Passengers for Pill, Portway and Portishead (1)

Bus operator First West of England will be making improvements to its North Somerset services from Sunday 28 April.   The changes include route and timetable alterations to improve reliability and punctuality and provide quicker, more direct routes for the majority of customers across North Somerset.

The changes have been introduced after a series of customer roadshows, as well as feedback from local councillors and bus drivers.

Traditionally buses to North Somerset coastal town were numbered in the 3xx series and fbb took a look at the Portishead routes some six years ago in this blog. Keen readers can no doubt use search boxes to take a look but in summary the March 2013 change (read again) replaced the 357, 358 and 359 with "Express Yourself " X2 and X3 ...

... with an evenings and Sundays 23 combining the two.

This 2015 map shows the X3 (YELLOW) running via new housing to the east of the former docks, now known as Portishead Marina.

The X2 (RED) entered the town via the "traditional" Bristol Road and High Street. The X2 ran via Pill and Easton-in-Gordano whilst the X3 trundled along the main A359.

The main daytimes X2 and 3 both performed the "Redcliffe Bay loop" in a clockwise direction ...

 ... with a double run along Weatherly Road to the Police HQ and thus offering a service to newer housing in that area. For the record, the above map shows the X5 (BLUE) which still links Weston super Mare with Cribbs Causeway, the 88 (ORANGE) still run by Carmel Coaches ...

... which fills a few gaps.

The X8 (PURPLE on the town centre map) ...

... no longer expresses itself!

The C routes (GREEN) were short-lived "Commuter" buses, each journey with a separate number, linking North Somerset with employment opportunities in North Bristol.

But nothing remains static in the wondrous world of bus operation. Every few years you need to "refresh the image"  and thus it was the "Express Yourself" in tasteful shades of blue begat "Excel" in a much more vibrant orange.

 There are now 9 X routes service the North Somerset area.

The X5 (LIGHT GREEN) still runs between Weston super Mare and Cribbs Causeway ...

The X1 (RED) and X2 (ORANGE) run from Bristol to Weston and we will return tom them later. In principle, buses to Portishead are largely unchanged ...

... with the X3 (DARK PURPLE) via the marina but not via Pill as before. To release X2 for the Weston Routes the "main road" service has become X4 (PALE PURPLE). Both routes gyrate via Redcliffe Bay ...

... but only the X4 now does the "nip" to the Police HQ.

An X3A does the "bits of both" evening service, much like the "Express Yourself" 23.

But it was when fbb was researching the actual timetables of buses to "Redcliffe Bay" that he came across a bit of a problem. But this will need to wait until tomorrow's blog.

To complete the Excel list ...

X6 (DARK GREEN) to Clevedon

X7 (PINK) to Nailsea, Clevedon and Weston

X8 (DARK BLUE) to Nailsea

X9 (LIGHT BLUE) to Nailsea

You may have spotted that fbb has not explained what is changing from 28th April and the answer seems, at first glance, to be just typical tinkering. There will still be buses showing X1 to X9 after Sunday 28th.

But there are significant changes in some areas - AND at least one service withdrawal. Details will follow later this week.

In the meantime, enjoy the front cover of the new X3, X3A and X4 leaflet.

Big Fuss Over First Bus Nova
In case you have forgotten, First Transpennine is introducing three fleets of new trains as part of its franchise commitment. In an interesting numeric nonsense the first of these fleets to materialise will be called Nova 3!

They are five Mark 5 carriages in permanently coupled trains with a sleek driving cab at one end ...

... and an appallingly non-sleek class 68 diesel loco at the other.

The following comes from First's PR machine.

 Trans Pennine have also bravely predicted where and when you will be able to ride on these new trains.

fbb reckons that the times a specially designed so he would not be able to do a day trip in a realistic time frame. Also risky to charge up so, say, York and find that the rubber band has broken and the trains are not running.

Maybe when they get a few more to play with?

 Next Somerset blog : Thursday 18th April 

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I go, I Come Back!

Words spoken by Jack Train on ITMA (It's That Man Again), Tommy Handley's show that ran until 1949 on BBC Radio's Home Service. It was the catch-phrase of Ali-Oop a far-Eastern door to door salesman every time his wares were rejected.

Jesus said much the same as he moved inexorably to his crucifixion, but it was no hollow catchphrase. He had tried very hard to get his disciples to understand.

The inevitability of the journey to Calvary is very scary and Jesus' determination to carry it through is one of the most powerful and challenging parts of the Gospel.

Why did Jesus need to die?

As a hollow gesture of defiance it would have been tragic, but as part of the road to resurrection it would inspire millions.

So how can we make sense of it in 2019?

It all came together on the Thursday evening. But on the Wednesday we have an example of outstanding love, commitment and generosity.

She washed his feet (a picture of servanthood) with hugely expensive perfume (a picture of self sacrifice and commitment).

This Jesus was much much more than a sweet smiling teacher doing good. It was much deeper than that.

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