Almost Everything you need to know about Stalybridge bus station
Stalybridge bus station is a modest, unstaffed bus station with a single island platform. It has four stands and lacks layover facilities. You may argue that the town has two bus stations because of its four stops on Armentieres Square. In recent times, the stops on Armentieres Square have increased in their importance.
A look at the evolution of Greater Manchester’s bus stations from 1969 onwards
In the last fifty years, Greater Manchester’s bus stations have changed dramatically. More recent trends favour single terminals and improved connections with other modes of transport. In smaller towns, they form part of a focal piazza, as seen at Radcliffe’s bus station.
East of the M60’s reassessment of the Bus Stations from Hell of 2006
2006’s Bus Station From Hell: the former Nelson bus station, photographed by Robert Wade in 2010. (Creative Commons License – Some Rights Reserved-Non Commercial).
The pitfalls of dining Al Volvo, plus ten useful tips
The Bete Noire and Godsend of all bus drivers and passengers: You cannot fault the odd Greggs Steak Bake now and then, but you wouldn’t like to share a bus with a leftover sausage roll. This is their Stirling branch, photographed by Paul Robertson in 2008. The bus in the reflection is a Northern Counties Palatine II bodied Volvo Olympian. (Creative Commons License: Attribution Some Rights Reserved-No Derivatives).
Eating and drinking on the bus is a thing that many of us do out of necessity. This is usually due to time constraints (being unable to stop off at a pub or café en route) or financial reasons (being unable to afford a pub or café) as well as hunger. Most of the time, eating on the bus might entail anything from the odd chocolate bar to a packed lunch. Continue reading “Duffers’ Guide to Bus Operations #12: Eating on the Bus”→
Much to do with the way we queue for the 192 (well, other buses are also available).
A queue for the 192, though not the one we are more familiar with in Greater Manchester. Here’s Transport for London’s version of the 192 service, seen loading at Tottenham Hale bus station bound for Enfield. Image by Aubrey Morandarte, 2014 (Creative Commons License – Some Rights Reserved)
Queueing, it’s a very British phenomenon. It is something which, supposedly, sets Britons apart from their overseas peers. It is something certain generations did a lot of in the Second World War for buses, rations and trips to the local cinema. Continue reading “Duffers’ Guide to Bus Operations #11: Queueing for Buses”→
A pint before the last bus: what is there not to like? All the better if our desired public house is a short stagger from our bus stop or favoured bus stand.
The history of public houses dovetails with the development of modern day bus operations. Stagecoaches used to call at coaching inns and roadside pubs. On a long journey, for example Manchester to London each coaching inn would constitute a stage where passengers stayed overnight prior to embarking on their next leg. In later years, some of the coaching inns would remain stops on modern-day bus routes. For example, the Old General on the corner of Crescent Road and Astley Street with the 346. Continue reading “Two Pints of Jaipur and a 346, Please…: The Top Beer Not So Perfect Ten”→
A look at Transport for Greater Manchester’s exciting new travel planning tool
Never miss a bus again: TfGM’s Route Explorer enables you to find bus stops and routes nearest to your locality. It details all bus services throughout the Greater Manchester area and offers links to its timetable library.
The lack of a decent travel planner has probably been a bone of contention for Greater Manchester’s bus users. With Google Maps and First Greater Manchester’s mobile app telling you when the next 343’s due, as well as directions on foot, it seemed as if TfGM and its contemporaries would fall behind. Continue reading “Any Bus, Anywhere, in Greater Manchester: Introducing TfGM’s Route Explorer”→