from THE OXFORD BUS PAGE
News & Pictures from:
 Oxford, High Wycombe, The Chilterns & surrounding areas

Issue 210
Sunday 4th August 2002

Please note that any comments made in this news page are those of the Editors' and in no way constitute 
any official points of view from the bus companies mentioned,  or indeed any other official body. 
As a news page we reserve the right to make valid comments as seen from an editorial point of view.

Visit the Archive Pages going back to 1998

Your reports are welcome at malcolmhc@aol.com

Passing buses could be the cause of bus shelter damage.

A report in The Oxford times this week suggests that damage, previously thought to be vandalism,
could in fact be caused by passing buses and coaches.

Welcome to issue 210 with coverage of local events in our area and of course the latest bus news. This week it was reported that a local man had witnessed glass panes falling out of a bus shelter on London road, Headington, as a PCV passed by. The witness aid that, at a 1115pm last Monday, he saw an inbound London service passing the shelter. There was an almighty bang and two big panes of glass fell out. It is suggested that a vacuum effect from the bus could have caused the damage. I spent sometime last Saturday morning by this shelter but was unable to verify this story by personal experience. I can only say that if this was the case, and there is no proof, the shelter must be of very flimsy construction. This would be born out by the total destruction of the shelter in Witney reported in these pages some weeks ago.

A letter from a reader in The Bucks Free Press criticises the appalling bus service provided by Arriva in South Bucks. The criticism centred on the 372 service which it is claimed failed to turn up on three different occasions. The writer highlights several other instances and says "until a couple of years ago, the majority of bus services in Wycombe were run by the Wycombe Bus Company, part of the Go-Ahead group, quite a customer focused organisation. It must have been a sad day for their passengers to find services taken over by Arriva." Of course many will realise that the 372 has always been operated by Arriva and its forebears and as such WBC were not involved in that route. However there was much criticism earlier this years about Arriva and much effort has been made to improve local services. Indeed this last week saw the operations of Arriva at Cressex merged with those at Newlands Bus Station and all vehicles transferred to NBS. Maybe things will now improve to the relief of local travellers.

Another item of interest was a report from Geoff Cunliffe, a regular visitor to Oxford from the north. He says "One of the things my wife and I enjoy when visiting The Cotswolds is seeing the television programme called Heart Of The Country (Tuesdays, 7.30pm, Carlton Central). I couldn’t believe it when, on 23^rd. July, there was an item about this group of professional people who gathered, in the early morning, under the M40 motorway at Junction 6. That is, of course, the Lewknor Turn. Sure enough, eventually there was a nice shot as an Oxford Tube loomed into view then a through the windscreen shot as it rejoined the motorway to climb up Stokenchurch Cutting. The item pointed out the difficulties these commuters face. Oxfordshire CC will not provide them with a shelter for when it rains, and, apparently, the Police have been tetchy about them parking in the area. The main thrust of the item was that these people are doing exactly what the Government wants – leaving their cars and using public transport to access the capital – yet they are finding very negative local attitudes from the authorities. Quite a nice little item really." 

Finally The Oxford times reports that there has been a cautious welcome to the take over of Chiltern Queens services by Thames Travel. As reported later in this issue Thames Travel have taken the three newest Volvo B6s from CQ and many of their services. This south Oxfordshire independent is growing at a fast rate and its fleet has doubled in the past 12 months. The service in question in the article is the town service in Didcot, subsidised by the County. There have been many complaints about unreliability in the past 12 months. It is hoped that Thames Travel will provide a more reliable service.

The tour buses are enjoying a good season but so far there is no obvious amalgamation of the workings of the services with ex guide Friday buses seemingly competing with their new owners own services, marketed under the Oxford classic tour Banner. Above we see 301 loading in Broad Street last Saturday.

And so on to local company news and a bumper number of photos, some older ones being sent by Steve Annells.

News of the local companies - 4th August 2002

Airlinks

The 757 to and from Oxford seems a regular haunt of the three Plaxton Panther bodied Volvo B10Ms from
Stort Valley. Here 823 heads towards Oxford out of Wycombe today.
 

Arriva serving The Shires & Essex

Arriva in Newlands Bus Station which now houses 65 buses following the closure of Cressex depot last week.
Two of the Volvo B6s which work the H18 rest up today, Sunday.

Once a parking area, part of the bus station is being walled up to provide additional maintenance facilities.
Also seen is the Easy rider Bucks CC Solo 0442.

Newlands Bus Station, High Wycombe (NBS) - eff 4th August 2002

Optare Solo 0442

Lynx:3068,3069, 3070,3345.

Dennis Dart SLF:3821,3822,3823,3824,3825,3826,3827

Dennis Dart DW:3811,3812,3813,3814,3815, 3816, 3817, 3818

Scania:3144,3145,3146,3158,3163,3169

Volvo B10B :3841,3842,3843,3844,3853,3854,3855

Total:65

Beckwith

Last Tuesday I was at Goodwood Races, (Glorious Goodwood) and chanced upon local operator Beckwith providing transport for a group of racegoers. His coach was well turned out and well up to standard. JSV362 is seen below.

Charlton Services

Roland Cox writes "Charlton Ex Reading Optare L616LJM was in the garage being prepared for repaint."

