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Concessionary
Travel, Buses in the Landscape, Running Days and Historical articles
Issue 282
(OBP-495)
Tuesday 10th February 2009
(next update week ending 21st February 2009)
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Concessionary Travel, Buses in the Landscape, Running Days and Historical articles
A word from the Editor.
This is published as a catch up on various outstanding items including an interesting report from Marcus Lapthorn.
Recent days have seen a continuation of the poor weather. However the children have had a field day as school has b een cancelled on a number of occasions.
Concessionary Travel by Marcus Lapthorn reporting from Manchester
"I spent Wednesday 5 November in the Manchester area and I have prepared a selection of photographs for your interest."
Transdev's X 43 route branded 'The Witch Way' double
decker seen adjacent to Chorlton Street National Express coach station. There
are 15 of these very high quality buses delivered in 2005.
They have leather seats and give a very good ride including a stretch on the M66
motorway!
The route is branded in memory of the Pendle Witches. Grand trials took place on
18/19 August 1612 at Lancaster Assizes, resulting in the hanging on 20 August of
10 of the accused!
(I remember travelling on the X43 to Skipton
from Manchester back in 1957 - now some 52 years ago !!! - when the first
Leyland PD3 models
entered service with Ribble. These buses had handsome Burlingham full fronted
bodies and seated 72, entry being through a sliding door at the front.
The weather was very snowy - just like today - and I spent a pleasant hour in
Skipton waiting for the return.
Later still I drove these buses when working at Preston depot and remember them
being rather fast, especially 1557.)
First Group's Free buses in Manchester.
(Memories again
evoked of Manchester Corporation's Leyland Royal Tiger front entrance saloons
which worked the City Circle in the '50s.)
Manchester street scene with Stagecoach 19069 on the 101 service to Wythenshawe.
(More memories
of the 101 and 103 in Manchester Corporation days when heavily laden Daimler
CVG5s and 6s would run Limited Stop to and from Manchester
along Princess Parkway, once served by trams in the reserved central reservation
as far as Southern Cemetery.)
Burnley bus station showing a Transdev 'Starship' branded
bus. All of these 'Starship' buses carry different amusing messages on the rear!
(My thoughts are taken back to working the Ribble
X4 service - "late ossy tod" - when we ran from Blackpool
via Lytham St Annes, Preston, Blackburn, Oswaldtwistle, Burnley,
Todmorden and Rochdale to Manchester.
Although the blinds had Manchester via Burnley we never put more the Burnley on
at Blackpool
as passengers would be most upset to take nearly 4 hours to get home to
Manchester using us.)
Departure board in Burnley bus station.
Northern Blue's Scania (ex Birmingham?) At Burnley bus station.
Interior of very attractive Burnley bus station.
Pendle Green Line's Optare at Nelson bus station.
Ex Maynes
Scania in red livery with Stagecoach lettering outside the Manchester Reference
Library.
Ex
Bullock d/d Optare in Manchester with Stagecoach fleet number
15995.
Stagecoach in Manchester Scania with NCME Palatine I bodywork.
Finglands d/d in Manchester. Finglands seem to have quite a high presence on
certain corridors.
In the area of Manchester that I was in Stagecoach is very much the dominant operator.
Buses in the Landscape
Apart from an earlier picture by Graham Anderson, the pictures in this issue reflect the difficult weather conditions we have experienced in the past week.
Arriva 3203 in the snow heading south along
Marlow Road High Wycombe 020209 by Graham Anderson
Downley in the snow by Frazer Peddle.
Now, one would really want to see Oxford on an open top tour bus if visiting on
6th February - picture by John Hammond
The Nuffield
College and an Oxford Tube on 6th February - picture by John Hammond
Park & ride never stops, even for snow - 6th February by John Hammond.
Earlier on 6th February
Phil Rumsby was waiting for his London coach.
Here it comes preceded
by the Airline returning from Heathrow. Oh no, it's going to Oxford - Phil
Rumsby.
