A Book Review (2) and Some Variety

Finding The Links ...

... but not that sort of links! [GROAN]

fbb has been using Gavin Booth's book to open up links between 1970 buses and today's equivalent. Today, we return to Bristol with this picture.

It is at the Redcliffe "Meccano" flyover that featured in a recent blog. It shows route 11 to Rookery Farm Estate. At least that is how fbb reads it, despite his ARMD infirmity.

To which fbb ask s, "Where?".

There is a "Rookery Farmhouse" south of the city with a Bath postcode, but lacking in an "estate" whereat a large double deck operated bus route might terminate. So fbb was puzzled.

Then he came across this ...

... so such a place did exist, once. It gets nary a mention on current Bristol bus maps OR Open Street Map OR Street Map OR Ordnance Survey.

But there is a Rookery Way. 

And nearby is Belland Drive ... 

... with bus stops.

The bus stop, opposite a small shopping centre ...

... is served in one direction only - and is huge ...

... with lots of extra space marked "Bus Stand" which usually implies a terminus. But nothing terminates there; the 73 runs round the loop on journeys to its present teminus at Hengrove bus dept.

The stops are on what is now an odd one way loop in one direction ...

So fbb, working in guessamatic mode, opines that Belland Drive was Rookery Farm; has changed its identity and is now Whitchurch and was once the the terminus of the 73 ...

... which now runs to Hengrove. The Metrobus M1 also runs nearby, a route upon which fbb has ridden to and from its Hengrove Park terminus.

You maybe confused, so here is a chunk of First's Bristol network map.

Good, innit?

It's even better to the north of the city where the 73 has terminated at Bristol Parkway station ...

... at Cribbs Causeway shopping horror ...

... and atva couple of versions of Bradley Stoke. Here is version 1 ...

... and version 2.

But it doesn't go to any of these any more. Now it runs to the University of the West of England at Frenchay.

And looking back into ancient blogs he finds bus 92 which also once ran to Rookery Farm ... 

... and on to Hengrove ...

... calling at Hengrove Belland Drive.

So, historically, we have routes 11, 24, 82 and 73 serving a possible terminus at Rookery Farm, Hengrove and/or Whtchurch. There may be more.

Pass the tranquilisers, please. 

And what is it that bus passengers crave, year by year?

Consistency, consistency and consistency.

Maybe A Touch Of Sanity?
Trams in Mainz (Germany)

There were old trams ...

... and very old trams.

But today, most trams look like this.

There is a good geographical network map on-line ...

... and, also on the interwebnet, an easier-to-follow diagram.

But fbb has been interested by news items about a recent order for brand new trams. A couple of versions of the story have appeared. This one looks OK ...

... but this one, erm ...

... doesn't.

Whilst the building in the background may be Mainz's splendid cathedral ...

... the tram doesn't fit the platform and the unit itself looks strangely "stretched"; because it is strangely stretched.

Apoplectic Infuriation seems the only response!

Did fbb say "A Touch Of Sanity"? For the weird illustration Actual Insanity Applies Instantly.

fbb plans to look more closely at Mainz next week.

Cheap Toy Train

Some time ago Hornby announced that the company was bringing to an end their series of "Playtrains", very simple battery powered toys for the very young.

fbb bought a Playtrains signal box and turned it into a more realistic model for Peterville - a model yet to be installed.

But Hornby is now advertising a new Playtrains "set" ... 

... for just £50.

How does that compare with this advert from the 1960s?

Price then, with standard power unit, £3.

Guess what? £3 in 1965 would equate to £51 today - so today's toy is a few pennies cheaper.

 Next Variety blog : Sunday 1stJune 

Not Quite A Book Review (1)

Links In A Chain

A short while back, Mrs fbb bought her chubby hubby a second hand book for his intellectual delectation.

Although the book was about the 1970s (there is a clue on the cover!) it was published in 2006 ...

...  well after the horrors of privatisation and (so-called) deregulation (with lots of regulations). Like many books of this genre it is a varied and eclectic collection of photographs, a style of publication that does not engender in fbb much enthusiasm. Gavin Booth's opus looks, in a rough geographical order, at examples of vehicles operated by most of the big companies which ultimately became National Bus.

There is only a smidgen about "independent" operators, and very little about any routes operated.

But as your eager beaver blogger perused, he realised that there were stories to tell and an opportunity to ask, "What's happening there now?" For obvious reasons almost nothing from the 1970s remains untouched by the industry today.

Here, for example, is a Bristol bus in Bristol, notable for its four track number blind.

It is going to the "Centre"; but where might this "centre" be? This is what it looked like once ...

... but it doesn't look like that now. Below is a view from St Augustines Parade towards the Colston Street junction, seen top centre in the old view above.

If we turn through 180 degrees the view is like this.

This, very roughly, is is an even older picture showing where most of Bristol's trams met up; thus it was called The Tramway Centre and ...

... below is a similar view colourised.

Turning back through 180 degrees we see a view from The Tramway Centre towards Colston Street ...

... which is upper right in the old snap above.

So when the trams were withdrawn, The Tramway Centre became just "The Centre" - hence the destination blind above.

We move to another Lodekka, this time from the stables of Wilts and Dorset. 

It is going to "Harnham" which is a suburb of Salisbury. There are plenty of Harnhams on a modern map of the city.

... but today's r5 local route, the equivalent of the old 55, says it goes to West Harnham - every 30 minutes.

It is run by Salisbury Reds a k a MoreBus, a somewhat odd re-brand of Wilts and Dorset in the Salisbury area.

Here is a map of the r5.

East Harnham and Harnham Hill are served by the r14. This runs via the narrow Old Blandford Road and calls at Lywood Close on its one way mega loop.

Even in the good old days, fbb doesn't think a double decker would venture that way.

And even if it did, it wouldn't do it very often! Here is today's r14 timetable ...

... (Mon to Fri shown, Sat is similar) and being Wilts and Dorset you also get an excellent map.

Our next nostalgia link is called Admiral Boscowen.

You may ask, "Who?"

He lived from 1711 to 1761 and is remembered on Wikipedia for his numerous naval battle honours.

He is also remembered as the officer who signed the warrant authorising the execution of Admiral John Byng in 1757, for failing to engage the enemy at the Battle of Minorca (1756). In his political role, he served as a Member of Parliament for Truro from 1742 until his death in 1761 although, due to almost constant naval employment, he seems not to have been particularly active. 

His name adorns a bus going here  ...

... which was the route of Falmouth's open top service operated by Western National.

The open top town route returned, briefly, a few years ago as part of First's dramatic expansion of tourist bus activity in Cornwall.

Why, even Roger French took a ride. But as usual with today's publicity daftness, there were no printed leaflets readily available (if at all) in the town so nobody much bothered with it.

Like the Southern Vectis Sea Breezer, the only fare was an expensive "rover", which probably contributed to the service's failure.

Nice route, though.

 Next Book Nostalgia blog : Saturday 31 May