Random Stuff!

[superking]

First bus are to start a trial on a double decker bus with food waste. I expect the trial will be kept in and around the city center. Lets hope not many people use spices at the same time. They were doing a trial on a poo bus last year,dont know if that is stopped now or heard any comments of how it ran and any other bits and bobs as how it worked out with how much fuel per mile compared to the standard busses.
On a side note perhaps they should trial the food waste bus around BHX city as I see the kerbside collectors on work to rule and in a lot of cases nothing collected.Ready made fuel stops.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

According to the First Bristol MD when speaking on local radio this morning the Poo Bus (it ran on city route 2 which was appropriate) was the first step and has been superseded by the Food Waste Bus - it will run on city route 1 after initial trials.

So if you turn up with some apple cores, banana skins and the remains of your rice pudding, superking, you might get a free ride. I'm not sure if you are old enough for a pensioners bus pass.

The First MD reckons the Food Waste Bus which is a double decker - the Poo Bus was a single decker - will be more economic to run than the part electric buses that form a small proportion of First's Bristol fleet. I believe they have detectors that switch in the electric motor when the buses enter an area of high pollution levels (most of Bristol if today's news is to be relied upon).

It's a pity that the Transport Minister isn't bothered about diesel pollution in Bristol with his decision to allow the new bi-mode locomotives to run on diesel power instead of electricity when in the city.

 

[superking]

I'm not far off the bus pass,and also don't slip up a banana skin lol. When they come out with things like this the mind runs riot in many ways.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

A piece in the paper today about the bus.

http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/business/new-biofuel-bus-powered-food-297611

Route 1 will be a good test for the bus as it crosses the city from north-west to south-east (Cribbs Causeway to Broomhill) on its 90-minute journey taking in all sorts of traffic conditions, with some steep hills including Park Street.

Route 2 that the Poo Bus operated on had a similar cross-city journey from Cribbs to Stockwood and seemed to cope well. I rode on it more than once around the city.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Severnside

Another major employer moving in - Amazon with over a 1,000 fulltime jobs. Some don't look that well paid though.

http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/business/new-amazon-centre-bring-over-333158

New Rail Station

Will open at Portway Park and Ride at Avonmouth on the Severn Beach branch in 2019.

http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/portway-park-ride-train-station-326954

 

[superking]

Lots of talk about the rail line round Bristol and surrounding lines. On the radio this morning talk about railway lines shut here there and every where,1 of the lines to shut is the line from bath so they can pile drive for the erection of electric pylons ready for change over to electric.It looks like yes we are/no we are not going to electrify the line.Unless its forward thinking which I think the railway company cant think too far ahead.They did the box tunnel back along. is this going ahead or just spending money to use up.

 

[tpm]

As part of the current works the Bath line will be electrified only as far as Thingley Junction, just south of Chippenham. There will be a feeder station that connects the line to the power grid there. As far as I know, electrification has only been confirmed for the Swindon - Bristol Parkway - Cardiff section so far, and the short branch to Thingley Junction. I think there is still reason to hope that the Bath line and Filton bank will also be electrified eventually, in CP6. It was not amongst the schemes that have been cancelled just before the holidays at least, and in any case it would have to wait for other works in the area to be completed first, as I understand it.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

I'd like to think you are right about electrification eventually reaching Bath and Bristol, tpm but I'd not bet much money on it happening - in my lifetime anyway.

Parkway Station is closed for a month so the station can be made ready for the electrification era, and the line via Badminton/Sodbury Tunnel to Swindon/Paddington will see enabling work for electrification. South Wales-Paddington trains are using Patchway Station (at least some are according to press reports) instead of Parkway before taking a diversionary route to Paddington. I take this to be via Dr Days between Lawrence Hill and Temple Meads stations to Bath and then either via Box Tunnel to Swindon or via the 'Berks and Hants' line via Westbury, Wilts and Newbury. I'm not sure which.

 

[superking]

Jerry hows yr holiday going. When you back home,orare you staying there.Long way to come to yr wedding but I'm sure LY and me will make it direct from BRS lol.

 

[Jerry]

Jerry hows yr holiday going. When you back home,orare you staying there.Long way to come to yr wedding but I'm sure LY and me will make it direct from BRS lol.

Back home now. Came back via Minneapolis and Paris yesterday and then slept like the dead! and if BRS gets a direct Portland flight then that will be impressive!

 

[superking]

On the local Bristol radio this morning one of the mayors of Bristol is going to allocate money for a study of a metro from north Bristol to the brs airport. Part of the way in places will be underground..The cost of the link is expected to cost 2 and a half billion.The amount of studies they have had in the past they could have built the link I just spoke about.

 

[tpm]

More like a study to see if it makes sense to do a more expensive study £50k isn't going to buy you much.

Having said that, it's worth investigating. Some tunnels through the centre make sense to me, to connect centre, inner suburbs and Temple Meads area. In a normal country this would be no problem to finance for one of the richest cities in one of the richest countries in the world. Alas, this is the UK of course.

From the BBC news article:

"That money, from the West of England Combined Authority (Weca), would include looking at existing tunnels under the city."

