Oxford, High Wycombe & surrounding areas

updated - Monday 7th August 2000

The next update will be on Sunday 14th August 2000

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.

Problems with the pictures ! - sometimes it seems that the pictures do not load.
I have found a solution which does work normally - 
RIGHT CLICK ON THE PICTURE AND THEN CLICK ON "SHOW PICTURE"
Good luck !

A week with some days spent in Somerset provided the opportunity to get some shots of private hire and open top operators in the City of Bath. I have included two below. Another day at Glorious Goodwood gave a further opportunity to snap a Tappins some distance from home. I am also pleased to publish a record of a days observations by correspondent Vic Gacowski in Oxford on Tuesday 1st August 2000 plus another shot from Memory Lane !

Fleet News and observations week ending 5/8/00

Cambridge Coach Services/Jetlink

311 - N 311 VAV on 757 at Gloucester Green working 1510 Departure (Dep apx 15 Late) was having Fitters to a Defective Mirror. Alongside was -
312 - N 312 VAV on 767 on 1520 arrival for 1600 Departure . 
Looked Good - Both Together and Both Still in Silver Grey/Blue Livery

Oxford Bus Company (City of Oxford Motor Services)

Details of the proposed new Oxford Bus Company garage can be seen on the company web page under the news section.

http://www.oxfordbus.co.uk/ 

A few notes based on observations in Oxford by Vic Gacowski on Tuesday 1st August - Some strange moves as you will see. The Road Works by Folly Bridge on the Abingdon Road were causing major delays for all operators.

Misc.
-------
620 - Empty High St into St Aldates at 1053 and back St Aldates into the High at 1055 still empty.

4 Road
----------
223
632 
638
639
641

5 Road
----------
812 - At 1058 Up the High into St Aldates NOT IN SERVICE
802 - At 1115 Queen St into the High on a 5 in service "Bus Garage" only
807 - At 1222 High St into St Aldates NOT IN SERVICE 
806 - At 1228 Queen St into the High - NOT IN SERVICE

13 Road
------------
515

15 Road
------------
656

16 Road
------------

1210 ex Minchery Farm due 1235 arrived via High St at 1232. Bus not recorded.

22 Road
------------ 
Both Cards were Olympians - 208 (A) and 222 (B)
Note - 222 - 1032 Risinghurst - Stations arrived up the High at 1049 (On Time) but was showing Sandford - Oxford Rail Station.

35 Road
------------

615 on Card D - arrived up the High on Diversion at 1058 on 1050 arrival . Just time to change the blind and get into St Aldates for the 1100 to Didcot.
604 on Card A - arrived up the High on Diversion at 1108 on 1105 arrival . Next work 1115 Dep ex St Aldates. 
604 on Card A - arrived up the High on Diversion at 1222 just 2 late. Next work 1230 Dep ex St Aldates.

300 Road - Diverted - High Street Arrivals all en route to Pear Tree
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
115 at 1049 Card F
101 at 1054 Card G
104 at 1104 Card H
108 at 1104
109 at 1112 
117 at 1115 Card B
108 at 1158 
112 at 1234 Card E
105 at 1222 Card D - See Below
106 at 1238 Card C

105 at 1110 on Card D - NOT IN SERVICE Queen Street into High St - Assume Empty to Redbridge to catch up as it arrived back up High Street at 1222 en route to Pear Tree 

Oxford Express
-----------------------
54 - 1100 to LHR - Card in Window instead as this is an X90 allocated coach.

Oxford Classic Tour.

Newly Aquired Olympian/Alexanders in service -
300 - E300 MSG
301 - E301 MSG
302 - E302 MSG

Also Atlantean BFS 48 L still in service

303 - E303 MSG - Seen Wednesday

Stagecoach Oxford.  

516 - working a 27 to Bicester

904 - Working a 32A to Didcot

913 - was Allocated to Chipping Norton on Card B

925 - Seen on 7A with "Driver Training" on the Destination but with a 7A Barton - Kidlington board in the window. Had the system jammed ?.

938 - BLACKBIRD FLYER worked X31 to Wantage

Wycombe Bus Company

275 route

621 - 0940 High Wycombe - Oxford and 1050 back
622 - 1140 High Wycombe - Oxford and 1250 back 

We hope the foregoing is of interest, showing as it does, how varied a days workings can be in any city especially Oxford..

I will be pleased to receive your reports for this section
Please send your reports to MalcolmHC@aol.com and thank you for all your sightings, they are most welcome.

  PHOTO CORNER
If anyone else has a digital camera and wishes to submit photos for this page please send them to the above email.

Ex Oxford Bus COMS Bristol VR 106 seen operating an open top tour in Bath last Saturday.
If you love open toppers, then Bath is probably the next place in the UK after London !

Tuesday at Goodwood and we see Tappins Volvo/Plaxton G417YAY leaving, after
a day racing for its passengers, in the charge of a very smart lady driver !

Saturday sees one of several Tappins coaches passing through Bath.
Volvo/Van Hool K302GDT shows its passengers the sights.

Memory Corner by the Editor.

The early '60s saw your Editor living and working in the Manchester area. The PSV Circle
enjoyed an Evening Drive on the then new M6 in a Classic Coach, 
Commer 2 stroke/Harrington Contender ULG 521 was our mount.
This coach had been a show exhibit at Earls Court and was bought by
Godfrey Abbott Tours. It had a fine turn of speed reaching 70 mph easily on the 
then almost empty M6 between Knutsford and Warrington.
The crackle of the exhaust is well remembered by all those who took this trip.

Photo courtesy of Peter Roberts (PSV Circle Manchester)

 If anyone has any further news please email below.

Malcolmhc@aol.com 

It adds to the interest of the page which I'm sure everyone appreciates.

THE OXFORD BUS MUSEUM