2012

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

Boxing Day Bus

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

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.

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

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.