Fleet news 1970

I was lucky to be given a small collection of old Buses Magzines from random dates in the 1970's so while I am still internettally challenged I bring you Fleetnews from Buses 178 (Jan 1970)...

Plymouth:

23 JJY523 a 1954 Leyland PD2/12 with Leyland H30/26R bodywork has been withdrawn from service and is now in use as a trainer. Similar 378 HJY278 has been acquired by the Shrangri-La Holiday Camp near Clacton-on-Sea and is used to provide free transport during the holiday season.

Meanwhile up the road Exeter City Council have agreed to sell their 65 bus fleet to the National Bus Company for £190,000 subject to negotiations with the aim to complete on the 1st April 1970.

More of these old updates over the coming weeks as I for one find them fascinating!

Solong

It seems that the Optare Solo has not been a big hit with Citybus, or it may just be a case that there is a greater need elsewhere. At least 212 has already been noted in Poole as Damory Coaches 3713.
211 &213 had been reported as being out of service while 210 has been on training duties in August with Citybus.
I had one report saying 3 were heading to the South Coast fleets but I would be surprised if we keep just one in Plymouth

Tamar Valley Take Off

THE TAMAR Valley Train line is one of the fastest growing branch lines in Britain.
New figures published by the Association of Train operating Companies (ATOC) state that the Plymouth to Gunnislake and the Liskeard to Looe, Looe Valley lines have seen increases of more than 20 per cent.
Passengers made 169,388 journeys on the Tamar Valley Line between April 2010 and March 2011, an increase of 21.8 per cent over the same period in 2007 and 2008. This gave the line ninth place in the branch line league table. On the Looe Valley Line, 95,446 journeys were made between April 2010 and March 2011, an increase of 23.8 per cent over 2007 and 2008, ranking the line eighth in the table.
This is Plymouth

[cc] Sou'Wester March 1986

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Related Links

• Sou'Wester Flickr

Elsewhere on the net

• It all began with a query from No. 3 son who asked, "What's that undergound station that isn't an underground station near Euston?" Public Transport Experience
• Here’s a vehicle that would make Brian Souter proud. Nicknamed Stagecoach, it’s US President Obama’s touring coach that bears no resemblance whatsoever to Stagecoach’s Citylink Gold or the 18th & 19th century pioneering covered wagons helping to open up the American Mid-west Omnibuses
• The Alexander Y-type was the standard body for single deckers in Scotland for 20 years.They were mostly built on Leyland Leopard chassis, but some AECs, Albions, Fords, and Bristols were also constructed. There were also Seddons. TGP Photos Unlimited
• Gnosticism is the knowledge of transcendence arrived at by way of interior, intuitive thought. Gnosticism begins with the fundamental recognition that earthly life is filled with suffering. Indeed, one finds that most Gnostic writings take the forms of myths." Public Transport Experience

Flickr Sunday Best: Leyland Lynx, F608RTC

©WestwardPM
October 2000

I always liked these buses. Nothing has ever pullled up hills quite as well as these could.

