Cambridge Tries Its Hardest To Discourage Visitors
I changed trains in Cambridge yesterday and as it was a convenient time for a meal, I took the opportunity to go into the centre to have a late lunch in Carluccio’s.
Every time I go to the city, these days, it would appear that the bus stop layout is different and further from the main entrance to the station. And there’s no simple information, which has a map of the various stops and go to bus stop X for the city centre.
The first stop you come to, tells you all about the Cambridge Busway, but I know that the bus-way at the station goes to Addenbrooke’s and not the city centre.
After waiting at the wrong stop for a couple of minutes, only to see a couple of buses I could have taken, go past. So I waited ten minutes, when if there had been proper information, I’d have waited one.
When a bus did arrive, it was the usual scrum at the single door used for all entrance and exit. Visitors from London, who use the capital’s buses must really fume at the slowness. It’s even worse for people like me with a Freedom Pass, as you must take it out of your London folder to put it flat on the reader on the bus. Surely, we could have a touch and enter system based on Oyster technology all over the country now, as it’s been working in London for several years.
I knew where I was going, but I didn’t know exactly where the stop I needed was. I guessed wrong, as Cambridge buses don’t display the stop names or announce them as all sensible buses do. It must be a nightmare if you’re blind!
Coming back it was a repeat of the process; guess the stop, ask the driver, fight your way through the scrum and then walk farther than you used, to get to the train station.
It really is rather Kafkaesque and how much does it cost the city in lost visitors?
I suppose the only beneficiaries are the taxi-drivers, as those probably get a lot more business.
The Hitchin Flyover From The Cambridge Line
I went to and from Cambridge yesterday and got good views of the new Hitchin Flyover, which will take Cambridge-bound trains over the East Coast Main Line.
It is a simple, but impressive structure, that should give a lot of benefits to rail passengers.
At Least There’s No Football Team Like Chastity Bumgardner
It is reported that Charlotte Green is to be the new voice of the football results on BBC Radio 5 Live.
let’s hope that she doesn’t fall into her other persona, where she is described in the Independent as the queen of corpsing. Here’s an extract.
Green almost lost it in 2000 during a story about a woman called Chastity Bumgardner. She had proved less resilient in 1997, however, when an item about the chief of Papua New Guinea’s armed forces, Major General Jack Tuat, led into a story about a sperm whale.
I suppose she might corpse if she got the classic East Fife 4 – Forfar 5, which can happen this year as they are both in Scottish Division One. The dates to note are the September 14 and January 25.
If you don’t believe anybody is called Chastity Bumgardner, just type it into Google and the true story is not funny at all.
When Are The Hackney Eight Going To Be Reinforced?
The latest news, as reported here, that London bus routes 9 and 390 are the two next routes to be taken over by New Buses for London is good news for some. The trendy areas beloved of the chattering classes, like Notting Hill, Hammersmith and Archway, will now be targeted by the Boris buses.
But as East London is one of the areas of London with the highest level of bus use, isn’t it about time, that another route in the East was converted, or the much-loved Hackney Eight were reinforced?
At least though LT7 is back on the day job after it’s few days as a television star on Top Gear.
And what about my friends in South London, who have no routes, either converted or scheduled to be so?
UKIP MEP Plays To The Voters
We may decry the language and thoughts, that were used, as described in this report, but sad-to-say, there is a substantial number of people in this country, who agree with statements like those of Godfrey Bloom. They’re also generally against rights for women and gays, and often they will bring forth racist statements in private.
I can imagine the welcoming comments to the television as this story is being reported in some households.
Let’s hope that there are more who disagree with these views, than agree with them at the next election.
The Dalston House Comes Down
I was passing this morning and saw this sad event.
i wasn’t the only one, who thought so, and it is a real pity, that it couldn’t have been up for longer.
They Must Have A Lot Of Burger And Kebab Joints In Kingston
According to lots of reports, like this one in the Metro, the sewers in Kingston have been blocked by a fatberg which is the size of a London bus.
The last report of this type of blockage was in Leicester Square, which I was told on good authority, when I visited the sewers was close to McDonalds.
So I can only conclude that they have a lot of fast food restaurants in Kingston.
If Wet In The Great Court
I went to a Members Party at the British Museum this evening.
It was an absolute joy to wander around some of the galleries, virtually by yourself.
The experience more than justified the cost of being a member.
Twitter Abuse Is Part Of A Larger Problem
I don’t actively use Twitter, although I do post things occasionally, but I never look at what people say and don’t follow anyone.
I whole-heartedly condemn those who abuse others on the site or in fact any other site. As Mary Beard, someone who has suffered lots of abuse and threats, has just said on television, I think that abusers should face the full force of the law.
In some ways, Twitter abuse, is part of a larger problem in Internet usage. It seems that immediately some people pick up a phone or get to a keyboard, they feel they must send something inappropriate. But these people wouldn’t generally walk into their neighbour’s house and call them something unpleasant or say show a beautiful picture to someone who was obviously blind!
And it’s not just in personal life, that this happens. I get plagued by unwanted e-mails, trying to sell me a car leasing deal, from companies all over the country. I don’t particularly care and always unsubscribe, but the same companies keep sending them. If I was a driver, I certainly wouldn’t buy anything from any of them.
There is an old maxim about treating people, how you would like to be treated yourself. It would appear that this goes out the window, where the Internet is concerned.
If you abuse a dog, you can be banned by the Courts, from keeping one. Perhaps, people who don’t use the Internet courteously should be banned from having a mobile phone and denied a broadband connection.
One Of The Hackney Eight Appears On Top Gear
The seventh New Bus for London,LT7 has appeared on Top Gear tonight, driven by James May.
This link points to a picture of the actual bus, waiting at Victoria.
This is probably the only time, I’ve ever sat in an actual vehicle featured on television.
The Anonymous Widower 