busdriving

An Interesting Week

2012-02-12T18:14:00.002Z

It's been an other interesting week, Harry Wales went to the most far flung corner of the world and didn't take any bananas, Harry Rednap went from being a tax dodger (alleged) to being Super hero and the England Football Manager in all but name in the length of time it took some unnamed person to say, "Not guilty".Fabbio had a bit of a misunderstanding, (should have gone to 'English for Beginers' classes) and went home to be given the Italian equivalent of a wooden spoon. Then, closer to home came the a)scandalous b) embarrassing c) non news item d) so what? (take your pick) news that 1300 Torbay Council workers have parking permits, provide free by the council, that they, the workers can use in any car park in the Bay.
Scandalous because the council have just increased the number of Pay and Display parking areas in the Bay causing traders and motorists and an anti Parking Meters group to be up in arms saying no one will come to the Bay because they have to pay to park on the sea front.
Or embarrassing for the council because they have just put all these extra pay and display machines up and their staff can park for free all over the place.
Or a non news item because the council have been providing these permits for years. I can remember an item about 4 years ago in the Herald Express about people complaining they couldn't get into the car park by the Town Hall because it was full of council workers' cars.
And so what? I imagine most councils give their worker similar permits as do private companies. If you work up at the hospital and don't get free parking in the hospital grounds then it's your unions fault, not Torbay Council's. Also, from my point of view it's a so what attitude as I don't ever put any money in those pay and display machines, AKA parking meters and I have never got a parking ticket in all the years I have lived in Torquay.
And to round of with a sporting matter lets feel for all those people effected by that French Farce that was played out on Saturday evening in Paris. It probably cost about 20 million euros to stage and had it been tried in say, South America would probably have ended in a riot. Personally if I travelled from Dublin to watch a rugby match that was called of 4 minutes before the kick off I would have been tempted to throw the odd can of Guinness (empty of course) on to the pitch. Which says a lot for the restraint showed by rugby fans.
Then there was the restrain showed by a certain Liverpool player who should have shown less restrain and shaken hands with all the Man U players. Then there was the lack of restraint shown by the hand shake less Man U player celebrating his team's win in a style players usually employ when pretending to be injured, i.e. overacting to the nth degree.
Hope next week is just as interesting.
And one other small anniversary, on Friday my partner, Geoff and I had a nice meal and a glass of champagne to celebrate 43 years living together.

Paignton Level Crossing

2012-02-08T16:21:00.001Z

Wednesday, second week. All the barriers and traffic lights are now in place and it looks like the work might even be finished ahead of time.

A government department has just spent £8 million in an attempt to recover about £5000. Does that make sense? If that money had been given to Torbay Council we would not have had all the cuts to care for the venerable and libraries closing and parking charges going up. We could have even given it away in the street to passers by which would have made more sense.

Irony

2012-02-03T23:58:00.002Z

On Mastermind this evening one of the contestants was asked who was Energy Secretary in the cabinet? He didn't know so passed. At the end of his round of questioning the quizmaster revealed the answer; some guy called Chris Huhne. Shows not all telly is live.

My wildlife photo for to day is this little birdie. Cute isn't he?

Cockington Village

2012-02-03T00:53:00.000Z

Cold but sunny, so I wrapped up warm and headed down to the Strand. I wasn't too sure where to go so I decided to let the first two buses go and get the 3rd. It turned out to be the Local Link 62 to Cockington and turned out to be a good choice. Usually when I go to Cockington I walk in the direction of Cockington Court but today I decided to walk up Cockington Lane. Next week it will be closed to traffic while the council dig the road up to, I think, put in new drains. I came across a footpath that looked slightly more interesting than the road and decided to see where it went. I almost gave up after 20 metres, trees and bushes on both sides and it was a steep climb but I had a rest and carried on. At the top of the hill I took this photo. Well worth the effort. He gave me a good hard look for a few seconds and then decided he would like to be somewhere else and ran off in the direction of Marldon.

Paignton Level Crossing

2012-01-31T16:23:00.000Z

Work continues on the crossing despite the cold, down to 3C in my back garden this afternoon. Coldest day so far this winter. So cold that when I went for my afternoon walk I ended up getting on a bus instead; sorry Torbay Council, wasting rate payers money like that.

More Photos of Enviro

2012-01-31T12:23:00.001Z

A few more photos showing the CCTV images the driver can get and other bits and pieces.

Enviro 400 WA61KLF 15784

2012-01-31T00:27:00.001Z

I had a ride on one of the new Enviro 400 Scanias today. WA61KLF 15784. Nice ride, not too sure about the seat covering, black vinyl leatherette. Don't think it will last all that long before it needs to be replaced by some thing a bit more hard wearing. Other features include 16 CCTV cameras doted about the bus, I spotted 4 upstairs, a similar number downstairs plus cameras showing both sides, the rear and in front of the bus. The rear view camera comes on when the bus is put in reverse. It'll come in handy when reversing off Paignton Bus Station. That garage is beginning to look like it really has been in a war zone. If there is an accident and the normal means of escaping from the bus are blocked then there are 9 emergency hammers for breaking the nearest available window, but I am sure with our safe drivers here in Stagecoach South West they will never be needed. The buses can carry 92 passengers. Enjoy.

A few more photos of the Enviro 400

2012-01-30T23:18:00.001Z

Seat not looking good on first day out.

Back of the bus upstairs.

CCTV camera and emergency hammer.

Paignton Level Crossing

2012-01-30T11:04:00.000Z

I went down to Paignton yesterday to have a look at how the work on the new level crossing gates was going. The crossing had been closed at 22:00 on Saturday night and all the barriers and barrier posts had been removed but there was no work going on at the site. It was a Sunday so maybe all the workers were christians and refused to work on a Sunday. As this crossing is going to be closed for over two weeks this seemed to me and other people I spoke to a ridiculous waste of time.

Two other problems I noticed; first the number of people using the footbridge. I a 5 minutes period I counted 125 people going over the bridge and this was a quiet, dull, wet Sunday afternoon. That's 1500 people an hour and the bridge isn't exactly wide. What it will be like on a busy weekday, well think of getting into a football match, say Man U v Man City, would give you some idea. The second problem could be more serious. Traffic coming along Hyde Road has no advanced warning that Torbay Rd is closed, no notices saying "Diversion. No left Turn Ahead". The first any driver would know about the road closure would be going round the bend in the photo and seeing barriers across Torbay Rd. Yesterday when it was quiet there were one or two sudden application of brakes as drivers discovered at the last minute that they couldn't take the left turn they were expecting to make followed by a couple of seconds of hesitation while they worked out what to do next. So watch out if you are driving along Hyde Road for the next two weeks.

If you are looking for one of the new Enviro 400s on the 12 route I have been told by a usually reliable source that there will be at least one out to day, maybe more.

RNLI were in town today

2012-01-29T00:34:00.001Z

The Royal National Lifeboat Institution were in town to day collecting funds for new lifejackets. The Lifeboat crew (some of them) rowed across from Brixham where the lifeboat is stationed in a very old lifeboat which looked like hard work. The shinny newer lifeboat you can see in the photo came over under it's own power. 17-28 came into operation in 2002 and more info about the boat and the lifeboat station can be found here.

Also at the lifeboat station is a D Class Inshore Lifeboat which was also brought over to Torquay. This time it was the ladies of the lifeboatmen who provided the power, pulling it all the way from Brixham. Lots of effort today from people who give up their time to save lives around our coast. They don't take a penny from central government, relying instead on our generosity to donate what we can. Events like this are designed to remind us next time we have a pint and see a RNLI collection box on the pub counter to drop some of our change in it, even all the change if the mood takes you.

Something you don't see every day

2012-01-26T23:51:00.000Z

I went to Paignton Green to day on my daily walk and came across this gentleman with a bird on his arm. It's a female Harris's Hawk, a raptor native to South America. The gentleman in question is from a company called Stef Peers Falconry and Hawking and for a small fee, as outlined in the bottom photo you can enjoy the thrill of holding and flying this bird. Raptor Rescue, a charitable organisation benefit from this deal. I am not sure if you just turn up or if you need to give then a ring first.

Nice bird, could do with one in the back garden to get rid of the pigeons.

I did try and find a web page with something about Stef but all I got was a Facebook page with nothing on it, yet.

Bus in Paignton Bus Station Enviro 400 Scania WA61KLE

2012-01-26T16:34:00.001Z

Bus in Paignton Bus Station Enviro 400 Scania WA61KLE . This bus and 22 like it will enter service starting on 29 Jan on the 12 route.

NB Date is from an unconfirmed source so if it doesn't appear on Sunday don't blame me.

Problems in Paignton for Two Weeks

2012-01-26T16:24:00.001Z

If you are thinking of driving along Hyde Rd in Paignton and turning left into Torbay Rd to go down to the sea front the please do it before 10pm Saturday evening, similarly if you are thinking of coming up Torbay Rd to sample the delights of Paignton Town Centre you haven't got much time left to do this trip either because on Saturday evening the level crossing barriers will come down but will not go up again until 5am on Monday 13 Feb.

The barriers are being replaced and it will take two weeks to replace 4 barriers which works out at one barrier per 3 and a half days.

Should be interesting but it wont be fun. Stagecoach X46, River Link 100 and Devonian 50 services will be effected as well as all the traders in Torbay Rd. The only way over the railway line will be by the footbridge shown in the photo. Go on, give it a try. It will keep you fit.

How to hack voice mail

2012-01-20T00:11:00.001Z

In the past, many mobile phones came with 'default' PINs for accessing voicemails - the idea being that people would change the default PIN to something unique. If they didn't, the default PIN was all someone would need to get into a voicemail inbox. Needless to say, hacking used to be shockingly simple.

All you needed was the phone number of the person who's voice mail you wanted to hack and two phones of your own. Then you ring the number and while the person is on the phone you ring the same number with your second phone. This will put you through to their voice mail. Then you entered the correct PIN number and listen to the voice mail. The question you are asking is, "How do I know the PIN number?" I checked my land line, my mobile and my partners mobile and all three had a default PIN number of "0000". Piece of cake. I should note that I did change them all within a day or two of getting the phones.

The reason why I am posting this is because today we have heard about people who had their voice mail hacked all seem to be getting large sums of money because the didn't change their PIN numbers. That actually doesn't seem completely right to me. The user manual that came with the 3 phones mention above all warned me to change the PIN number so I would expect all the celebs getting large sums of money would have had the same warning in their phone's user manual.

A few years ago a friend of a friend's second cousin who had a mate at work who knew someone who had his car stolen. He was insured so wasn't too worried until the insurance company discovered he had parked it in the street unlocked and with the keys in the ignition and a laptop and camera lying on the back seat in full view. The insurance company quite rightly refused to pay out saying it was his own fault the car had been stolen.

OK, the thief and the phone hackers were the bad guys here but we all have a duty to go someway to protect our belongings and make it at least a little bit difficult for the bad guys to do the wrong thing.

PS I should point out that mobile phone service providers have taken steps to do away with the default PIN numbers. Now when you set up remote access to your voice mail most providers make you input a new PIN number and wont let you use "0000" or "1234"

PPS. Have you set up remote access to you voice mail? Did you change the PIN number? If you didn't, are you going to change it now?

Concessionary Bus Passes

2012-01-19T16:20:00.001Z

BUS fares in Torbay could rise and services be axed from April if planned cuts to funding go ahead.

Torbay Council is looking to reduce the amount of money it pays to Stagecoach and other bus firms to support the concessionary bus fare scheme for over-60s.

It is understood the payments could be reduced by as much as a third but the council says negotiations are ongoing and would not confirm any figures.

Stagecoach has said if cuts go ahead, together with a rise in fuel costs, then there would be an 'impact on fares and services for all bus users'.

