Weekend Collection (1)

Farewell To John Smith

Another long-standing bus and coach company closed its doors suddenly last week. John Smith of Thirsk operated private hire vehicles, some very smart and new ...

... a significant number of school contracts ...

... and a couple of occasional days bus services, one tendered to North Yorkshire Council.

The 150 was tendered ...

... and the 170 was a commercial schooldays run.

The school contracts were quickly covered, but the future of the bus services is in doubt.

Farewell Again to the Hayling Ferry

Well, not the ferry, that continues; but the bus from the Hayling Island side to connect with the ferry.

Politicians and local residents had pushed for the return of the bus service but to no avail.

First had extended its service 15 a little further to make the mainland connection.

But Better News in Portsmouth

First bus have announced some improvements to their Pompey network. "Improvements" is a slight variation on fact, as the recent changes have replaced services that had been withdrawn due to lack of custom.

Tipner has always been somewhat off the beaten track ...

... and regains a bus service of sorts.

There is a nice little turning circle at the far end of Tipner Lane, just across the road from the Park and Ride site.

During a re-organisation a few years back, Tipner was even part of the utterly baffling service 0 which ran "Both ways round" from Hilsea to Tipner via Eastney and the City Centre.

Crazy, man!

But at least Tipner had an hourly service.

Old Portsmouth fares better ...

... with the reinstatement of an hourly service.

Once upon a time trams and buses ran to the real Old Portsmouth, the peninsula where the towns "traditional" residents use to live in ancient times.

Heritage track remains in Broad Street ...

... but the "revised" (rather than "new") hourly service no longer visits the really historic area.

The third new service is even less of a novelty. It is the return of Sunday buses on routes 13 and 14 to Baffins a k a Portsmouth College.

It's a one bus in steam offering, two hourly on each route; but in these straitened times it is better than nothing!

But three rousing cheer for Portsmouth City Council for finding the money and no bleating about impending bankruptcy. And a slightly less rousing cheer for First Bus for doing the deal.

A Whoopsadaisy in Manchester
Tram prangs don't usually hit the headlines unless,as in Croydon some time back, they are tragically severe. But this one is a real oddity. It took place on the Eccles and Media City branch ...

... and the media implied that it was a fault in the overhead wiring that ripped off the pantograph.

The result looked rather sad!

Fortunately no one was hurt.

The K F C Chunkiness Crisis
fbb did muse whether his much enjoyed chicken pieces we smaller than they used to be.

A Canadian web site attempts to answer the question. It claims that the chicken is still as good, the special spices have not changed and the meals are still excellent value. It doesn't really answer the question.

But this diagram does!

Maybe they use bigger chickens?

Not according to fbb's experience at Cribbs Causeway.

 More Weekend Collection : Sunday 20th January