I have received confirmation that the 3 Ipswich B7rle's transferred to Norwich today were 66976, 66978 & 66980, not 66980/3/4 as reported yesterday. My apologies for the inaccuracy, which was contained in an official First document.
And on that note I bid you all farewell. It's been fun but the fun has stopped. I will leave the blog open so you can look at the archives, and who knows I may decide or let myself be persuaded to restart sometime in the future. Thanks for reading, and I hope those TRUE friends I have made through the blog will continue to be friends.
Steve - I'm sorry to hear that you're not continuing with this blog (although I appreciate that they take much time to put together). It was (and perhaps may restart) as one of the better bus industry blogs, that wasn't afraid to look at bigger pictures. Good luck in the future.
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ReplyDeleteSteve. Do not give up. this is far by the best Blog for news regarding First and Ipswich buses. Dont let Xerox etc get to you. we have had this conversation before.
ReplyDeleteHi Steve - I'm sorry that you've decided to finish with this blog but I can appreciate that it is very time consuming for you. A VERY BIG THANK YOU for all your hard work. What's next for you? I hope I see you again sometime in the future on a 64 bus. Best regards - Mike Chalkley, Leiston.
ReplyDeleteThank you Mike - and fear not I'm not going to stop campaigning for better bus services in our area. I'm not going to let bridges I've built get destroyed, it just probably won't be in blog form now. Who knows what I'll feel after a month or so off. My decision has not been the result of actions of any individual company or member of staff. It has been influenced purely by other members of the enthusiast community. So I will continue to monitor, meet with, and encourage operators to put rural passengers back in the mixing pot of future plans.
DeleteAs for seeing you on a 64 well there willl certainly be less of them so the chances of bumping into each other will increase dramatically. Take care buddy, and thanks to everyone for your kind messages of support.
No! Don't leave, Steve! Its a shame that certain members of the enthusiast community as you put it has driven you to this decision. I have nearly quit on many occasions due to the same reason but I don't want to let them win! I hope you enjoy your 'retirement' and contintue to be involved in contributing information and having general chit chat about the industry when you can. I'll continue to check your blog just in case you come back :P - Zak
ReplyDeleteThanks, Zak - you have far more determination than me,and I have been amazed at your resolve to carry on. I will certainly still be holding operators to task, just maybe in a different way. Time will tell but I'm not disappearing for good mate. It just maybe a different kind of phoenix that raises from the ashes.
DeleteSteve
ReplyDeleteI've told you before about this and I repeat don't let the buggers grind you down. You are a great addition to this blogging lark and come up with new ideas all the time. Whats going to happen to the Steve awards?
Brian and Zak are both right - the local blog scene will be poorer without you and please rethink this stupid decision! You know it makes sense you plonker
Looking forward to the next post as (I know you will really want to!) and will miss our regular chats and it's my turn to by you a drink at the Trollcart
Whatever you decide, take care dear friend
Roy
Thanks Roy. Without you I would have quit long ago. As I've said to Zak I'm not going to rush anything, but I'm not going to lose the real, genuine friends I've made either, and I will hold you to that drink as soon as! Unfortunately my heart is pinned very much to my sleeve which means I let my feelings show a bit more than maybe I should. You are really the example everyone should follow.
DeleteWe'll be here mate looking for a sign or just listening for the next soundbyte and if it's the trollcart cart we're talking count me in along with a bk ! Always good to talk !!
ReplyDeleteSince I first found your blog,it has grown in leaps and bounds to the extent it's almost 24/7. That's a lot of legwork and computer time but when it gets to the stage like it almost feels like a chore,then its time to stand back,have a breather ( be it a wk or 3 months),til the day comes when you think " i am ready and eager to get back on". It will happen,only you will know when but when you spend as much time and effort as you do,its not something that will let go.Best wishes.(now going to go through the archieves)!!!!l ;)
ReplyDeleteI am not a bus enthusiast but just a frequent bus user in Norfolk (in Sanders territory) and over the last year have found your blog interesting and informative. It's a shame that I will no longer be able to rely on your blog for the latest bus (and train) news and developments. Sorry to see you go.
ReplyDeleteHi Steve Very sorry you won't be doing any more blogs for the time being hopefully not for long as I shall miss my daily read. A huge thank you for all the amazing information, pictures and topics covered and above all your hard work which must have taken up nearly all your time, which I found most interesting. All the best to you and updates will be very much missed.
ReplyDeleteJane Hayward
Wow thank you all so much. Sometimes it's easy to forget that there are people out there actually appreciating what you do as the idiots trying to make life difficult and playing politics tend to block the view of the real picture.
