A humble (and now rather elderly} Stagecoach double decker began its life with bus users in Chichester and the Sussex/Hampshire area.
The bus was "open topped" and ran seaside services in Cleethorpes ...
... before taking on a more "historic" role in Lincoln.
... acquiring its "Irish" registration from the Road Car single decker.
The topless old girl then went to Skeggy where it (she?) obtained he present livery and Hattie nomenclature.
The bus has changed yet again - tables added, plus refreshment facilities making the bus available for community and "social" use.
The Wemdy House" can be seen at the back of the top deck.
The Best Of Times, The Worst Of Times
Rutland is the UK's smallest county with its "capital" as Oakham.
Oakham railway station is on the cross country line from Birmingham New Street to Nuneaton, Leicester, Stamford, Peterborough, Ely, Cambridge and Stanstead Airport.
The station is also famous for having a full-sized replica ...
... of the OO gauge Airfix plastic kit.
The train service is provided by Cross Country Trains.
National Rail lists one of its facilities as ...
... benches!
The ticket office ...
... is open at the following times -
Monday - Friday 06:30 - 12:45
Saturday 07:45 - 14:10
Sunday 12:00 - 19:00
So outside these times there is at least one self service ticket machine?
Well, actually, NO!
There is, however, one self-service machine at the station.
It sells fresh eggs!
Meanwhile at the bus "interchange" in John Street ...
... the comfy little waiting room ...
... has a good display of timetable leaflets.
Correspondent Alan, who contributed this material, thinks that this is a full set for the County. Also he noticed this notice.
A timetable book? Remember when you could obtain such a delight?
But here's the big question. How can tiny little Rutland afford such profligate luxury when most much bigger counties have given up completely? AND the Ruttles have arranged funding to ensure the continuation of the Rutland Flyer bus from 24th September.
What financial magic does Rutland have that is not available elsewhere?
Or is the truthful answer that savings via cancelling tendered services are negligible but easy to do - and the voters are simply being conned about the need to chop?
Maybe Rutland should be holding a teach-in for the others?
Suspicious Sheffield Scare
The local rag has had a field day with a "Shock Horror" lead.
Oooer!
Well, they would day that, wouldn't they?
Bear in mind that, although the trams say "Stagecoach", the vehicles themselves, the track and all the bits and bobs are owned by South Yorkshire County Council. Stagecoach simply holds the contract to RUN the system.
So what is going on?
Two possibilities seem likely.
1. The Council is playing the "fear" game to "encourage" National Government to find renewals.
2. The reporter has latched on to a "could", "might" or "maybe" soundbite with little or no substance.
Watch this space!
Remember That 75 minute Late Arrival?
Last weekend, the fbb's had a tortuous journey from Axminster to Glasgow with a very late arrival in the Scottish City.
Delay Repay came into effect and it was efficient and quick to deal with on-line. All fbb had to do was to send a picture of the appropriate rail tickets, plus details of the specific delayed journey and, just three days later, this missive arrived in the old man's in-box.
I write further to your Delay Repay request regarding a delay to your recent journey.
Please accept our apologies once again for any inconvenience this delay caused you.
Under the terms of our ‘Delay Repay’ scheme, customers who are delayed by 30-59 minutes will receive compensation equivalent to 50% of the cost of the affected leg of their journey; if a return ticket is used, the ticket price is halved to calculate this compensation. If you are delayed by 60-119 minutes, you will receive 100% of the cost of your single ticket, or 50% of your return ticket. If you are delayed by more than two hours, we will compensate you for 100% of either the cost of your single ticket, or both portions of your return ticket.I
I would therefore like to offer you the enclosed cheque for £124.75
I hope that your experience will not discourage you from using our services in the future/
Remember That 75 minute Late Arrival?
Last weekend, the fbb's had a tortuous journey from Axminster to Glasgow with a very late arrival in the Scottish City.
Delay Repay came into effect and it was efficient and quick to deal with on-line. All fbb had to do was to send a picture of the appropriate rail tickets, plus details of the specific delayed journey and, just three days later, this missive arrived in the old man's in-box.
I write further to your Delay Repay request regarding a delay to your recent journey.
Please accept our apologies once again for any inconvenience this delay caused you.
Under the terms of our ‘Delay Repay’ scheme, customers who are delayed by 30-59 minutes will receive compensation equivalent to 50% of the cost of the affected leg of their journey; if a return ticket is used, the ticket price is halved to calculate this compensation. If you are delayed by 60-119 minutes, you will receive 100% of the cost of your single ticket, or 50% of your return ticket. If you are delayed by more than two hours, we will compensate you for 100% of either the cost of your single ticket, or both portions of your return ticket.I
I would therefore like to offer you the enclosed cheque for £124.75
I hope that your experience will not discourage you from using our services in the future/
Seemples.
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-
Next week we will be following LAST week's Scotland holiday enjoyed by the fbbs. Because of internet worries on the remote West Coast of Scotland, this will pan out exactly one week late but still day by day. There will be plenty to enjoy and fascinate, promise!
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-
STOP PRESS 2205 YESTERDAY
124 minutes late at Axminster!
See an appendage to tomorrow's blog.
Rail Discoveries blog Day 1 - Monday 1st October
Re supertram, it's actually owned by SYPTE. South yorkshire county council hasn't existed since 1986.
ReplyDelete@Anonymous
ReplyDeleteNeither does the PTE exist any more! It and its assets are now part of the Sheffield City Region Combined Authority.
Meanwhile, the trams appear to belong to HSBC, through a leasing company called South Yorkshire Light Rail Ltd.
Ive had to make four Delay Repay claims this year, only one of which (Arriva Trains Wales) was settled promptly. One claim to Northern in March was finally settled at the beginning of Seotember after getting Transport Ficus involved, a second to Northern was wrongly refused even though I involved Transport Focus again and one to Trans Pennine, made in July is still being contested again with the assistance of zTF. I assume the sheer volume of claims in the north has completely overloaded the system.
ReplyDeleteRutland is a small and by comparison, relatively affluent county with three towns just across the border (each larger than those within the county) offering some services normally required within county so I suspect their costs aren't as high and their average council tax is above many others. From a bus perspective they aren't actually above average in their coverage, the total pvr of Rutlands supported network is 6.5 (with another 1.5 on a contract jointly funded with Leicestershire), as a comparison Leicestershire support 8 pvr (with a similar route make-up) just in their Melton network covering a similar area, so Rutland aren't doing more than many others (good but not above what they should in a rural area).
ReplyDeleteDon't believe all the press hype on the RF1, it always had an element of council funding for the service and the recent changes haven't seen a dramatic increase in the funding (the well publicised Stagecoach bid from the failed tender round is about 3-times the current contract cost).
Whilst RCC's book is commendable it is not updated frequently and the local operator (who still operates all bar 2 minor services in the county) has always produced a timetable booklet covering the whole county themselves at no cost to the council & I'm sure would be happy to include the two missing services if asked.
People can plan for a trip on a weekend and travel in this transport to make their weekend pleasant.
ReplyDeletecheap Luton airport parking