BUS STOP

Linby in the snow

High Peak Buses are now accepting the Derbyshire Wayfarer on all their services. This includes, significantly, the Transpeak. The biggest transport event, locally, in 2018, is going to be, the closure for improvements, of Derby railway station. This is now not going to be a complete shut down, but will be partial, from 22nd July to 7th Oct. It will cost £198m. Work has already begun, this month, with the closure of the goods lines- some track has already been lifted. This is for the new platform 6. The existing platform 5 will be removed. Signalling will also be improved. Closer to Long Eaton, is the development of the Rail Distribution Centre, at Kegworth. This has already led to the roadworks, for electrical improvements, in the town, which have caused absolute chaos. This draws attention to the critically inadequate road network in the area. Recent problems have made the bus network unusable. It does not help that Notts & Derby Traction have shown themselves to be practically incapable of running a bus service, which threatens the future of the 12/12A. Shock, on December 14th, was the withdrawal by the Heritage Lottery Fund, of support for the Great Central Railway new museum, in connection with the National Railway Museum, at Leicester. Bemusement, and bewilderment, has been expressed. 

2 Leyland Atlanteans in the snow at Hucknall

Sunday 10th December was the day of the snow. I had looked up the Nottingham Heritage Vehicles website, and saw that their open day was from 10 am, so planned to be there soon after. When I woke up at 6.30, I looked out of the window- I could see no snow, but when I went out at 8.14, there was a covering, so I wore snow grippers on the bottom of my shoes. These proved to be quite painful during the day, due to the studs pushing up through the soft rubber, but at least I remained upright. The Skylink was 12 minutes late at Sawley Junction, arriving at 8.42, but made good progress to Friar Lane, Nottingham. I had a bit of a wait for a tram, but this took me to Hucknall in 1/2 an hour, getting there at 10 o'clock. I was at the old Trent bus depot before a 1/4 past. I bought a cheese salad white cob (£1.20 and c400kc) with a cup of tea (£1), from the refreshment table. 1st bus out, at 11 o'clock, was the star of the day, ex-Trent Leyland Tiger Cub, YRC 191, named Serenity. My friend Peter Haddon, wouldn't have made this, as he planned to get the 9.51 Skylink from Sawley, but he cancelled, anyway. A photostop was made in Linby, as on all the runs, opposite the Horse & Groom pub- the buses looked great in the snow. I bought 3 bus mugs, at £6 each, and an orange hi-vis vest, £3, for use on Branch Line Society signal box visits and such. Next was NCT Leyland Atlantean AN68 RNU433X, at 12. I had a lunch, of egg mayo white cob, to keep the nutrition flowing, and a ham one later. South Notts Bus Co Leyland Olympian G129 NRC went out at 1 o'clock. Last run for me was ex-Trent Volvo B10B L127 LRA at 2- which probably saw service on the 15, in the '90s. This went down to Moor Bridge, before turning up to Linby. I decided not to stay for the last run of the day- NCT Leyland AN68 OTO 540M, as I had already sampled this type, and wanted to be home in time to let my pussy cat out in the garden. The times all fitted in well- I walked to Hucknall tram station, where a group of young people were amused by the sound of my snow grippers on the tram floor. The 1450 got me to Old Market Square for 1517. I caught the 1530 Skylink to Sawley, and walked home, in the fading light, for 4.20. I thankfully removed the snow grippers from my shoes, and was pleased at a highly satisfactory day. My pussy cat had a little gambol in the garden, before it was dark. 

On Thursday14th December., I accidentally missed the Long Eaton Time Swap meeting, by not knowing about it. I went home from the Horizon group, and had a boiled egg. Setting out at 5.18, I caught the 1738 Matlock train, which was about 10 minutes late. I walked straight from Cromford station, to the Gothic Warehouse (no fish & chips this time), and paid my subs at Matlock Railway Club. Railway films, including Lost Railways of East Anglia (which showed the roadside Wisbech & Upwell Tramway, which I saw at its closure on my way with the 15th Long Eaton Sea Scouts to the Decoy Broad camp in 1968) were being shown, prior to the main programme- this was the Christmas party, and a neutral choice was going to be on. A number of Disney Pixar animations were the 1st. There was a break of about 1/2 an hour from 9 o'clock, during which the buffet was served. I had about 1,500 cals, consisting of sausage rolls, sandwiches, crisps, chips etc., and an iced cake, with a slug of sherry. It was very tasty and filling. I had a couple of bottles of beer I had bought at Aldi in the morning- 0.88pt. each of Shepherd Neame Bishop's Finger (5.4%, £1.25), and Marston's Wainwright (4.1%, £1.29). Main feature was Eric Sykes' 'It's Your Move', about a young couple moving into a house. Players included Richard Briers, Jimmy Edwards, Johnny Vyvyan, Irene Handl, and Brian Murphy (this film was actually shown at last year's Christmas party). It was genuinely funny, compared to some of the so-called humour nowadays. It finished at 10 o'clock. Friend Tony Fisher gave me a lift to the station, and we chatted for a while before I went onto the platform, and waited about 15 minutes for the train to go up to Matlock, and return through Cromford at 11 o'clock, to Long Eaton. I took home with me the extremely difficult Matlock Railway Club Christmas Quiz, got in at 7 minutes to 12, and fell asleep in my chair, after watching 'This Week' & 'Question Time'. 

I agreed to support a lady as part of the Time Swap scheme, to go to the Christmas Concert on Saturday 16th December, at the May Hall, Trent College. The lady in question was Della, who had requested companions, to accompany her to the concert. I set out on the penultimate 12 of the day, which left Ruskin Avenue at 5.59, getting to Wilsthorpe Island at 6.03, then it was a 10 minute walk along Derby Road, to the College. People were already gathering, for the event. I waited about 10 minutes, before John, the other member of our group, arrived. Della was there at 10 to 7. Tickets were £10 each, which John remarked, was good value. We found seats, not too far back, and the concert, by the band of Derbyshire Army Cadet Force, started at 3 minutes past 7. Tunes included 'Have yourself a merry little Christmas', 'Our Winter Wonderland', and 'Do they Know it's Christmas', all well played. There was some Carol singing, with 'Hark! The Herald Angels Sing' and 'O Come, all Ye Faithful'. 'The Twelve Days of Christmas' featured towards the end- participation was key. There was a 25 minute break at 1/2-time. I had a bottle of 'Bomber' ale to start (£1.50), with a mince pie (50p.), and Jennings' Cumberland Ale (4%, also £1.50) for the 2nd half. I won some Baylis & Harding's bath and body lotion in the raffle. Major Tex Calton introduced the concert, and entertained us with his jokes. Director of Music was Lieutenant Peter Ward. Organiser of the concert was The Rotary Club of Long Eaton. I do not usually approve of events with a military theme, as 'military' is about people getting hurt, and we have recently been 'celebrating' the obscenity of the 1st World War, but this was a very enjoyable event, and brought out the spirit of Christmas. It was a Tribute to Her Majesty the Queen on her Sapphire (65th year) Jubilee. It finished at 12 minutes to 10, and I walked with John to the bottom of College Street, to get the last 15 to Sawley, of the day. I was home at a 1/4 to 11, and had a piece of Bakewell Pudding, then fell asleep in my chair. 

CR Davis