Sunday Variety

Too Big For Little Jackie

On her way home from school in Ryde, little eight-year-old Jacke decided to try out the seats in the small shelters at the new, small, Ryde bus station.

But the seats were far too high for her to ascend

Jackie was finally helped up by Alan, a  much larger person.

Our astute readers may have spotted that the "girl" in question is not aged eight but has just received her very first state pension payment and is married to our Senior Isle of Wight correspondent, one of the many Alans.

Why so high, don't know why!

Yet another example of the welcoming comfort for today's bus passengers.

Whereas, if you lived on Shetland ...

His Lordship's Loony Lighthouse Part 2

It's all very well imagining a viewing gallery on the tower of Peterville Castle, but towers on castle ruins are, as they say, ruinous! There are the jagged remains of the castellated battlements and, further, look through the "glass" beyond the yellow shirted visitor and there is an even bigger gash. So out cmes the Milliput! And on goes the Milliput!

Then a few stabs with a screwdriver blade ... 

... and a splodge of grey paint and, from normal viewing distance, the whole thing takes shape.

You can't can hardly see the join; but at nearly five feet from the observer, it won't matter much. The windows need a touch  of Windolene and the paint needs a touch of up, but all is complete.

His Lordship is well pleased with his loony "lighthouse" a k a viewing gallery.

Dynamic Derbyshire Development

Over the years we have been used to brave decisions by Hulleys, a bus company based in Baslow (Derbyshire) but close to the borders of Sheffield. Their service between Sheffield and Manchester did not attract enough custom to be viable and the scheduled tours from Sheffield and Chesterfield to various Derbyshire destinations and to Alton Towers has to be reined back.

But definitely the company deserves a small bag of chocolate peanuts for being brave enough to take risks.

The latest venture ought to be more successful.

Or are the buses blue?

Hmmm? Now where has fbb seen that name before?

Hulleys "Breezer" runs from Baslow via Froggatt Edge and Fox House then on to Castleton. Neither available route map is ideal ...

... but you can get the idea.

The service is running hourly at weekends and hourly seven days a week in the school holidays ...

... with connections from Bakewell and Chatsworth and from Chesterfield. Sadly no such opportunity is on offer from Sheffield but folk can catch the 272 and hop on the Breezer at various points..

So, well done, Hulleys; this deserves to work!

If It's All Red It Must Be London

Unless it carries "all-over" advertising ...

... when "anything goes", the uglier the better.

But, what is this? Surely it cannot be? It must be a dream, an illusion or  a delusion.

It is a route branded London Tramsport bus for the X26, which as we all know ...

... runs between Croydon and Heathrow.

And it only costs £1.75 single (using Oyster or Debit/Credit card).

Doesn't that seem ludicrously cheap, especially as London Transport's finances are teetering on the precipice of collapse day by day?

Why doesn't Mr Khan charge a more realistic set of fares for his buses, less for the Underground which is expensive and keep the Travelcard?

Seemples.

Ahem? Shouldn't the have included "Superloop" branding?

And might we be allowed a map and a timetable for the X26?

fbb's Freight Funicular

Moving stuff from the loft to the ground floor for modelling use can be fraught. Handfuls of modelling stuff (including the revised castle!) and bannisters don't go together. But we have our one-floor cable railway which is an enormous help ...

... and, at least gets the stuff half way.

It's in Norfolk!

North Landing

fbb did say he had visited ...

... sixty years ago whilst a student at Sheffield Uni. And he doesn't look a day older!

And he still can't skim pebbles!

They Must Be Joking

Hattons of Widnes are just working through a raft of "Special Offer" stock clearance. Yesterday it was bus models. One of the more expensive manufacturers is Creative Master Northcord. Their buses are exquisitely detailed and are issued in various liveris and branding. 

But cop the price of these on special offer.

£108 or £105!! Really? A whole new meaning of the word "Bargain"!!!

The most expensive fbb could find, new and shiny, from other suppliers was a "modest" ...

... £67; too much for fbb's budget.

Would You REALLY Want To Do This?

Is the electric bus "craze" so convincing that operators will be prepared to spend loadsa money on ripping out diesel engines and installing batteries and electric motors?

Zeebus thinks they will.

fbb is not so sure!

Tomorrow, we take a trip to Hengistbury Head.

 Next Tourism Bus Train Boat blog : Mon 29th May 

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Pentecost is FIFTY DAYS after the resurrection of Jesus. Pentecost was also a pre-Christian Jewish Festival. The rag-tag band of Disciples had been told by Jesus to wait in Jerusalem until God gave them the gift he had promised, The Helper.

So what happened and what was The Helper?

This video reconstruction best fits the words in Luke's Gospel Part 2, the book of Acts.

Whether it was factually like that or just the attempt by those around to describe something utterly beyond their understanding is up to readers to decide.

Here it is in words.

When the day of Pentecost came, all the believers were gathered together in one place. Suddenly there was a noise from the sky which sounded like a strong wind blowing, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then they saw what looked like tongues of fire which spread out and touched each person there. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit.

So what?

There are huge numbers of Christians who today experience the power, the comfort, the inspiration, the inner strength of "The Helper".

One thing is certain. We may struggle to understand and accept its meaning today - so did the people who observed it all happening!

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