At the time this picture was taken
only Carousel, First and National Express were operating in high Wycombe on 5th
February by Steve Burns of Carousel Buses.
The Rye at Wycombe provides the background for
this late January shot of an Arriva Volvo by Graham Anderson.
John O'Groats to Dover by Stagecoach
I was fascinated to read of a way of making the above journey created by Gary Seamarks and wonder if anyone will be tempted to try this. Of course at present Concession passes can only be used within England or Scotland or Wales but not generally in the British Isles.
Gary writes "Is it possible to travel from the North of Scotland to Dover by Stagecoach ?"
"An article which caught my eye in The Midland Counties news sheet of November 1994 by Peter Offord gave details of a similar journey but in a Northerly direction, when the Stagecoach map differed from that of today, details are below.
My itinerary for 2009 was gained from the Stagecoach web based timetables in Jan 2009, all services used are available to the general public and were operational on Friday 16th. The plan was devised with several rules which were not to be broken, these were for a minimum of 10 minutes (15 at peaks) between non advertised connections 25 minutes where a change of location in town existed. One hour for a break or 2x 45 minute breaks daily and a 10 hour break over night. On the legs where a non stagecoach service was used it must be able to be done for real, these would be on local services and the gap kept to a minimum.
Day one (Saturday) sees a 09.30 start from John O'Groats on a Saturday morning aboard route 77A destination of our first 40 minute journey will be Wick, where after a 90 minute break we continue South to Inverness on the 4 times daily 11.41, 25X,arriving over 3 hours later at 15.03. The forward connection to Aberdeen leaves at 16.05 ( there is a 15.05 but this falls foul of my 10 minute rule) and gives another 60 minute break. The service to Aberdeen mirrors a First Scotland rail service for most of the route along the A96 and gets us to the Granite City at 19.56 (10 ½ hours after leaving John O'Groats 221 miles away by the direct route.
Day two (Sunday) Sees a 08.25 Departure to Montrose along the North Sea Coast, this route 107 operates on a 2 hourly frequency on a Sunday and so does not hamper progress too much. A 59 minute break is taken in Montrose before Strathtay service 39 departs for Dundee (this again is hourly so we may have been lucky and got the 1015) just over an 80 minute later at 12.38 Dundee and the Tay should be reached. From here our next two journeys will be in the hands of Fife, an hourly X54 departs at 12.55 for Glenrothes (on weekdays this service actually continues to Dunfermline and Edinburgh) Crossing over the Tay it’s a fairly quick journey to Glenrothes with a 13.40 arrival which gives connections to a 13.45 service via Dunfermline to Glasgow, crossing the Forth at Kincardine on the way Glasgow is reached at 15.25. We now have time for a belated lunch break witnessing one of the UK busiest bus stations before we change to West Scotland service X76C for Kilmarnock, at 16.15 this is the route the Bendi Coaches were on, now its tri-axle Volvo coaches, weekdays it goes further south to either Muirkirk or Cumnock, but today we must be satisfied with Kilmarnock, crossing the Clyde as we leave Glasgow, a fast run follows south with our arrival due for 16.53. A half hour wait now follows before another West Scotland Service is taken to Cumnock, 50 minutes down the road. Our final Journey of the day sees us head out on the 19.15 service 246 to Dumfries for an arrival of 20.43, after over 12 hours on the road I think we need a rest. We have travelled on 7 vehicles a total of 254 miles, our greatest daily distance, and are now 350 miles from John O'Groats.
Day 3 (Monday) - If yesterday seemed a long day today will be longer, we are planned to be on the road until our 20.55 arrival in Derbyshire.
