As I threatened, I had a trip out on Saturday and here's the detail. Apologies for those who suffer narcolepsy as a result but will try to keep it interesting.
I started by driving and leaving the car in the Nuffield gym near Parkway (membership perk) and walked round to the station for about 8:30. A 73 came and went before my chosen journey arrived. I'd decided to have a last trip on the First 77 and fit in a B7L before their suggested departure and in came... a B7RLE! Best laid plans and it was the oddity that is 69253. Off we headed south - various squeaks and squeals like a chinchilla being fed through a mangle was what came to mind. Pity the poor driver who had to listen to that for a three hour cycle! Off at WOT and then onto 33962, usual fayre on the 1 and a quick hop to Blackboy Hill. I'd bought an AvonRider specifically to have a few other last hurrahs and so I boarded the 505 with another B7RLE in Wessex 30937 - these have been largely debranded so I expect them to appear in Surrey soon. A friendly driver and off we headed to Long Ashton, wending our way through Clifton and then down to Hotwells. As Park Street was closed, the Clifton routes were all heading that way. This really is a bit of a cinderella route though I was experiencing it at perhaps a quiet ebb. Still, good to do it for a change
I got into Long Ashton and walked straight from that to a very shabby 37608 - the change of service/kit can't come soon enough and some new paint to be lavished on it. Very quickly, I was retracing my movements back along to Hotwells and then the loop in town to get me to Lewins Mead. I walked into Horsefair and weighed up the options for the bus to Lawrence Hill. I could've caught a 42-45 but elected to have a coffee and wait an extra 15 mins and get the 35 - ages since I've been on it (years and years) and the usual 43849 duly arrived. Christ, it's battered inside and well nigh threadbare - could really do with TLC in and out!
I didn't spend too long at the depot open day - not quite my thing though interesting enough and some tit bits from the management. By 12:25, I was back out and getting 37356 back into town. My plan was to head to Weston so 33569 loading on the X1 seemed like a good idea so off I went. Then I had a cunning plan.... why not head to Portishead and get the X5? So I got off at Long Ashton and waited..... two X9s passed in about 6/7 mins and I should've twigged that service reliability on the Excel network wasn't good. I could see an e400 heading towards me on the X4, did the sums and reckoned I'd miss the X5 so I sat back down and waited. So much for my cunningness - clearly trying to be too clever. Eventually, an X7 arrived, a full 30 mins late and it was Streetlite 47553.
Now, a lot of folks get bent out of shape about Streetlites and I've experienced the odd dodgy one. I know they're lightweight and they're no B7RLE. However, I find them bright and airy and generally quite decent. 47553 was excellent - no jerking from the gearbox, neither straining nor idling, and not a rattle on it. I know it's only 3.5 years old but it went really well. I was quite pleased to get the X7 (a new experience) and we made our way through Yatton and out past Congresbury. Conscious of the late running, the driver stopped and asked the assembled patrons if anyone wanted West Wick (no) or Weston Village (one person) so we missed out the former. On doing the latter, it became apparent that the roads (tight enough anyway) were teeming with traffic coming the other way. Drivers were manoeuvring haphazardly and it was mental - felt for our driver as we mounted kerb after kerb and as he wrestled the bus through gaps and past large SUVs. We exited to see the main A370 closed due to an accident; I discovered subsequently that there had been an RTA and that a motorcyclist had sadly died. Puts things into perspective really.
On arrival at Weston, our driver apologised for the delay and the quality of the ride - he really needn't have. He was doing his best. I had time for a quick sandwich having spied 32001 waiting for its next duty on the 20. My plan was to go to Uphill Hospital, then get off and catch Crosville's 4 back before they exit that service. The conversion on 32001 is of a high quality. The livery is great in the bright sun and we headed off for a windswept trip along the prom. I hopped off and declined the offer of the lady driver on the 5 to head back and waited for the 4. After 15 mins, it was clear it wasn't coming - Crosville struggling for drivers as things wind down a bit? Disappointing as I'd not really exploited the AvonRider too much but I cut my losses and got 32006 back. To be honest, a different experience and a vehicle terribly tired inside. Not very nice but unlikely to benefit from any improvement before its pension date.
The reliability of the Excel services was continuing to suffer so I was able to cheat time and catch the 1617 X2 back to Bristol, operated by ex Manchester e400 33754. Bit since I'd done this route too (was still the 353 I think) and we trundled off. All was fine til Ashton Gate as we caught the football traffic exiting the area. It didn't seem so bad though on top of our existing delay, we were probably 30 mins late into Bristol - no wonder more recovery time is being added.
Time for another quick coffee and the penultimate vehicle and not one to be outfoxed, it was another 77 and this time, it was a B7L. Probably the last time I'll get to ride on one locally so 66335 did the honours. We had 3 other passengers - one guy, with a sort of hybrid mullet hair style that seems at odds with his sandals, for Kellaway Avenue, and the driver's wife and baby! Now the 77 does have to carve its way through the streets of Cotham and elsewhere and the traffic was hardly heavy so the driver didn't need to rush. However, he was skilled and deft - Eastern European drivers get a bad press at times but he was excellent. In addition, 66335 had very few rattles for a 15 year old bus (in contrast to 69253) and it was a lovely ride out but you can see why the service is tendered - a couple of other waifs were collected en route but at termination at Southmead, it was just me, the driver and his family! Quite why First didn't use something smaller and cheaper, I don't know. They offloaded 3 Solos to Glasgow a year or more ago that would've probably been fine on it.
Southmead Hospital is a blustery place to wait for a bus and I kicked my heels for 15 mins for my last bus of the day; it's when you get to a place like this that you appreciate how suburban routes really tail off in frequency in the evening now. I was getting the last 82, courtesy of ex Bath B7RLE 66939. Again a friendly driver (only my 35 driver had been miserable all day) and a lovely gentle ride out to Cribbs where we gained a few passengers, mainly workers who'd finished for the day. Now 66939 was absolutely spot on - 12 years old and barely a rattle or squeak. We made our way through the burbs and it then deposited me at Parkway, some 11 hours since I'd started.
Hope this is of interest
