Quirky California Contoversy

Doubtless many of fbb’s readers will remember the Beach Boys hit, “California Girls”.

Aaaah, the Sun, the Surf, the Sand and the Sky! 

Apparenty a “cover” of this song is on offer from Katie Perry and Snoop Dog, whoever or whatever they are! 

But maybe the sentiment from 1965 is too sexist for today’s “inclusive” world. If so, equally cringe-worthy was the public transport version of the song.

But California does have some attraction as sunny Seaton slips slowly into autumn’s sombre season!

Be that as it may, there is big trouble in California!

Maybe fbb should come clean. There are many place names in the UK that would appear (often are!) derived from foreign parts. fbb’s favourite is, of course …

But a close second are two near Sheffield, the old bloke’s former home.

… and …

… near Worksop. There are many others nationally; as with samples below.

… in Norfolk. And Egypt near Slough.

Confusingly we need to go to another California for today’s blog – and here is a bus doing it.

Stagecoach 406 is part of a network of buses for Farnborough College.

The timetable presumably does make sense to college students.

The 406 (YELLOW) terminates top left on the map above. But there are other omnibological delights at California near Finchampstead.

Thames Valley a k a Courtney Coaches a k a Reading Buses also go there from Wokingham mainly on Monday to Friday …

… with two Saturday shopping trips to The Meadows shopping centre.

California is the junction lower left.

More helpful is a Leopard from Reading …

… a k a route 3. There is an excellent map c/o Reading Buses from which fbb has extracted the relevant bit, but California is not named. It is near Wick Hill on the map.

But it does get a shout-out on the actual timetable.

Passing pedantic point; why do bus companies publish maps which do not match their timetable?

All three routes serve California Crossroads, which once was a country junction between Nine Mile Ride and Finchampstead Road …

… but which is now adorned with suburban clutter.

So, approaching from bottom left along Finchampstead Road you come upon a double roundabout sign …

… and its associated double roundabout with faded road markings.

… plus yellow barriers and general confusion for the unwary.

But deep joy all round, Wokingham Council has “improved” the junction making it “safer”.

This has been at huge disruption to motoring traffic …

… with baffling rejigs from all directions …

… and substantial and confusing diversions for the buses. The effect on traders at the junctioin has led to on-line pleading …

… and, undoubtedly, loss of business.

Couldn’t it have been done at night?

But it is now finished and all concerned are breathing one huge sigh of relief.

In tomorrow’s mini-blog fbb will reveal the results of the council’s hard and disruptive work.