An 07.00 departure from Dumfries on route 79 will take us over the border and into Carlisle for 08.41, you can bet this service will be busy with college kids and office workers for Carlisle. Here we say goodbye to Scottish operations, and in a direct line would already be halfway to Dover!. Moving rapidly through the North West unit, a 09.00 departure sees us heading to the Northern Lakes town of Keswick for a 10.10 arrival, a 15 minute connection here will give time for a quick coffee before another of the tourist routes we will undertake with Lakes Link 555 taking just under 3 hours to Lancaster where we arrive at 13.12, Passing the Irish Sea in the distance just North of Carnforth. Ribble service 41 will take 75 minutes to get to Preston where a well earned lunch break can be taken. Our next bus at 16.10 on the X61 will head into Manchester the heart of the North West, this service also extends easterly to Blackpool on certain Journeys. Arrival at Manchester is at 17.30. From here we use the service 192 ( a Magic Bus route) to Stockport, where we can get to by 18.00. Here is where we have no option but to use another operators service. Trent's TransPeak service (on which Stagecoach Manchester had workings a few years back) departing at 19.30 across the Derbyshire dales to the Market Town of Matlock at 20.55, for the night. This journey had started back in Manchester.
Another option would be to use Stagecoach East Midland Trains between Stockport and Sheffield and East Midland route 727 to Chesterfield.
Day Four (Tuesday) - After the long day of Monday, Tuesday is more leisurely with a 10.10 departure from Matlock with East Midlands route 17 to Chesterfield a 35 minute journey where we would meet up with our friends who took the rail option from Stockport. From here we have a 30 minute break before heading east our destination tonight is Skegness, but this will take 5 buses across Notts and Lincs. Off we go again on a 75 minute trip to Worksop on route 77, where we arrive at 12.32 with just over half an hour before a 25 minute sprint to Retford . Lunch today will be at Retford, our mileage is now equal to a direct trip from John O Groat’s to Dover, but we still have half of England to cover. After lunch at 14.30 we are heading on to Gainsborough where we arrive an hour later. Another 35 minute break here before taking service 100 at 16.05 to Lincoln, one of Lincolnshire's Trunk routes. Arrival at Lincoln is right in the middle of the evening peak at 17.00. Another hour to kill here before we head off to the Coast at Skegness, due at 19.35 the last time we saw the North sea was on Sunday Morning in the Dundee area, our next coast will be the English Channel near Chichester.
Day Five (Wednesday) - Wednesday is another long day we need to be leaving Skegness on the 08.00 departure to Boston where we arrive at 09.12 here we must hope on an on time arrival as we need to be away 10 minutes late on another none Stagecoach route, Kimes service 59 to Spalding which takes just over a hour. Again a rail option on East Midlands Trains would allow us to cover this gap. From Spalding we are in the hands of East with an 11.05 service to Peterborough, crossing the flat fens to Peterborough takes just under an hour and we should be at the Queensgate Bus Station for Noon. Lunch is taken here before we head to Milton Keynes, on our longest double deck journey, the X4 via Corby and Northampton. We alight at MK rail Station at 16.20 where a 15 minute connection is available before our X5 departs for Oxford, this had originated in Cambridge on another major East route, running limited stop Oxford is reached at the tail of the peak at 17.55, Gloucester Green is the hub of the longer distance services from where our 18.45 service 66 will depart for Swindon with arrival due for 20.00 and another nights Rest.
Day Six (Thursday) - Thursday and an 08.50 start we leave Swindon for Marlborough on service 70, due at 09.35 we leave 2 minutes later on the same bus for Andover now running as a service 60 that’s due to arrive at 10.48, an 11.01 X24 College days only is used next to take us to Winchester one of the shorter runs we us at only 32 minutes. Another short connection sees us leave Winchester for Petersfield at 11.50 where we are due at 12.46, a 40 minute break is now taken before we head south on service 37 to Havant due 14.41. From here Portsmouth and the south coast is a short journey away on the west bound 700. But for those of us heading for Dover we use the Coastliner eastbound to Brighton which departs at 16.08 , over 3 hours is taken to reach Brighton and our last night on the road.
