Sunday, 19 October 2025

Sunday Variety

Stagecoach Bus : Steel Blue

fbb has never been keen on the new Stagecoach corporate livery and its dullness is very apparent on the vehicle above.  These monsters are being deployed on the express services between Edinburgh, Glasgow and Fife.
The network is extensive and has become a major part of the Stagecoach business.
But fbb must defer to Mrs fbb who likes the steel blue!

Here we have a brief photographic history of Stagecoach's "Express" livery. Two early versions ...
... begat "beach balls" generally, but heavily disguised in Fife.
The livery turned blue for no apparent reason ...
... but beach balls (partial beach balls?) re-appered to complement Motorway Maintenance yellow.
Always renowned for a consistent image (?), how will people react to Steel Dull Blue? Maybe the paint style will change again very soon. 

Let's hope so!

Can I Still Post Letters?
So queried a slightly agitated elderly lady, bemused with Seaton's technologically advanced new pillar box. It is solar powered ...
... but does still have a slot which will receive letters (if our readers can remember what they were). It is comfortingly made of heavy cast iron and still painted red; despite it being owned by a charming Czechia chappie!

But the solar power is needed because it now takes "small parcels", although fbb could see no definition of "small" anywhere on the box. Back in the day "busy" post boxes had a larger slot into which you could stuff quite large parcels with a good dollop of brute force and ignorance.

Anyway, here is what you have to do to get the parcel shute to open.
So it is scan if you can, man; or rant if you can't; just as you do with  any modern technology. 
Of course, if you can't you will not get in a flap if you use the app, dear chap, mayhap.
As you will still have to pay the postage at the post office, which stands next to the box, then why not let your friendly post office counter person, drop it into the bag as usual?

And, to delight or confuse potential small parcel posters (who may be too small to reach the slot?). there is one of these on the top.
It is firmly fixed such that fbb could not dislodge it; but, shhhh, don't tell Daniel Kretinsky that the silly blogger did try.
He looks a bif scary, not at all like Pat!
All together now!

For the London Bus Spotter
The above luxury vehicle (former RT?) is a film star, having appeared on-screen with the iconic eyebrow raising Roger Moore as 007, Bond, James Bond. The general opinion is that Mr Moore  did not actually drive the bus!
It's a clip from from Live and Let die.

Zipper Zapped
fbb is not sure what you would spend £5000 on to decide whether to keep the bus going. The problem is that it is funded by Hereford Council which is not a real borough council, as Herefordhsire is a unitary authority. 
Mr Mayor is right; effectively Hereford City council has no more powers (and no more money per head of population) than a footling Parish Council.

Surely something like reducing the level of car traffic in the City  should be the task of the Unitary County Council?

The Zipper ...
... is an excellent service and 
reasonably well used, running every 15 minutes Monday to Saturday.
Unfortunately, the route is rather confusing ...
The stops are well marked, however,  and, if it all gets bit baffling, you could always go round and try again!

So, come on politicians, whether City or County, bang your municipal heads together and find the cash! For a start, the £5000 you are spending on thinking about it could be better spent on funding it!

Kite Flying?

fbb does not think Scotland has got the money; and neither has England or the UK.

And in London?

There is bit of track which might be capable of being adapted (expensively?) to carry passenger trains.

fbb thinks that Rachel hasn't got the money, neither has Mr Khan.

Perhaps instead of Kite Flying euphemistically, the proponents should try flying kites. 

It would be less stressful and far less costly than paying big bucks  for consultants and advisers 

 Better Late Than Never blog : Mon 20 Oct 

1 comment:

  1. The Stagecoach blue looks amazing in real life. It exudes quality.

    ReplyDelete