95A, Eh? Will 95B Be Better (2)

 The Story So Far ...

Sheffield's Transport route 95 was a tram route which, when converted to bus operation gained an extension at Walkley to new housing on Tinker Lane and a small jiggle at Intake to turn its journeys in the shiny new circle plus shop and toilets.

Then came fbb's vague memory of extensions to the estates bordering the main road ...

... before being cut back to run from Walkley to city only.

Then the spreadsheet watchers in First's planning department sent the 95/95A to Firth Park and Meadowhell.

Most recently, on 1st September 2024, the 95/95a gained a "b" and was extended to Rotherham (95) and Crystal Peaks (95a/95b).

The Fun And Frolic Continues!

But it wasn't anywhere near as simple as shown on fbb's very diagrammatic maps above.

The 95 (Rotherham) followed a different route from the 95a/95b almost as soon as the "network" left he city centre. Then at Handsworth ...

... they were different again before parting ways completely with the 95 off to Rotherham (now using First's own map).

The PURPLE line is for route 73 which, in an attempt to encourage useage and understanding, enters Sheffield by a completely different route, TWO different routes actually. Also using a completely different route is the 95s, for school journeys.

The 85a and 95b run to Crystal Peaks shopping centre ...

... with the 95b being almost normal and the 95a doing a magical mystery tour via estates at Swallownest called Aughton and Aston on the above map, neither of which ex villages is actually served by the 95a.

And what about timetables? 

First Bus, using all the resources of its £4 million AI software, plus the tender care of its Traffic Clerks, manages a comprehensive but largely incomprehensible timetable of ALL the 95s.

It does have a really useful time point for "Parkway Markets" which does not appear on ANY map, PTE or First!

The PTE timetable shows the service as two separate tables, one for thr 95 to Rotherham ...

... and one for the 95a/95b to Crystal Peaks.

But there is no combined timetable for the 15 minute frequency from Walkley.

Poor.

It is not surprising that, in the early days of September 2024 there was confusion and anger in Sheffield as, frankly, there was no useful publicity whatsoever. In the early days of the services, when it was most needed, nobody could be bothered to provide a nap.

First tried to explain things in wods ...

... and even more words some of which were hopelessly wrong..

In a desperate attempt to drum up business for the completely new 95a/95b, First allowed its web using enthusiasts (only a small percentage of their actual bus passengers!) a barrage of useful and encouraging mini posters to excite them and stimulate demand.

There was this general one ...

... there was one for the 95a ...

... one for the 95b ...

... and one for the 95a and the 95b.

But, of course, none of this outburst of information was ever in the form of printed material. And even if the publicity had been printed and plentiful, would there be enough customers for an extra two buses an hour to Crystal Peaks?

The whole Crystal  Peaks service is withdrawn at the end of this month without replacement.

All that is left is the 15 minute frequency to Walkley (every twenty on Saturday, every 30 on Sunday) and the half hourly extension to Rotherham.

When the 95a/95b was introduced, bus watchers in Sheffield were generally of the opinion that it was a fundamentally flawed idea. They were right!

Well done AI!

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 The Easter Jigsaw 

Rooster Rejection?

People who suggest that it is "obvious" that the disciples stole the body of Jesus to "create" the Resurrection clearly have neither read nor understood the Scriptures. At Jesus arrest we are told simply that the disciples all ran away.

At the last supper Peter told Jesus that he would NEVER leave him.

Jesus said to Peter, “I tell you that before the rooster crows tonight, you will say three times that you do not know me.”

While Jesus was being arraigned and interrogated, Peter watched from afar.

When the servant saw Peter warming himself, she looked straight at him and said, “You, too, were with Jesus of Nazareth.” But he denied it. “I don't know … I don't understand what you are talking about,”

The servant woman began to repeat to the bystanders, “He is one of them!” But Peter denied it again.

A little while later the bystanders accused Peter again, “You can't deny that you are one of them, because you, too, are from Galilee.”

Then Peter said, “I swear that I am telling the truth! May God punish me if I am not! I do not know the man you are talking about!”

Just then a rooster crowed, and Peter remembered.

There is so much to challenge us in this little incident. The key point is that the strongest of the disciples let Jesus down big time. He lied.

Yet he was forgiven and became one of the key leaders of the early Christian Church. As we see above, he failed, he showed genuine and spirit-aching remorse and was quickly and completely forgiven.

 There is a lesson there for all of us. 

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 Next Sheffield Strangeness blog : Fri 18th April