Day Seven (Friday) - Our Final day and were already on the South Coast, Dover is within easy reach now. But again we must cheat to get away from Brighton using Brighton and Hove's Coast Road service 12 it’s an old joint Stagecoach (712) route taken over a few years back, so it’s not fully cheating is it? Anyway we have no Rail choice here, so the 07.46 to Eastbourne it is, arrival is due at 09.01.This gives 24 minutes before we leave on the 09.25 to Hastings where we arrive at 10.38 via the coast road, service 99 runs inland and takes almost 2 hours . A 43 minute break here before our last bus of the journey departs at 11.15 for an almost 3 hour trek to Dover, it don’t look that far on the map, Folkestone will be the last town we pass through and then Dover !!!!!.
The route used
Depart service from arrive at minutes miles approx
Sat
09.30 77a John O'Groats 10.10 Wick 40 17
11.41 25X Wick 15.03 Inverness 202 104
16.05 10 Inverness 19.56 Aberdeen 235 111
Minutes on bus 477 distance covered 232 miles we are 221 miles from JO'G and 621 from Dover
(The distances from John O'Groats to Dover are quickest route by Google)
Sun
08.25 107 Aberdeen 10.16 Montrose 111 40
11.15 39 Montrose 12.38 Dundee 83 32
12.55 X54 Dundee 13.40 Glenrothes 45 23
13.45 X24 Glenrothes 15.25 Glasgow 105 63
16.15 X76C Glasgow 16.53 Kilmarnock 38 28
17.20 X76 Kilmarnock 18.10 Cumnock 50 24
19.15 246 Cumnock 20.43 Dumfries 88 44
Minutes on bus 528 distance covered 254 miles we are 350 miles JOG 350 and 425 from Dover
Mon
07.00 79 Dumfries 08.41 Carlisle 101 36
09.00 554 Carlisle 10.10 Keswick 70 30
10.25 556 Keswick 13.12 Lancaster 167 58
13.37 41 Lancaster 14.54 Preston 77 26
16.10 X61 Preston 17.30 Manchester 80 38
17.40 192 Manchester 18.00 Stockport 20 6
19.30 TP Stockport 20.55 Matlock 85 39
Minutes on bus 610 distance covered 233 miles we are 535 miles from JOG and 234 miles from Dover
Tue
10.10 17 Matlock 10.45 Chesterfield 35 10
11.15 77 Chesterfield 12.32 Worksop 77 15
13.05 42 Worksop 13.30 Retford 25 15
14.30 97 Retford 15.30 Gainsborough 60 11
16.05 100 Gainsborough 17.00 Lincoln 55 20
18.00 6 Lincoln 19.35 Skegness 95 45
Minutes on bus 327 distance covered 111 miles we are 591 miles from JOG and 213 miles from Dover
Wed
08.00 7 Skegness 09.10 Boston 72 17
09.20 59 Boston 10.25 Spalding (Kimes) 65 15
11.05 37 Spalding 12.00 Peterborough 55 24
13.10 X4 Peterborough 16.20 Milton Keynes 190 78
16.35 X5 Milton Keynes 17.55 Oxford 80 46
18.45 66 Oxford 20.00 Swindon 75 35
Minutes on bus 537 distance covered 225 miles we are 641 miles from JOG and 165 miles to Dover
Thu
08.50 70 Swindon 09.35 Marlborough 45 16
09.37 60 Marlborough 10.48 Andover 71 27
11.01 X24 Andover 11.33 Winchester (college only) 32 14
11.50 67 Winchester 12.46 Petersfield 56 18
13.29 37 Petersfield 14.41 Havant 71 17
16.08 700 Havant 19.25 Brighton 197 58
Minutes on bus 482 distance covered 150 miles we are 735 from JOG and 91 miles from Dover
Fri
07.46 12 Brighton 09.01 Eastbourne Brighton & Hove 75 24
09.25 99 Eastbourne 10.38 Hastings 78 17
11.15 10/711 Hastings 14.10 Dover 178 47
Minutes on bus 331 distance covered 91 from JOG 762
The total journey was 1300 miles and 47 hours were spent on the road, using 35 Journeys.