The above is from the Herald Express . A reader(me) has posted this comment:-

When Gordon Brown as chancellor brought in the concessionary bus passes he said there would be no winners and no losers. By this he meant the bus companies would not make massive profits and local councils would not be out of pocket funding the scheme. Now we have council unable to fund the scheme, bus companies putting fares up and cutting services and people waiting longer or for ever for a bus. He got that seriously wrong didn't he?

It should go back to the original idea of free rides only in the pass holders local area before we lose too many of our bus services. Write to your MP and tell him/her to do something before it's too late.

Apologises all round.

2012-01-17T16:22:00.001Z

After having a go at the Highways department re getting and answer within 10 working days I am pleased to announce that I received a full reply to my email at 14:07 today. That's less than one working day so apologises all round. The email is reproduced in part (the important part) below.

Dear Mr Banks

Re Cockington lane Torquay

Cockington Lane will be closed in the One Way Section from Cockington Square where the horse and carriages pick up and drop off up to Nut Bush Lane.

The closure is due to essential drainage works and resurfacing of the highway and will take affect from February 8th-17th 2012.

Traffic will be diverted up Vicarage Hill and onto Herbert Road and then onto Nut Bush Lane.

I hope this answers the question raised.

Yours sincerely

Highways Development Engineer

This is going to affect the Local Link service 62 which goes into Cockington every half hour Monday to Friday from the sea front but leaves along Cockington Lane to Nut Bush Lane. Should be fun on the diversion, Vicarage Lane is very a narrow road.

Couldn't to use the phone so I emailed instead.

2012-01-17T00:25:00.001Z

Dear Sir/Madam

We acknowledge receipt of your email.

This has now been passed to the Highways Department for Torbay Council, who will be dealing with your enquiry and will provide you with a full response within 10 working days.

Yours faithfully

Highways Department

Above is an email I received at 16:38 this afternoon which is not bad since I only emailed Torbay Highways Department at 16:37.

So why am I a little unhappy? Well first of all, I sent the email to the Highways Department in the first place so there is no need for it to be passed to them, who's doing the passing. Or is it like passing the buck.

Second; In the email it says I will receive a full response within 10 working days. Ten working days? I only asked them about some forthcoming road works in Cockington Lane, not how come it's been 5 years since the Banjo was shut, any idea when it might open and how much will it cost and could you please hurry up as I'd like to see it open in my life time.

How can it take so long to answer a simple email? Maybe this explains why people get a bit fed up with our local council. OK, they did also provide me with a phone number but the last time I tried ringing the town hall I spent over two quid for the privilege of being told every 30 seconds that my call was important in-between some crap music. And still didn't get through.

Great RedBall coming to Torquay

2012-01-12T15:47:00.001Z

Executive Lead for Tourism and Environment, Cllr Jeanette Richards, said: "I am delighted that Kurt Perschke has agreed to exhibit his world famous RedBall here in Torbay. It is hugely exciting and really helps to put Torbay on the map as one of the most influential, cultural destinations in the UK.

The above is a quote from the web site Creative Torbay.

The world famous RedBall will be in Torquay, Paignton and Brixham from Sat 2 June till Tue 5 June. Cllr Richards went on to say, "whilst I am aware that art, in whatever form is not everyone's cup of tea I would encourage residents and visitors to take this opportunity to witness a worldwide phenomenon."

So now you know.

Actually until 5 minutes before I saw a reference to this world famous RedBall on Twitter I had never heard of it. Shows that I am culturally deficient I suppose. And thank goodness for twitter letting me know about it. And it isn't as big as the great white ball that used to sit on the sea front.

Ann Harvey in Fleet St

2012-01-08T16:07:00.000Z

I just walked up Fleet St at lunch time and the Ann Harvey shop appears to be closed, in know it usually opens on a Sunday but there are notices in the window headed "Shop Closure" about returning items. It doesn't exactly make it clear where to return any thing though.

2012-01-08T15:41:00.000Z

If your sail boat tips over it's nice to have someone handy to offer words of encouragement and advice whilst you struggle to get it upright. Seen in Torbay Sunday lunch time.

Don't forget,

2012-01-08T00:29:00.000Z

on Channel 4 Episode 2 "The Hotel" at 8PM tonight, Sunday. Tell me what you think of it.

New Buses Coming This Week?

2012-01-08T00:10:00.000Z

Several sources told me that 23 Scania bodied Enviro 400s were coming to Torbay sometime soon to replace the present fleet of Dennis Tridents that are running on the 12 route. The Tridents came into service in March 2004 which makes them almost 7 years old. A bus on the 12 service does 50 000 miles a year so these buses have done almost 350 000miles. When they came into service they all started on the same day but the Enviro are apparently coming in dribs and drabs. Word is that 3 will be here by the middle of next week.

These sources were unofficial and as yet unconfirmed so we will just have to wait and see.

The photo is of Dennis Trident 18065, WA04CRK leaving Paignton Bus Station for the first time on 1 March 2004. Doesn't it look good.

The Balloon and a Chanal Four TV Program

2012-01-03T15:46:00.001Z

I've just been for a walk along the sea front here in Torquay as I did yesterday. I took one of these photos on yesterday's walk and the other today. In between taking these two walks and photos Torquay and the whole of the South West had been battered by gale force winds and heavy rain. The weather and the view have both improved. As you can see the Balloon didn't make it through the night. The 3rd photo below shows the balloon as it is now and is a nice photo with the rainbow.

The balloon will have been insured against this sort of thing so I imagine it will be only a matter of time before it is up and floating once again. I expect the people who work at the site will be hoping for it's speedy return even if lots of Torquayians aren't.

While I was at the crash site taking photos a couple of visitors, a man and his wife, Paul and Chris from Coventry also stopped to take some photos and we got talking. Paul and Chris are staying at the Grosvenor Hotel in Belgrave Rd. In case you missed it The Grosvenor Hotel is the star in a Channel 4 fly on the wall documentary ( described elsewhere as a comedy documentary). The first part was on New Year's Day ( available still on iPlayer) and has upset some people who think it does Torquay down by reminding everyone who saw it of a certain hotel in Torquay run by Basil Fawlty and his almost as mad wife Cybil. I have worked in the hotel industry(briefly) and thought the whole thing hilarious and fairly true to life. The program did start by describing Torquay and said," Torquay had many attractions to entice the visitors and many fine hotels." ......... dramatic pause , "And this hotel"
People here in Torquay seem to think it did Torquay down but personally I think the person it did down was one of the two people getting married in the hotel. It was her big day and she made sure everyone knew it.
Anyway, Paul and Chris from Coventry who I mentioned a while back both love the hotel, good food, nice rooms, friendly, helpful staff and handy for Torquay and all it's varied attractions as well as the X46 for a trip to Exeter.

So don't belive everything you see on the telly is the absolute truth,....... dramatic pause, or even anything like it.

New Year's Day 2012

2012-01-01T23:59:00.001Z

So Manchester United decide to ruin their supporters New Year's eve by losing to bottom club Blackburn giving arch rivals Manchester City the chance to go 3 points clear by beating Sunderland on New Years Day. So what did Man City do? They remembered that very old song," Anything you can do, we can do better"' and lost one nil in the dying seconds of the game.
Don't they know in Manchester that football is a serious business.
On New Year's Eve I posted a little reminder on my twitter site telling anyone going home that the street lights in the minor roads go out at 12:30 and to take a torch if they were walking home from the fireworks so they didn't bump into anything on the way home. A couple of kind people retweeted my tweet so hundreds would have read it. Anyway at 12:45 when I went to bed the street lights were still on, giving everyone the impression I am a bit of a div. Torbay Council must have altered the switch off time some how just to annoy me. Thanks very much Torbay. The lights were out by 3:00am when I got up to go to the loo. Seriously though; well done the council for keeping the lights burning so everyone could get home safely. A rare example of our council actually doing something.
From the local paper“DEMOLITON experts have completed work at the fire-ravaged Conway Court Hotel.
Nick Gambles, director at Gilpin Demolition of Heathfield, said the project was one of the most challenging he had dealt with.”
I personally think Gilpin Demolition did a great job under difficult conditions to pull the building down and get Torbay Rd open as quickly as they did. A good example to our wonderful council who normally don’t seem to be able to do anything quickly.

There is a Met Office warning of high winds here in the South West for Tuesday morning so if you are thinking of going for a stroll across Dartmoor it might be a good idea to stay in and have a nice cup of coffee instead.
And finally a photo of Union Street on New Year's Day.

2012

2011-12-31T23:56:00.001Z

It will be 2012 in 3 mins, hope you all have a good year.

Boxing Day Bus

2011-12-26T14:01:00.002Z

Today, Boxing Day, Torbay Vintage Bus Running Day are running a free bus between Torquay and Paignton. It leaves the Strand on the hour until 4pm, Paignton Library at 17 mins past the hour and calls at Union St at 43 mins past the hour. The bus at Paignton Library at 16:15 will only run if there are passengers aboard for Torquay. I caught the 11am bus and travelled as passenger to Torquay and because I didn't have any money to pay my fare back to Torquay I was forced to drive the bus back to Torquay at 11:15. Bit like washing dishes in a restaurant if you can't pay the bill. Actually it was much nicer than washing dishes. It was very nice to be driving a Stagecoach bus once again even if,
technically speaking it is an ex Stagecoach bus.

One of the photos is the bus in Paignton and the other is me in Union St Torquay. Reminds me of the good old days.

Deserted

2011-12-25T14:20:00.001Z

I've just been out for my customery afternoon walk. What's going on? Everywhere is shut, all the shops, cafes, bars, there are no taxis on the ranks, no buses on the bus stops, only one or two pedestrians walking aimlessly about. It's like a sceane from Survivors. Either that or it's Christmas.

If it isn't Christmas then we are all in deep brown sticky smelly stuff.

If it is Christmas, then Merry Christmas to you all.

Hello London, There are people in the UK who don't live in in the South East.

2011-12-21T23:48:00.002Z

The government spends more money on transport projects for Londoners than on those for the rest of the country combined, a think tank says.

The Institute for Public Policy Research North says £2,700 is spent per person in London compared with £5 per head in the north-east of England.

In a report out this week IPPR North says there is a "sharp disparity".

London - £2,731

South-east of England - £792

East Midlands - £311

West Midlands - £269

Yorkshire and Humberside - £201

North-west of England - £134

Eastern England - £43

South-west of England - £19

North-east of England - £5

The government says its investment strategy is to maximise economic benefits for the country as a whole.

I have posted this just in case anyone had any ideas in their heads that the Government actually knows that life exists outside London and the South East, or even cares for that matter. Remember, the futher away from the seat of power the less you get. The people living in Brixham would agree with that.

The photo of new bus for London is purely a coincidence. Where exactly did Boris get the money from to build that thing?

Lots of Photos

2011-12-21T18:36:00.005Z

The fire started at 21:30 on Monday evening but I didn't find out untill 2 hours later, hence no dramatic pictures with flames leaping hundreds of feet into the air.

Conway Court Hotel Fire'>Click here for more photos mostly showing the hotel being demolished in double quick time. The hotel was on the top of a cliff and the road below, Torbay Rd, is the busiest in the whole of the Bay. Torquay has had mega traffic jams for the last two days. The road opened this evening so well done Gilpin Demolition for such a speedy job. from fire starting to building safe took only 42 hours which is a bit of a miricle for Torquay.

Conway Court Hotel

2011-12-21T13:18:00.001Z

A couple of photos from the former Conway Court Hoter. Gilpin have been down there since last night working hard to make the sea front safe from falling bits of hotel. At a guess the road below should open some time tomorrow. Torbay council officials will evaluate the situation at 15:00 today. Meanwhile Torquay roads have ground to an almost complete stop. Still no inclincing of who or what started the fire. 12/12A bus service badly disrupted.

