.
How up-to-date and complete the leaflet set was couldn't be confirmed by Alan who was just "passing through" - but it was much more up-to-date than the "onward journey" poster back at the railway station.
Alan writes:-
It does not include the fact that the Melton Mowbray to Oakham section of Centrebus service 19 has now been joined up with the Oakham to Corby route and re-numbered RF1. It also does not tell you that you have the alternative choice of a bus from Oakham to Melton Mowbray or Stamford which might be slower but your chances of getting a seat could be greater.
Oh, and another bonus; just past Wilko is where you can obtain more substantial comestibles from Captain Noel Newton ...
... courtesy of Messrs Wetherspoon.
It is in the former Royal British Legion building in High Street. The firm had originally intended to name the pub after one the founders of the legion, Earl Haig. But Oakham Town Council and the Oakham branch of the Royal British Legion wrote to J D Wetherspoon as they believed it should be named after a someone local . The legion and council suggested the name "The Captain Noel Newton", and the firm has listened to their requests. Captain Noel Newton was a former Rutland High Sheriff in the 1930s and lived in the building before he sold it to the legion for £1,600 between 1948 to 1950.
It does not include the fact that the Melton Mowbray to Oakham section of Centrebus service 19 has now been joined up with the Oakham to Corby route and re-numbered RF1. It also does not tell you that you have the alternative choice of a bus from Oakham to Melton Mowbray or Stamford which might be slower but your chances of getting a seat could be greater.
Oh, and another bonus; just past Wilko is where you can obtain more substantial comestibles from Captain Noel Newton ...
It is in the former Royal British Legion building in High Street. The firm had originally intended to name the pub after one the founders of the legion, Earl Haig. But Oakham Town Council and the Oakham branch of the Royal British Legion wrote to J D Wetherspoon as they believed it should be named after a someone local . The legion and council suggested the name "The Captain Noel Newton", and the firm has listened to their requests. Captain Noel Newton was a former Rutland High Sheriff in the 1930s and lived in the building before he sold it to the legion for £1,600 between 1948 to 1950.
What an admirable idea, naming a pub after a recent local celeb! A certain author looks forward to the opening of Wetherspoon's "The Fat Bus Bloke" at Seaton!
Not a good idea?
Not a good idea?
Next Brackley blog : Friday 13th October
Rutland are pretty good on public transport and timetable information. They still publish a county timetable book available from libraries (and John Street bus station in Oakham as per your picture).
ReplyDeleteThe Leaflet rack contains Centrebus comprehensive timetable books with some additional County leaflets for services such as dial a ride and school buses, so yes it should be up to date.
ReplyDelete