Sunday Variety

It Will Be A Holiday Bus

It is a pity they couldn't get the fonts right on the blinds ...

... and a more realistic "Paris" sign.

But, at least, the lengthy route 9 did offer journeys to Piccadilly - sort of!!

There are numerous mobile homes made out of an old bus - here a Bristol VR with a trailer as well ...

... and an open top Lodekka with a hut on the upper deck!

But fbb is more interested in static holiday accommodation like this ...

... or thia:-

On his re-fettled Routemaster, fbb will try to give the impression of bedrooms upstairs plus something that might contain a WC ...

... and downstairs cooking and noshing equipment.

In reality, most of these conversions will rely on bunk beds which may well be tricky to model and, anyway, you won't be able to see them from the normal viewing distance.

Phew!

A lot can be achieved with curtains at the window! 

A bathroom and proper toilet block will be built and attached at the rear..

Will fbb ever complete the model?

Durham : Good News & Bad News

Google Earth has yet to find the new Durham bus station, currently only showing the cleared site of the old facility with the rebuild pending. Buses exit vis the upper right hand cotner of the site.

Entry is off the roundabout upper left where they come to a setting down stop ...

... from where a foorpath in the rain lsds to a back entrance to the stands.

But video evidence suggests that buses unload on the stands unless they are going to the layover bays.

The station is typical of modern design with seats at each bay ...

... departure lists ...

... and (hopefully real time?) electronic displays above the exit doors.

The rear wall and the two end walls are replete with more screens ...

... and the tantalising word "information".

But now the negatives. None of these displays showed departures in route number order. Joe public wants to know (or confirm) when the next 21 leaves and from what stand. Very rarely will anyone want to know "where can I go at 1220?" So why are departures not in route number order?

Now fbb has not been to Durham (he doesn't have Roger French's financial and energy resources for a quick trip north plus hotel) but from the various on-line video, the old man could not see a single solitary timetable anywhere in Durham Bus Station.

Bit you could always ask at the enquiry office as shown at the foot of the entrance stairs in the pre-opening artist's "impression".

However, both the videos of the new place showed just a blank wall at this location.

Astoundingly this shiny new bus station built at vast expense to serve Durham's residents and zillions of visitors would appear to offer no enquiry office and thus no human assistance.

Another expectation was this ...

... but fbb spotted not a single network map in the real world.

fbb offers a mark of just 7 out of 10.

And where is the tea bar? In one of one the pre-opening sketches fbb did spot a few spindly tables and chairs, but no evidence of anything to eat or drink at them. A weary shopper would welcome a brew before lugging their shopping homeward bound.

There seems to be other rooms above he non enquiry office, so a caff there might be good?

Talking of Refreshments ...

... who remember this?

Lymeswold, which was delicious, creamy and with a taste of tang, ceased production in 1992. Its aim was to produce a blue soft-ish cheese to compete with some well known European names.

It failed.

But how about this for cheese.

It is made with an unusual added ingredient. It is called ..,

... and it claims to be made with coal. fbb can report, incontrovertibly, that it does not taste of coal; but it has a slight grittiness on the palate which might have been a smidgen of sanitised coal dust.

fbb is sure that the black colour is generated with a natural ingredient, e.g. squid ink, rather than Parker Blue Black or Kandahar Indian. 

Coal or charcoal flavoured (??) cheese is a bit of a craze, so look out for a suitable black brand at you local cheese monger's emporium.

But beware - ot is a bit more pricey than a slab of Tesco's mousetrap!

Trouble In Them Thar Hills

This is Paul Bloomfield, MP for Sheffield Central.

A few months back he reported to Parliament about buses and Sheffield's clean air zone.

In theory, Sheffield buses fitted with the faulty gubbins could have to pay £50 every time they entered the city centre. Of course, private cars are exempt from such charges; and no, it makes no common sense or even air quality sense whatsoever!

But either Paul has changed his mind or someone has changed it for him.

The gubbins, he now states, is not faulty at all - or maybe not completely faulty.

Apparently it is the city's fault for being built on hills!

Is fbb alone in seeing some massive flaws on the MPs prognostications, possibly because he simply doesn't understand the technology?

It is hard to grasp that emissions reduction technology doesn't work properly when the vehicle is going down hills. There are, possibly, other cities with hill that go down., and such hills can be used by descending buses.

Hmmm!

 Next London blog : Monday 15th January