Thursday 11th March 2010 ~ Brilliant Bruce !

Why brilliant Bruce ? Well because he's saved me writing a full blog when I've got behind with things ! I'll let the man himself explain......

"Being hardly able to contain myself by the excitement and controversy apparently raging over Konnectbus, I felt it was either a cold shower or observing the X1. The Blogmeister made the choice easy by disappearing for the day to Long Sutton or Norfolk Greenland as it will now be known.

Now he doesn't (allegedly) like long lists of numbers, even though he rang at lunchtime to see how things were going (deteriorating). So here is a list of X1 times instead!!! By rights the X1s should cross outside the bungalow at XX.04 and xx.34 each hour but this is reality.:-

08.12 37575 on K5 to PB - already 8 late having only started at Lynn
08.37 20126 on K2 to KL (3 late)
08.38 37579 on Y6 to PB (4 late)
09.16 37576 on Y7 to PB (12 late)
09.36 37570 on L8 to PB (2 late)
09.36 37160 on either K3 (09.04) or K4 (09.34) to KL (But really 32 late)
09.42 37569 on the real K4 to KL (9 late)
09.45 Get breakfast!
10.00 In position with breakfast for Y9 and K5
10.18 Norfolk Green Solo to Lynn absolutely full - not looking good for K5!
10.28 37575 on K5 to KL (24 late)
10.36 37573 on L10 to PB (2 late) - no sign of Y9
10.58 37579 on Y6 to KL (24 late)
11.08 37576 on Y7 to KL (only 4 late)
11.09 37568 on L11 to PB (only 5 late)
11.36 37564 on L12 to PB
11.38 37570 on L8 to KL
12.08 37566 on Y9 to KL!!!!!!!!!!!
12.10 37577 on Y13 to PB
12.37 37573 on L10 to KL
12.40 37565 on K14 to PB
13.08 37568 on L11 to KL
13.10 37578 on K15 to PB
13.37 37158 on K16 to PB
13.38 37564 on L12 to KL
14.08 37577 on Y13 to KL
14.11 37562 on K17 to PB
14.38 37565 on K14 to KL
14.40 37156 on K18 to PB
15.11 37578 on K15 to KL
15.11 37574 on K19 to PB
15.37 37158 on K16 to Kl
15.42 37567 on K1 to PB
16.07 37562 on K17 to KL
16.15 20126 on K2 to PB - 11 late

This makes pretty grim reading - not one bus on time although some were only a couple of minutes late admittedly.
It is rumoured First will not be informing the London Stock Exchange or the Financial Services Authority. Neither will we - although it is based on fact. (And another 9 emails have arrived while I typed this!!!)".

Hmmm, admirable dedication there Bruce and even more so because I can't write a headline along the lines of 'Brucey & The Beast'. I wonder what happened to 107 ? Anyway back to today and some of the delays may well have been caused by roadworks starting today in the Dereham area plus also the King's Lynn South Gates roundabout improvement scheme which today saw traffic incoming from the East reduced to a single lane. I guess the fact that Y9 avoided you on the westbound run indicates that it took the bypass to make up time ?
I can add a little to Bruce's report. 37160 on K3 was seen 16 late tonight at Walton Highway on the 16.35 to Peterborough. Later on, L12 was 10 minutes in arrears with the BBBB, 34108, this having replaced 37564 which is rapidly gaining the unenviable reputation of most explosive B9. In 2009 37564 had been the most reliable Gemini. 37563 is also out of action again, possibly an MOT candidate - may be our Yarmouth boys can confirm ?
At King's Lynn 37572 looks as though its MOT is complete and it may well be back tomorrow. Oh and the news you were all waiting to hear ? Yes 37562 was K17 today.