Don't forget, Longest night tonight.

More photos from the Sea Front

2011-12-20T23:56:00.001Z

This is the wall that has to be demolished before any one can drive along the sea front between the Pavillion and Belgrave Rd. (Also pictured sans traffic). If it did fall down it would land on the old toilets, also disued and slightly delerict; killing two birds with one stone. Well quite a lot of stone really.

Demolition is expected to start Wednesday and rebuilding in 2019, providing planning permission can be obtained. This is Torquay after all.

More photos of the hotel (day time)

2011-12-20T13:18:00.000Z

These photos were taken at midday on Tuesday. Warren Rd is still blocked but you can drive along as far as Cary Rd which takes you on to St Lukes and so on to Shedden Hill. The Sea Front between the Pavillion and Belgrave Rd is closed due to concerns that the rear wall of the hotel might fall down Rock Walk and onto the main road. All that is left are the walls and chimney stacks. Several parked cars are presently trapped by the hotel and one car owner I spoke to said he didn't know what state his car was in or when he would be able to drive it away. I don't expect, from what I have been told, that the roads will be open any time today

An other delerict hotel goes up in flames

2011-12-20T01:10:00.001Z

These photos were taken at 00:30 on Tuesday morning as an other of Torquay's long abandoned and delerict hotels burns down. The hotel was situated on Warren Rd where it overlooks Torbay so I would imagine it would have been visable from both Paignton and Brixham.The fire started at about 10:30 (22:30). A police officer I spoke to said he wasn't aware of any casualties though the hotel is surrounded by appartment blocks on both sides. I would imagine the road will be closed for traffic all night and a good portion of Tuesday day time. More photos some time around midday if the police let me get close enought.

PS Thanks Terry for letting me know.

Preston Sands in Winter

2011-12-15T10:32:00.001Z

In the summer Preston Sands is a busy place. Beach huts by the hundred adorn the place and holiday makers by the thousand turn up here. But in the winter it's only the dog walkers and the odd photogrpher that turns up.

Abnormal Bus Stop

2011-12-12T16:04:00.000Z

Just seen this picture on Fix my Transport's twitter site. From the imformation given in the photo's properties I am gussing it's in Bristol somewhere. Anyone any idea what is abnormal about this bus stop as I am fairly sure it isn't a spelling mistake.

An Other Ordinary Week!

2011-12-11T16:21:00.001Z

What a week that was, first on Monday, my birthday, I had to take the cat to the vet. He needed to have a couple of teeth out so it was an all day job. I had to get him there for 9:00. Years ago I used to take the last cat we had to the vet on the number 32 bus but this new cat weighs in at 5.5kilos plus basket is abit too much so a taxi was booked for 8:45. After he had been booked in it was still too early to use my bus pass so I walked home. Well, walking is good for you and alright I am a skin flint. At half pass two a phone call to the vet, yes teeth were done and cat was up and about head butting the bars of his cage, could I come At Once Please and collect him. So bus ride (free) to vets. Cat seemed fine but looked like he would never talk to me again. I talk to him all the time and he understands every word I say to him providing I only words say are, "Would you like something to eat?" Another taxi home. That was Monday.

Tuesday my partner complained he was having trouble with iTunes on his laptop. Playlists were all over the place and lots and lots of tunes just wouldn't play. iTunes kept saying it couldn't find the tunes even though they were still where they had always been. So plan A was put into operation. Delete iTunes and reinstall. Usually works. But then Apple kept saying "iTunes.exe Entry Point Not Found" A quick surf through Google found 27 984 007 responses in 0.037 seconds. Lots of people having problems. Picked on "How to Geek" for the solution. I've used this page before and seems OK. Finally got iTunes working again but to be safe I copied everything, all 27GB, from the iPod to my desktop computer using Copy Trans. Took hours but worked perfectly which is more than I can say for the laptop which still had play list all mixed up. So iPod was copied again and is now OK. Took all day.

Wednesday both Man U and Man C decided they didn't want anything to do with Europe and voted by playing well below par. If this had been cricket I would have suspected match fixing but that doesn't happen in football does it.

Thursday there was an item in the Herald Express about the council here in Torquay. Not are they not doing well, fat chance, they are actually getting worse. The only areas where there is a positive improvement are Tor2 waste management and recycling, the sell-off of council assets and the Hele's Angels community project. The rest are either just holding their own or going down hill fast. We only voted this lot in in May and we are stuck with them for years yet. An other item mentioned that regeneration of the sea front from the Grand Hotel to The Imperial Hotel had started and cited the gate houses at the rugby club as work so far carried out. (See photo). Just the Palm Court Hotel, The Princess Theatre, The Banjo, The Pavilion, and the Prom to get done yet. In my life time? I hope so because it would mean I will have to live long enough to get a telegram from the Queen.

Then Friday the New Leader of UKIP when for a match in Europe. At least when Man U and Man C got kicked out of Europe the players did the decent thing and stayed on the pitch till the game was over. David C made an undignified exit from the playing field well before half time and didn't even look back. When I first heard what he had done my first thought was that he was buttering up to his anti Europe back benchers, then I decide he was looking after his friends the wankers, oops sorry, bankers. Now I have decided that what he has done is brilliant. He's going to set up the UK as an off shore Tax Haven. Marvellous. More money for the wankers.

Saturday night I missed the Luna eclipse by not living in Australia or North America. Never mind, there is another in 2014. Oh and Torquay United won one nil at home to Brentford.

Sunday I went to watch Torquay U14 Rugby team. I have been watching these lads for a few years now and I can safely say that today's game was the worst I have ever seen them play. It can only get better.

.

2011-12-04T09:51:00.001Z

Medical Time Again

2011-12-02T00:05:00.005Z

I was in Teignmouth this morning taking my annual bus driver's medical. The appointment was for 11:15 at the West Bay Medical Centre with Dr Rosalind Cooling. It's the second year running I have been here for my medical and long may I continue to go there. Dr Cooling is quite a few years older than me and is a most remarkable woman. And she likes to talk. She now only does D4 medicals and only charges £45 and the whole experience, unlike most medical examinations, was a pleasure.

Once the medical was finished I went for a walk around town. I had 50 minutes before the next number 11 bus came along. Here are two of the photos I took.

1st of December and there were no pleasure boats out at sea, just this small dredger all on it's own. Then back in town there was this big lorry trying to unload outside WHSmiths. There is a loading bay but some idiot who thinks a blue badge means he can park anywhere was occupying the bay. Teignmouth came to a stop for a while.

Just in case you didn't know, even disabled drivers can't park in a loading bay. Not unless they are driving a commercial vehicle and loading or unloading. That's why they are called loading bays.

Torquay Pension Protest

2011-12-01T09:53:00.000Z

Three photos from yesterdays pension protest march in Torquay. I have some symphathy for the protesters but I don't think they will get the government to change it's mind on this issue. I have a feeling it's because most people realize that the tax payer can not afford to continue paying for public sector pensions at the rate we have been doing so until now.

And as one bystander said, "I stack shelves in a supermarket. Tell me, what exactly is a pension?"

Moving Day

2011-11-30T00:09:00.001Z

This is a photo taken on the day the buses left Princess Rd Depot for the last time. I have almost cirtainly riden on the front two buses at some time in the fifties and early sixties but the 53 at the back brings back memories too. Extremely long circular route starting from Brookes's Bar. Just can't remember where it when to at the moment.

No more on Princess Rd depot until I next go up to Manchester.

The Government has at last realized the South West is part of the UK

2011-11-29T13:08:00.001Z

At 12:59 the chancellor announced that the A380 Kingskerswell bypass would be built. At last. The south west also got a small gift in that our water bills will go down by £50 per household. South West Water is the most expensive in the country and even with this 50 quid it will still be the most expensive in the country. On the down side (there always has to be a down side) my heating allowance arrived to day and is for £200 which is 50 quid less than last year. You can't win them all.

Ken Russell

2011-11-29T11:52:00.002Z

Ken Russell died a couple of days ago at the age of 84. He made several films that were called controversial such as Women In Love, which featured Oliver Reed and Alan Bates wrestling nude. I never went to see that film as I can not stand DH Lawrence. I was forced to read Women in Love at college and decided that if ever Britain was to go on a book burning frenzy I would be first in line with an arm full of Mr Lawrence's tedius and apperently unending work. I call it unending because I never did get to the end of any of his books. I gave up on Sons and Lovers by page 17. But I digress. In all the mention on the news relating to Ken's career we got men wrestling naked again and again but not one mentioned his favorate film and the one he considered to be his best. If you haven't seen The Music Lovers yet then add it to the list of 100 things to do before you follow Ken into the great unknown.

Pensions Justice Event Walk

2011-11-26T19:20:00.000Z

Public sector workers ( some of them ) are going put on strike on Wednesday. The ones that will effect the most people , unless you happen to be travelling in or out of Heathrow, are the teachers. Parents of younger children will be effected if they are working as they will have to either pay for extra child care, stay of work or risk letting their loved ones spend the day on the streets. Other disruptions will be to rubbish collections and to parking attendants. Piles of uncollected rubbish littering the streets and cars parked anywhere their owners feel like parking them will be an added hazard to anyone trying to move about. To add insult to injury Union St and Fleet St will be closed from 10:00 am to allow the striking workers to march through town to force home their message.

And what exactly is that message? Well I'll tell you. It is that supposedly well educated and allegedly intelligent people haven't got the brains they were conceived with never mind born with. Funds for public sector pensions have been paid for, until now, out of a seemingly bottomless pit called the tax payer. When I was a teacher the government took 6% of my salary to pay for my pension. When I worked for Stagecoach they also took a percentage of my wages to pay for my pension. The difference is Stagecoach invested the cash they took from me and put the proceeds into a pension fund. So when I get my pension from Stagecoach it hasn't been paid for by some one who got on a bus and paid his fare sometime last week. But the 6% the government took from me all those years ago wasn't put in a fund to grow and pay my pension. The money the government collected from you and me last month in the form of income tax is what is used to pay my teachers pension and I am getting a little concerned that us tax payers might not be able to sustain the level of giving required to keep all us public sector pensioners in Pensions. So is the government, twenty years too late in my opinion, but better late than in 10 more years. Hopefully they will manage for the next 20 years, after that I probably won't care. But what about the long term future, it isn't a problem that will go away unless the effects of global warming come upon us faster and much more savagely than most people expect.

So; don't go on strike, manage with what you get or eventually you won't get anything.

Arriva in Malta

2011-11-25T10:40:00.001Z

I know that Transport Malta and Arriva have recently amended the routes, but do we really now have a Sliema-Enfield Town link, as spotted on this bus on the Strand in Valletta?

And when they get to Enfield I assume there is a return journey. Would my bus pass get me there? It'd be cheaper than Ryan Air even if it did take a day or two longer. Well done, once again to Arriva because if nothing else, they really are having fun in the sun in Malta

Home Again from the North

2011-11-19T00:21:00.002Z

I've just got back from a week in Manchester where the weather was fine except for the day I chose to take a drive up into the Peak District. That day it was thick fog, down to 15 mph at times. But a good time all the same.

So lunch time to day I went down to the Harbour for a walk round and a couple of pints and maybe take the odd photo or two. These are a couple of the ones I took. Three men were arrested for driving a car, possibly not theirs, onto the pavement to get some cash out of the ATM at the HSBC. I know parking can be difficult here in Torquay but this is an extreme way to avoid car parking fees.

