Has First Bus Thrown In The Towel?

Killing Kernow

The first thing we note when comparing 2024 and 2025 summer timetables from Cornwall is that last year's branding for First Bus services, a clear local identity, is killed off completely.

The uninspiring and graphically weak national logo ....

... does nothing to make the Cornish Celts feel at home and First’s new national livery is, well, just poor.

Somehow, the green matched Cornwall's countryside far better than the dull industrial dark blue.

But the other thing we do already know is that First Bus have ditched ALL their Cornwall open top buses completely.

Topless Travesty

Here is the timetable for the Atlantic Coaster from the 2024 book.

At its peak (the GREEN timetable), this ran every hour between Newquay and Padstow (GREEN BLUE on the map below) ...

Buses carried the lighter blue Kernow open topper livery ...

... but the service, and its sea views no longer exist.

All that is left is the very wiggly Buses of Cornwall (GoAhead) route 56 ...

... a good ride, but just not the same.

But the really, really daft withdrawal is at the pointy end of Cornwall.

The Lands End Coaster ...

... must have been one of the most superb open top rides ever in the UK. Buses ran both ways round from Penzance to Lands End to St Ives and back to Penzance. The round trip took four hours ...

... but a couple of one hour breaks for "the essential" plus grub made the whole thing a day's activity. Then you could go back again and use the Coaster as the local bus to do more visiting.

It has gone completely.

The 1 and the 1A Penzance to Lands End are back to their traditional timetable, again a pleasant ride but not the same as going topless. Here is the 2025 book ...

... where we find the 1/1A timetable.

There is the 7/7A along the northern coast between Lands End and St Ives ...

... with one through journey and two dog-leg connections back to Penzance. But again, as with the Atlantic Coaster, it will never be the same.

Buses from St Ives to Penzance are back to their traditional status, so the round trip is still possible with two changes.

The Mouse Remains : The Cat Is Gone
One of the huge omnibilogical treats was the bus from Penzance to Mousehole (pronounced Mowsle - ow as in ouch). Because the turn at the outer terminus is well nigh impossible, it has always been the prerogative of smaller buses.

Historically the Mousehole bus ran every 15 minutes.

Latterly the service was reduced to every 20. In 2025 (as in previous years) small buses were the mainstay but they became a lot smaller.

To compensate,  a bigger bus ran once every hour, named "The Cat" - a rather feeble attempt at humour from First Bus (Cat and mouse - geddit?) - to mop up the crowds.

But of course, it had to turn short of the terminus and harbour ...

... and so wasn't much use and thus was little used. The service should have reverted to every 15 minutes but, you've guessed it ...

... the 2024 cat no longer prowls in 2025 and the mouse runs free of attack but just every 20.

Assuming the minibuses remain on station, they will not cope at busy times and First will be cirst!

Another daft decision!

There are other fairly drastic changes for 2025 but not incolving open toppers. But large tins have gome and the very small tin has disappeared leaving just the standard sized tin. The branded coast to coast never reaches one of its coasts.

In all, it is a Back to the Future timetable, but without the Doc and Marty.

Good grief, Marty!

 Next Variety blog : Saturday 3rd May