Bewildered By Bristol Buses (5)

We Need Some Geographical Help

On the map above (published 1890), the "Ch" (centre left) is at Fishponds; the railway with its tunnel is The Midland, now closed. We also have a couple of villages, namely Staple Hill and Downend.

Here are some trams at Staple Hill ...

.. and, slightly more recently, the road junction at Downend.

Now move on to 1960 (ish) and there is more of Bristol ...

... but the splatter is more fill-in than dramatic expansion. Note the hamlet of Lyde Green top right and the huge extent of Mangotsfield! And lower right we have the triangular junction with Mangotsfield station. The "Ch" is still at Fishponds (lower left).

For the train buffs, we spy a passenger working at Mangotsfield station.

Is that a GW Hymek with green Southern coaches? Sacrilege!

There is no M4, bo M32 and no eastern relief road, now the A4174.

Move on to  recent map.

Our friend Keynsham is bottom right. Let's zoom in.

The main junctions at Fishponds is off the map, bottom left. Lyde Green is no longer a hamlet, but splurges between the A4174 and the M4 centre and upper right. While you are there, note also Emersons Green.

Sadly, fbb's detailed knowledge of the history of Bristol's bus routes is a bit thin, but on-line photographic evidence and a bit of fbb's memory, suggests that, pre-privatisation, the main bus routes to this segment of the city were 48 ...

... and 49 ...

... and they still are, sort of!

They retained those numbers after First's onslaught on to the former Bristol Omnibus Company; 48 ...

... and 49. Seemples.

Both buses show a terminus at Emersons Green.  The picture below may show post deregulation competition on the 49 ...

... or it nay not! A more knowledgeable reader may explain!

When fbb visited a while back, buses stopped at the back door of the Sainsburys store.

But fbb was there to ride the shiny new Metro Bus bus, the m3.

This, too, serves Emersons Green approaching from UWE Frenchay and travelling via Lyde Green.

But it is not the same Emersons Green as the 48 and 49. Whilst they take you to an obvious Sainsbury's, the M3 lurks on Emersons Way ...

... with just a hint of orange on the canopy over Sainsburys petrol pumps well hidden by an arboreal barrier!

Of course, being "new", super-smashing and trendy, the M3 has its trendy information thingeys ...

... whilst the 48 and 49, which carry far more passengers to Sainsburys than the M3, have ...

... nothing special.

But we do know (honest we do) that buses from Bristol and Fishponds still run to Sainsburys ...

... but they do not show route numbers 48 and 49! Shock horror!

Oh, fbb, you are such a tease; it is not that different today!

 Next 48 and 49 blog : Thurs 26 March