There is a item in the paper about a call centre that was coming to Torquay and hopefully providing 500 out of work people with a job. Seems the place they wanted isn't big enough but they can't have their call centre in a bigger building because there isn't planning permission in place. With 500 hundred jobs at stake you would think the Mayor would drive round to all the homes of the councillors on the planning permission committee, take them to the Town Hall and say," You aren't leaving here until planning permission is granted for the call centre. You've got 20 mins before the shotgun comes out and blood will be shed."

But this is Torbay so there might actually be a meeting some time next summer to set up a working party to discover if Torbay does in fact have a planning permission committee. Usually people who apply for planning permission give up and go somewhere else or die of extreme old age or boredom.

And in Complete Contrast and an example to our beloved but apparently inapt council. An other item in the same paper is about Elliot Massey a

Torbay Boys' Grammar pupil. Elliot, helped by a group of friends, run a website TorbayBusRoutes which has around 35,000 visitors a month. It has timetables and information on all six local bus companies.

He has also been concentrating on developing MyStop, his revolutionary new computer/phone app to help local bus users. The simple mobile-friendly MyStop service allows users to check on the next bus from their mobile phone and all departures by logging on and selecting where they are. All this from a young man who collapsed on the Strand a few months ago and spent over a week in intensive care where he was diagnosed with heart-stopping ventricular fibrillation. That's something most people don't know they've got until it kills them. He now has a defibrillator implant to stop another cardiac arrest and takes beta blockers. None of this stops him though and I for one am waiting to see what turns up next.

Click here for the MyStop web site.

and here for Torbay Bus Routes

sorry I got the link wrong last time round and thanks to Simon for mentioning it.

What's Happened to Princess Rd Bus Depot

2011-11-15T17:13:00.001Z

On Monday I borrowed my brother's car. I wanted to go somewhere in South Manchester so drove down Princess Rd. Now ever since I can remember there has been a bus depot in Princess Rd. In fact in 1948 I went to the school, Bishop Bilsborrow Memorial School, that was right next to the bus depot. From time to time our football would get kicked over the wall for the school playground into the depot and I used to go round to collect it. The bus drivers usually made us wait at the entrance while they went and got the ball but now and then we went for it ourselves. So this was the first and as it happens the only enclosed bus depot I have ever been in. It was huge, smelling of oil and full of noise and loads of mysterious machinery and a few buses. Always an exciting place to visit.

So there I was driving down Princess Rd looking out for the big clock tower. Under the clock tower was the original entrance, very high for the trams to get in but by the time I started school the trams had all been taken up to Hyde Rd depot, had petrol poured over them and set on fire. Sad. Past Clarmont Rd and no sign of the clock, I was getting worried, what had happened to it?

I was soon to find out, sadly.

It has been pulled down, demolished, flattened, turned into a pile of rubble to make way for 200 houses. The has school suffered the same fate. Is nothing sacred? Have all the buses been taken up to Hyde Rd depot and set on fire like the poor trams?

PS 62 years after setting foot in Bishop Bilsborrow school I decided to look him up and find out why he had a school named after him. he was Bishop of Salford in the last quater of the 19th century and a strong advocate of eduction for all, rich and poor. He died in Babbacombe in 1903. You learn some thing new every day. (I hope)

1111111111

2011-11-12T09:34:00.004Z

Nothing particularly striking or special about this photo. It was taken on the Snake Pass in The Peak District on a cool foggy morning at a place called Nether North Grain. The one thing that marks it out against all my other photos is when it was taken, on the 11 November 2011 at 11 minutes past 11, or to write that time and date out using the following system, yymmddhhmm, it comes up as 1111111111. The world didn't end, a chorus of angels didn't burst into song, the pyramids didn't take off and vanish into space to rejoin their makers, a new world order didn't start in which all debts were wiped out (Pity). It just a time and date that won't turn up again for a hundred years. But the same could be said for any such date.

Green Buses?

2011-11-10T22:46:00.004Z

I am up in Manchester for my annual family visit. Very warm day for the time of year so I went in to town to take a few photos, Never seen a green Stagecoach before and here are two in Piccadilly Bus Station. Did some colour blind painter get hold of the wrong can of paint or is there some reason for this new colour scheme?

I travelled up to Manchester yesterday by train instead of by coach. It took 3 hours less and travelling by train is much more comfortable than by coach. The lower ticket price on the coach used to be worth the extra time and discomfort but our wonderful, much loved government recently removed the subsidy they paid to Nation Express to provide us over 60s with half price coach tickets and now the difference in fares is almost insignificant. Still we must all make some sacrifices other wise the country will end up like Greece and Italy, sadly about to go broke.

Two Tales of One Tree

2011-11-01T00:19:00.001Z

On Saturday I took this photo of the rather bare looking tree on Abbey Gardens.

Then I went by on Monday only to find the tree surgeons had cut the tree in to small pieces so it could be removed from the site more easily. Turns out it had been blow down some time in the early hours of Monday morning, fortunately the elderly couple weren't still walking by.

Torquay United won again on Saturday and won the midweek game. That's 2 games won out of the last 8. Plymouth Argyle aren't doing too well, still stuck at the bottom of the Table. At least the saga of administration is over now that local business man James Brent has taken over the club. Well done Mr Brent.

Clocks going back

2011-10-29T00:43:00.002+01:00

So Whitehall is considering running on Summer time in the winter and double summer time in the summer. For us south of the border it will mean longer brighter evenings but slightly darker mornings. It wont increase the actual daylight hours just move the time it gets light in the morning and dark in the evening. Problem is up in Scotland it will mean for a couple of months it will be dark till well after 8 am but it will still be light well beyond 4 pm. Anyway the Scots are objecting to this idea but it would seem that most people down here in the south are in favour of the idea. Well if the Scots don't like the idea they don't have to put up with it. They don't like our bank notes so they print their own, which incidentally aren't even legal tender in Scotland never mind down here in the rest of the UK. So have your own time, we don't mind.

Beautiful sunny day today here in Torquay.

Want to know what time the next bus is from somewhere in Torbay then try this new website out mystop.torbaybusroutes.co.uk

Click on the link even if you don't live in Devon just to see how good it is.

A couple of photos

2011-10-26T23:44:00.003+01:00

If you look carefully you can see the marks on the window where a seagull flew in to it. Made a bit of a bang and the poor thing didn't know what had hit him. He was still in juvenile plumage so has a lot to learn about windows. After a few seconds looking very bewildered he flew off somewhere safer. Also in the same photo, which was taken on Sunday, you can see the vegetation on the cliff. At the top there is a big sycamore tree. One of it's branches got blown off during the gale on Monday afternoon. I watched it fall at about 4 o clock when the wind was at it's most blustery. Then at 4:15 the wind died away and it stopped raining and the sun came out. Shame the branch couldn't have hung on a few more minutes.

A little comment about the swiping of bus passes, I was talking to a bus driver and he said people had got used to the idea fairly quickly and better still, he hadn't changed a ticket roll in weeks.

Basil's Visit to the Vet

2011-10-26T23:25:00.002+01:00

A few months ago our elderly cat, Ginger, went out one night and didn't come back. We put the usual notice up and asked neighbours to keep a look out for him. After a week we decided he wasn't going to ever scramble in through the cat flap again. So we went on the internet and looked for a new cat. The first one we made enquires about had just gone to a new home. The next phone number on the list of cats seeking a good home turned out to be an answering machine that didn't do what the voice said it would do, i.e. ring back. So we tried the next number and we got this handsome cat. He was called Ginger, for obvious reasons, but we decided to rename him as we had just lost a cat called Ginger. Basil was decided on because he has a permanently bushy tail. Just like the fox of the same name.
Anyway today I took him to the vet for his inoculation. The vet took one look at him and declared that he was a Maine Coon cat. I'd never heard of the breed so when I got home I had a look on the www. He may not be a pure Maine Coon cat but a lot of his ancestry is. So it looks like we have an American living with us.
A couple of days after we got Basil, a neighbour a few doors down knocked on the door. Between our back gardens and the cliff face there is a 15 foot wide stretch of wild ground. He’d been looking over his garden wall and noticed a ginger cat lying in the weeds. At first he thought it was asleep but some realised he wasn’t. He came round and told us so we were able collect Ginger and bury him in his favourite corner of the garden.

111 Say Yes but 485 say No; So No Referendum.

2011-10-24T23:42:00.000+01:00

So we aren't going to get a referendum on Europe but what David Cameron has got is about a third of his MPs giving him the finger (pardon my french). It will be interesting to see what he has got to say about that.

What we will get some time next week is a baby being born who will be, in a way, special. No star will rise above his/her place of birth, three wise men are unlikely to arrive with gifts for the new born child, the Pope isn't likely to make a big announcement about the second coming. So why is this child going to be special? He or she will bring the population of the planet up to 7 000 000 000. That's seven billion in case you can't work out what all the noughts mean. Because it is difficult to conceive exactly what a billion is this should give you an idea. Imagine a clock which ticks every second, in 11 days 13 hours and 18 minutes it will click a million times, your heart will beat a million times in about same amount of time. We can work that out in time because we can have a good guess at what we will be doing in 11 and a half days. But the clock keeps ticking for an other 31 years 251 days before it has ticked a billion times. That is a long time to sit next to the clock and count the ticks so take my word for it. It's a long time. 7 billion ticks will take 210 years by which time we have no idea what the population will be, that's if there is any human population left.

When I was born the population was just over 2 billion, so it's gone up by 350% in just under 70 years. That's an awfully big increase. Can the planet continue to support this seemingly ever increasing population explosion or will it all end badly?

A Referendum on the UK's membership of the European Union

2011-10-24T14:20:00.000+01:00

Monday 24 Oct 2011

MPs are voting tonight on the right of us poor Joe Blog members of the public to vote on out staying in or leaving the EU. If they decide we do have that right to a vote which way would you vote. You have two boxes to tick but can only tick one.

Box one asks, Do you want to leave the EU?

Box two asks, Do you want to stay in the EU?

Me; I think there should be two more boxes;-

Box three would ask, Do you give a toss?

Box four would ask, I don't really know enough about the extremely complicated ins and outs of what membership of the EU entails and how I would be effected if we did leave the EU. I feel that if you ask me to decided I will be strongly influenced by the newspaper I read so why don't you just ask Rupert Murdoch what he thinks and save the cost of this referendum?

Now if we had a referemdum on should we get rid of putting the clocks back next week then one one box would be required.

Yes!

Man U 1 Man C 6

2011-10-24T00:05:00.000+01:00

If you live in Manchester then there is someone near you who is either over the moon and about to bore everyone they know for the next ten years about how they were there or they are thinking of jumping in the Mersey or the Ship Canal. I can not think of a worse game to lose by 6 goals to 1 than at home to Man City. In the years I went to Old Trafford to watch Man U I can remember them scoring 6 goals but never conceding that many. In school playgrounds and shop floors and high rise office blocks through out the city Blues fans will be chanting six one all day long and I wouldn't be surprised if the absentee rate amongst Man U supporters reaches an all time high for the next few days.

If you're a blues supporter then enjoy, if you're a reds supporter then it's only a game (sic).

Devon Loch did me a big favour.

2011-10-15T15:43:00.001+01:00

During the summer, sat at the stop in Torbay Rd I was asked lots of questions, mostly, Where is the bus station? I could always answer that one. One question I did get asked only once was where is the nearest betting shop? Now many, many years ago I was persuaded by my Uncle Dan, GRHS, to invest my pocket money on a horse by the name of Devon Loch. If you aren't familiar with the name then Google it and find out how many years ago it was. So we went down to the betting shop which in those days was in derelict house, off course gambling was illegal then, and "invested" (my Uncle's word) all my pocket money. Nine pence in old money, about 4p in new money and then home to listen to the race on the wireless. TV had been invented buy then but we were old fashioned and didn't have a set. I remember the commentator getting very excited about Devon Loch. " 200 yards to go and Devon Loch is a hundred yards clear. Devon Loch is going to win. Yes, Devon Loch will win no problem, Oh Devon Loch has fallen over. Last time I had a bet on a horse; ever.

