My Thursday (27th March) in Cov & Brum
Mar. 30th, 2008 06:35 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
suzyscottdotcomSometimes, some longer distance trips seem to bubble under the surface for a while. Things I want to see, places I want to go back to. Months, years sometimes. I had many reasons to return to Coventry (for the first time since way back in 2004) and Birmingham (first time since 2005). Obviously passing through the M6 or M6Toll up to twice a week isn’t enough, and a chance find of times for National Express Service 314 (Cambridge – Southport) gave me an idea – take the coach from Cambridge to Coventry. Then, depending on the weather (as BRMB Radio just the day before, had mentioned snow and sleet!) potentially extend the journey to Birmingham. Yes, the bus continues through, but I booked to Cov rather than travelling through – partly for variety, and partly because Cambridge – Coventry is the furthest point you can buy a same day return, beyond that point it’s the slightly higher priced Standard/Economy Returns (where you don’t have to come back the same day) only. Anyway, it was intended to make for a varied day.
So, after an early start, I took the train from Royston to Cambridge, and then walked to Parkside, the current Cambridge city coach terminal. Here I found Hayden’s Scania MX 56 HZA…
… and this was to be my coach to Coventry. Having filled up with a handful (leather seats are still a bit of a novelty on buses around here!), the bus left at 0920, drove through Cambridge, out to Cambourne, St Neots, Bedford, Lavendon, Northampton bus station, and then into Coventry Pool Meadow from the south. I left Cov almost as quickly as I arrived, although I’d be back that afternoon. I continued my journey by taking National Express Coventry (formerly Travel Coventry) Mercedes Citaro bendi 6015 on the 27 to the railway station. I took with me the Network WM map of Coventry (and the Brum one) and used the former to point to the ticket I was looking for. After all, a memory for all these different tickets I buy every day in different parts of the country, as well as remembering where I’m going, and having my voice through the Lexan polycarbonate attack screen, I thought would help. The driver replied “NO SPEEK ENGLISSSHHEE?” – now, I’ve heard reports from others of problems with the foreign EU nationals who work at Cov depot, so I replied with “Yes, *I* do” – stressing the I bit! (as if to say, not all of your colleagues do!)
We got to Cov station with a few moments to spare. The £4.90 off-peak Network WM issued Network Daytripper ticket that I bought on the bus was also valid on trains, but as it’s a standard Wayfarer strip of paper, how do I get it through the ticket barriers? Naive me I guess, as the ticket entrance on the barriers had been taped over. Passenger flow control was by means of men and women in uniforms. Guess that works! Anyway, I was going for the 1223 CrossCountry (now Arriva) train to Birmingham New Street, but we were in time for the 1214 Virgin Trains (West Coast) service instead. This got me going just a little earlier than anticipated, and we arrived in Brum a few moments earlier as a result. One of the first sights I could see leaving New Street were some ALX400’s of TWM/NXWM in St Martin’s Queensway, including this…
… Having left New Street, I walked along side the new-ish Bullring Shopping Centre…
… as the first of the new batches of National Express West Midlands vehicles began passing me by, on Service 50. I’d heard that the new livery (white and red split down the diagonal) was causing problems for passengers who confused them with Diamond Bus (who also run a service on the route), and subsequently the ‘old’ logo was placed in the blind box until each of the new ones were repainted. Here’s one of the first repainted vehicles, a President – which features newest style lettering on the front, and former style on the side!…
… and here is the rear of one of the Enviro’s with no lettering at all… as you can see I’d made it up to Moor Street Queensway by this point…
… and then I stopped in the Pavilions Shopping Centre, stopping at the loos, then something to eat at M&S (grabbed and bagged to take with me), quick nosey in the Travel Shop, before coming back out via Park Street… I think this shows the most of the new NX West Midlands identity…
… before taking a train back to Coventry. Having finally found the 1348 London Midland train from Brum New St to Northampton (non-stop to NEC/Brum Intl and then all, or most, stops to Northampton), I noted the train was still screened for the journey to Brum. Having sat down in the seat most visible from the doors, I got asked several times ‘Alright pet, is this the train for…”… Now, some of them were just a quick nod i.e. Cov (I was going there too), NEC/Airport (Brum International, next station), Northampton (destination). Then, there were the others. “Love, is this the train for Walsall?” Mentally opened my BINS Great Bull map of Brum, and remembered that was the other way – so said no, and they quickly found someone in a hi-vi who escorted them elsewhere, before another three “Is this the train for Coventry” before we left. Once the train started, a polite femme recorded voice announced all the stations, including “Rooo-gby” (I always thought Rugby was pronounced Rug-[as in Rugrats]Bay)… After arriving back at Coventry, another 27 took me back to Pool Meadow Bus Station, this time Citaro bendi 6016, seen here arriving at the station…
… and behind us, I noticed my first sighting of the new Coventry version of the new NX corporate identity (and then, none of the Cov buses I saw had any new-style lettering, apart from Manchester style fleetnumbers), this time on a rigid Mercedes single decker.
After picking up some stuff from the last Travel Shop in the midlands before going home (saving carrying it around all day!), I crossed the road to outside the bus station, and stood for some time snapping what went by. You can see all the pics here.