Evolution 2

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Elsewhere on the net

• Are They Having a Laugh? Still Sniggering! Public Transport Experience
• £181,000,000 (say it quickly and it doesn't sound too bad) seems an awful lot of pennies for a few strips of concrete. And very nice they look, too Public Transport Experience
• One of the minor irritations I find on timetables produced by a certain publicity house is the misuse (or non-use) of capital letters at certain timing points Omnibuses
• "Muileann" is easy if you see the link to the Gallic, i.e. French, "moulin". It means "mill". And this IS the mill in about 1920. Public Transport Experience
• Go Ahead have purchased new and expanded a number of their existing companies in the recent years. Their most recent acquisition is Thames Travel Southern England Bus Scene
• Milngavie was served by Glasgow Trams and buses of the Alexander Midland company. Public Transport Experience
• Omnibuses’ Northern Correspondent reports a little controversially on enthusiasts from the frozen north. Don’t blame me Omnibuses
• Is it too much to hope for that bus companies will stop their petty spats with train companies, stick to the shorter-distance and fill-in stuff they’re better at, and realise that we’re all in it together against the private car? Omnibuses
• I have long nurtured the idea of taking one of my buses to Lathalmond to visit the Scottish Vintage Bus Museum for the rally in August. So when we were out in my Bristol SUL4A with ECW C33F body we hatched the plan. Last Thursday the four of us ( Terry B, Ken, Woody and I ) set out for a six day trip with over a thousand miles of driving. TGP Photos Unlimited
• The N reg Airbus Volvo Olympians have been going through a re-painting programme over the last few weeks down in Cornwall PTOTPA
• The Oxford Bus Company have recently invested in 18 Enviro400 Hybrid double deckers to replace the fleet of Dennis Trident double deckers on Oxford's Park and Ride network. Southern England Bus Scene
• Dire forecasts of a widening gap in service provision come from research sponsored by The P.T.E.G. Omnibuses
• It seems to me, when it comes to reactions to the colourful output from Stenning’s Best Impressions design house, that reactions are actually very black & white. You love them or loathe them. There’s very little in between. Omnibuses
• As well as John Betjeman's Rhododendron Ponticum invasion, the once secluded and up-market suburb of Broomhill (in Sheffield) has been invaded by the University and its student accommodation and by swish business offices in former Victorian mansions. Public Transport Experience

Is it fare?

Catching up with news from the past week we start with the new Citybus fares...
We have revised a couple of our fares, with the following changes being effective as of 4th September 2011.
We have NOT made any changes to any other tickets or fares apart from the following transfer tickets and single and return fares on some price bands.
Below are the revised fares as of 4th September.
Adult Single Fares
£1.30, £1.60, £2.00 or £2.30
Adult Return Fares
£1.70, £2.30, £2.90 or £3.20
Young Person’s / Student Single Fares
We are making all our young person's / student single fares a flat fare of £1.00*
Young Person’s / Student Return Fares
We are making all our young person's / student return fares a flat fare of £1.50*
Transfer Tickets
Adult £3.00 - Young Person's / Student £2.30
*Young Person’s / Student fares above are not available from the driver before 9.30am. Below we have highlighted tickets we have launched on the key to enable reduced rate travel before 9.30am.
Plymouth Citybus 24 August 2011

It is interesting what they have done with the young persons fare with a flat £1 single / £1.50 return. This is of course after 9.30 before then adult fares will be charged - which is when they are on the way to school! Might make the journey to work in the morning slightly nicer with less school kids on the bus?
This is of course the second price rise this year.

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I will catch up on the recent links with the next post...

Citycoach news

A quick post by email...

The new look Citycoach fleet continues to take shape

We hope 318 will arrive this Friday. I believe the coach is blue and we will add the finishing touches before she goes out earning money.

 

Registration number will be BX61 DKV

 

316 will start to receive its new colours this week as the prep work has now been completed

Hopefully regular blogging will resume shortly

--
Graham
www.plymothiantransit.com
because Plymouth needs an anorak or two


Twitter
@didbygraham
@PlymTransit

Bread van on Royal Parade.

Plymouth 31
Nice little photo of Plymouth Citybus Breadvan D131LTA just seen on Flickr.

Shared from my mobile as no internet again...

Evolution

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Elsewhere on the net

• Smartcards may have their downside and they may not be quite as robust as we all like to think. But tokens were never much of an answer, if we’re honest. Omnibuses
• As Plymouth Citybus continues to add more of their double deck B7s, we see further single deck B7s disappear from FDC's Plymouth fleet PTOTPA
• Delving into Dagenham Dock [outtakes]? Bits missed out from the recent mini-series. Public Transport Experience
• Yesterday, I visited Guildford for the first time. Southern England Bus Scene
• The August 2011 copy of the Chartered Institute of Transport’s* journal lists the finalists in its annual awards for excellence Omnibuses
• Before I re-start regular reports I thought I'd use the views from my trips to Southend and Hull. Having gone all that way to get the photos it would be a shame not to share them. Transport Illustrated
• On the way to Sandtoft for the Bradford Trolleybus Centenary I made a quick visit to the former, unloved county of Humberside Transport Illustrated
• Southern Vectis will take over routes from the former Wightbus network from 5th September, which will see SV take on a lot of routes they previously have operated in some form. Southern England Bus Scene
• The 1950 edition of Bradshaw's guide showed nine trains a day between Cambridge and St Ives. We may look longingly into the rosy-hued past, but a "proper" railway would never have been able to offer a 10 minute frequency Public Transport Experience

Flickr Sunday Best: Milehouse

From John Evans (BusPreservation) collection we have this great shot of a line up at Milehouse Depot. This doe shave a look at 'Death Row' about it. No date known.