So when the passenger asked where the nearest betting shop was I didn't know. A bit later on I spotted it just across the road from the bus stop. (see photo).

This story brings me on to an item on last nights news. A group of people were going on strike because the governing body of their industry had decided to limit the number of times they could beat some poor dumb animal in order to make it go faster. The new rule allows Maximum seven strokes in flat races and eight over jumps. Imagine the outcry if your boss could whip you to make you work faster. Recently the use of performing animals was banned in circuses because of fears that some trainers might be cruel to their animals but we can still watch grown men and women beat in a cruel way their horse. If the horse doesn't want to run fast then forcing it to do so must be cruel. How long before the Jockey Club goes the way of greyhound racing and bans whips completely. Some time next week I hope.

Sherwood Hotel Reopening Soon

2011-10-10T23:29:00.001+01:00

I went for a walk this afternoon and decided to have a look at the Sherwood Hotel in Belgrave Rd. I used to work there, driving a coach until it closed down in August last year. Company ran out of money and went into administration. The Administrator told us all that the hotel would stay open until a buyer was found and we would all get paid and keep our jobs. That was on a Monday. One week later, after the firm dealing with the company's books decided that there wasn't enough money left in the bank to keep going. I expect the bank who the mortgage was with decided not to risk sending good money after bad keeping the place open. Anyway a couple of days ago a reader told me the place had a Sold board outside so I went for a look. When I got there the front door was wide open so I wandered in to see what I could find out. No sign of anyone in the entrance hall, just evidence that a lot a work was going to be needed. There was enough building material lying around to keep B & Q going for a week. I then had a look outside and saw someone with a harassed look on his face and decided he must be the new owner so I introduced myself. We had a quick chat, he was very busy, I told him I used to drive the coach for the hotel and asked him when he planed to open. "As soon as possible. Once all the repairs are finished". I said I would pop round tomorrow (Tuesday) and pass one any information about the place that might be a help to him.

I hope the place gets up and running quickly and he makes a go of it. He has a lot of hard work ahead and I can only wish him all the best.

Still sunny even though summer has ended

2011-10-09T16:03:00.002+01:00

The summer timetable has now ended and I am on the holiday and sickness rota for 6 months. I have one days work coming up in a couple of weeks while the other driver has a week’s well earned rest. After that we shall have to wait and see. First thing I did was set the alarm for 08:30, no more getting up at 7 o'clock which suits me. I went into Paignton this lunch time to do some shopping, couldn't find what I needed so I'll have to go on Amazon and get it through the post. Big road works happening in Hyde Rd and Torbay Rd and the roads are closed for this Sunday and next Sunday. Massive diversion in place for traffic heading through Paignton towards Brixham. While I was at Victoria Park waiting for a number 12(for a long time I might add) this artic drove past the two signs which read "Diversion" and "Road Closed Ahead". Obviously these signs didn't apply to him. Then when he got to the left turn that goes into Hyde Rd and found the signs did apply to him. Great big barriers blocked the road and he had no where to go but back. I suppose he could have sat there until the barriers were taken down some time tonight but he chose to reverse all the way back to Cecil Rd which is where he should have turned in the first place. Caused chaos. Before his little reversing stunt the traffic had been coming out of Paignton without any problem but the 5 minutes it took him to reverse far enough to be able to turn up Cecil Rd caused a tail back half way to Brixham ( only guessing but it could have done) Any way it gave me something to watch in the 35 minutes I waited for the 12 to arrive.

Nice Horse

2011-10-05T23:31:00.003+01:00

There is a shop called Affordable Art in Torbay Rd just near the bus stop. It sells wood carvings, mostly ducks but now and then something extra turns up. Like this horse.
Lots of people stopped and looked and took photos. PS it took 3 weeks to make and has been sold and it was made to order.

The other thing that turned up unexpectedly the same day was less welcome and almost turned into an RTC happened as I was driving out along the Totnes Rd between Midvale Rd and Winner St. There is a medical centre on the bend on my left and there was a large truck parked across the road, the driver was probably delivering goods to the centre. Now it is a long, fairly gentle bend but the road isn’t too wide and the truck was blocking my view, anything coming the other way would need to be well over the centre line and would be hidden from view. So I slowed down and kept well into the left. While I was still a little way back a car, travelling quiet slowly emerged past the truck. No problem, I didn’t even have to slow down any more. Then, from nowhere as it were, a white car shot round the truck travelling well over 30 mph. A pull to the left on the steering wheel took the bus out of this maniac’s way and a firm press on the brake peddle stopped the bus before it hit the wall at the side of the road. The white car continued along Totnes Rd without bothering to slow down, it’s blue lights flashing and siren blaring. Ok, the police officer driving it was, I hope, on his way to a life threatening emergency where every second counted but he does need to remember the second most important rule in the Highway Code which is, “Always drive at a speed at which you can easily stop in the distance you know to be clear.” Don’t rely on your siren to alert approaching motorist that the last sausage roll in the staff canteen could be gone very soon, they may be driving noisy vehicles and be a little hard of hearing.

Call 101

2011-10-03T22:55:00.001+01:00

Here's something I came across the other day completely by accident. In case you haven't heard about it, dialling 101 on your phone, mobile or land line, cost 15p per call, irrespective of how long that call may last. People who are deaf, hard of hearing or speech impaired can Textphone 18001 101.

And who will you speak to when you dial this number? A police officer that's who. It isn't replacing 999 and it's not for emergency calls. Use it when you want to call the police for something that isn't an emergency and it will work anywhere in the country.

Here in Devon it replaces 08452 777444 as the non emergency number, lets face it 101 is easier to remember and quicker to dial. Mind you the last time I dialled the 08452 777 444 I got through straight away and was asked which police station I wanted to speak to. "Torquay" said I and hung up 20 minutes later without getting any response. It is only a 15 minute walk to Torquay police station but it was raining at the time so in the end I didn't bother.

Hopefully 101 will have better response times that 08452 777 444.

Bus Ride to Teignmouth

2011-10-03T17:02:00.001+01:00

Had a ride out on Stagecoach service 11 to Teignmouth today. The times and route have been changed for the winter. The buses now only run every 90 minutes instead of every half an hour and the route now finishes on The Strand, not Castle Circus like before. On the way back to Torquay we caught up with a 32 in Babbacombe. I noticed that one of the people waiting at the stop had ignored the 32 that had already stopped and flagged down the 11. I was a bit puzzled at first as both buses were going to The Strand so why get the 11 to stop when the 32 was at the bus stop. Maybe the passenger wanted to go upstairs (the 32 was a single decker) and look down on everyone. No, he stayed down stairs. The same thing happened at the next stop and I began to work out what was happening. These passengers were expecting the bus to go to Castle Circus. Sure enough when the bus got to The Strand they remained seated until the driver told then the bus wasn't going to Castle Circus any more. I had a quick glance at the destination blind and it read, "Torquay Castle Circus". Some one hadn't been round the buses with the little black box changing the routes in the bus's destination blinds. Careless, confusing and annoying.

Could do better, Stagecoach

Saturday 1 Oct

2011-10-01T22:55:00.002+01:00

The day started with a slight problem. Torbay council publish a Public Transport Guide every 6 months, one in June and the other in October. The date on the front of the latest Guide is 1st Oct 2011 to 31st May 2012. Our winter time tables are in the guide but they don't start until Oct 11. However several people looked at the timetables and were expecting us to be running the winter times today. So the first 3 trips I was explaining to passengers that I wasn't going where the time table said I was for an other 10 days. We have been handing out copies of our timetables to all our passengers for the last two weeks with the start date clearly marked on then but one or two people would sooner believe the council who don't run the bus service than us who do run it.

Then on my last trip of the day I was going along the Totnes Rd when the traffic came to a grinding halt. Now we have had problems with Tweenaway Cross but we were a long way away from the lights at this point. When it became clear we were not making any progress I told my passengers I was going to find out what was happening. The large white truck in the photo had grounded while attempting to turn right out of a narrow side street and one of the back wheels was off the ground. This means the truck had no drive as the wheel that was not touching the ground was free to turn but because the way the differential in the back wheel works the wheel on the ground wouldn't turn. Attempts were made to put planks under the wheel but it wasn't high enough off the ground to get the plank under the wheel so the only way the truck was going to move was an expensive breakdown truck giving it a pull. Now there wasn't space for the Stagecoach double decker to get past but I could, if the decker moved back a bit. Eventually I got past and continued on my was 15 minutes late.

Only one more week to go.

Friday 110930

2011-09-30T23:20:00.001+01:00

I sometimes go on about people parking on the bus stop in Torbay Rd. Most drivers move on when we turn up in the bus some don't. The ones that do move on tend to be car drivers who have just stopped to drop someone off or are having a quick chat to a mate. I don't really have a problem with this though in an ideal world it wouldn't happen. The ones that haven't moved away include a Devon and Somerset Fire Brigade vehicle, the driver crossed the road in front of the bus, got in the van and started eating his chips, then there was the police car, unattended, next came the ambulance crew. When I told them they couldn't park on the bus stop they ignored me and walked away. I sent photos to their boss with a strong email of complain. Today it was the turn of Tor2, who are rubbish collectors here in the Bay. The truck was unattended which left me out in the roadway causing chaos and it's me the passing motorist blame not the rubbish collectors who weren't even collecting rubbish. They were collecting coffee and coke (the drink, not the other kind of coke. See Photo below). When they came back 5 minutes later they claimed they had been collecting bins from down a side road. Some one must have dumped a few cups of coffee and bottles of coke and sandwiches in the bin for them. I've been working from that bus stop for 6 months and have never seen them collecting bins in the bus stop, they always stop in the roadway and drive away as soon as possible.

I have been on Tor2’s web site to see where to email my photos but the site is devoid of any way of emailing complains. Just a phone number. Last time I tried phoning Tor2 I listened a recorded voice telling me my call was important please hang on and we will get to you. I eventually hung up before my phone bill began to resemble the National Debt.

Torbay Road Closed

2011-09-29T22:52:00.001+01:00

As you can see from the photo, Torbay Rd in Paignton will be closed at the level crossing a week on Sunday and the Sunday after that. Now we drive over that level crossing 17 times a day. In fact to leave our bus stop we have no option but to drive over the level crossing. Are we worried by this closure? Well, actually no because our summer services come to an end on Oct 8 so we wont be to bothered by the chaos this closure is going to cause. We will be operating on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays during the winter and my services will only be required to cover for holidays and sickness so I will have more time on my hands for the next 6 months.

If you want a ride on our open top bus then Friday 30 Sept is the last chance as it is coming of the road at the end of Friday's shift. I have enjoyed my 6 months driving round Paignton and hope to be back next year.

We are having some good weather this week, sunny and quite warm, passengers were actually getting on the bus today complaining that it was too hot, there's no pleasing some people.

Only Three Weeks to Go

2011-09-19T23:26:00.001+01:00

Only thre weeks left of the summer season and then it's the winter sheduals which is only 3 days a week with only one bus running. So it's back to enforced idleness for the part time driver, poor sod. Hang on. I'm the part time driver. Never mind, 6 month off will give me plenty of time to get all those little jobs do around the house that I have been meaning to do for the last 10 years. Plus I have several hundred photos I need to catalogue before there gets too many for me to bother with.

It's Sunday morning and I am at work which is unusual as I don't normally work on a Sunday. The forecast was for white cloud but no rain. The Met Office have millions of pounds worth of equipment up there in Exeter and they can't even get the forecast right for Torquay which is 23 miles down the road because it's grey clouds and they are leaking lots of rain. Either that or the fire bridge are following me around spraying water all over the bus to make me think it's raining. Not only is it raining but there is a cold wind coming in from the North West which is very unpleasant and keeping all the visitors in their hotels.