After a while, the smell of freshly made doughnuts was getting to me, so I had one, and took a few home with me too! Then, it was time for the coach back to Cambridge, and this white-with-boards Scania/Berkhof YN 06 TFY made an interesting change for the journey home.
We arrived at Parkside a little early, and I walked over Parker’s Piece before Stagecoach Cambridge Dart 33806 took me around the corner to the station. With a few minutes to go, I got the train back to Royston, arriving at 1915 – a little over eleven hours, end to end – but a very enjoyable day out!
So, after an early start, I took the train from Royston to Cambridge, and then walked to Parkside, the current Cambridge city coach terminal. Here I found Hayden’s Scania MX 56 HZA…
… and this was to be my coach to Coventry. Having filled up with a handful (leather seats are still a bit of a novelty on buses around here!), the bus left at 0920, drove through Cambridge, out to Cambourne, St Neots, Bedford, Lavendon, Northampton bus station, and then into Coventry Pool Meadow from the south. I left Cov almost as quickly as I arrived, although I’d be back that afternoon. I continued my journey by taking National Express Coventry (formerly Travel Coventry) Mercedes Citaro bendi 6015 on the 27 to the railway station. I took with me the Network WM map of Coventry (and the Brum one) and used the former to point to the ticket I was looking for. After all, a memory for all these different tickets I buy every day in different parts of the country, as well as remembering where I’m going, and having my voice through the Lexan polycarbonate attack screen, I thought would help. The driver replied “NO SPEEK ENGLISSSHHEE?” – now, I’ve heard reports from others of problems with the foreign EU nationals who work at Cov depot, so I replied with “Yes, *I* do” – stressing the I bit! (as if to say, not all of your colleagues do!)
We got to Cov station with a few moments to spare. The £4.90 off-peak Network WM issued Network Daytripper ticket that I bought on the bus was also valid on trains, but as it’s a standard Wayfarer strip of paper, how do I get it through the ticket barriers? Naive me I guess, as the ticket entrance on the barriers had been taped over. Passenger flow control was by means of men and women in uniforms. Guess that works! Anyway, I was going for the 1223 CrossCountry (now Arriva) train to Birmingham New Street, but we were in time for the 1214 Virgin Trains (West Coast) service instead. This got me going just a little earlier than anticipated, and we arrived in Brum a few moments earlier as a result. One of the first sights I could see leaving New Street were some ALX400’s of TWM/NXWM in St Martin’s Queensway, including this…
… Having left New Street, I walked along side the new-ish Bullring Shopping Centre…
… as the first of the new batches of National Express West Midlands vehicles began passing me by, on Service 50. I’d heard that the new livery (white and red split down the diagonal) was causing problems for passengers who confused them with Diamond Bus (who also run a service on the route), and subsequently the ‘old’ logo was placed in the blind box until each of the new ones were repainted. Here’s one of the first repainted vehicles, a President – which features newest style lettering on the front, and former style on the side!…
… and here is the rear of one of the Enviro’s with no lettering at all… as you can see I’d made it up to Moor Street Queensway by this point…
… and then I stopped in the Pavilions Shopping Centre, stopping at the loos, then something to eat at M&S (grabbed and bagged to take with me), quick nosey in the Travel Shop, before coming back out via Park Street… I think this shows the most of the new NX West Midlands identity…
… before taking a train back to Coventry. Having finally found the 1348 London Midland train from Brum New St to Northampton (non-stop to NEC/Brum Intl and then all, or most, stops to Northampton), I noted the train was still screened for the journey to Brum. Having sat down in the seat most visible from the doors, I got asked several times ‘Alright pet, is this the train for…”… Now, some of them were just a quick nod i.e. Cov (I was going there too), NEC/Airport (Brum International, next station), Northampton (destination). Then, there were the others. “Love, is this the train for Walsall?” Mentally opened my BINS Great Bull map of Brum, and remembered that was the other way – so said no, and they quickly found someone in a hi-vi who escorted them elsewhere, before another three “Is this the train for Coventry” before we left. Once the train started, a polite femme recorded voice announced all the stations, including “Rooo-gby” (I always thought Rugby was pronounced Rug-[as in Rugrats]Bay)… After arriving back at Coventry, another 27 took me back to Pool Meadow Bus Station, this time Citaro bendi 6016, seen here arriving at the station…
… and behind us, I noticed my first sighting of the new Coventry version of the new NX corporate identity (and then, none of the Cov buses I saw had any new-style lettering, apart from Manchester style fleetnumbers), this time on a rigid Mercedes single decker.
After picking up some stuff from the last Travel Shop in the midlands before going home (saving carrying it around all day!), I crossed the road to outside the bus station, and stood for some time snapping what went by. You can see all the pics here.
After a while, the smell of freshly made doughnuts was getting to me, so I had one, and took a few home with me too! Then, it was time for the coach back to Cambridge, and this white-with-boards Scania/Berkhof YN 06 TFY made an interesting change for the journey home.
We arrived at Parkside a little early, and I walked over Parker’s Piece before Stagecoach Cambridge Dart 33806 took me around the corner to the station. With a few minutes to go, I got the train back to Royston, arriving at 1915 – a little over eleven hours, end to end – but a very enjoyable day out!
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Date: 2008-03-31 03:37 pm (UTC)Roogby - yes, maybe so. Person doing the announcements didn't have one though... Lots of regional pronunciation thingies!