Saturday Variety

Nearly Right, ITV!

Those of us of a certain age will remember the 1965 film "The Ipcress File", a film that brought actor Michael Caine to fame, fortune and the joy of all impressionists. The John Barrie music is iconic!

Now ITV is showing a remake with actor Joe Cole portraying a recognisable version of Michael Caine ...

... playing the super-seedy Harry Palmer. In episode 2, Harry has a fight with a British/Russian/American (delete as you wish) agent on the top deck of a London bus - as you do. The conductor did not investigate, the driver did not stop to inform a police constable and the beaten-up baddy was, presumably, left to be found by a cleaner back at the depot. Needless to say, Palmer was untouched in this fracas.

But a letter to the Daily Telegrape on March 14th commended the producers for using a real red Routemaster bus. As we know, usually any red vehicle will do for a "London Bus".

But all was not well with this genuine Routemaster.

Egad, sir! The conductor was using a Setright Speed machine. Never mind; we should not doubt the perspicacity of The Telegraph's correspondents. A follow-up letter soon appeared.

Well spotted Mr Foster - fbb missed it and was alerted to the letter by a chum, Peter, from the North East of the UK. But then, Peter collects bus ticket machines!

The first two episodes (watched on ITVHub by fbb) are not as seedy as the original (so far!) but enjoyably baffling.

Більше перефарбовує Україна

Above is a "green" Basel tram en route to Pratteln, on orange line 14. This is a Basel "city" company tram. Some longer suburban routes are operated by "a different company" (which isn't really!) whose trams are naturally red and yellow.

Here is one like the Ukraine repaint, but in its correct green.

The Bombardier Flexity 2 is a family of tram or light-rail vehicle manufactured by Bombardier Transportation. It is 100% low-floor, in order to easily accommodate wheelchairs and pushchairs. The trams are bi-directional, with cabs at both ends and doors on both sides, and are articulated with five sections. This family of trams debuted on the Blackpool Tramway.

Unlike in the UK, tramways in Basel are always being extended. The authorities have just approved the extension of line 14 from Pratteln to Augst.

fbb will take a look at this extension in a later blog.

Kyiv (Kiev) Transport Map (1)

It is slightly helpful that the Cyrillic place names are repeated in "roman" script, i.e. using the letters that most European languages use. It doesn't necessarily make understanding them much easier, but there are some visual clues.

And lo and behold, there is a terminus outside the airport terminal.

And it is a trolleybus terminus!

Thankfully the rubric of the map is also in English which helps a huge bunch!

So can we find the Funicular? Of course we can - it is on the map, obviously ...

So we travel north along the west bank of the Dnipro River and come to a Metro (green M) station named after the river. And there it is!

Spot the station name (in Cyrillic script) above the door.

The bridge over the river is called the "Metro" bridge because it carries the Metro line 1 and road traffic.

It was opened in 1965.

A little further on is Park Bridge (pedestrian and cycle) and Streetview tells me it is good for panoramic views and bungee jumping. Hmmm?

But we are looking for the Funicular, somewhat more substantial than fbb's stair lift.

But the arch of the base station is distinctive and ...

... right next to the Metro station on blue line 2. The arched design is palatial.

The top station is equally splendid ...

... and leads to some more magnificent architecture.

All this exacerbates the sadness, the crass stupidity, of the present crisis. We should all be praying that the purpetrators will have their eyes opened to the personal, political and picturesque harm that is being done to this noble city.

But, for the present, fbb has found an airport, a trolleybus route, two Metro lines and a funicular thanks to an excellent transport network map with assistance from Google.

City Centre tomorrow?

 Next Variety blog : Sunday 20th March