# # # # # # # # # # # # # # #
An option to shorten this by one day, and save 135 miles, can be taken this involves leaving Matlock on the 08.05 to Chesterfield for an 08.40 arrival. Changing onto a joint Trent/Stagecoach service at 09.15 for Nottingham where we arrive at 10.35, the timetable does not show which operator provides which journeys on this route. East Midlands Trains run the Nottingham- Leicester service with an 11.02 departure from Nottingham Victoria arriving at Leicester just 30 minutes later. From here East's X7 picks up outside the station at 12.50 for Northampton where we arrive at 14.10, at 14.40 we pick up the X4 Peterborough – MK service to arrive at MK at 15.20. Or another option would be to take the 15.20 X88 from Northampton to Oxford arrive 17.25 (if you could stand 2 hours on a Solo !)
Tue
08.05 17 Matlock 08.40 Chesterfield 35 10
09.15 Chesterfield 10.35 Nottingham 80 25
11.02 emt Nottingham 11.31 Leicester 29 26
12.50 X7 Leicester 14.10 Northampton 80 37
15.40 X4 Northampton 16.20 Milton Keynes 40 21
16.35 X5 Milton Keynes 17.55 Oxford 80 46
18.45 66 Oxford 20.00 Swindon 75 35
Minutes on bus/train 417 distance covered 200 from JOG 641 to Dover 165
# # # # # # # # # # # # # # #
Peter's Route in 1994 was
Day 1 Dover-Folkestone- Brighton-Portsmouth-Winchester
Day 2 Winchester-Andover-Swindon-Oxford-Northampton
Day 3 Northampton-Nottingham-Sheffield-Leeds-Lancaster-Kendal
Day 4 Kendal-Carlisle-Dumfries-Cumnock-Kilmarnock-Glasgow-Dundee-Perth
Day 5 Perth- Banchory-Aberdeen-Inverness
Day 6 Inverness- Durness Point
Some points on this, on Day 3 United Counties operated one service a day to Nottingham from Northampton , Also in 1994 Stagecoach had a limted interest in Mainline (First Sheffield nowadays) and as such covered journeys on the X32 to Leeds. Ribble also at this time served Leeds on the Lancashire Coastliner Service to Morecambe.
On Day 5, a summer only tourist route was run Wednesday and Friday between Perth and Banchory under the Heatherhopper title. And finally on day 6 the Inverness Durness Point (the most northerly point of Scotland) was another tourist route with one return journey. Peter used 24 buses against today's 30 and a train (via Nottingham) The ceasing of UC serving Nottingham was a major problem for a clean run across the midlands and also the Brighton- Eastbourne section was impossible, but only Stagecoach can get you almost all the way down England and Scotland. If anybody would like to attempt this I wish you luck, but please do check timetables before you travel.
History
An old company in Woodcote from Richard Hall
I have just discovered my grand-uncle owned a local bus company in the Woodcote / Checkendon area of south Oxfordshire. I am told he sold his business to Kemps Buses not sure of dates but would be thinking about 1920's or 1930 or even later, would you have any information on any of the buses or companies of the past?
By the way his name was Albert ( Bert ) Hall.
Does anyone have an answer for Richard Hall?
I'm wondering if you can help me, my name is Simon Shurey, my father's name was John Shurey, our family have lived at Park Corner, Nettlebed since the 1920's, and I'm certain we are related to the Shurey's Coaches, I am trying to find out as much as I can about the company. I came across your name under the Oxford Bus Page and wondered if you had any info or contacts that may help me.
Does anyone have an answer for Simon Shurey?
Birch Brothers from Ian Williamson
In the last issue we had a piece by Ian on Birch Bros.
I am delighted now to include a picture from John Bristow of a Leyland decker taken way back when, actually in 1964.
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