I heard yesterday that the road works predicted by the paint marks in the road just before the level cross are to take place on Sunday 9 October and the road will be closed all day. As we finish on the 8th I don't give a damn. Should be fun for everyone else though.

The new winter service runs Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday and starts on Tuesday 11 October. For full details click on the Devonian Timetables link on the right.

A steam train special came down from Bristol and through Paignton today at 2 minutes to 12. It was pulled by an engine called King Edward I. It stopped in the station for 12 mins before heading off for destinations unknown. As the train is longer than most trains that stop here the level crossing barriers have to stay down till it's gone; some obscure Health & Safety rule I expect. This meant I was ten mins late setting off on my 12 noon trip. I don't know why we have to wait so long, surely who ever runs Paignton rail station could sort something out that would allow the barriers to go up. These steam trains run fairly often and it can be a bit tedious waiting for nothing. I've just heard that today is the last of the steam train specials for this year.

Water Bills and Nick Glegg

2011-09-16T00:03:00.001+01:00

From the BBC

Proposals to help consumers struggling to pay their water bills in the South West may be announced shortly.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, who was on a visit to Cornwall, said he was "pretty hopeful that pretty soon" a package of measures would be revealed.

That's pretty good Nick.

I'll believe it when I see it.

Parking and a Couple of Animals

2011-09-15T23:45:00.001+01:00

About the photos first. The one of the roadway with the paint marks in doesn't look too good. These markings are usually put down by someone from the Highways Department about a week before someone else comes along with a big machine and rips up the road. The markings are on both sides of the level crossing and the idea of temporarily traffic lights controlling the flow of traffic at this spot might not make it to my top 10 worst nightmares list but it isn't something to look forward to with much enthusiasm either.

The one of the ambulance parked on the bus stop shows that ambulance drivers, or at least the one driving this ambulance are able to park anywhere they like. Actually this isn't the case and this photo is on it's way to West Country Ambulance Service with a little note asking the boss to have a word in the driver's ear; and I don't care if it not a very polite word either. I also mentioned the arrogant attitude show by the second crew member who I spoke to. She told my they weren't on a call as she got out of the ambulance and headed for the shops. I told her they couldn't park on the bus stop and she just walked away saying nothing. Neither the parking nor the rudeness were a good advert for the West Country Ambulance Service.

A couple of animals caught my eye the other day. Just near the Sands Rd level crossing there is a small patch of grass. On this grass a pet owner was taking his pet for a walk. not a dog or even a cat but a polecat. It stared at the bus as I drove by. About half a mile down the road I turned into Torbay Rd and a squirrel suddenly appeared in front of me running desperately up the centre of the road. I matched his speed and followed him, resisting the urging of one of my passengers to "flatten the little vermin". It continue running up the middle of the road the whole length of Torbay Rd so I can report that squirrels can run at 15 mph for 300 yards. Finally he spotted a tree and vanished into the top most branches never to be seen again; not by me anyway.

PS sorry I couldn't take a photo of either.

Merry Christmas

2011-09-14T16:16:00.001+01:00

This was taken last week and once again this pub wins the first prize for the first "Book you christmas party" advert.

There should be a law against even mentioning christmas until at least December 1st at the earliest.

Mind you last year it was up in August so a bit of an improvement there.

Youtube Video, nothing to do with buses.

2011-09-11T11:51:00.001+01:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uyrMetNnxEc

If you click on this link it will take you to a youtube video I made recently in the Apple and Parrot, probably the best pub on the Strand, Torquay. They were making an ad for an upcoming event so I decided to film the making of the ad.

The actual ad can be seen here.

Sunday 110911

2011-09-11T11:23:00.001+01:00

Some information on the incident I reported in my last post regarding the accident at Windy Corner. It appears that the scooter rider, Mr John Manley suffered a heart attack and dies as a result of that and not of injuries sustain in the collision with the post.

On Monday night we had some strong winds so on Tuesday morning we were driving round with some caution looking for trees or branches that might have come down in the night. There were two such problems on my route. The first I came to was in Broadsands Rd. A branch had come down and was intruding into the road by a couple of feet and clearly visible and easily avoided. When I came back 5 minutes later there were two council workers removing the branch. Half a mile further on, on the ring road, I came across the second incident. A tree in a garden had been blow over but it had come to rest on an other tree but one of it's branches was sticking out into the road at a height of about 10 feet. Would have made a nasty dint in the top of the bus but brilliant driver that I am I spotted it in good time and managed to avoid it. Now some Stagecoach services occasionally run along this road and the branch would cause them more problems than it caused me so at the next bus stop I pulled in, handbrake on, switched of the engine and rang Stagecoach depot to let them know the problem. The controller I spoke to thanked me and said he would get onto the council at once. An hour later when I went back the tree had gone and council work men were just finishing clearing the road. The 3rd thing the council were clearing up was the damaged post at Windy Corner. By lunch time the post had been replaced and the road clear. So well done Torbay Council far acting speedily in these three incidents.

The forecast for tonight is wind. Cornwall and Devon were on Amber alert as the remains of Cyclone Katia headed our way but it looks like it might miss up but winds of 25 mph are still predicted. We will have to wait and see.

Monday 5 September 2011 A Fatal RTC

2011-09-06T23:44:00.001+01:00

On my way into town on my first trip I had a feeling something was wrong. There were more people than usual at the Waterside stop and at the YMCA stop. When I stopped at The Leisure Centre and loaded the bus I had almost a full load. One of the people who didn't get on the bus asked if I knew when the next 12 was coming. This suggested there was a problem somewhere. Usually By the time I get to the Big Tree our 501 service from Galmpton is coming up behind me. If it is I let it get in front of me as it leaves the stand at 09:55 and I go 5 minutes later. But there was no sign of the bus. When I got to the stand in Torbay Rd I began to wonder what the problem was. Then at 5 to ten the other bus turned up 10 minutes late. The driver told me that the road had been closed by the police at Windy Corner. This is a problem for me as my route takes me out towards Windy Corner but I turn down Broadsands Rd just before the Zebra Crossing at Windy Corner. The road was set to be closed for 4 to 5 hours which suggested a serious RTC. When I got to the bottom of Cherry Brook there was a road closed sign and a policeman directing traffic up Cherry Brook. I spoke to him and he said I could get down Broadsands as the main road was closed just passed the junction. When I got to the junction I could see a motor scooter on it's side. It had hit the pole supporting the left-hand belisha beacon at the Zebra Crossing outside Squire's Restaurant. Plenty of police cars were also present but the ambulance had gone by then. The road remained closed until about 2:30. Accident investigators were there for 5 hours taking measurements.

A Devon and Cornwall Police spokesman said: "From initial inquiries it would appear that there are no other vehicles involved, although a full investigation is ongoing.

"Officers would like to hear from anyone who was driving along Dartmouth Road and either witnessed the collision or saw the motorcycle prior to the incident."

I later heard that the rider, John Manley, aged 74, from Brixham had been taken to Torbay Hospital but had died from his injuries. Our Condolences go to his family and friends.

Saturday 4 Sept 2011 Parking Ticket

2011-09-06T23:15:00.001+01:00

Once again a coach driver has forgotten that there is a difference, legally, between a coach and a bus. One of those differences is that buses cannot park in coach bays. An other is that coaches cannot park on bus stops, especially those bus stops marked out in yellow paint. The reason for that is simple. If a coach parks on the bus stop, when the bus turns up it has to sit out in the middle of the road blocking the traffic and causing congestion.

Traffic wardens were invented to help keep the traffic in our towns and cities moving by discouraging illegal parking, a major reason for congestion. Most traffic wardens enjoy their job.

So edwardscoaches.co.uk, don't park on bus stops, it will cost you 80 quid. Oh sorry, it already has cost you 80 quid.

Coming Up

2011-09-02T22:49:00.001+01:00

First a reminder. On Sunday at Shedden Hill Car Park there is the Vintage Bus Running Show. Here is a chance not only to look at a load of old buses but also take a ride round the Bay on as many as you have time for. Look out for the ex Torquay Dept Volvo B6 formally used on the 12 service before being moved to Exeter. I always liked driving these B6s and like most drivers was sad to see them go but I did hear that the engineering staff all went out for a drink the day they left the depot. Any way, you can catch the buses at the car park or wait for them at their very own bus stop on the sea front at the bottom of Belgrave Rd.

Second a warning. From Monday if you get on a bus in the Bay with a concessionary bus pass you will be asked to swipe the bus pass on the electronic ticket machine instead of showing the pass and telling the driver where you are going. A couple of minor problems here. First you will probably have to take the pass out of a holder if you have it in a holder as the machine might not be able to read the card through the clear plastic screen in most card holders, so have it out ready. Second is the fact that now because passengers will no longer need to tell the driver where they intend to get off the bus, there is a possibility that you might get on the wrong bus and not realise until you have travelled a long way toward some where you didn't intend to go to. Have fun.

Third a question. Look at the photo. I have noticed a few cars recently with odd little things hanging from the back bumper. What is this all about, have I missed something important here?

Tallyho Coach parked on a bus stop.

2011-08-26T23:32:00.002+01:00

At the top end of Torbay Rd, Paignton there is a lay-by which is about 40 metres long. The first 20 metres is marked out as a loading bay. That means that only vehicles actually loading or unloading goods can wait in that part of the lay-by. More importantly it means that delivery vans can stop near to the shops they are delivering at and drop the goods you might one day wish to walk in the shop and expect to find on the shelves, not still in a van being driven round and round the block by a driver desperately trying to find some where to park. The second half of the lay-by is marked out in bright yellow paint as a bus stop. That is so buses can pull in off the road so all those people with cars can drive past while all those people without cars, or chose not to use them, can get on the buses at the stops. Most parking places in Torbay Rd are consistently in use, being a busy part of town but the loading bay and the bus stop spend about 90% of the time sitting there empty. It can be tempting just to pull in and hope a bus or a van doesn't want to use the bay while you are there. Now I don't actually have too much of a problem with that; provided the driver remains with the vehicle moves away the moment someone who has a legitimate reason to occupy the space turns up. Parking attendants might have a different point of view to me in this area so don't quote me. The problem comes when the driver wanders off or refuses to move. It means the delivery van driver or the bus driver has to stop in the roadway causing congestion and inconvenience to all passing motorists.

This is where parking attendants come in. They might not be able to magic the offender away but they can charge the driver of the illegally parked vehicle a substantial sum of money for the pleasure of making life a misery for the van driver who has to drive round the block a few times or be forced to carry heavy goods much further than expected, the bus driver, the bus passengers, the passing motorists, the shoppers who's goods aren't in the shop when they should be, the shop keeper who looses a sale, the shop worker who gets laid off because the shop keepers profits have gone down just so some selfish bastard can park where he/she shouldn't.

While we are on about parking attendants or civil enforcement officer as they are called these days. I have heard people say, "Why don't you get a proper job?" to them when that stick a ticket on a car. It is a proper job, those who say the above haven't got the brains they were conceived with. I started driving 50 years ago, driving round Manchester in 1960. It was a nightmare, far worse than it is now, even though there were far fewer cars on the road. So why? Because people used to park anywhere and no one did much about it. People still risk parking illegally to day even though there is a strong chance they could end up paying an £80 fine. Imagine what it would be like in a world without parking attendants. You would have to get up early to get anywhere and I mean really, really early.

Anyway someone parked a coach from the Tallyho Coach company in the loading bay this morning, he didn't get a ticket but the coach behind did. It was also from the Tallyho Coach Company and was parked in the bus stop with no driver to move it should I or a civil enforcement office turn up. A civil enforcement officer turned at the same time I did. Brightened up my day enormously.

