Saturday Variety

In yesterday’s blog the above timetable was incorrectly shown shown as 88. It should have been 304, the same as the 1973 route number. The operator is Centrebus and yesterday’ blog was corrected at 1015 (yesterday!)

Service 88 between Hitchin and Luton the wiggly way …

… was service 364/364A in the 1960s but did not appear to exist in 1973, certainly not in the London Country timetable book. But it has re- manifested itself in recent times as .. 

Hitchin to Luton 88

This is operated by Red Eagle.

The main line route between Hitchin and Luton (currently 100/101 running from Stevenage via Hitchin and onwards) does not feature in any of the London green us information. Its old equivalent may have been a United Counties service.

fbb’s pathetic excuse for this error is that both the timetables have the same “shape” and were deceptive to the old man’s “detail vision” problems.

Tea Green (on route 88) offers no tea (?) but has a pub and a water tower …

… and a delightful people shelter buried in a hedge!

It also has a good well-equipped timetable frame …

… with timetable.

Memo : must try to find the United Counties timetables to check one or two things. Maybe hire a small JCB for the search!

Readers may remember the utterly mystifying town service at Lyme Regis, operated by Damory a brand of GoAhead’s More Bus operation.

It baffles no longer because it no longer exists.

What has happened is that Damory have lost  a school contract in the Lyme Regis area. Dorset Council has awarded it to their own in-house bus operation, presumably to save a pound or two.

The 71 operated in between those two school runs and Damory cannot afford to operate the town service on its own and Lyme Regis Council cannot afford to pay the higher charge required with no school pennies to help.

Ergo, saving a few clods has caused considerable distress to the residents of Lyme Regis and would, if the money could be found, cause considerable distress to the Councils budget.

It is called joined up thinking!

This Is Called “Selling”

The UK bus industry has taken the years of privatisation to realise that its is selling a product, namely a bus ride and NOT providing a service. The media and a large percentage of the travelling public has yet to grasp this. After 40 years articles still appear demanding a bus service with no thought of how the provider is to get paid.

But here is Reading Buses a few week back.

And the explanation.

fbb is plagued with Flash Sale adverts for model railway stuff. No week goes by without some manufacturer or retailer seeking to improve long term sales by offering a short term cut price.

Sadly, fbb has never seen an offer for totally free models!

In a sense the Reading offer was not totally free, but a two day offer to encourage patronage.

Did it work?

Another powerful business practice is to diversify. You aim to develop  new markets and services that can use surplus resources to make bit more lolly. Pubs have quiz nights or curry nights, veg shops offer frozen food or baked goods

So whilst enjoying a rest during one of his typically understated PR shoots, it appear that the Bearded Bus Beautifier from the Bush has moved into sports equipment, albeit in a small way. With the blessing of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club at St Andrews, this almost royal and numerically ancient design guru is offering …

… packs of persoanlised golf balls.

Sadly, fbb thinks that the projenitor of these weirdly alluring fimpled spheres is a different Best Impressions.

But there must be some good ideas there.

Stenning false beards?

Stenning subdued clothing?

Stenning multi-coloured funerals?

The possibilities are endless.

The “other” company will also sell you a Pitchfix. No, neither does fbb!

Some readers may not be aware that Green Line operated double deck vehicles. The livery was a smart deep green and the Green Line logo was often displayed between top and bottom deck.

In service they usually had black on yellow blinds …

… and, latterly, Routemaster “coaches” were in operation on some services.

What were never operated were six wheel Routemasters …

… or Green Line Borismasters!

Doubtless this would be called AI now!

Whist exploring this topic, fbb came across this.

It is a lowbridge country bus (NOT Green Line) parked outside of Staines West station.

The main buildings  still stand.

fbb feels a “proper” blog coming on!

Plunger Puzzle Picture Part 2

Should do the trick. The fbb’s downstairs WC might be working soon.

Hmmm?

And tomorrow read about some fbb recommended reading matter?

Perhaps not!

 Next Variety blog : Sunday 1st September