A Movember Thought
This was yesterday’s Thought of Angel.
A Movember Thought
They do very well at Angel tube station to get a new thought every day.
France Looks To Cable Cars
This article from the Guardian tells how France and other places are looking for cable-car solutions to urban transport problems.
As with many things, the way to a better future is to innovate and use good design.
An Open Letter From The Leader Of Blackpool Council
This letter written by the leader of Blackpool Council and published in the Blackpool Gazette has been discussed on the BBC.
I couldn’t resist penning a reply.
In 2011, to raise money for Cancer Research after the death of my wife and son from the disease, i visited all 92 Football and Premier League clubs alphabetically by public transport.
Of all the towns and cities I visited Blackpool was the worst and most visitor-unfriendly. Turn up at any station and try to get a bus to Bloomfield Road or even find a map. Compare the town to Bournemouth, where the public transport is easily understandable.
But after my experience of Blackpool, I kept asking people I met, within day trip distance, if they ever went to the town. A plumber from Wigan said that he never went although he had many times until a few years ago. But now if he wants a day by the sea, he’ll go to Liverpool or Southport.
Blackpool needs a real change of attitude and must look at everything it does to make sure that it does the best for everybody and every business in the town.
Incidentally, I’m an Ipswich Town supporter and travel to a lot of away games from London where I live. I’ve done Blackpool twice, but I suspect never again, when I can enjoy the friendly atmosphere in places like Barnsley, Burnley, Derby, Hull and Nottingham.
I’m also a coeliac, which means I must have gluten-free food. Last time in the town, all I found was a banana and a coffee. Compare this to the lovely meal I had in that noted holiday resort called Crewe.
As it is I think I kept it quite mild!
Told Off For Not Buying A Cheap Ticket
I came back from Liverpool to Birmingham by London Midland. I didn’t have much time to get a ticket at Lime Street, especially as the one machine near my platform was broken. I was told that I could get a ticket on the train, which in fact I did.
The inspector said, I should have bought it on-line before I left, as that way I’d have got it for a fiver. I can’t remember what I paid, but I did get a normal Off Peak.
My trouble though had been that I might have stayed later in Liverpool and gone straight back to London missing the football in Birmingham.
I suspect that London Midland have been getting complaints about overpriced tickets and they’re trying to do something.
Wouldn’t it be much simpler, if we had some sort of electronic system, that worked out your cheapest ticket.
A few more ticket machines at Lime Street would have helped too!
A Pedestrian Crossing From Hell
I could have labelled this crossing between Bordesley station and Birmingham City’s ground of St. Andrews, the worst I’d seen, but the pictures didn’t do it justice.
A Pedestrian Crossing From Hell
They don’t show how there was no signs, lights or a policeman on a road, where cars took the junction at well over the legal limit. Two cars actually touched as I waited to cross.
But nothing will be done, as a proper solution would slow the cars. And cars are of course kings in Birmingham, with only losers using public transport.
One day, there’ll be a serious accident.
Is This One Of The Worst Stations In The UK?
There are two things that really despress me in stations; steep staircases and poor lighting. Bordesley station had both.
I actually tripped and fell into the train taking me back to the centre of Birmingham.
Is This The Cheapest Rail Ticket In The UK?
Look at the price on this ticket.
Is This The Cheapest Rail Ticket In The UK?
The train wasn’t bad either, even if it was an immaculate nearly-new Class 172.
So £1.25 return was definitely good value.
Where’s The Middle Door?
I took this picture of one of Birmingham’s many buses.
Where’s The Middle Door?
Outside of London, buses rarely have the second door, that all London buses do.
Two door buses have the advantage of much quicker loading and unloading, especially for buggies and wheelchairs, which results in a faster service.
A Manchester bus driver told me that the low life hangs around the driver trying to nick his money on a one-door bus, but with two doors in London you never see this behaviour, as they leave the driver to get on with his job.
The image of bus travel could be greatly improved by making every one two doors, as the service would be faster and less hassle.
And whilst they’re at, why do drivers outside of London issue me with a ticket despite the fact I have a free bus pass?
Walking Down To Lime Street
This picture brings back two memories.
Walking Down To Lime Street
In 1965, when I arrived in Liverpool for the first time to start my studies, I remember lugging my cardboard suitcase up this same hill to get a Crosville H13 bus or something like it, to my digs in Huyton. Students don’t arrive like that in universities today. They’re probably taken in style by car for a start. I think C too, had to find her own way to her place in Dale Hall.
Also shown in this picture is the old Trust House Forte, St. George’s Hotel, where we spent the weekend of April 6th, 1974. How can I be so sure of the date? It was the day that Abba won the European song contest with Waterloo. I can’t remember much else about that weekend. I don’t even know, whether the children came with us or how we travelled to the city. I can remember being served some of the worst scrambled eggs of my life and the look of disgust on what his staff had produced on the restaurant manager’s face, as he wrung the whey out of them with his hand.
I have discussed this story of the scrambled egg with my son and he said he was there. We did go to the Grand National in either 1978 or 1979, but then we went afterwards to the Lake District. It couldn’t have been 1974 as Red Rum won that year on the 30th March. So as the memory of Abba is I believe right, that puts us there a week later.
The streets of Liverpool are paved with memories. Sadly, all the pictures from the time have been lost.
Liverpool University’s Metric Signs
All of the fingerposts around the campus at Liverpool University are metric.
I’ve never seen so many metric signs in the UK. Even Liverpool council avoids the argument by using minutes, as one picture shows.
The Anonymous Widower 