Friday (25th July) out in Herts & Bucks
Jul. 27th, 2008 02:12 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
suzyscottdotcomFriday was a second bash around Herts and Bucks, on another Intalink Explorer. This was a final warm-up before my plans for the coming week.
I started at Royston Bus Station, where C dropped me off, via Ashwell and Manor Farm to Baldock Market Place on Centrebus Service 90, with Solo 304…
I couldn’t quite find the shelter on the other side of the road that was there the week before (roadworks in progress), until I spotted the perch seat sticking out of the ground!
From Baldock direct to Stevenage via Graveley on Herbert’s Travel Service 391, with former Stagecoach Mercedes/Alexander L883 SDY.
Stopped at the library (first time visitor to this one) and got back in time to see the arrival of the uno 635 (that would depart as a 634), my next bus, to Hemel – YN 56 NRY. During the journey, we were held up substantially in the roadworks on the M10/M1 junction, despite being off the road almost as quickly as we were onto it, so arrived a little bit down for time at Hemel.
The Intalink Partnership has a MAN/Optare Vecta publicity bus, and it is to be frequently found on promotional work for members. I’ve been to a couple of promotional events, and so far, it’s just been a table of leaflets. Today in Hemel, the bus was out, promoting the new Hemel travel guide, as well as a surprisingly wide selection of Arriva leaflets (most of the Buckinghamshire services too!), and Woottens were there too, with leaflets for new Tiger Line T1 available along side trips/holiday brochures. The bus was parked in the pedestrian area of The Marlowes, officially Boots Activity Pitch, but almost outside Quizno’s (where I stopped for lunch afterwards).
The last time I travelled in this direction from Hemel to Aylesbury on the Arriva Line500, I had the Trident in Mix96 overall advert livery (Tuesday was the opposite direction). This time too, I got an overall ad – DAF 3445, which is in an overall contravision wrap for Lakes TV.
The wrap does give me headaches sometimes, as it appears as dots on the inside of the glass, to allow passengers to see out – in theory. Normally, no dogs on seats, but I thought this would be a fair exception – an impulse till purchase I saw when I went in for drinks for the trip!
Upon arrival at Aylesbury, I’d got the 500 after the one I planned (30 minutes later) but still had time (just under 20 minutes) to get the next Arriva Line300 to High Wycombe – every 20 minutes on weekdays in any case. A quick browse through the libraries (before refurbishment early next week) and back to the bus station for Scania 3160, which shook me all the way through Stoke Mandeville Hospital, Butlers Cross, Great Kimble, Princes Risborough, Loosley Row (The Whip!), Walters Ash (I kid you not), Naphill, Hughenden Valley, to High Wycombe, and the new Eden bus station, giving a 51 minute journey time. I’d printed a map, as this was my first visit to HW, but it was out of date already!
I had a quick look around the shops, and came back in time for my next bus, Arriva Scania/Northern Counties 3203 on newly extended Service 52 via Terriers, Holmer Green, Amersham and Chesham (the last outposts of the Metropolitan Line), Pond Park Estate, Lye Green, Orchard Leigh, HMP The Mount, Bovingdon, Hemel rail station, back to The Marlowes & Hemel Bus Station. As I was waiting to board, the driver was playing with the control panel of his Hanover (electronic destination display) and was unable to find the right code combination for 52 HH, having found 52 HW, 362 Chesham etc. – so had to go to ask the control office what code to input. Reason I mention this was that he looked at me, said “One second darling, back in a moment, won’t go away without you” (in a nice sounding Indian tone). Now, that was more polite than effing and blinding about how the blind didn’t work! This particular early evening journey gets 94 minutes to do the whole thing, and highlights of the journey that I remember included a huge steep climb up the hill beside HW Railway Station, and then winding through the trees through Chesham Boys, and then doing the loop of the car park at HMP The Mount (complete with metal plates advising No Parking/Service buses use this car park to turn/By Order, The Governor), before onwards to HH. This 52 was a well-driven bus, certainly (by comparison) the 300 was driven a lot more shakily. Scanias can do that if not driven with care, but this driver did.
We ended up getting back into Hemel a little earlier than anticipated, so I was able to get an earlier 634 back to Stevenage than planned. Only thing was, that probably wouldn’t have got a connection to the 100-102 (the next one would have), so I decided to go from Stevenage on the train back to Royston, rather than arranging to meet C at Hitchin. So, uno Scania YE 56 NRZ on the 634 back to Stevenage bus station, continuing as a 635 to Stevenage railway station (and onto Lister Hospital) where I got off, and went for the train back to Royston – which was a 319 (terminating journey) stock, first time I’ve been on one of those all the way to Royston! As this was a terminator, we pulled into Royston platform 1 (southbound), and C was waiting for me in the car park of platform 2, so I crossed the footbridge and met her in the car.
