How is the New Lot Doing ...

... And What Has Changed?

The news of the take-over of GoCoach by Hulleys was something of a surprise, but, at least officially, both are going concerns with good management. 

The sale of its Central and East Scotland business by First was an even bigger shock as, outwardly at least, the business looked sound. There was good branding ...

...and bright cheerful publicity.

It all looked better than some parts of First's rapidly diminishing empire.

Then came the sale to McGills, followed very quickly by McGills total withdrawal of its services in the West Lothian area where competition from Edinburgh City buses was strong. The second tranche of withdrawals came this last weekend.

Or were they? McGills give a general explanation.

From Sunday 3rd December the following are WITHDRAWN - 21, 23, 25, 26.

SD Travel and Scottish Citylink will be taking over the sections of services 21 and 23 which were financially supported by West Lothian Council/SPT, and Lothian Country are introducing a number of new services to provide replacements in many other areas.

Then McGills give the services with "updated timetables" ...

... which do not exist! Poor!

Clearly the West Lothian bit of McGill's purchase was a poor deal. Other notes explain that the remaining West Lothian routes will be branded Midland Bluebird, So the historic Eastern Scottish brand ...

... disappears off to that distant hunting ground in the sky where well known bus companies remain as a pure enthusiasts nostalgia. McGills was over-optimistic in its self belief and, despite noble efforts, could not change First's declining fortunes.

But the core of the business seems sound.

 F ollowing

 F irst's

 F ailure in

 F alkirk

fbb will examine some of the Falkirk area routes in more detail later; but, for the time being, a comparison of both operators' route maps may help us see what McGills have done with its newly acquired business.

The best fbb can offer is a very rough comparison between First's 2018 route map (still on-line, of course) and the latest Falkirk map from McGills web site. Some of the changes may well have been made by First before their capitulation.

The broad-brush conclusion is that  McGills are running much the same network as First did.

In each case the First map is reproduced first, followed by McGills.

Langlees to Hallglen 5 - UNCHANGED

Redding and Maddiston 1 - UNCHANGED

The complicated northern suburbs 6/7/8 - UNCHANGED

Falkirk Wheel (area) 6/7/8 - UNCHANGED (MOSTLY?)

Hmmm. It looks as if something has happened to the service to The Wheel. That was a change from McGills.

Overall it would appear that McGills have maintained the First Bus network and we do know that the new incumbent has been quick to give the area a new image.

Which begs the question.

Are McGills making money where First didn't, even in Falkirk. And if McGills are making money on the same network as First, why did First sell up?

Ah? The deep and impenetrable mysteries of the commercial model of bus operation continues to baffle!

And whatever happened to the Loop?

Tomorrow we look at part of the wider Falkirk network in more detail!

=============================

From Genesis Chapter 12 to Chapter 50 the Bible narrative covers, in some detail, the lives of ancient tribal leaders (the tribes are ancient, the leaders become ancient and die!). Bible scholars call this "The Age of the Patriarchs" 

Patriarchs =

 F aithful

 F ather

 F igures

The story also begins to move into a recogniseable place in History. Of course, bigger tribal areas (slowly becoming nations) would show little interest is a gang of wanderers with a weird religion; but the context of the Patriarchs is sound.

In the Bible, Abraham's family, part of a tribe known as the Habiru (Hebrew), left Ur at a time of "ethnic cleansing" by the city authorities in Ur. They left to live as nomads and wandered round the fertile crescent of Mesopotamia to present day Israel and then to Egypt and back to Israel. Archaeology maps similar migrations.

The nomadic life is much the same in 2023!

Abraham's son, Isaac, was a less active character; but he became famous for his well-digging, to the thirst-quenching advantage of the nomadic peoples.

Isaac's son Jacob features in neighbouring records as Jaqob-El (Jacob of the One God).

Joseph, one of Jacob's 12 sons (and a daughter) found his way to Egypt (without a coat of f many colours - a mis-translation) where he became big cheese.  Here is his embroidered "favourite son" cloak!

This happened at a time in history when Egypt was welcoming immigrant labour with notable skills to grow their economy. (Sounds familiar!). Joseph then brought his family yo Egypt where they settled in an area called Goshen.