Members of the PCTPG would kill to have access to a collection of buses like this!

Off the Hook

When I took this photo last month I wasnt to know it would probably be my last photo of a Hookways vehicle.
But what a fine bus to end on.


(Posted via Flickr from work still no internet at home!)

Citybus - now and then!

Fireworks

Last night and tonight sees the annual fireworks competition on The Hoe.
Plymouth Citybus have this fine looking advert bus for the event which I finally managed to catch on camera in Milehouse back on the 24th July.

Presumably it will be re-liveried shortly?

(posted via Flickr due to lack of internet acces at home last night!)

Citycoach 2011

At last we can now bring you the full complete view of the new City Coach livery thanks to Brian George. ©Brian George.
The more I see of it, the more I like it!

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Related Links

• Our new brochure highlights all trips we running between September and December, including shopping trips, weekend breaks, trips to London, fun days out and even a look forward to our Christmas outings. Plymouth Citycoach

Elsewhere on the net

• It’s just as well we have Facebook to help sort our passengers out. With yesterday’s Plymouth Citybus switch from Wayfarers to ERG ticket machines there was and will be some inevitable confusion, especially this morning Omnibuses
• Back to the delights of Dagenham Dock An Empty Bus Station Exudes Excellence! Public Transport Experience
• Most English local authorities are cutting subsidies to unprofitable bus routes in a move that threatens to leave pensioners out in the cold, Channel 4 News learns. Channel Four News
• Direct links to Provincial are rare these days, but today when out photographing I found two in one place. Southern England Bus Scene

Low Key launch for The Key

After much anticipation our new key smartcard will be launched on Sunday 14th August.
Existing young person card holders have been sent a new smartcard with 1 days free travel. All Adult customers have been sent a new card with existing travel credits transferred to the new card. Please check the balance on your new card to ensure the correct credit has been transferred and zone applicable to your travel. This can be done by clicking the Plymouth unlocked image above, and then logging on to your account.
For travel credit issues please send an email to thekey@plymouthbus.co.uk with your current freedom card number (written under the name on the card) together with your new card number (written under your name on the front of the pass), and we will check and update our records within the next 7 days.
Alternatively, please take your Freedom card and your new key to our Debenhams Travel Centre, where our staff will be able to assist you.
The ability to top up and purchase on line will be available next week.
All customers are advised to visit our travel centre in Debenhams to purchase new products. Customers with 1 week products on their card can top up their key on-board the bus. 1 and 7 day paper tickets will continue to be available from the driver, and from shops displaying the Paypoint logo.
If you have any other queries with your new card please call 0845 077 2223 and press option 2 where a service representative will be able to answer your query.
If you have not received your key, please let us know as soon as possible by email or by visiting our Travel Centre in Debenhams.
We apologise for any inconvenience caused whilst we launch our new key.
Plymouth Citybus

The Plymouth launch of The key does seem to have been quite Low Key (pun intended) compared with elsewhere in the Go Ahead Group. Go Northern have a few buses in a special overall advert livery for The Key while we just have a few normal adverts carried on a few buses. At Derriford Hospital staff received an email on Friday advising us to check with the company if we hadn't received our new pass. I only received mine on Friday and I know other staff were also still waiting for them at that time. Citybus have said that there will be a period of grace where they will still accept the old passes as I am sure many passengers will be unaware of the new Key and the need to change their passes. The first they will know is when they use their pass today and the driver points out they need a new one!
Many will wonder just why they need a new pass as in use the new pass does not seem much different to the older one. Of course this does assume that the new machines work properly! I guess I will find out on my way to work today...
I am sure there will be issues with the new cards this week. Any new technology product these days seems prone to breakdown. Oxford was just one of the areas where problems with the new pass hit the local headlines for a few weeks.
As I said Go North East launched their Key with a lot more publicity including a series of Flash mobs:

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Elsewhere on the net

• During my recent trip to Wales, I found many connections with home, such as old local buses operating in new areas, or buses from the same batch as what we have locally Southern England Bus Scene
• It's Sadly Died, our Civic Pride [1] Once Proud of our Public Services ... ... but Now? Public Transport Experience
• Yesterday, Plymothian Transit offered a glimpse of what is to come (tomorrow) for the first of a dozen or so Plymouth Citycoaches, the coach unit of Go Ahead's Plymouth Citybus Omnibuses
• It's Sadly Died, our Civic Pride [2] Pride and Prejudice? Public Transport Experience
• Today's story has to be about the London-Surrey Cycle Race which was a test event for the Olympic Games next year and which took place today. Leon Daniels
• Light Horizontal Short – The Bristol LHS TGP Photos Unlimited

Flickr Sunday Best: WDR665M, Plymouth City, No.65.

©Andy Riley
Exeter Coach Station.

With all the focus on the new Citycoach livery
we end the week with one of the earliest citybus 'coach' liveries with this superb shot of Leyland National 65 which was a decent bus with very comfortable seats, and therefore ideal for the run to Exeter.

Click on the photo to explore more of Andy's photos...

Yep it really is blue!

©Tom Pearce
Thanks to Tom for a quick first glimpse of the new Plymouth City Coach livery. Stunning!

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I started the business in November 2010 after meeting Chris Dawson and being inspired to be like him so I decided to put my enthusiasm for buses into a business and came up with the idea of southwest bus. My first advert was put into the bus and coach preservation mag this month And We Will Be at Torquay Rally with Small Stall. Website: www.southwestbusmodels.co.uk 

Tom Pearce

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Elsewhere on the net

• Rural-dwellers who are unemployed, young or old, or disabled are increasingly stuck in their homes and unable to access essential services because of savage cuts to public transport in the countryside, MPs have warned. Guardian
• My final post from Weymouth - this is a round up of the other services in the town with a heavy bias towards First, as South West Coaches haven't really changed since my last visit nearly a year ago. Southern England Bus Scene
• On his blog yesterday evening, Leon Daniels paid tribute to platform & admin staff in London for the way in which they carried on during this week’s civil disturbances. Omnibuses
• Oxford Singles TGP Photos Unlimited
• Delving into Dagenham Dock [4] East London Transit Arrives ... Public Transport Experience

Citycoach gone blue

©Solenteer
A great shot of former Plymouth Citycoach 304 now with Southern Vectis in their Moss Coaches division. Any day now we should get our first view of the new Plymouth City Coach livery. Very strong rumours suggest it will be blue. (It wouldn't be the first time I was wrong though!)

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Related Links

• Solenteer Flickr

Elsewhere on the net

• Last year, First Hants & Dorset, Wilts & Dorset and Dorset County Council reintroduced the link between Swanage and Weymouth Southern England Bus Scene
• fbb has negligible expertise on the history of London bus services. Two absolutely splendid experts have helped here, unknowingly, via the interweb. Public Transport Experience
• Phone enquiries taken by the nation’s Traveline operators are in free fall, yet the overall number of queries is increasing. Confused? Omnibuses
• Lynx TGP Photos Unlimited
• Southern Vectis Olys in Weymouth Southern England Bus Scene

Just a few weeks later

One of the buses on display at the bus rally last month was this modern low floor bus. It had just been purchased from Stagecoach into preservation by James Pratt and was show partially rubbed down and not looking that good at all...

Whgat a difference a couple of weeks later...
©James Pratt
She looks fantastic and is a real credit to James. It was a shame that the Plymouth Rally was a few weeks too early but I am sure she will be back! Congratulations to James for a job well done.