Heyfordian

Roland Cox writes "In Bicester yesterday and in the yard were Duple 425 1435VZ reregistered back to G648YVS (seen above Ed.) and Dennis Plaxton 7958NU back to B674GWJ.

Oxford Bus (City of Oxford Motor Services)  http://www.oxfordbus.co.uk

Steve Annells sent a number of interesting photos for this week's page. Above is Daimler Fleetline/NCME 374 in a most attractive advertising livery.

In later days the same bus carried advertising for National Bus.

Oxford Bus used to have a travel agency at Carfax and a bus was painted up to advertise this fact. Above we can see 432, an interesting number, since a north Western Bristol K5G is preserved and was NWRCC 432! COMS were great exponents of advertising buses, all completed in their own paint shops.

Another Steve Annells offering. Ex Midland Red Leopard nr 24 on route 42.
a far cry from today's 24, a Volvo Airport coach.

Volvo B10BLE 802 is nearing completion of accident repairs and a repaint. When it emerges shortly it will have gained a dot matrix front destination display.

Tuesday 30th July Dart 515 on 2L card, 609 on X3A card, Trident 101 on 5L card and 214 on 5J card.

Wednesday 31st July saw 224 on 2B card, 620 on X3C card, Dart 512 on 4J card, 805 on 13F card and unusually 637 on 5 road (5F)

With winter approaching it will be interesting to see if the Olympians survive another season. They still look good and are giving excellent service.
 

That bus shelter again, this time with Oxford 19 running in from London with Jan France driving.

Oxford's Olympian 224 putting in time on the 400 Park & Ride last Saturday..

Stagecoach South Midlands Group

Keith Wood writes "SiW Leamington Depot is applying "Stagecoach in Warwickshire" vinyls to it's vehicles still in Stripes. 217 and 922 were in Coventry yesterday with them placed over removed "Stagecoach Midland Red" vinyls.

Also in Leamington from 2/9/02 SiW will be running WCC tendered service 69 to Lillington to replace sections abandoned with the reorganisation of the 67 & 68 services. Other service changes affect the Southam area services 63/64/65.

Expansion of Prologis Park in Coventry will result in Services 50/51 being extended and running reverse way around Keresley Village. This also takes place on 2/9/02.

Rugby Mercs 405/406 and Leamington Olympian 921 are in New Livery."

The recently transferred London Olympians, 528-530 are now in service and have excellent displays.
528 is seen here alongside Tube 47 at Horspath Road Garage last Saturday.

530 receives attention in Horspath Garage last Saturday.

The Kidlington Cavalier MAN s have yet to receive the new livery. Here 923 runs past that stop again.

Thames Travel, Wallingford

Some significant developments at Thames Travel are reported this week. Ralph Adams writes -

The D1/2/3 local services also came to TT last Monday  Dart MPD - Plaxton B29F  W366ABD  29 seat on hire from Robert Splesser of Perth (with their disc) arrived last Monday also I was informed (but not yet seen) that the Chiltern Queens multi coloured Darts are also coming to Thames Travel.

Week commencing 4th August 2002

Service 136 (Chiltern Queens):  This route is taken over by Thames Travel.  There is no change to route but the morning service into Reading will operate 30 minutes later (leaving Nuffield at 0950).  Return from Reading stays the same (1330).
Services C and G (Chiltern Queens):  These services are taken over by Thames Travel.  No change to route and times but service C (via Harpsden) is renumbered 145 and service G (via Rotherfield Greys) is renumbered 146.
Service D (Chiltern Queens):  This Stadhampton to Wallingford route is taken over by Thames Travel and incorporated into the Friday timetable of service tb103.  There is an increase from one journey in each direction to three.
Henley Town Services H1, H2 and H3 (Chiltern Queens):  These services are taken over by Thames Travel and renumbered 151, 152 and 153 respectively.  There are no changes to times, routes or frequencies. Full timetables for all new Thames Travel services can be found on the Thames Travel website or by contacting the company on 01491 874216.

As a result of these changes the three VolvoB6BLEs until now with Chiltern Queens have , as of this afternoon, been absorbed into the Thames Travel fleet. They are

W992BDP (EL Spryte N31F) - Y313KDP (EL Spryte N36F) and Y877KDP (EL Spryte N31F)

It is expected that they will be repainted white in due course.

July 7th saw TT extend the 103 to Cutteslowe and there has also been a small change to the tb103 which now stop short and hearer to Asda in Wheatley.

Many stops now have a proper timetable display and maps.

W552WAP picks up in Wheatley last Saturday prior to its cross city journey to Cutteslowe.

Under the old railway bridge in Horspath 552 nears Oxford.

Journeys end in Cutteslowe, 552 at the terminus and ready to return to Wheatley.

If you wish to be included on a mailing list where I will advise of any mid week news please
let me know on malcolmhc@aol.com

PHOTO CORNER
If you have a digital camera and wish to submit photos for this page please send them to the me at 
malcolmhc@aol.com

Following your item re the "Bus and Coach Stop" signs in Bladon how about the attached  -   
a trolleybus passing through there in 1983 !  -  a rare sight in Oxfordshire.
[This was on the occasion of the movement of the stock of the Oxford Bus Museum
from the old site near Shipton-on-Cherwell to the present location at Long Hanborough]
Photo by Brian Matthews (Witney)

I welcome your photos for inclusion on this page.
malcolmhc@aol.com

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