Feeble Cheers For Bees Please (2)

By Car Or Bus : Don't Make A Fuss

The biggest Middlebrook car parking area is at the main retail park ...

... which includes ASDA. Then the huge Tesco has its own parking "lot" ...

... as does the footy stadium.

And there is more at the opposite end.

Many moons ago the fbbs stayed at a hotel that is built into the stadium - indeed the restaurant has a view of the footy pitch itself. Back then it was called the Reebok Stadium. But now it carries the utterly memorable name of ...

... and fbb really has no idea!

One thing is very clear; bus services are very much a minority interest. Apart from the 615, there are two others.

Route 127 runs hourly to Adlington and Chotley ...

... following the railway line.

It is not what you might call frequent!

There are more journeys on Saturdays but nary a one on Sundays.

A previous 127 ran from Eccles and was completely different.

Route 516 runs from Horwich to Leigh ...

... via a fairly convoluted "local" route also via Westhoughton.

Again it only reaches the dizzy heights of hourly ...

... but does manage an hourly Sunday service but for  much shorter span of the day.

Once upon a time the 516 was used for just a few journeys on Diamond's 516/517 timetable.

Way back when, a 516 was operating in the Atherton area.

These two services (127 & 516) do indicate that Middlebrook, with its vast array of retail opportunity, is not regarded as good bus territory.

But now the 615 has joined the fray, maybe we will see some dramatic improvements.

Erm, no!

P.S. A Numerical oddity! Middlebrook is now served by routes 516 and 615. Can any blog readers come up with other locations anywhere in GB where a route number is joined by that route number reversed?

fbb will return to the excitement of the 615 on  Friday .

Tomorrow, a "different" railway line?

  COMING SOON  

A full and frank account of the fbbs trip to the Isle of Wight, all the way by public transport ...

... and return not quite all the way by public transport.

Ann Lewin is a former teaching colleague of fbb from his days on Sheffield. From station to noshery was c/o Ann's limo.

But there were other excitements on the return journey!

 Next Co-op blog : Thurs 28 Nov