Spot the difference

2011-08-25T23:27:00.000+01:00

What do you mean, you can't?

Both photos were taken on the Totnes Rd outside Hayes School which is almost 3/4 mile before the by now world famous Tweenaway Cross. One was taken in June while the road works were in full swing. Remember, the road works designed to improve the traffic flow at Tweenaway Cross. The road works that cost millions and the council assured us would be well worth all the waiting in endless traffic jams hoping and praying for the roadworks to be finished. The road works that dragged on for an extra 6, or was it 8 weeks. Well they are finished and the second photo was taken yesterday. Can you tell the difference, spot the vast improvements, was it worth the waiting in the road works and all the millions? Sorry Torbay Council, the answer is a big fat NO.

PS You could try doing something different with the timing of the traffic lights.

Happy Birthday Voyager 2

2011-08-21T11:07:00.002+01:00

On August 20 1977 Voyager 2 was launched and is now about 14 000 000 000 km from Earth. Signals from the space ship are presently taking 26 and a half hours to get back to Planet Earth. It's been going for half my life time, heading out of the Solar System taking a few photos on the way. Now it is sending back information about the point where stellar space becomes interstellar space.

Since it set of we have all got mobile phones and computers and zillions of TV programs including Big Brother. We have also had famine in Africa, a tsunami has ripped south east Asia apart, floods and earth quakes have devastated Pakistan An American President and a British Prime Minister went to war because they didn't like someone. Smallpox has gone but replaced by AIDS. Afghanistan continues to suffer war and death because to is in the wrong place. Several countries have built nuclear bombs but not yet uses them and we have had genocide in Central Africa, Global Warming has been invented, Ethnic Cleansing replaced Yugoslavia and East Germany vanished of the map of Europe and a black man is president of a country that is 10 trillion pounds in debt. Mars has had several visitors looking for life and England has had several mobs looking for something to burn and Maggie Thatcher came and went and England FC have failed on 8 occasions to win the World Cup. the population of the planet has gone up by 2 billion to almost 7 billion, most of then want a car and a lot of the have got a car and oil is running out and flat screen plasma tellies are all the rage and the biggest thing on the planet, the internet, doesn't actually exist, it just IS, looming over us all like big brother waiting to pounce or be completely disable by a coming solor storm. Talk about all our eggs in one basket. Glaciers and ice caps are joining thousands of animals and plants on something called the "Endangered List". Everyone knows we must "Do something" but just as many people know that in reality there is nothing we can do so no one does anything apart from think, "2050 is a long way of".

And Voyager 2 will just carry on going and given the emptiness of space could just keep going for ever. One day in 5 billion years a brief flash of light from the direction Voyager came from will announce the end of the Solar System and Voyager will just drift on and on wandering why no one talks to it any more.

Or maybe some time next week it will be found by an alien space craft whose occupants will say, "Looks like we have found somewhere interesting. Lets invade."

Happy birthday Voyager 2. Live for ever.

Bristol VR

2011-08-07T13:14:00.000+01:00

Actually this was the photo I meant to post, even better. Shows Torbay Rd and Devonian buses as well.

Bristol VR LFJ862W

2011-08-07T10:09:00.001+01:00

River Link here in Devon have got a new bus. Well not exactly new, it was registered in 1981 by the Western national Omnibus Company and has passed through several hands since then. I saw it making it's way up Torbay Rd Paignton yesterday morning running in service between Paignton and Totnes ( service 100). Later in the day it appeared to have been replaced by a single decker.

Click on the link to learn more of this bus's history.

Still going on about Tweenaway

2011-08-05T23:12:00.001+01:00

Sorry, I'm still going on about Tweenaway. Thursday mornimng on my way to work I drove throught in a couple of seconds but that was because the lights had failed and traffic always ends up running smothly through the junction. Some time I wonder way they don't just do away with traffic lights all together.

In the evening the lights had been fixed and traffic was all the way back to Hayes School, easily 600m from the lights. Almost no traffic coming along the ring road or from Totnes. Come on torbay council, admit the millions spent on this junction were wasted and should have been spent elsewhere.

What do gulls eat

2011-07-31T10:37:00.001+01:00

What do gulls eat when there are no visitors around to feed them fish and chips?

They go and catch a crab, that's what.

5 Buses

2011-07-31T10:28:00.001+01:00

One backloader on a wedding trip seen at the Grand Hotel plus 4 number 12s all running together at Livermead House Hotel. Assuming one og them is on time then one is 10 minutes late, the next is 20 minutes late and the last one is 30 minutes late. Is there a problem somewhere?

Tweenaway hasn't gone away

2011-07-28T00:09:00.000+01:00

This photo was taken on Monday on the Totnes Rd about 200 metres before the lights at Tweenaway Cross. Big queue of traffic suggesting that the millions spent on improving the traffic flow at this world famous junction had been wasted. That was what I was going to write when I took the photo. However I then heard there had been an accident on the ring road and the road was closed in the direction of Brixham and traffic was backed up to the junction so the millions weren't wasted after all.

Then to night at 5 pm I came out of Paignton heading up the Totnes road and came to a stop at the junction of Hayes Rd which must be 300 metres from the traffic lights. 10 minutes late I drove across the junction, coming from Totnes there were no cars waiting, from Kings Ash 3 or and the same from Brixham. Behind me there was a queue of traffic going back to Hayes Rd still.

Time for the council to either admit that the millions spent on the improvements to this junction could have been better spent buying everyone in the Bay a few pints as a consolation to not having a decent ring road or better still doing something to the timing of the lights. At the moment traffic coming out of Paignton seems to get about half the time the other 3 roads get which isn't fair.

More Information

2011-07-23T23:36:00.001+01:00

I heard yesterday that the lad who collapsed on the Strand last week (13 July) is called Elliot and was on a work experience week with Stagecoach. I have also heard that he is still in hospital being observed but should be out soon. Elliot is known here in Torbay for his contribution to torbaybuses, a site on twitter which provides information on any delays in bus running times or diversions that may be operating. He also has a web page torbaybusroutes.co.uk/ that provides comprehensive information on bus routes in the Bay and a blog at torbaybusroutes.blogspot.com .

All these sites are still running thanks to Allen who runs them with Elliot. Hopefully Elliot will be back ASAP.

Nothing to do with phone hacking

2011-07-19T11:40:00.000+01:00

A little incident the other day just to illustrate that telling untruths isn't just confined to people connected with phone hacking and politicians. I was driving along Paignton seafront toward the terminus in Paignton, only two stops to go but running slightly late due to congestion. I noticed a man standing about 40 metres past the bus stop looking at the bus. I wondered if he wanted the bus and as he was standing in a lay-by considered stopping for him. I watched him as I drove past but he gave no indication that he wanted the bus, no wave of the hand or arm outstretched so I continued to the terminus without him. I them loaded up my next load of passengers for Cockington and set of. Forty minutes later, it takes that long to do the complete round trip, I was back at the stop near where I had seen the man and he was at the stop with his arm out so I stopped. As he got on he complained he had been waiting an hour for the bus. Obviously this wasn't true and I knew it. As I gave him his ticket he then told me the previous bus had driven passed him without stopping even though he had put his hand out. I asked him had he been standing at the stop. "Right there." he said pointing at the bus stop. "With my arm out." Again not true.

As he made his way down the bus to sit down he told everyone on the bus he had been waiting for at least 2 hours and continued to complain all the way to the terminus which thankfully was only 2 minutes drive away.

Writing in the Sunday Times, Mr Clarkson said Salford, which he has never visited, was "a small suburb with a Starbucks and a canal with ducks". he has also stated that he will quit Top Gear if the BBC decide to move the program to their new studios at Salford Quays.

Please BBC, I have never asked a favour of you before but could you please decide at once to send Top Gear to Salford.

2011-07-18T09:28:00.002+01:00

With regard to my last post and the incident on the Strand. All the information I have been able to find out is that the young lad was taken to hospital with a heart problem and that he would be kept in for a few days for observation. I have looked in the local paper but there is no mention of the incident there at all. If I here more I will let you know.

Incident on The Strand

2011-07-13T23:24:00.001+01:00

I went out for my daily walk this afternoon and ended up on The Strand. I was standing near the Clock Tower roundabout looking at nothing in particular when I noticed that a car had stopper in an odd position on the roundabout. As I walked over to see what was going on I noticed a young lad, a teenager, lying in the road with the car stopped just before him. I at once went over to see if any one had dialled 999. Two people were already in attendance and of them, a Stagecoach driver had and was talking to the ambulance call centre who were questioning her about what had happened and were giving her instructions as to what action to follow until the ambulance arrived. The other person was moving the lad into the recovery position and I went to help. Before the ambulance arrive two cyclist stopped and they appeared more medically knowledgeable than me so I moved away and helped direct traffic along with a couple of bus drivers who were on the scene. In a few minutes a rapid response vehicle arrived and the driver got out and began administering to the lad. I was told then that he hadn't been hit by a car as I had first believed but had fallen while starting to cross the road and had hit his head. Soon an ambulance arrived and the crew administered CPR to the lad before getting him on a stretcher and taking him to hospital.

I have no idea how he is but when I find out I will let you know.

Happy Birthday Neptune.

2011-07-13T00:20:00.002+01:00

Happy birthday to Neptune. It's 164.79 years since Neptune was first discovered by astronomers with some considerable help from a French mathematician. And that 164.79 years is how long it takes Neptune to orbit the sun just once which is why it's happy first birthday to what is now, since Pluto fell out of the favour as a planet, the most distant planet in the solar system.

An other item that caught my notice today that mentioned years was a comment by the Senior police officer in charge of the latest investigations to the phone hacking. She was asked was she going to get the investigation right this time. Considering the failures of previous attempts to sort this on going mess out, it was a fair question. The answer given to a Parliamentary Select Committee was, "I hope so. I don't want to be here in 5 years time trying to explain why I didn't get it right." Does that mean we have to go through all this again in 2016? Mean while, with everybody's attention drawn to this growing and semmingly out of control scandel there is a question that should be asked; "Is anyone actually running the country at the moment?"

And finally, someone in the UK has just won £161 million on the Euro Lottery. Hi there who ever you are, you couldn't spare a couple of million could you? OK only asking. Seriously though, what would you do with 161 million quid?

"It can't get any worse David."

2011-07-07T23:49:00.002+01:00

A couple of days ago a backbench Tory MP sidled up to David Cameron in the House and hoping to cheer him up said, "Don't worry David, It can't get any worse." David's reply is not known but he must have known that it was about to get much worse and it has.

I remember in the early sixties the so called Profumo Affair, a government sex scandal that seemed to go on for ever with each new revelation being slowly but inevatively dragged out until the government minister, John Profumo, finally admitting he had slept with a prostitute, the same prostitute had also slept with a Russian spy. There was no suggestion that Profumo had told the prostitute, Christine Keeler, any state secrets she could pass on to the Russian spy but he had to go and the Conservative government almost collapsed following this affair.

There have been other scandals concerning government ministers including Cherie Blair's friendship with a known crook while her husband was Prime Minister and of course the MP's expences incident which senior government ministers knew about but only came out and did something about after a lot of pressure from a newspaper.

Now it seems the present Prime Minister has got an even bigger skeleton in his cupboard in the shape of Andy Coulson, his former director of communications. It would appear that at a trial held in Scotland a few months ago he stated under oath that he was not aware that The News of the World had paid police for information. Now it seems there are emails that prove he did know. That is perjury and better people than Andy Coulson have ended in in prison for perjury. And that isn't his only problem. He still has to clear himself of any involvement in phone hacking. That is looking an increasing difficult task.

Compared to all this, The Profumo Affair of 1963 is beginning to look the rather tame affair it actually was. Come back John all is forgiven.