Not sure if that is a serious consideration, As much as it seems like a ncie idea, I would imagine that bringing back these existing tunnels, like the boarded-up one in Redcliffe alongside Guinea St heading towards St Mary Redcliffe church and Temple Meads, might be more expensive than digging new ones. But then I know nothing about these things.

The other thing I found intruiging was the suggestion by the mayor that they might look at external funding for this project (which is just another way of saying that chances are slim that the government will fund it or at least most of it; this isn't London after all). Wonder what kind of model they had in mind for this. Most of the profits/benefits of the scheme will come not from the fares collected but the positive externalities, which are hard to capture never mind securitise. I guess the city could pledge a share of any increases in various rates collected in affected areas over a period of 25 years or such. Wonder if there are similar setups elsewhere.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

I've been away for a while. I agree that in theory a metro/underground system would be great, like the one in Glasgow from where I've just returned. I've used that in the past but i'm not sure how popular it is. It runs in a circular or oval route around the central and inner suburbs. It's ironic because Glasgow has an excellent local train network, reputedly the best in the UK outside London.

Is the study Mayor Marvin's idea? If the money is coming from Weca that's in the gift of the metro mayor and his cohorts.

Apart from the disused former railway tunnel under part of Redcliffe that was part of the line from the old Temple Meads goods yard (now the site of part of the Temple Quay business area) via Wapping Wharf to Ashton where it joined the Bristol-Portishead line, I'm not aware of any other current city tunnels (disused or otherwise) that could be utilised. The honeycomb of tunnels under Temple Meads itself would be of limited value although I suppose they might play a part in an interchange. Over fifty years ago I worked in London for a short period and managed to blag my way into parking my motor cycle in one of the tunnels abutting the lower approach road that was then used for parking railway staff private vehicles, mainly two-wheeled.

Two or three years ago there was a suggestion in the local rag from someone - a business leader or local politico, I forget now - that the Montpelier tunnel on the T M-Avonmouth/Severn Beach branch line become a conduit for pedestrians and cyclists alongside the trains. I believe that the line is now single track so presumably there would have been room. The idea was discarded as being impractical.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Beggars/rough sleepers

Sadly Bristol, like most cities, sees far too many people sleeping rough and begging on the city streets.

However, this afternoon I was walking by the shops in Queens Road, Clifton and saw one cheeky so and so sitting on the pavement with the begging cup who was not only using a mobile phone but had a bottle of red wine with him.

Needless to say he got nothing from me.

The other day I heard a 'beggar' loudly refusing a woman's offer of a sandwich.

I am something of a cynic by nature and, although I contribute regularly to certain charities of my choice, I am never certain whether a street beggar is genuinely down on his/her luck or a freeloader.

 

[kraktoa]

Beggars/rough sleepers

Sadly Bristol, like most cities, sees far too many people sleeping rough and begging on the city streets.

However, this afternoon I was walking by the shops in Queens Road, Clifton and saw one cheeky so and so sitting on the pavement with the begging cup who was not only using a mobile phone but had a bottle of red wine with him.

Needless to say he got nothing from me.

The other day I heard a 'beggar' loudly refusing a woman's offer of a sandwich.

I am something of a cynic by nature and, although I contribute regularly to certain charities of my choice, I am never certain whether a street beggar is genuinely down on his/her luck or a freeloader.

Lets say i have entered many a household where the police were called in the early hours of the morning. Lets say drugs were peddled there. In each of those houses a large number of 1 pound coins were found on the kitchen table. It was the general considered opinion that they were all collected by genuine Big Issue sellers. Sadly they are addicts and have no choice but to do it that way. Its better than stealing i suppose.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Lets say i have entered many a household where the police were called in the early hours of the morning. Lets say drugs were peddled there. In each of those houses a large number of 1 pound coins were found on the kitchen table. It was the general considered opinion that they were all collected by genuine Big Issue sellers. Sadly they are addicts and have no choice but to do it that way. Its better than stealing i suppose.

i'm not saying there are no genuine cases asking for money on the streets. It's just that it's next to impossible to distinguish between those and the people who decide it's better than working. When someone has a mobile phone and a bottle of red wine and is seated on the pavement asking for money he's not the type that's getting any help from me. It's taking the p*ss.

At least Big Issue sellers are doing something proactive to help sustain themselves.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

BRS and VisitBritain will work together under a three-year agreement to promote the South West to overseas visitors. The first year will focus on France. The airport has issued a press release today.

https://www.bristolairport.co.uk/ab...entre/2017/9/visitbritain-gateway-partnership
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VisitBritain and Bristol Airport Announce Partnership to Promote the South West
Created: 25th Sep 2017

Regional Gateway initiative targets overseas visitors

The UK’s national tourism agency, VisitBritain, and Bristol Airport have announced a three-year partnership to promote South West England to overseas visitors. The joint marketing fund will focus on France in year one, working with airline partners to build on the strong existing network from Bristol Airport, which is currently served by scheduled services to 13 French cities.

