Buses

[Jack from Laxey]

I was heartened to learn that other people on the forum are interested in buses too.

 

Could I take a moment to perhaps correct someone, although Mr Git might have been referring to a prior era, for which I have not yet laid my hands on further literature.

 

Yesterday, @ 10:21 AM

The Old Git Posted

Years ago the bus's fleet number used to be the same as its registration number. They don't seem to now. Pity.

 

I carried out a little research and the attached photograph clearly shows two buses parked at Port Erin taken from my Buses Magazine Vol.34 No 326 and with the feature Buses round Port Erin. Interestingly a railway carriage is also shown in the background. (The buses are ex-Bournemouth Leyland Titan PD3A/1).

 

You will note that the consecutively registered buses LMN 74 and LMN 75 are actually fleet numbered 46 and 47 respectively and not 74 and 75 as might have been suggested.

 

[The Old Git]

The page at http://www.skylineaviation.co.uk/buses/manx.html seems to show that the Road Services (red bus) had fleet numbers matching reg numbers from 1967 onwards until recently.

 

I'm not really into buses, I haven't used a local one since passing my test about 30 years ago, but being stuck behind them of many occasions it's just something that I noticed.

[When Skies Are Grey]

thanks for the link...my reg is 7 Man and now I know where it came from!!!

[The Old Git]

A mate's got MN ?? which was on a bus, although my MN ?? doesn't seem to have been on a bus

 

Edit to add - obviously both regs were used on other vehicles pre their use on buses

[Jack from Laxey]

I'm absolutely bursting to tell people about buses in Port Erin.

 

Its not really local news I know and I know we all have far more things (but not necessarily as interesting) to discuss. I see there has been a blog facility added. Perhaps I should go there if I can and if it's working.

 

Could anyone help me out here regarding blogs.

 

To keep you on the edge of your seats I show a picture of a bus going round the corner opposite the Haven/Darnill's garage. Drinkwaters butchers in background.

 

Note another bus in the background. This is a "double wammy" of a photograph. Because of the routing and timing one bus is terminating the other departing en route. This is quite exciting stuff in bus terms.

 

[Jack from Laxey]

I didn't want to start a new thread as that might get in the way, but I noticed the following comment on Manx Radio news web-site

 

Transport Minister John Shimmin indicated that an initial survey would cost £20,000 but added it was common knowledge that fighting nature was ultimately futile.

 

Common knowledge. maybe round your tea table sir. But surely Douglas Promenade is "fighting nature" as the beach used to go right behind Strand Street. The parking area before you get on the boat was a beach in my day - that's fighting nature too no problem. Half of Holland is below sea level.

 

I think the quote is very negative and half-hearted really. This is what happens when you put the very land we stand on, or in the case of parts of Michael - stood on, in the hands of the Transport Department.

[Man in the mask]

Unfortunately I suffer from anoraknaphobia.

I have an inbuilt fear of bus spotters.

Not that I think they might hit me, but that they will utter the phrase "I think you'll find.." and then complain at length about the colour of rivets.

[Addie]

To keep you on the edge of your seats I show a picture of a bus going round the corner opposite the Haven/Darnill's garage. Drinkwaters butchers in background.

Ah memories Jack

 

That's me wearing the Norah Batty stockings at the front.

 

And a Ford Escort?

 

Those were the days when the young whippersnappers would slip on and off the Port Erin bus as it slowed at Ballasalla corner, Saturday nights and straight into the Whitestone for last orders. Herbie Nelson always at hand to serve the latecomers.

 

This might keep you warm Jack Jack's Anorak

[Jack from Laxey]

Yes Addie, those were indeed the days.

 

The link was very useful. The one shown is undoubtedly very warm, durable and weatherproof. Front mounted single pockets can be useful but not in my particular game necessary. OK for bird watchers maybe ("twitchers" as they love the rest of us to call them). I'm strictly sociably attired and hued Berghaus with possibly matching utility rucksack. You see there is an art to anoraks. Horses for courses if you will . . . .

 

Maybe You, Me and Man in the Mask could form the first isle of Man chapter of Anoraks worn by Anoraks Spotters Society.

