The dreaded FIRST BUS!

String o' beads · Post by **String o' beads** » Sun 05 Apr, 2009 12:30 am

You can still get transfares. I use them a lot. The Metro's an excellent service, almost always on time and when it's not it's usually down to vandalism or somebody chucking themselves in front of one. There was a bit of a furore recently when they banned *mobility scooters [electric wheelchairs are still welcome] because people kept driving off the platforms. Wallsend Metro Station has its signs in Latin due to the Roman connection. I love that! *On a side note, I was on a bus the other day when a huge woman on a scooter drove on, paid her fare, then couldn't negotiate the turn to get down the aisle. After back'ard and forrarding a bit to no avail she got off, lifted it and turned it round and then got back on and drove it. I ask you!

Post by **tyke bhoy** » Sun 05 Apr, 2009 9:59 am

raveydavey wrote: One particular bugbear is the way that Last put the skids under Supertram saying they could do a better job with bendybuses, the got an ongoing commitment from Metro to subsidise the cost of providing conductors on the ftr service to improve loading speeds and yet they still run old single manned double deckers on the route far too often. I'm not sure the comment on Supertram is correct. First were part of one of the consortiums in the running to operate it.Agreed on the ftr. Also the speed loading doesn't help them run to time. I regularly see them running in pairs and that has the effect of blocking off the exit from City Square on to Boer Lane (assuming the taxi rank for the Station hasn't achieved this already). On one occasion I even saw City Square become completely blocked by 3 of them. The first was at the stop just short of BHS the second behind it straddled the bend out of city square and the third straddled effectively all 3 lanes (Bus stop, Boer Lane exit and Loop filter)

simong · Post by **simong** » Sun 05 Apr, 2009 10:56 am

You're right - Jesmond to Sunderland was something like 36p in about 1989 provided you got a Transfare, although the bus drivers could be miserable wotsits if you didn't.On the subject of Secret Newcastle, I've been meaning to mention this - there's a great photo album on Facebook of pictures of the Toon here: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=60475241041 (and that took me a good ten minutes to find thanks to Facebook's search system). Maybe we should set one up for Leeds (if there isn't one all ready - you'd never know, thanks to Facebook's search system).

raveydavey · Post by **raveydavey** » Sun 05 Apr, 2009 4:35 pm

tyke bhoy wrote: raveydavey wrote: One particular bugbear is the way that Last put the skids under Supertram saying they could do a better job with bendybuses, the got an ongoing commitment from Metro to subsidise the cost of providing conductors on the ftr service to improve loading speeds and yet they still run old single manned double deckers on the route far too often. I'm not sure the comment on Supertram is correct. First were part of one of the consortiums in the running to operate it. Last may have been part of one of the consortiums bidding to run it, but it was reported in the YEP that they had also told the government that they could provide that service with buses at substantially lower cost, shortly before the entire project (which had been given provisional approval) was binned. Unfortunately the search facility on the YEP site only appears to go back about 6 months, but I remember the story well and can also remember the cries of indignation from the likes of Metro, etc at the time.A cynic might question why First have been allowed to develop such a monopoly in Leeds and why the likes of Arriva or Stagecoach don't seem interested in providing any meaningful competition to them?

Cardiarms · Post by **Cardiarms** » Sun 05 Apr, 2009 9:49 pm

All the utilities were slightly miffed as they spent quite a lot of money diverting strategic pipes etc from under the proposed track bed.Back to secret Newcastle, can anybody remember the name of the independent department store on Shields Road? I knew it in the 70s but it must have been there for a while. I got my first bike from there but my most abiding memory was a shop assistant helping a bloke buy a shirt and saying "ya need a big chest size cos you've git a fat neeck hinny!" Schofields it was not.

Uno Hoo · Post by **Uno Hoo** » Mon 06 Apr, 2009 12:33 am

You've set me thinking, cardi. I worked in an office on Heaton Road in the late 60s.The firm provided cars, and in 1968 I got a brand new Austin 1100 in Aquamarine, CVX 427G. Car radios were not fitted as standard then, so I got one at a local auto-electrician. He supplied and fitted it, but I wanted HP, so he sent me to said store, who provided the finance. Blowed if I can remember the name, though.

String o' beads · Post by **String o' beads** » Mon 06 Apr, 2009 1:16 am

Cardiarms wrote: Back to secret Newcastle, can anybody remember the name of the independent department store on Shields Road? I knew it in the 70s but it must have been there for a while. I got my first bike from there but my most abiding memory was a shop assistant helping a bloke buy a shirt and saying "ya need a big chest size cos you've git a fat neeck hinny!" Schofields it was not. I'm reliably informed it was Parrishes.

Cardiarms · Post by **Cardiarms** » Mon 06 Apr, 2009 10:33 am

My gran lived on Heaton Road!Parrishes. that's the one, cheers.

Cardiarms · Post by **Cardiarms** » Mon 06 Apr, 2009 12:11 pm

Just had a look on Streetview and the old store has been converted into student flats.

Uno Hoo · Post by **Uno Hoo** » Mon 06 Apr, 2009 6:06 pm

Geordie-exile wrote: Cardiarms wrote: Back to secret Newcastle, can anybody remember the name of the independent department store on Shields Road? I knew it in the 70s but it must have been there for a while. I got my first bike from there but my most abiding memory was a shop assistant helping a bloke buy a shirt and saying "ya need a big chest size cos you've git a fat neeck hinny!" Schofields it was not. I'm reliably informed it was Parrishes. So it was. I can now take this off the long list of stuff I'm trying to remember!