From Harrogate To Kyiv

We Almost Forgot The "Penny Pot"

On the 2005 route map the former route 112 to Penny Pot has been replaced by a diversion of service X59, Harrogate to Skipton.

Duchy Road (map, top right) is older but posh housing ...

... then the bus sped out into open country. "Ethelburga's" was Queen Ethelburga's School - hyper posh and well away from the town so the gells could not associate with the riff-raff!

In 1991 the school moved to a new site near Knaresborough ...

... the old buildings were demolished and a new "exclusive" housing estate appeared.

There's more of the same coming.

Just beyond the western edge of this development lies a collection of military establishments. Like many such places in and around Harrogate, parts of this stuff "do not exist". 

Anyway, at the entrance to the above collection is a former bus turn round ...

This was the innocently named terminus of the 112 to Penny Pot!

Today, Duchy Road etc is served by the one remaining Harrogate tendered service now in the hands of Connexions. and now numbered X12.

It loops via Duchy Road but does not go to Queen Ethelburga's or Penny Pot.

And So To Ukraine

Following on from the Newport bus, pictured a few days ago, correspondent Colin has found some items of interest. The first is a graphic from Lisbon.

Lisbon does have dinky little tams like the one above and their lower half is yellow, but a slightly darker shade than the Ukrainian flag.

Colin does not think that the graphic represents an actual vehicle - merely an expression of support,

But these vehicles are most definitely in Ukrainian Colours ...

... and they come with an excellent offer to refugees, many of whom have made their way to Germany. A quick glance on line reveals that the tram company illustrated already paints its vehicles in yellow and blue!

Colin reveals that the trams are operated by the Thuringerwaldbahn ...

... operating from Gotha in the former East Germany. The tram network is not vast ...

... but the latest livery is more than appropriate!

Gotha is quite near the middle of modern Germany.

Meanwhile, back in the UK, Transdev has announced a commitment to fundraising for the beleaguered Ukraine.

The text at the top of the graphic reads:-

On Sunday 20 March, we will #StandWithUkraine by donating 10p from every ticket sold on all Transdev buses right across the North to support The Disasters Emergency Committee.

A splendid idea, but does it leave a slight after taste in the mouth. 10p from each SUNDAY fare, when revenue is lowest? Maybe we should just say, as others do, "Every Little Helps".

It would be quite wrong to glorify public transport in Ukraine when lives are being lost and millions are fleeing, BUT, with a strong hope that this proud and embattled nation has a positive future, it is appropriate to just take a look round.

fbb begins in Kiev which we must now call Kyiv.

The public transport web site for the city is, understandably in turmoil. But, for the likes of fbb, there is a very basic problem.

The Cyrillic script! Oo-er.

It is named in honour of Saint Cyril

Cyril (born Constantine, 826–869) and Methodius (815–885) were two brothers and Byzantine Christian theologians and missionaries. For their work evangelizing the Slavs, they are known as the "Apostles to the Slavs".

They are credited with devising the Glagolitic alphabet, the first alphabet used to transcribe Old Church Slavonic.

Modern "Cyrillic" languages are "descended" from the Glagolithic alphabet.

Google Translate tries but struggles. Here is what the web site says - approximately.

Motorbus routes

Movement of bus routes 1, 5, 9, 10, 11, 12, 19, 30, 36, 39, 43k, 64, 65, 76, 77, 88, 100, 104 is temporarily not carried out.

Other routes operate according to constant schemes.

Trolleybus routes

The movement of trolleybus routes is temporarily not carried out

Tram routes

Organized work of tram routes according to constant schemes :

2,  8K,  22K,  29K,  33A.

In addition, a tram service was organized on the section "Podil's TRADE - Contract Square"

Other routes are temporarily not moving.

Ground public transport of the capital in martial law operates from 08:00 to 19:00 in a limited warehouse on those routes where it is possible to provide transportation. We note that other operational changes may be made to the operation of public transport routes.

Clearly, there is huge disruption.

Tomorrow, fbb will take a look at the pre-conflict Kyiv network map - and it is truly excellent ...

... and has its text repeated using "roman" script as well as Cyrillic. It is still challenging.

But fbb will have a respectful look in tomorrow's blog.

STOP PRESS from Colin received yesterday 2044.

Trams in Prague (Czech Republic, more correctly Czechia) now proudly wear the Ukrainian flag.

  Next Ukraine blog : Saturday 19th March