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Related Links

• James Photo stream - lots more photos of 701! Flickr

Elsewhere on the net

• Turmoil on the streets and stock exchange there may be but Omnibuses’ Northern Correspondent reports on one part of the UK where matters are definitely smooth & calm. Omnibuses
• When the London Tilbury and Southend Railway opened its more direct route via Upminster in 1885, a station was built at Dagenham, on the Rainham Road, later the A112. Public Transport Experience
• Local Malta manufacturer Scarnif from Luqa used mechanical units from imported ERF trucks and including them into new build coaches calling them Optimal. They mostly had Cummins L10 engines. Eight were used in Gozo, whilst three more were on Malta. TGP Photos Unlimited
• Regular readers will remember that, from 24th July, Stagecoach and First shook hands, kissed, made friends and started JOINTLY operating the busy cross-city bus route between Fulwood, Sheffield and Halfway as service 120. Public Transport Experience
• On Sunday 7th August the long awaited and heavily criticised Cambridgeshire Guided Busway or The Busway as it has become know finally opened for business. Andys Bus Blog
• A coachload of elderly and infirm people from the Nottingham area arrive in Plymouth on a sunny day for a game of bowls on The Hoe before heading off to sink The Spanish Armada. Busworld Photography

PVL Run Down Part 2

A run down of the current state of play regarding the Volvos from Go Ahead London with Plymouth Citybus.
425

426

427

428

429

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Elsewhere on the net

• In 1707, the River Thames had broken through the protective sea defences in south Dagenham and flooded the marshland beyond. Public Transport Experience
• Yesterday was the ninth rally at Stokes Bay, Gosport, organised by the Provincial Society Southern England Bus Scene (welcome back!)
• Arriva is about one year through an unconventional “Roadmap” training exercise integrated into its dCPC driver training. Omnibuses
• Some Supremes TGP Photos Unlimited
• Yesterday, Omnibuses’ Northern Correspondent threw a sickie & set out early from his northerly comfort zone to report from Cambridgeshire on the first real test of the busway... Omnibuses
• Oxford Deckers TGP Photos Unlimited

PVL Run down Part 1

A run down of the current state of play regarding the Volvos from Go Ahead London with Plymouth Citybus.
420

421

422, 423
Didnt get either of these two on camera but at least one of them was in the paint shop at the time

424
The others to follow tomorrow!

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Elsewhere on the net

• With the need to modernise the buses at attempt to produce a locally built low floor low emission vehicle was made by Frans Attard a builder of bodies at a worshop at Il-Kalakku. Known as Scarnif (an anagram of Francis) they had built eleven Optimals, coaches with most using ERF mechanicals. TGP Photos Unlimited
• The Cambridgeshire Guided Busway finally opens [today], Sunday 7th August, and at 25km will overtake Adelaide's O-Bahn (on which it was partly based) as the world's longest guided busway. Human Transit
• There aren't many places left in the UK where you can still get a view like this! This is of course, Blackpool, where I spent 4 days of the family holiday PTOTPA
• Man’s best friend can be quite troublesome when it comes to using the bus. Most operators accept dogs at the discretion of the driver Omnibuses
• Whey hey, some Dart variety in Plymouth! You're eyes do not deceive you PTOTPA
• Why Bother with Wyming Brook? Some devious detective delving reveals all. Public Transport Experience
• fbb has been reminiscing about youthful visits to Wellingborough. Alas he has not visited that locality since his student days, but has passed through, at speed; initially on High Speed Trains ... Public Transport Experience

Flickr Sunday Best: Western National 1140 AFJ705T

©Andrew H.A.

"Bowling down Royal Parade on Plymouth Joint services Route 6 to Torpoint Ferry is Western National's 1140 AFJ706T .
Bristol VRT /SL3 / 6LXB - ECW H74F

Note the common ''Launa Windows '' advert , which at the time . seemed to be on every Western National and Devon General Bus !

A Plymouth City Transport ,Leyland National scurries away in the other direction , you'll note ."

This post produced via Blogthis. Click the photo to go to Andrews photo and explore more!

Another one saved

"Your viewers may like to know this Dennis Dart has just been added to preservation being aquired by Plymouth City Transport Preservation Group member who also aquired 53 M53 HOD about 10 days ago. The group continues to go from strength to strength I think you will agree."
Jason Beverley

PS:
As you can see - the links are back! I am now almost set up on a brand new laptop with most of the software installed and ready to roll. I still have to rely on a dodgy Wi-Fi internet access which is a bit hit and miss, but at least when it does work I am not waiting for ages for my computer to do something. Hopefully back to regular posting from this time onwards...

