Great Western Coffee Shop

http://www.bristolbusevents.co.uk


Excellent day out last year.    Ironically, no bus connections available from Melksham (unless they run some 234s) but there will be trains

(http://www.wellho.net/pix/busday_20190526.jpg)

From last year

(http://www.wellho.net/pix/busday_2018_01.jpg)

(http://www.wellho.net/pix/busday_2018_02.jpg)

(http://www.wellho.net/pix/busday_2018_03.jpg)

(http://www.wellho.net/pix/busday_2018_04.jpg)

Some of those buses look familiar from last September's Kingsbridge Vintage Bus Rally, which I can thoroughly recommend, unless you don't like vintage buses of course!

I don't remember seeing you at Lyneham  ;D

I've got a shot of the same bus in the same place with the same shadows so we were clearly on the same one. If I could work out how to post an image on this forum I'd upload it :)

Hi, Robin

I think the bus did multiple trips that day, operating with a frequency that most rural locations would be highly envious of today.   The sun may not have move around all that far.   Were you on the return run that accidentally ended up in Iceland car park in Chippenham?

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Yes I was a victim of that lack of route knowledge on the part of the driver...  ;D

Thanks for the info on uploading images

This year we pre-empted the problem ... we had already been directing an out-of-town driver during the run, and suggested he turn left at the point where straight ahead takes you to Tesco or Iceland!

Some further images of old buses ...

(http://www.wellho.net/pix/cbrd19_00.jpg)

(http://www.wellho.net/pix/cbrd19_04.jpg)

(http://www.wellho.net/pix/cbrd19_05.jpg)

(http://www.wellho.net/pix/cbrd19_06.jpg)

(http://www.wellho.net/pix/cbrd19_07.jpg)

(http://www.wellho.net/pix/cbrd19_08.jpg)

(http://www.wellho.net/pix/cbrd19_09.jpg)

Interesting day ... as well as Robin stopped off / chatted with three other people I knew.  Bit of a "busman's holiday" for them as they're concerned as I am with current transport (as well as taking an interest in today's historic pieces).

Also spoke with a lady who moved to Portishead 25 years ago and was told "3 years and there will be trains".  I assured her that in rail, someone once told me you add a zero on the end of time and cost - so 30 years after she got there (i.e. 5 years from now), she may be in luck. She did not understand the need to upgrade the line to run the trains at a significantly higher speed than the 30 m.p.h. of freight - the roads are so clogged that even the lower speed trains would be a success ....

On the run I took to Lacock we had a similar problem with lack of route knowledge, as the driver proceeded to turn right into the High Street rather than carry straight on down the old main road to The George. Then he found the road closed at the far end and had great fun reversing his bus amongst the parked cars and pedestrians who weren't looking where they were going.

I fully understand that these are effectively volunteer bus drivers but one would have thought that they would have taken the trouble to find out exactly where they were going before they set out. That said, 20 or so years ago I was on a rail replacement bus from Oxford to Didvot nd I had to give the driver directions to Culham and Radley stations... ::)

Whilst on that trip to Lacock I was sitting next to three bus drivers (or former bus drivers) who were telling each other tales about various antics of other drivers. On more than one occasion I thought that a railway driver would have been taken off the footplate for less. Food for thought perhaps...

I am intrigued as to why Faresaver participate in this event in the way they do.

Firstly, their bus remained static all day, as it did last year.

Secondly, a "54" plate bus is getting on a bit but not really yet of pensionable age. Indeed, this bus was working on the X31 service to Bath this morning  ;D

FAO Graham

Shortly after I posted the above post on Tuesday I got a personal Coffee Shop message from you. However, it didn't actually say anything other then the standard text that is generated for these messages.

So if you meant to message me about something, please do it again or post it here, or if you hit "send personal message" by mistake please ignore this post!

Ah yes ... I'll message you again ...

Sent again ... and oddly the original is in my outbox as if it went.   If you get another blank email. And for the avoidance of worry, it was a bit of a quip and nothing serious AT ALL ... in fact the joke has probably died with time.

Must run - train to catch!