Sunday Variety

Ted Gosling is something of an expert on the history of Seaton and has published numerous books, mainly collections of old photos, covering the history of town and around. His books often contain errors, mostly of no great importance, but one error  has slightly irritated fbb over the years.

Just along the road from fbb mansions is the bus depot currently occupied by Axe Valley Travel.

For future reference, note the building that lies behind the yard; buildings that are on the Sea Front. That is the back view of Mariners Hotel.

A new building was added to the extensive forecourt and is now a delivery hub for “white van man”.

Peering along the right hand end is the workshop and the very basic offices of the current occupier of he depot.

Unless anyone “out there” knows better, these premises have never been a bus station. 

But in every one of Ted’s books where it gets a mention, he calls it Seaton’s bus station! fbb has, in the gentle fashion for which he is famed, pointed this out to Ted whose big love is the Seaton town museum.

But Ted has shown no desire to correct himself, merely replying to fbb that “we (note the royal “we”) call it the bus station.”

Buses for passengers have always lurked at the Jubilee Gardens stop on the sea front.

Another stop operates from the opposite side of the roundabout; see a keep left bollard peeping into the above picture bottom left.

The juxtaposition of the two stops can be glimpsed from Castle Hill.

Not quite visible in front of the nose of the Stagecoach single decker you will find a line of attractive flowerbeds.

They are kept well stocked, tidy and watered by a contractor to Seaton Town Council; and they do look rather nice and provide a colourful border to the sea views.

It is very welcoming and very pleasurable.

But Devon County Council has no truck with the aesthetics of floral displays. Someone languishing behind a laptop has decided that the current two bus stops are a safety hazard, a fact that somehow has escaped fbb and the rest of the town’s population for at least 70 years. 

Seaton is quiet even when it s busy.

So the Council is going to replace the flower beds with a new bus stop, with just one shelter, so all the buses can be just that little bit further away from the shops and just that little bit harder to get to.

Here is the plan.

The Jubilee Gardens stop is marked with a BLUE line and Marine Place had a PUCE line. The new stop, destroying three flower beds, has a PINK line. 

The five beds on the roundabout will be untouched.

Needless to say the natives are far from happy – and quite rightly so. There is absolutely nothing wrong with the present set-up. It works fine and there are no safety issues at all. 

The new set-up will only have one shelter which will be insufficient; and waiting buses will impede the glorious sea views that make this area so attractive.

Well done Devon Council and its paid pen pusher!

The only slight positive is that all the buses will be together, at certain times blocking stops and road whilst bedraggled passengers, enjoying the on-shore blasts of Channel “breeze”, try to huddle in the one shelter which will be too small. 

At a pinch, you could call it Seaton Bus Station; or, even better, Seaton Marine Place Interchange.  That would bring the passengers in by the, erm, bus-load!?

Such is progress.

fbb does not actually collect model buses. In the past he foolishly signed up for an Atlas Editions one-bus-a-month deal which turned out not to be such good value.

“Pre-owned” models are significantly cheaper. The collection will soon (?) be adorning a diorama to add to Peterville Model railway, namely a classic bus rally.

But the old man is also acquiring a small collection of vehicles from his own past. He has a Northampton Corporation Daimler and a small selection of Sheffield buses; United Counties and Southern Vectis models are readily available “pre-owned”. He also owns a couple of Stagecoach Devon deckers and a gorgeous Seaview Services Leyland PD2.

But until now, his much loved local bus company which took him on a diurnal drive  to Northampton Grammar School has evaded the eyes of the model maker.

Not quite. Corgi Classics produced two Yorks coaches from fbb’s childhood era.

But, delightful though they be, they are to 1:50 scale and thus not a match for fbb’s other models.

But, recently introduced by Oxford Diecast, is this beauty to 1:76 scale (OO railway size).

Although fbb does not remember the vehicle, it really did exist and has a photo on-line – much to fbb’s amazement.

And, yes, he bought it on a whim with a New Year’s Day discount and free postage. Well, you couldn’t let a deal like that pass you by, could you?

More in due course.

Dinosaurs Return to Seaton – But By Tram?

fbb never visited Seaton Jurassic but Mrs fbb did with one of her “social” groups. She was bored to tears. And you can see why.

It was, well, a very static Jurassic and, more importantly, spot the dinosaurs! It was doubtless a good educational display but unlikely to attract return visitors. And it didn’t and it closed!

News has just broken that the open secret is now very open – the “attraction” has been bought by the Seaton Tramway and is to re-open “in the spring”. 

When this rumour began to circulate, fbb rather expected something transport related but, in fact, Seaton Jurassic becomes …

… and the tramway glitterati are pictured admiring their acquisition.

Will it just be Seaton Jurassic reopened?

The tramway people say emphatically not! They are promising dinosaurs! But more than han that, they are promising animatronic dinosaurs.

That means they move and roar and look menacing! That’s more like it!

Of course it will still have little kiddies’ activities and what looks like an enormous caff …

fbb will visit this time; so that’s one extra even before it opens.

Commercially, the new look Jurassic should attract more visitors and complement the tramway’s business.

Hopefully this time it will succeed!

 Next Variety blog : Monday 8th January