Let's start a new campaign?

Following on from Tuesday's blog entry, where I mentioned at the end about news websites not using the right picture for their articles, I have found another. At least the one on Tuesday used a picture from the same region, todays' was way out.

Now this is an article about price rises on bus services in Norfolk and Suffolk. So what did the good people at EDP24 use? A picture of a red bendy bus operating the London route 73. Not only is the bus in totally the wrong area, but there are no longer any bendy buses running in London anymore (thanks to Boris). You'd think they would try and get an actual bus from the Norfolk region.

So that's why we need to start a campaign to get news agencies to understand that if they are going to use pictures of trains and buses, they should at least use the right ones.

For the benefit of EDP24, this is what a typical bus in Norfolk or Suffolk actually looks like. If fact, this is one from Norwich itself, which the news writer would have known about if he looked out of his office window.

Winchester Running Day

First off, Happy New Year to everyone. I hope you all have a great 2012. We certainly have a lot to look forward to.

Yesterday I spent the day in Winchester enjoying the "Friends of King Alfred Buses" annual running day. By far the best of any of the bus rallies, there is always something to see and do. The kids got to visit the City Mill, while I was left to photograph buses. And along with a trip to my old hunting ground (Weeke Estate), and a trip out to Easton and Avington, it was a great day. Just a shame it rained a fair bit.

Broadway, Winchester

All of my pictures can be found at http://www.flickr.com/photos/bogart259/sets/72157628669802997/.

Broadway, before it rained. We really wanted to get this one, but no luck.

Broadway, Winchester

Taplings Road, Weeke Estate

Only for bus

This is one of those "just for fun" videos. But you do have to wonder how stupid people have to be. As her in doors would put it - they must have gotten their license free with a packet of corn flakes.

It's Christmas, where's me bus?

Christmas is always an odd time of the year for any public transport operator, especially bus operators. Passenger numbers can vary so greatly, it can be difficult to decide what level of service to provide.

It is pretty much given that you won't find a bus service running on Christmas Day (unless you happen to be living on the Isle of Wight). It tends to be better on New Years Day, but even then you will find whole towns without a decent bus service. And on Boxing Day it can be as bad as Christmas Day, with some areas not bothering and others providing something.

Ignore whether Christmas occurs on a weekend or not, the most interesting bit is the three working days in between Christmas and New Year. Working is properly a strong word, since it's generally the time that 50% of the workforce take these days off. It at least was the case when i was gainfully employed by a company. Now that I am self employed, the concept of taking time off loses something in translation.

With that many people likely not to be working, it makes sense not to run a full weekday timetable. So in the past it has usually been a Saturday timetable put into place. At least it might be in some places that this would still be the case. In Southampton we have something a little different - First Bus are operating a special timetable - personally can't see the difference between this and a Saturday timetable, other than reduced services on someone them.

But it has been suggested that some villages and parts of some towns will not get a bus from Christmas Eve through to the 2nd of January. Take for example Owslebury and Morestead near Winchester. Normally sees about 3 or 4 services on a weekday, and nothing on a weekend. As Stagecoach will be running a weekday service on these three days, these two villages will see nothing from the 23rd of December through to 3rd of January 2012 - a whole 10 days.

Does anyone else have example of this?

Journey by a London Bus (1950)

I love social history. Buildings and events are ok, but it compares not a jolt to how people lived and worked. And how the environment that they lived in affected their lives. So my first offering reflects a very interesting and important change in our countries history since the second world war. That first wave of mass immigration of the 50's.

The film was made by the colonial film unit, and highlights how easy it is to use the bus service in London. And at the time, bus travel would have been the best way of getting around town. So it makes sense to advertise this fact to anyone intending to move to the uk. I would imagine there was a lot of films like this, as it would have been important to get people prepared for their arrival.