Destination management organisations across the region will have the opportunity to get involved, with Destination Bristol taking a co-ordinating role in bringing together local knowledge and compelling content to ensure campaigns stand out in the competitive international tourism market.

Bristol Airport is the largest airport serving the UK’s South West, with non-stop flights to more than 120 destinations – more than half of which of which are not directly linked from any other airport in the region. The South West features globally famous tourist attractions including Stonehenge and the World Heritage City of Bath, as well as stunning countryside and coastline. Bristol itself is a centre for street art (and the home of Banksy) and all are within convenient reach of Bristol Airport, helping to generate more than a million journeys by overseas residents every year and supporting an estimated 5,000 jobs across the region.

Nigel Scott, Business Development Director at Bristol Airport, said:
“By teaming up with VisitBritain we aim to spread the word to potential international visitors about the wonderful part of the world on our doorstep. Research tells us that visitors flying directly into the South West stay in the region for longer and spend more than those who arrive through other gateways, which is good news for tourist attractions, hotels, restaurants and other local businesses. With Bristol Airport serving as the sole entry point to the South West for over 60 European cities, this partnership is a great opportunity for the whole region to work together with VisitBritain to add even more value to the visitor economy.”

VisitBritain Commercial Director Carol Dray said:
“Tourism is one of the UK’s most valuable export industries, worth £127 billion annually to the economy. Increasing regional connectivity not only makes it easier for visitors to see more of Britain and the South West, it boosts economic growth, and helps keep us an attractive destination in this fiercely competitive global market.”

Having invested more than £160 million in new infrastructure and facilities since 2010, Bristol Airport is well positioned to provide positive first impressions to passengers visiting the UK.

Throughout 2017, Bristol Airport will be celebrating 60 years at its current site. As well as looking back on a rich aviation history, work will begin on an updated Master Plan which will consider how best to meet growing demand for air travel to and from the South West over the next two decades. The views of customers, employees, neighbours and others stakeholders will be vital in helping to shape the Airport’s vision for the future.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Cricket County Championship

Congratulations to my team Somerset CCC who neat Middlesex at Taunton today in the County Championship Division 1. In so doing they avoided being relegated but condemned Middlesex to relegation.

Middlesex aren't happy as they feel the wicket was sub-standard and was prepared with Somerset's fine spin attack in mind. The cricket authorities might yet intervene and if they do and Somerset are docked some points then they will be relegated.

However, in the last round of matches last season Somerset were sitting at the head of the table having won their last game on day 3 of the 4 allocated. They could only be overtaken by Middlesex or Yorkshire who by coincidence were playing each other. However, for this to happen either Middlesex or Yorkshire would have to win. A draw would be no good to either.

At the beginning of day 4 that match was heading inexorably for a draw until the two captains decided to manufacture a positive finish. They did so by Yorkshire chucking up joke bowling so that Middlesex could knock the ball to all parts of the ground to set a target for Yorkshire to chase. Furthermore, both captains agreed that Yorkshire would carry on going for a win even if they lost a lot of wickets and had no chance of winning. Normally in such circumstances the batting side would shut up shop and try to eke out a draw.

Yorkshire did lose a lot of wickets and Yorkshire did carry on the hopeless chase and Middlesex did win. It might not have been against the laws of cricket but it was definitely against the spirit of the game.

So it will be poetic justice in my view if the cricket authorities don't intervene as they failed to intervene last year.

Somerset have never won the County Championship. A few years ago they finished level on points with Nottinghamshire but the latter became champions as they had won more games than Somerset. Only a few years before that the rules were different and in the event of teams finishing level on points the team losing the fewer matches would become champions. When they lost out to Nottinghamshire they had lost fewer matches than Nottinghamshire. They seem destined never to win the County Championship. For a small, rural county they punch well above their weight.

 

[Ray Finkle]

Middlesex aren't happy as they feel the wicket was sub-standard and was prepared with Somerset's fine spin attack in mind. The cricket authorities might yet intervene and if they do and Somerset are docked some points then they will be relegated.

The Tweets that I saw from John Cleese now make some sense.

John Cleese‏Verified account @JohnCleese Sep 26
I see Middlesex are squealing about the pitch at Taunton. Bit rich, after they created last years's fiasco against Yorkshire at Lord's...

John Cleese‏Verified account @JohnCleese Sep 26
Obviously Middlesex feel it was very unfair that they didn't win the toss. I suspect there would be no complaining if they'd won it.

Whilst on the subject I'll say well done to Worcestershire for sealing the Division Two title and gaining promotion to Division One. Sadly they'll be replacing relegated Warwickshire who finished an incredible 60 points shy of seventh placed Middlesex.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

I was amazed at Warwickshire's dismal season. Worcestershire seem a yo-yo team. I think they've been relegated then promoted from Div 2 to Div 1 six times in the past 15 years.

John Cleese, from Weston-super-Mare, is an avid Somerset CCC supporter as incidentally is Jeffery Archer another Westonian. Cleese used to watch Bristol City when at Clifton College, Bristol and Archer claims to be a Bristol Rovers fan but he doesn't seem to know much about them.