It was another very good day, and perhaps on the hottest day of the year so far! You can see all of the pictures here.
I couldn’t quite find the shelter on the other side of the road that was there the week before (roadworks in progress), until I spotted the perch seat sticking out of the ground!
From Baldock direct to Stevenage via Graveley on Herbert’s Travel Service 391, with former Stagecoach Mercedes/Alexander L883 SDY.
Stopped at the library (first time visitor to this one) and got back in time to see the arrival of the uno 635 (that would depart as a 634), my next bus, to Hemel – YN 56 NRY. During the journey, we were held up substantially in the roadworks on the M10/M1 junction, despite being off the road almost as quickly as we were onto it, so arrived a little bit down for time at Hemel.
The Intalink Partnership has a MAN/Optare Vecta publicity bus, and it is to be frequently found on promotional work for members. I’ve been to a couple of promotional events, and so far, it’s just been a table of leaflets. Today in Hemel, the bus was out, promoting the new Hemel travel guide, as well as a surprisingly wide selection of Arriva leaflets (most of the Buckinghamshire services too!), and Woottens were there too, with leaflets for new Tiger Line T1 available along side trips/holiday brochures. The bus was parked in the pedestrian area of The Marlowes, officially Boots Activity Pitch, but almost outside Quizno’s (where I stopped for lunch afterwards).
The last time I travelled in this direction from Hemel to Aylesbury on the Arriva Line500, I had the Trident in Mix96 overall advert livery (Tuesday was the opposite direction). This time too, I got an overall ad – DAF 3445, which is in an overall contravision wrap for Lakes TV.
The wrap does give me headaches sometimes, as it appears as dots on the inside of the glass, to allow passengers to see out – in theory. Normally, no dogs on seats, but I thought this would be a fair exception – an impulse till purchase I saw when I went in for drinks for the trip!
Upon arrival at Aylesbury, I’d got the 500 after the one I planned (30 minutes later) but still had time (just under 20 minutes) to get the next Arriva Line300 to High Wycombe – every 20 minutes on weekdays in any case. A quick browse through the libraries (before refurbishment early next week) and back to the bus station for Scania 3160, which shook me all the way through Stoke Mandeville Hospital, Butlers Cross, Great Kimble, Princes Risborough, Loosley Row (The Whip!), Walters Ash (I kid you not), Naphill, Hughenden Valley, to High Wycombe, and the new Eden bus station, giving a 51 minute journey time. I’d printed a map, as this was my first visit to HW, but it was out of date already!
I had a quick look around the shops, and came back in time for my next bus, Arriva Scania/Northern Counties 3203 on newly extended Service 52 via Terriers, Holmer Green, Amersham and Chesham (the last outposts of the Metropolitan Line), Pond Park Estate, Lye Green, Orchard Leigh, HMP The Mount, Bovingdon, Hemel rail station, back to The Marlowes & Hemel Bus Station. As I was waiting to board, the driver was playing with the control panel of his Hanover (electronic destination display) and was unable to find the right code combination for 52 HH, having found 52 HW, 362 Chesham etc. – so had to go to ask the control office what code to input. Reason I mention this was that he looked at me, said “One second darling, back in a moment, won’t go away without you” (in a nice sounding Indian tone). Now, that was more polite than effing and blinding about how the blind didn’t work! This particular early evening journey gets 94 minutes to do the whole thing, and highlights of the journey that I remember included a huge steep climb up the hill beside HW Railway Station, and then winding through the trees through Chesham Boys, and then doing the loop of the car park at HMP The Mount (complete with metal plates advising No Parking/Service buses use this car park to turn/By Order, The Governor), before onwards to HH. This 52 was a well-driven bus, certainly (by comparison) the 300 was driven a lot more shakily. Scanias can do that if not driven with care, but this driver did.
We ended up getting back into Hemel a little earlier than anticipated, so I was able to get an earlier 634 back to Stevenage than planned. Only thing was, that probably wouldn’t have got a connection to the 100-102 (the next one would have), so I decided to go from Stevenage on the train back to Royston, rather than arranging to meet C at Hitchin. So, uno Scania YE 56 NRZ on the 634 back to Stevenage bus station, continuing as a 635 to Stevenage railway station (and onto Lister Hospital) where I got off, and went for the train back to Royston – which was a 319 (terminating journey) stock, first time I’ve been on one of those all the way to Royston! As this was a terminator, we pulled into Royston platform 1 (southbound), and C was waiting for me in the car park of platform 2, so I crossed the footbridge and met her in the car.
It was another very good day, and perhaps on the hottest day of the year so far! You can see all of the pictures here.