 

 

ps The Whitestone was a good pub in those days, but I mis-spent my formative years further south.

[Addie]

Yes Addie, those were indeed the days.

 

The link was very useful. The one shown is undoubtedly very warm, durable and weatherproof. Front mounted single pockets can be useful but not in my particular game necessary. OK for bird watchers maybe ("twitchers" as they love the rest of us to call them). I'm strictly sociably attired and hued Berghaus with possibly matching utility rucksack. You see there is an art to anoraks. Horses for courses if you will . . . .

 

Maybe You, Me and Man in the Mask could form the first isle of Man chapter of Anoraks worn by Anoraks Spotters Society.

 

 

ps The Whitestone was a good pub in those days, but I mis-spent my formative years further south.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Anoraks Spotters Society eh?

I feel a logo coming on

[Jack from Laxey]

Addie - nice logo. You can be secretary. Man in Mask do you want chairman or president??

 

________________

 

Mannin Line

 

 

As this is topical I'll tell you about a well spoken elderly gentleman who phoned up Mannin Line one day.

 

It was about 6/7 years ago and there were the usual complaints about the same people coming on every programme and should they be rationed to once a week etc. Then this new voice came on, we'll call the chap Harold.

 

Harold proceeded to tell the presenter (David Callister at the time) that over the past three years the following people had been on Mannin Line

 

Marge ----- 34.67%

Roy ----- 37.72%

David ------ 45.74%

etc.

He carried on quite determinedly. I'm not sure how he got to 2 decimal places but he did.

 

The presenter had to stop this chap mid flow (I think he had got down to Tommy by this time) and asked him how on earth he had all the figures.

 

"Oh, its a little hobby of mine, I keep the figures in a diary". Harold replied.

 

David, who by this time you could just about see his incredulous face over the radio waves, tried to suggest rather politely that the gentleman couldn't have much else in life to do if he kept all those sort of records.

 

"Oh yes", replied Harold "I do all sorts, bird watching, train spotting and such...."

 

___________________________

 

How can you explain these things, for example to the Greeks over the plane spotting debacle a year or two back?

 

 

But there is one special thought here. On that particular day, in Harold's diary (the one he keeps for Mannin Line records), he must have written

 

ME. YES IT WAS ME. ON MANNIN LINE. TODAY.

 

So I have, since then, always respected these people. God Bless Harold.

[Man in the mask]

I think you'll find that adds up to 118.13%.

Unless two of them were talking at the same time, this seems to be significantly inaccurate.

I'd like to be president, but my chads are excessively dimpled.

[Jack from Laxey]

No, no, no. Mitm.

 

Let me explain. Simplified.

 

If there had been say 10 programmes and Marje had been on 9 of them them she would score 90%. Roy 8 of them then 80% and so on.

 

Next you'll be asking what if Marje was on for 12 minutes and Roy for only 2 (unlikely I know but for the point of illustration this will suffice).

 

But Harold could well have been a former maths professor. The factors and algorithms he used were not discussed nor indeed asked but I had the distinct feeling he could have provided all the logic. So did David Callister.

 

David asking where his caller got the 2 decimal places from would have been tantamount to you asking at the Southern Show a tractor collector his opinion on the single shift gearstick on a 1954 Massey Ferguson (or whatever - sorry I don't do tractors - yet).

 

Thanks for taking the trouble to think it through though.

 

 

You're showing promise.

[Old George Woods]

I can do tractors.

 

I don't always talk about hand milking and turnips.

 

I think I have mentioned before my adventures with petrol/paraffin Allis Chalmers and pre-war Cases.

[Jack from Laxey]

Ah Mr Woods, good evening.

 

The forums has needed to understand the finer things in life of late. I'm afraid my bag is generally buses and indeed I am gratified to find these youngsters have an endearing knowledge or at least a fertile interest in various matters of the omnibus and to perhaps a greater extent the electric tramcar.

 

Yes, it appears that certain forces have tried to implement matters of a political and subversive nature onto the scene and it has indeed been a pleasure to digress into far more wholesome discussions.

 

 

 

 

Would you mind being nominated for an officership of the Anoraks Spotters (IoM) Society that I feel is about to flourish? Perhaps the occasional guest speaker slot?