From at least 1911 Eastbourne Corporation ran a motor bus service to St Phillips Avenue ...
... later extended into a growing housing development.
Estate names Roselands and Bridgemere came into use. In 1993 the Corporation celebrated its 90th anniversary and Middleton Press produced an excellent history by way of commermoration.
Pasted in the back of the book is a timetable from that celebratory year.
Service 2 (BROWN) still runs to St Phillips Avenue and more of Bridgemere ...
... returning to the main road and operating via the new-ish Lottbridge Drove (note the wiggle via the Birch Road depot) ...
... to link with service 1 at Shinewater. It ran, as today, every 30 minutes.
It later became service 5 and was sent on its merry way to Sovereign Harbour.
fbb's ride round Bridgemere was uneventful; until, that is, hee linked the bus route to the long-gone big railway branch (maybe more correctly a siding) that ran to the Crumbles.
fbb will return to this particular topic in due course but, for the time being, he will simply enjoy trundling around the estate ...
... noting the changes in housing design as the estate (and its bus route) developed. Sovereign Harbour South (for real) is reached at the end of Ramsey Way with Martello Tower No 66 at Langney point standing sentinel to guard against a future Napoleonic invasion! (Well you never know what may happen after Brexit!). We lurch left into Atlantic Drive ...
... and continue thereupon to the terminus.
The Stagecoach map was not helpful, offering no guidance as to how (or even whether) the two chunks of estate were linked.
If there were a "way through" a dotted black line and a "walking man" would help. fbb's A to Z of Eastbourne looked hopeful but cartograpghically all links came to dead ends!
Other on-line street maps were even more discouraging.
The continuation of Atlantic Drive past the roundabout bus terminus was decidedly off-putting, with barrier poles and a notice warning that there was no through road for vehicles.
Through the foliage (left) was a back entrance to some retail units (gym, cinema and ASDA) accessed via bits of car parking ...
... but the cycle track and footpath proved more fruitful as it came out on another bit of road unvisited by Streetview!
Here were boat yards and the massive Yacht Club building ...
... also guarded by barriers. fbb was beginning to think that people were not welcome, unless, of course, they came by expensive boat!
Indeed, apart from a couple of folk mending expensive cabin cruisers, the whole place was deserted at 1230.
But there, also, was the blue bridge as seen on Streetview which appeared to offer a route through to the service 5.
Too much excitement and thus time for a break. Lo and behold there be a gastro-pub.
Upon fbb's arrival it, too, was deserted; but a Barista appeared and fbb tentatively ordered a toastie and a pot of tea (for £10.05 - yep, it was that sort of pub!). The toastie was well filled and accompanied by heaps of yummy stuff ...
... but fbb eschewed a jug of Pimms ...
... in the interests of remaining upright and awake for the completion of his expedition. By the time fbb had moved on, six of the outdoor tables were occupied with real live people, mostly "bright young things", some accompanied by elderly relatives. None of them ordered a jug of Pimms.
Refreshed, replete and ready for the challenge ahead, fbb set off on the yellow brick road blue bridge. The route appeared to be straight ahead between two big blocks of flats ...
... but yet again it was bolted and barred and available only to residents in possession of the secret codes. The route, with not a signpost to guide the newcomer, was round the back of the block to the left which led, swiftly, to the roundabout at the end of Pacific Drive.
Again, apart from a couple of cars disappearing into some underground abyss which led to who knows where, there was no sign of life. But there was a bus stop and tell-tale signs of oil drips in the layby.
There was a departure list in the shelter ...
... and, in due course, three other passengers arrived as did the service 5.
It was good to see a double deck to handle the crowds!
The return on the 5 was uneventful, passing firstly just a little bit of the pre-Sovereign Crumbles ...
... and the front of the ASDA.
But fbb found the whole experience surreal. It was as if he had stumbled on to some vast film set just sitting there waiting for a director to shout "action". But there was none!
fbb saw no "community buildings" ("village hall", church etc.), no post office, no real shops ("I'll just jog to ASDA for a pint of milk"), in fact nothing like a real lived-in community. In a way it was quite sad.
But utterly fascinating and, oh so different from Harbour Road in Seaton!
Next week, The Crumbles branch in more detail; but for tomorrow ...
... the mayor has drawn a map!
How long will it be before the new directors sell the business on to a different "big group". A nice picking for Stagecoach OR First, especially as neither like GoAhead (Wilts and Dorset/More/Salisbury Reds) very much and might relish the opportunity of giving then a thrashing!
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STOP PRESS - BREAKING NEWS
Yellow Buses (Bournemouth) was sold by Paris City Transport (RATP) to its Management on Monday 1st July "for an undisclosed sum". Yet another "big group" is "rationalising its portfolio of bus businesses", i.e. getting out quick!How long will it be before the new directors sell the business on to a different "big group". A nice picking for Stagecoach OR First, especially as neither like GoAhead (Wilts and Dorset/More/Salisbury Reds) very much and might relish the opportunity of giving then a thrashing!
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Next Manchester blog : Thursday 4th July
News from Yellow Buses - legal name, Bournemouth Transport Limited is that a management buyout took place on Monday: https://www.yellowbuses.co.uk/Management-buyout
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