Assorted "News" (or non-News) - Part 2

Disgusted of Tunbridge Wells Millhouses

A Sheffield resident, a newcomer to blog comment writing, added a note recently in desperation over First Bus' revised Sunday service on his local route. Since the arrival of the Sheffield Bus non-Partnership, now supplanted by a new and equally meaningless brand ...

... First bus buses have run from two destinations in Stannington (in the north west) through the city centre and on to Ecclesall (in the south west).

For most of the day 81s run from Stannington village to Dore and 82s from Hall Park Head estate ti the Millhouses loop. Just occasionally and mainly at peak or school times things were slightly less straightforward ...

... but the ultimate destination defined the route number, e.g. 82 to Hall Park Head, 81 to Stannington.

Our Millhousian complains about the new Sunday service from 3rd March this year. Here is what it was ...

... a tidy hourly service on each route following the standard pattern; and here is what it has become.

The service is now roughly every 70 minutes and runs from the "wrong" destination for most of the day - except when it isn't and it doesn't. 

Production led - again!

And today's prize question: will this lead to ...

(a) an increase in passenger numbers on Sunday?

(b) no change?

(c) a reduction of passenger numbers on Sunday? ... and then

(d) further reductions in the service?

Answers to First Bus, please - not fbb, whose views you may be able to guess!

And, as a minor aside (?); were our comment writer to take a look at First's map of the 81/82 he might be surprised to see that his service to the Millhouses loop ...

... is shown as a "hollow" (technically called "cased") line. This is explained in the code.

"Occasional" journeys? Actually half the buses, a twenty minute frequency, serve the loop. Maybe First's map, combined with the unhelpful Sunday timetable, may be strangely prophetic. But at least First's cartographer shows the roads served correctly. The PTE map ...

... has a very intriguing "knobble" off Springfield Road. Apparently the buses turn left into Stowe Avenue ...

... fork left into Dewar Drive ...

... round the Dewar Drive "loop" and then ...

... right, back into Stowe Avenue and back to Springfield Road; all this without serving any stops.

fbb must ask his Sheffield team to get some photographs! They might have  a long wait!

Heritage Liveries

A few blogs ago, fbb mentioned heritage paint style on Britiah Airways planes.

There are two more ...

... and if, like fbb, you rarely leave these shores, here is what they look like now.

Do more folk fly BA because they paint their plains in a different style?

It'll Never Catch On?
Three snippets from recent on-line postings.

A good investment? fbb must contact his broker.

With absolute certainty, it'll never catch on.

And who would ever want to lug one of these around with them when they can use a phone box?

It will be the ruin of us all.

Electric cars, Mr Volk? You must be mad!

And Another fbb Birthday Card

"Just switched off the vacuum cleaner and waiting for his medal and applause."

It's Lyme Regis, Jim, But Not As We Know It.

Somewhere in amongst all that scaffolding is the bus shelter for passengers waiting for buses to Seaton and Axminster.

And this is what it usually looks like.

fbb will reveal all ...

 Next news/non news blog : Monday 25th March