In message
,
Mizter T writes
Which brings me round to thinking about the new English National Bus
Pass scheme for those 60+ or with a qualifying disability that
launches in April, which will allow holder to have free *local bus*
travel between 9.30am and 11pm weekdays and all day at weekends. I'm
reminded of a story Peter Masson told of a challenge he set himself in
his youth, which was to circumnavigate London in a day - but using a
"Green Rover" ticket which only allowed for travel on London Country
buses (the green ones), not LT's Central area buses (the red ones). I
believe he managed to get most of the way round on his Green Rover,
though did have to pay a fare on one or two bus routes.

So thinking along these lines, I eagerly await hearing of older
English folk who will take on the challenge of trying to cover great
distances using their free national bus pass, obviously only using
local buses. It could start off relatively small - for example a
journey between London and Brighton, or Manchester to Leeds - but
then it could gradually mushroom - Leeds to Newcastle, Manchester to
Newcastle, London to Newcastle, indeed Brighton to Newcastle... and we
haven't even considered the south west yet, let alone Land's End.
There is a long tradition of this. Early in the development of
Blackpool as a resort, many people would make their way there from the
East Lancashire towns (and even across in Yorkshire) by taking trams
from system to system, walking the unserved sections in between.

I recall also an article *many* years ago in Buses Magazine of two
people doing a John O'Groats to Land's End trip in this way. Also, in
a later "Buses Annual" Stewart J. Brown and Gavin Booth did a cross
country trip from I think Liverpool to Hull in this way.

It's one of those things I've toyed with trying many times but alas it's
harder these days as the bus network has some remarkable gaps sometimes.
A Birmingham - Bristol trip in this way was a long-held ambition of mine
but there appears now to be no realistic way of going by bus from
Gloucester to Bristol, amazingly.

I do wonder if the "local bus" aspect of the new concessionary pass will
sometimes lead to confusion as to what does and does not constitute a
"local bus". Trent's TP service is one "grey area" I'd say. There
also was once a National Express service which became a local bus for
part of its length in the Pennines somewhere I seem to recall.

Tour buses such as City Sightseeing also advertise "local fares
available" (I understand to get some sort of deal with diesel duty). I
wonder if that might make *them* liable to carry 60+ passengers free of
charge? Test case coming I suspect!

Doubtless, someone will soon be posting here with answers to these and
many other questions.

I've had a hard but satisfying day working in Abingdon, though, so
having checked my e-mail I'm off for a bath and a beer!
--
Ian Jelf, MITG
Birmingham, UK

Registered Blue Badge Tourist Guide for London and the Heart of England
http://www.bluebadge.demon.co.uk