In message , Chris Read
writes


Any other fans of Mr Wharmby's www.londonbuspage.com here?
Yes, I used to read it a lot. I didn't always agree with his "take" on
things and certainly wasn't as passionate about the RM (although I still
lament their passing in regular service) but it's a good site, done with
a lot of effort.

You may recall that one of the consequencies of the withdrawal of the
Routemaster predicted by our Matt was a decline in the tourist trade.

I opened up my Daily Torygraph this morning to find a story about how
tourist numbers in the UK have fallen by 2% - one of only four countries in
Europe to suffer a decline.
Well, I wouldn't say that the withdrawal of the RMs have actually caused
that! For many visitors who enjoy a "London experience" the top of an
"ordinary" double decker is novel enough. And some of us regulars here
might be a bit nonplussed by how many people can't tell the difference
between a Routemaster and any other front entrance OPO double decker
(yes really!). However, I do make a point of encouraging any of my
clients with free time to take a ride on the heritage routes. Not only
is the experience of having a conductors still a bit "special" but I
like to think it's the Jelf Tourism Empire's little contribution to
making these routes successful. Speaking now without my tongue in my
cheek, it's actually a good feeling that I can make a little
contribution to their continued success. A **very** little
contribution!

And the picture chosen to illustrate the article?

The final Routemaster 159 crossing Westminster Bridge.
That was obviously what the picture sub-editors still had at the top of
his or her "London Tourist Landmarks" folder!
--
Ian Jelf, MITG
Birmingham, UK

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

I guess Matt, like myself, did what he always threatened to do and
terminated his interest in London Buses after December 9 and the final
run of the last mainstream RM in service... He (and I) are not
interested in boring OPO d/d's or bendibuses crammed full of
freeloaders and low-life. In fact my camera has come out once in 2006
for bus matters, but only on 9th January when I was tipped off that
WA's heritage RM's would operate garage journies in service on the 25
during the RMT strike! Thus ends some 30+ years' active interest in LT
buses!!!

On 8 Apr 2006 08:15:10 -0700, wrote:

I guess Matt, like myself, did what he always threatened to do and
terminated his interest in London Buses after December 9 and the final
run of the last mainstream RM in service... He (and I) are not
interested in boring OPO d/d's or bendibuses crammed full of
freeloaders and low-life. In fact my camera has come out once in 2006
for bus matters, but only on 9th January when I was tipped off that
WA's heritage RM's would operate garage journies in service on the 25
during the RMT strike! Thus ends some 30+ years' active interest in LT
buses!!!

But what if in 15 year's time double deck buses of all sorts are
outlawed and there's only single deck mostly-bendy buses around? At
that point, people may regard any double deck bus as being of
importance and may be sad that there are few photos of today's buses
when they were new, because our transport photographers of the day
regarded them as "boring". It's just progress.

The UK is still pretty unique in the world as having double deck buses
of any sort, I've seen DDs in regular service in the odd place (Hong
Kong comes to mind) and you get the odd DD coach in tourist service
around New Zealand, but most overseas visitors to the UK love our
buses, whether current OPO DD or old RM.

By the way there were plenty of low life and freeloaders on RMs too
you know! Loads of times the conductor would not be bothered to come
upstairs or would not remember for sure who he'd sold tickets to; I
always had a travelcard, but it was quite possible to keep one's head
in a book and not have to show it, and therefore quite possible to
avoid paying a cash fare, with all but the sharpest toughest and most
thorough conductors.

Have you seen the state of windows on the bendies on route 207,
especially at the rear?

One can hardly see through them, such is the state of engravured
vandalism on these windows. This is a disgrace, and is only the natural
consequence of having such a large vehicle over which the driver has
only minimal control.

I am used to bendies on route 521, which at least are largely used by
more civilised passengers, and they have remained in reasonably good
nick. That is not to say that they are wholly incompatible with the
streets on which they run (all Southbound traffic in Waterloo Road
having been interrupted for about 10 minutes on Friday whilst one
attempted to turn into Sandell Street and blocked the entire junction
whilst he decided what to do - do these buses have a reverse gear?!)

Peter, if your predictions of widescale bendies come true, I shall
emigrate. Not sure that they will, though since even the Commander of
the British Empire (a.k.a. Peter Hendy-Bendy, C.B.E.) who has wreaked
this havoc on London appears to be less enthusiastic than he once was.

Marc.

Matt is a great man. I loved his web site, and agree totally with his views
on the Routemaster.