ReplyDeleteI am going to take a break to evaluate my position and how I want to move forward. The current bus scene is depressing to say the least, with First cutting services left right and centre, Anglian being a very poor imitation of the company it once was and the Councils, particularly Suffolk not appearing to give a damn about anyone needing to travel regularly who doesn't live within 10 miles of Ipswich. There is little positive news, and that is as draining to my motivation as are the people trying to make life difficult.
So yes I'll be back, but in what form that takes I don't know. Passengers don't have much of a voice around here, and maybe it's time they did, and that is one of the options I'm going to be looking at. In the meantime thank you all again, so very much.
Hi Steve I'm more interested in bus movements and what contracts companys gain or lose your blog is one of the best as the Ipswich bus blog and the Norfolk ones keep the blog going Steve
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear this Steve. I too have found you blog one of the very best and agree with the above comments.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately this industry has always had it's fair share of "know-it-all" followers (I won't give them the dignity of calling them enthusiasts) and the internet gives them the right - as they see it - to criticize others. It's a form of bullying in my opinion. Back in the 70s and well before the Internet and before everybody and his dog was a printer (I was one though) I edited and produced the ETCS (then ECOS) magazine "Terminus" and was a sub-ed for the PSV Circle and there wasn't an issue published that didn't have some critical (negative) comment and many times I felt like giving up.
Now living in North Carolina, blogs like yours, bring me all the news of my life-long - and we're talking 70 plus years - passion for public transport in Norfolk and Suffolk.
Only wish I could meet up with you, Roy, Syd, et al. for a bevvy and a mardle in the Troll Cart.
I respect your decision, but that doesn't mean to say I like it. Take care, and THANKS.
Mick Capon
+1
Deletesorry to hear that you leaving has been great looking at your site and finding out info and other info too going to be strange not looking at you web site all the best to you
ReplyDeleterobert
Thank you for deleting my comment :) Shows that you cannot even take constructive criticism. That's paramount for running your own blog. Is Sam going to take over like you said last week?
ReplyDeleteI have never approached Sam to take over. And I am perfectly happy to accept criticism from people who have the balls to say who they are. If you haven't got the balls then I haven't got the inclination to take the blindest bit of notice of it and don't see why other readers should have to read it either. So be a brave little boy and say who you are or that one will be deleted too.
DeleteI do not see why I need to give my name but there we go. Why say you are leaving ever month, then write posts a few days later? Somebody was going to help run the blog weren't they?
ReplyDeleteMy betting is that there will be a post by the end of next week.
No idea who you are - I assume it is an assumed name - perhaps you can tell everyone what your experience of blogging is. Yes someone was going to help me, which is why I put off leaving to see how it turned out. That person never posted once, and has decided he doesn't want to help now. Perhaps you would like to as you seem to know so much about it!
ReplyDeleteDespite being sent material, and having planned a big post on the new P&R in Norwich next week there will be no posts. If I resume it will be completely different and there will be no day to day news. The current state of the bus industry in general is thoroughly depressing right now, as are people telling me to get a life - which is exactly what I have stopped blogging to do, as it had taken over my life, hence the pleas for help.
Its sad to see you go but as I said on the phone to you on Saturday some people are are not worth wasting your time on just like some of the knobs above. Time to get on Facebook so you can laugh at these idiots with the rest of us.
ReplyDeleteCheers Chris - you are one of the friends I have no intention of forgetting. Your support for both the blog and myself personally has been one of the highlights of this experience, and I'll still be a nosey bugger blog or no blog.
DeleteSadly bus spotting is getting far to competitive!
ReplyDeleteI only periodically read this blog but find it excellent. It is sad that there are those that cannot just appreciate the hard work you put in. Based on todays Plymothian Transit blog where Graham is alluding to the same issues you seem to be experiencing it is a sad situation. I just don't understand why those that have such an issue with these sort of blogs can't just ignore them and then maybe you could go back to enjoying it as much as we enjoying reading it. Anyway thanks to both you and Graham for persisting on through all the negativity and personal attacks. Your contribution has been greatly appreciate and I hope you do return after a well earned break.
ReplyDeleteI live in Hertfordshire so not from the area that your blog covers, however having had a caravan in Great Yarmouth for quite a few years I stumbled across your blog quite a while ago, and have really enjoyed all the posts you have done detailing the local transport scene as well as in other areas. Yours is the best of all the blogs from the area and I would always come to your blog first, everyday. I hope that you will come back soon as am missing your blogging. All the best.
ReplyDeleteHope for the best.
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Hi Steve Galloway update just to let you know a loan day mcv kj62 jwf has turn up
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