Seeking Solutions at St Ives - 2

The Bus Garage That Wasn't

If you plonk yourself in just the right place, you can see that St Ives (former) bus station appears to be built on piles of piles, rooted further down a steep hill, possibly a former cliff.

That is because it is. 

If you take a ride in the fbb personal helicopter (or send out one of his drones into the bay) the construction becomes clearer.

The slab ringed in red is the bus station with what might be car parking beneath.

It isn't and never was; in fact it never was anything.

Now start walking from the terminal down towards the town ... 

... and, by that spire, a right hand turn comes into view as on the map extract below.

Turn into Skidden Hill ...

... and just down the down slope there is a right fork which ends in a gate and an up slope.

The ramp was the entrance to the St Ives bus garage that was intended to occupy the undercroft of the bus station above. But Western National, having spent much fine gold on the dual purpose building, decided access was too fraught and never used the garage.

Part of the non bus garage was let as a restaurant for a time and there were tensions about access. Furthermore, concerns were expressed about the ability of the structure to support bigger and bigger buses.

In the end First Bus (now its owners) decided to cut and run by dramatically reducing the use of the area. So now only one bus at a time can enter, reverse-turn and exit straightaway. There is no loading or unloading with the bus pulling forward to a new lay by called "The Terrace".

The road from the station enters lower left and the new stop sign is on the lamp post on the right. Google Earth shows a bus standing at the bus station replacement.

But nothing but the 17/17A and T2 stop there; NOTHING. 

So it was here that the fbbs alighted from their 17 ...

... and strolled back to where the bus station wasn't!

The Interchange That Isn't

Remember (as if you could ever forget!) that the fbbs are "interchanging" at St Ives, having arrived on a 17 and going forward on a 16A. Remember also that the 16A passes the new stop and the old bus station but does not stop there.

If fbb had not had the foresight to ask a man in a yellow hi-vest viz at Penzance bus station, he and his Mrs would be completely flummoxed, bamboozle;ed, confused, irritated and frustrated. And they would not have been happy!

Just walk down the hill into the town, was he advice. Turn left to where the town buses turn round and near the cinema you will find the stop for the 16A. It's not far at all! 

Yes, thought fbb excitedly, "Cinema" was a time point in the 16A.

"not far" for a sprightly and youthful bus driver is not the same as "not far" for two travel weary octogenarians; but, full of boundless mental energy and possessed of very bounded physical energy, the odd old couple set off down the hill to the town.

They passed the road to the non bus garage, with little enthusiasm for transport history, and continued down the steep bit.

They turned left as instructed ...

... and passed the supposed terminus of the town buses. There was a sad lack of such, but fbb was prepared to give the non-excitement the benefit of the doubt.

Then they arrived at the cinema ...

... which showed scant evidence of screening the latest box office blockbuster!

And scant evidence of any bus shelter! That destination involved a further trudge ...

... uphill.  It was with some relief that the fbbs settled to await the arrival of their 16A, fbb stepping outside of the shelter to photograph a now sedentary Mrs fbb.

Fortunately, the fbbs had 30 minutes to wait; but the sun was shining, the birds were chirruping and all was well with St Ives, so waiting was acceptable if not overtly exciting.

The 16A arrived spot on time ...

... and the couple enjoyed a splendiforous ride back to Penzance whilst quietly fuming at the poor interchange, the poor information and the poor definition of a "short walk".

It was later, back at the gaff, that fbb worked out that he could have alighted from the 17 here in Carbis Bay ...

... toddled left at the blue sign, bought snacks at Tesco ...

... and caught the 16A right there.

But then his blogging muse would not have inspired him to "enjoy" the very poor non-interchange at Malakoff; and readers would have been deprived of this stimulating and thought provoking blog (???).

On the other hand, Tesco is on a road called Fuggoe Close; a worthy destination for fbb's collection of weird place names. In passing, and according to Google Streetview, there is no road sign for Fuggoe Close - disappointing!

That's because the 16A never actually gets to Tesco - it stops on the aforementioned Fuggoe Close.

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P.S. It turns out that the Royal Picture House in St Ives is currently showing the Downton Abbey film.

There isn't much public transport in it.

 Next Variety blog : Saturday 27th Sept