I did suggest that not buying the News of the World this would be a good idea. I still think it's a good idea but closing the paper down shows the world what a mean bastard Rupert Murdoch is, putting hundreds of people out of work in cynical, and lets hope futile attempt to save face.

How to Hack a Mobile Phone. (Please don't try this at home (or anywhere else))

2011-07-05T23:31:00.002+01:00

In all the phone hacking items I have listened to on the news over the last few months one point never seems to have been mentioned and that is how easy it is to hack someone's voice mail or answer machine messages. In case you don't know how to do it then type "how to hack a mobile phone" in your search engine and find out. I tried it on Google and got 45 million results in 0.15 seconds. All you need is the persons phone number and their PIN number for that phone. Mobile phone companies and land line phones all have a default setting of "0000" for the PIN number. In the instruction book for my phone it says "To change PIN enter new PIN and press OK" It doesn't make any attempt to stress how important it is to change this or warn that if you don't then not nice people who work for the News of the World can listen to your voice mail. Most people will not bother because they don't expect to have to access their voice mail from an other phone. How many of you have changed this PIN? Imagine what would be happening if all credit and debit cards were sent out with "0000" as the default PIN. How much money would have vanished from thousands of bank accounts before the card issuers would have been forced to change the system of issuing PIN numbers. So why haven't mobile phone companies changed the way phones are made so as soon as you set up your new phone you get a text message telling you what your PIN number is and the need to change it as soon as possible for your own security?

PS Even if you have been reading the News of the World for the last 25 years why now give it a miss this Sunday, and next Sunday and every Sunday from now until the sordid rag folds for good and all? Or you could click here and sign a petition to stop Murdock getting full control of BSkyB and even more power and influence.

Couple of little stories from the bus.

2011-07-05T12:05:00.001+01:00

A lady boarded the bus and showed me her fare, £3.50, and then instead of putting the coins on the cash tray she looked around with a slightly puzzled look before settling on the big red box hanging in the driver's door. The one with Used Tickets printed on it in big white letters. Now this is strictly speaking for used tickets so the passengers don't litter the streets when they get of the bus with thousands of used tickets. Generally speaking it is used as a litter bin for small items such as used tickets, sweet wrappers, empty coke cans, apple cores, chewing gum and anything else you can think off including greasy plastic bags that once house sandwiches. I know all that lot were in the Used Ticket receptacle because the lady I mention a minute ago dropped her fare into this bin. Now this is a throw back to years ago on their buses. I know it was an idea used on Manchester buses in the sixties and discarded quite quickly. There was a Perspex box into which the fare was dropped through a slot. The driver then examined the money and if it was correct pulled a lever and the coins dropped into a strong box below. It was unpopular with the passengers because no change was given, it was unpopular with the drivers because there were arguments about change and it was unpopular with bus companies because the buses would run late while passenger stood on the platform trying to swap change. The idea soon vanished which shows the lady on my bus hadn't been on a bus for years.

It was also handy because it meant the Used Ticket box got emptied, probably for the first time in weeks while I sorted through the rubbish for the £3.50.

The second story came a day or two later. It had started sunny but by 9:30 thick black clouds covered the sky from horizon to horizon, a cold wind from the south west had turned up making the backs of leaves on the trees visible ( a sure sign of rain to come) and the temperature fallen by several degrees and as I pulled up at a stop a few drops of rain were making their presence know by splattering on the windscreen.

The first passenger, again a lady got on and showed her pass and I issued a ticket. She then asked, "What is it going to do today?" I looked out the window at thick black clouds covered the sky from horizon to horizon, a cold wind from the south west had turned up making the backs of leaves on the trees visible ( a sure sign of rain to come) and the temperature fallen by several degrees and the few drops of rain were still there splattering on the windscreen but joined by many more of their comrades.

"It's going to rain," said I. Well my mother told me always to tell the truth.

"Well you're a miserable sod," said my passenger before lurching down the bus.

I smilled sweetly. What else could I do.

PS it did rain.

PPS it was fine for the next 4 or 5 days after that.

Still Hell at Tweenaway.

2011-07-05T11:33:00.001+01:00

After a few days of fairly speedy traffic flow through Tweenaway Cross and hopes for a clear road the cones were back yesterday. I left Paignton at 5 pm last night and went across the traffic lights at 5:40. The journey time should have been 10 minutes at the most. The road surface has been relaid and maybe this little hiccup was caused by something simple like painting white lines. Though it could be the council have discovered the whole thing has been set out incorrectly and are just about top dig it all up and start again. Even if it is all cleared away to day there is still work to do and the road works will be back in October.

Sorry Nick, this is a stupid idea and you know it.

2011-06-24T09:58:00.001+01:00

Nice try Nick, but it just wont work. The idea of giving 47 million people in the UK shares in a couple of banks will cost to much and be seen as a vote buying scheme, a chance to make your self as popular as you were before you became Cameron's puppet.

Even at the most optimistic costing of say £5 per person to give away the shares that will cost 47 000 000 times £5 = £235 million. Then there is the cost of the banks sending out all 47 million dividends even if that only costs £5 per person that comes to and other 235 million quid. Then there will be the group of civil servants needed to deal with those people who for some reason don't get their shares or have soon other complaint or questions. The most likely question will be, "How do I sell my Shares?" as 46.5 million people try to get rid of then and make a quick buck. At £5 per person these share dealings will cost £232.5 million. We are up to three quarters of a billion pounds so far without the cost of collecting the original value of the shares from all those people trying to sell their shares. On going administration costs that will continue for years to come will easily send the cost up to a billion pounds.

Hopefully a couple of gentlemen in white coats with Care in the Community will turn up at the Houses of Parliament on Monday morning and take you away to somewhere nice and quite and you can forget all about being Deputy Prime Minister (aka Cameron's lap dog) and have a nice long rest.

On a darker note; now Midsummer's Day has passed and the nights are getting darker sooner it still looks like the government isn't going to go for Standard Time all year round. If you, Nick, want to do something for the people before the men in white coats turn up then persuade Cameron to forget to put the clocks back in September so we can enjoy lighter evening in the coming winter.

And finally, it looks like the Jet Stream, which for the last few weeks has been sweeping in off the Atlantic over Devon and Cornwall and bringing cold, wet and windy weather down here has finally decide to head north above Scotland where it really belongs. When that happens we get a hot, dry sunny summer like we used to get years ago.

Torquay is still open for business

2011-06-21T10:07:00.000+01:00

After the unexpected and, by Leicester council, unplanned for attack by zombies I am thinking of using the Freedom of Information Act to ask Torbay council what plans they have made in the event of thousands of people turning up in Torbay and expecting to have a holiday here. After the expected reply, ie, nothing, maybe thousands of people might turn up and have a holiday here just like the zombies turned up in Leicester.

Torbay Half Marathon

2011-06-19T12:27:00.000+01:00

Today was the Torbay Half Marathon. The route takes runners (and walkers) from Paignton to Torquay, back to Paignton then to Torquay before returning to Paignton for the finish. The runners in the photos have already done one lap (10 miles) and have 3 miles to go. More than I could manage.

The road has to be closed to traffic, which does cause problems both for us, Devonian Motor Services and Stagecoach but it's only once a year and all the runners look like they are having fun.

Tweenawy Cross

2011-06-19T00:05:00.002+01:00

No photos, sorry but a couple of bus drivers on the 12A agree that traffic is very light in the area. "Sailed through in no time at all." was how one driver discribed it. Hope it's like that on Monday when I working again.

The Beach

2011-06-18T23:55:00.001+01:00

This is the main beach here in Torquay and it is only 3 days to midsummer and there are only 12 people on the beach. At least the town council can't be blamed for the weather. Shame.

Duck Pond

2011-06-18T23:51:00.003+01:00

This is the Duck Pond in Torre Abbey Gardens, or it was until all the water drained away late last year. About 3 weeks ago there was an item in the local paper in which a council spokesperson stated it was going to be repaired at a cost of £50 000 and the water, and hopefully the ducks would be back by the middle of June. Well it's gone, the middle of June that is and no water and certainly no ducks. Just an ugly fence all round and a notice saying the work was being undertaken. Something is happening, look at the round marks in the concrete. Not sure what they are but they weren't there 10 days ago. The problem with council estimates as to how long a job will take is that the person who makes the estimate usually does it by throwing a dart at a calender while blindfolded and standing on his head. Tweenaway Cross is and example of the method. Why don't they just say,"We don't know how long it will take. We will let you know when it's finished.

Oak Tree

2011-06-18T22:43:00.001+01:00

Every now and then I take a photo of this tree. I stand in the same spot and over the last year or so have taken photos in all seasons so I can watch it as it changes from summer to winter and back again.

When I first took and interest in this tree I understood it was about 600 years old but it turns out it is only 450 years old which for an oak tree isn't really old.
To see some of the others I have taken click on the label "Oak Tree" below.

Banksy

2011-06-18T21:35:00.000+01:00

Some time last year I took a photo of a painting on the wall of one of the hotels in Belgrave Rd and posted it under the Tittle Graffiti, Art or Banksy. I do believe it was the first time this piece of work had been published anywhere. Banksy hasn't actually claimed to be the painter but the image is on his web site.

A couple of weeks ago the Herald Express, our local paper, carried an item about the damage done to this wall art. The Hotel owner had done his best to protect the picture, covering it with glass in a strong wooden frame but some not nice person or persons unknown came along one dark night and poured paint remover over part of the picture. Not sure why.

To see the original post click on the label "Banksy" below.

Gridlock ( Continued) & Please, Join the Real World

2011-06-17T23:54:00.000+01:00

Gridlock Day 7

Once again Tweenaway Cross roadworks played havoc with traffic flow this morning, Queues of traffic every where all going somewhere but very slowly. The photo was taken on the Totnes road about half a mile before the roadworks. Resurfacing is going ahead but there is still 22 days, provided it all goes according to schedule(sic), of work before we find out if it has all been worth it. In fact there are a lot more than 22 days to go because even though the work will stop on July 8 it will start again once this summer has passed into history. For me, more road works in October doesn't really matter, my job is only for the summer but for thousands of people in the Bay it must be a bit of a nightmare. After I had got thought the traffic in the picture I headed for Windy Corner which is the first major junction on the road coming out of Brixham. At 10:30 in the morning this section of road is usually more or less empty but today it was full of more or less stationary cars all heading for Paignton and Torquay. I turned on to the ring road and that was also full of slow moving traffic. Any visitors in the Bay from big cities must be wondering why they bothered coming. Not a good advert for Torbay.

And now a complete change of subject. "Welcome to the real world." That's a message to all those poor public sector workers who have just been told that a) they will have to contribute more to their pension, and b) it wont be quite as generous as they expected and c) they wont get it until they are 66. Now I worked as a teacher for 15 years and do in fact get a public sector pension. When I left teaching I received a letter stating that I could get my teachers pension at 60 provided I wasn't working. So when I got to 60 and was driving a bus (ie working) I didn't bother about my teachers pension. Then I got a letter from the people who run the pension scheme saying I should be getting my pension as I wasn't working 'as a teacher', fill in this form and we will send you money every month which they have been doing ever since. Very nice of them, thank you very much. Please keep sending it. It is more than my Stagecoach pension and I do remember that 6% of my teachers salary went to fund this pension which was considerably less than I paid into the Stagecoach fund but pays quite a bit more. Now public sector workers, well about 20% of them have voted to take industrial action to try and get the government to change their minds and let them retire at 60 and draw a generous pension for the next 30 or 40 years. If they do then they will receive more money as a pensioner then they drew as salary while they were working.

The question I would like to ask them is this; Where exactly is all this money going to come from? I know, we'll borrow it from Greece.