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Related Links

• Home Page Plymouth City Transport Preservation Group

Elsewhere on the net

• Some northern express services adopt a far more flexible approach to stopping places than those south of Hardrian’s Wall. Omnibuses
• Jacketts' new X5 service commenced operation last Monday, operating from Plymouth to Truro via as many places as is possible to cram into 2hr 45minute journey! PTOTPA
• We’re are own worst enemies. We go on holiday but can’t, won’t or daren’t let go. In many case, I suspect it’s the last of these that drives us to answer our emails while away. Omnibuses
• I've passed my PCV test, and now have a full licence to drive buses and coaches! 270KTA
• Devonian Motor Services now operate this semi-opentop Leyland Olympian, A146 OFR on their service around Paignton PTOTPA
• The big news in terms of modular running is not that Stagecoach is passing its Manchester trams to RATP. Omnibuses
• My only photographic trip in July was once more into Hampshire, initially to visit the excellent Alton Rally that I'd enjoyed so much in 2010. Transport Illustrated
• Whilst on a visit to Scarnif with the MTN tours in 2007 & 2008 I took photos of this vehicle. As my memory has faded with age I would appreciate comments. TGP Photos Unlimited

Hookways Going?

Really sad news:
A It seems that Hookways is facing going into liquidation.

Hookways, which has more than 50 vehicles and employs 70 people, was due to go into liquidation on 23 August, liquidators Begbies Traynor said. The Exeter-based firm, which was started in 1929 and is also a tour operator, had been hit by continuous rises in fuel costs, they said. Creditors had been informed and they were also keen to talk to anyone interested in the business, they added. The company operates in Cornwall, Devon and Dorset. Ian Walker and John Kelly, of Begbies Traynor, said: "It is no surprise that the sector, hit by the very high cost of fuel, is facing such severe difficulties. "Hookways has survived previous recessions but have found this one just too difficult."

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Related Links

• Hookways facing liquidation BBC News

Reddy to set sail

 

A CITY transport boss is swapping buses for boats in his new role with the Plymouth RNLI.

Marc Reddy, managing director of First in Devon and Cornwall, will head the RNLI's future fundraising drives in the city.

He was presented with a badge by Plymouth RNLI chairman David Lister as he took up the job of fundraising president

Full story This is Plymouth
--
Graham
www.plymothiantransit.com
because Plymouth needs an anorak or two


Twitter
@didbygraham
@PlymTransit

Grim outlook for Cornish Buses

Cornwall backs down, but cuts still on

Cornwall county council is proposing a phased reduction in concessionary
fare reimbursement starting in October, when the level will drop from
73.5 to 60 per cent. It will then be further reduced to 50 per cent from
April next year. It had last month announced a cut from 73.5 to 44.3 per
cent to be backdated to 1 April 2011 - a decision it quickly reversed
following the threat of legal action from outraged operators. The new
figures were produced last week after a hastily-arranged meeting between
the council and the operators.

Mark Howarth, managing director of leading Cornish operator Western
Greyhound, warns that this may not be enough to prevent widespread
service reductions. "Cornwall is blaming central government and
government is saying local authorities need to decide on their
priorities. Who is taking responsibility for this fiasco as everyone is
passing the buck? I am engaging with our local MPs to see [transport
minister] Norman Baker; he needs to know the effects of this policy and
how many people will suffer as a result.

"In July 1971, there were funding cuts and the old Western National
pulled out of vast swathes of Cornwall as a result. Now, exactly 40
years on, it appears the same thing may happen again if sense doesn't
prevail. I am pleased that Cornwall has rescinded the original proposal
and has come to the table, but even the revised proposals will mean
widespread withdrawal of services."

Beryl goes to Milbay

Plymouth Discovery Tours have announced Beryl the bus will be providing a shuttle service from Milbay to the Barbican and Hoe during the 9 days of the America's cup.

The service will run from 11am to 8.30pm every day offering a 15 min service, except on the last Sunday service, which will end at 6pm.

Adult rate will be £1 per trip and 50p per child. An adult discount card will be available for £10 giving you 12 trips.

www.barbicanwaterfront.com
--
Graham
www.plymothiantransit.com
because Plymouth needs an anorak or two


Twitter
@didbygraham
@PlymTransit