Relatively recent archaeology has unearthed the settlement at Goshen, hitherto believed lost (or even mythical!)

But there is a very simple common theme in these extensive narratives. 

It went like this ...

Do it God's way and you will be OK.

Ignore God and try 

other philosophies

and you will be in trouble.

... and still does!

 Next G ABC blog : Thursday 7th December 

What Goes Round, Comes Round

New Technology?

Earlier this week, fbb noticed that one of the headlights on the limo was faulty. He well remembers, back in his youth, that "motoring tips" articles advised the driver to "keep a set of bulbs in the glove box - for emergencies". fbb never did but neither did he ever have an illumination emergency.

Then along came "sealed beam units"! Apparently, according to Alan (Isle of Wight version) we are back to bulbs now.

So all fbb has to do is to buy a bulb and push it into the end bit?

Apparently not. The local garage says it takes half an hour to fit a new bulb!

Isn't technology wonderful?

Which leads fbb to ponder ...

 E xciting

 E lectrical

 E xperiments

... is technology truly wonderful in electric vehicles?

Enter a pioneer.

We don't usually associate Brighton with a hotbed of technological innovation, but the guy above was an absolutely passionate enthusiasm for electricity.

He built the first electric railway in the world (or maybe didn't??) ...

... which still bears his name.

If you are a bit confused as fbb was, note that tht the early railway (NOT the one on stilts) did run on a bit of a viaduct which no longer exists. Although what you ride on today is not the original, Magnus Volk was the pioneer.

Likewise his electric cars (1887 and 1888) were pioneering but did not catch on. He drove his spindly three wheeler himself ...

... and built a four wheeler for an eminent Sultan of Turkey which looked something like this (the car, not the sultan!).

But the problem was the huge batteries which offered a very limited range. Petrol took you further and was much cheaper and much lighter in weight overall!

Has anything changed?

But the UK was huge in electric vehicles when fbb was nobbut a lad. This is how Wikipedia tells it,

In August 1967, the UK Electric Vehicle Association put out a press release stating that Britain had more battery-electric vehicles on its roads than the rest of the world combined.[3] It is not clear what research the association had undertaken into the number of electric vehicles of other countries, but closer inspection disclosed that almost all of the battery-driven vehicles licensed for UK road use were milk floats.

Why they were called "floats" seems a bit unclear. They were called floats when they were horse drawn!

 And what about carnival "floats"? 

One theory is that horse-drawn vehicles "floated" on thick squidgy tyres, Carnival trailers often looked as if they were floating and electric milk carts glided silently across the waves of suburban roads.

Hmmm.

Then why did we never have "bread floats".

Even the aged fbb remembers Northampton Co-op "bread floats" although they were never called that. Below is one from Birmingham Co-op preserved at Wythall Transport Museum.

Northampton's were also green but (fbb's memory permitting) a darker shade of green.

Petrol took you further and was much cheaper and much lighter in weight overall!

Has anything changed?

Can you recycle electric car batteries?  

Yes you can recycle electric car batteries. Most electric cars are made with lithium-ion batteries which can be easily recycled, as long as they are handled with care. It’s imperative that a professional disposes of the batteries because they contain toxins which can be harmful if not handled in the correct way.

To dispose of electric car batteries you first have to find a local place that recycles them.  You simply need to phone your local council or do some research online to see where your nearest recycling centre is. You should also check if the centre has any specific requirements such as draining the battery first, or if they will accept fully charged batteries.

Easy peasy.  But that is NOT recycling - it is passing them to someone to do the recycling.

So, how, and at what cost, does the council or its contractor actually recycle the batteries?

=============================

The first eleven chapter of the Bible can be regarded as pre-history, myths in the true sense of the word. Like so many ancient tales there is likely to be a lot of well-rememered truth in these narratives. Passed down through the generations, they recall significant events in the development of humanity, some good and some bad.

 E nigmatic

 E pisodes

Cain murdered Abel ...

... over jealousy about the appropriateness of a thank offering to God. Abel's was good and heartfelt; Cain's was nominal and meaningless. Yet Cain was not executed by God, but was punished as a "wanderer". 

Yet he was offered some protection. The hope of forgiveness?

We read about characters with strange sounding ancient names but they are highlighted as they show that, despite its failings, humanity was allowed, nay encouraged, to develop.

Jabal raised livestock and lived in tents

Jubal was a musician (harp and flute)

Jubal Cain was the bronze worker

However enigmatic these ancient snippets are, they show humanity developing from hunter gatherer inyo much more. The hope of betterment!

But beware human arrogance.

The builders of The Ziggurat at Babylon (a k a the Tower of Babel) were seen as using human wit and wisdom to challenge God. It all ended in tears as the tiers were abandoned.

Then Noah built a box!

It certainly wasn't a boat because Noah had no need of matitime technology. The box would be taken where the flood droiive it - where God intended. (P.S. The "Ark of the Covenant" as in "Raiders of the Lost ditto" was also a box, but smaller and posher than Noah's!)

But the point of this enigma is not whether the flood was world wide (today's world) or world wide (Noah:s world). The key is that Noah walked with God and his immediate world was "only evil continually". (Phrase as used in Genesis)

With God, there is always promise of punishment or the Hope of Salvation.

Please note that in Bible usage "hope" means "certainty" not just a vague possibility.

=============================

 Next F ABC blog - Wednesday 6th December 

Take-Over News

A Bit Of A Surprise

We are well used to the multiplicity of manipulations in the big bad world of bus business. Recently we have seen the dramatic expansion of McGills and, on a smaller scale, the purchase of Ensign by First Bus and, perhaps a bit weirder, the take-over of Dartline by GoAhead. 

Is the breaking news from Baslow the beginning of a rare small compan expansion into the big time?

 D ramatic

 D erbyshire

 D ecision

News broke yesterday that Hulleys ...

... respected Derbyshire operator, had bought GoCoach based in Swanley (Kent) but mainly operating buses out of Sevenoaks bus station.

Once the home of London's green "Country" buses ...

... then successor company Arriva ...

... the rather dowdy bus station has been transformed by GoCoach signage and general upfettling.

The yellow and blue livery has helped as have new and clear bus stop flags. There is a good network map on display ...

... and the company has a good local reputation for innovation, reliability and good customer servicer.

So, as they say at the climax of all the best "soaps", "what's going in?

The owner of GoCoach has sent a letter to his staff explaining the reasons for the sale and its consequences. Click on the extract below for an enlargement.

In simple terms, nothing changes. Go Coach boss, Austin Blackburn ...

...wants to cut down his 70 hour working weeks but will remain as Engineering Director of both companies.

Hmmm. There is a phrase for that!

Further notes in the letter suggest that some of Hulley's engineering will be done at Swanley. That's a round trip of 338 miles!

Seems a long way to drive to service a bus!

Incidentally, Go Coach occupies this depot ...

... and the 1930s building alongside gives as clue as to its heritage.

Spot the flagpole ...

... where once the LT roundel stood proudly. Yes, GoCoach occupies the former London Transport country bus depot at Swanley.

Whatever; a number of senior bus men have expressed their bewilderment at this take-over decision. Lets hope Alf Crofts, boss of Hulleys, hasn't over reached himself!

=============================

Was there ever a real Adam and Eve? Many Christians are happy to take the story literally whilst Bible "knockers" are quick to should the word "mythical". Actually, the word "myth" is not a euphemism for "untrue"; it merely states that an event cannot be placed firmly in history. In that sense Adam and Eve are mythical - there was no one there to take pictures!

But genetically there was a first woman (called Mitochondrial Eve). Every human being (homo sapiens) is descended from her. Likewise we are all descended from a"first male", although no one has yet proved that first genetic man lived at the same time as first genetic woman.

 D isobedient

 D ownfall

One thing is absolutely certain; Adam and Eve did not look like this:-

They probably looked more like this!

Whatever they looked like and whenever they lived was of no importance to the Bible writers.

What mattered to them was that

THROUGH DISOBEDIENCE 

MANKIND WAS

EXPELLED FROM GOD'S

CREATED PERFECTION

That simple, yet profound statement seems to apply almost universally to Mankind today. Every single one of us finds it easier to turn from God's Way rather than stick resolutely to Obedience.

Certainly that is the pattern of the Old Testament of the Bible. And it starts with an anguished failure for Adam and Eve.

But there is always a message of hope!

 Next E ABC blog : Tuesday 5th December