Bill-by-bill summary: Queen's Speech at-a-glance
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-36320412



...and just a coincidence that we'll be electing a mayor next May.

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Darlington

Here is the normal allocation for all of Darlington services

Service X1- MAX steeetlites- 1590/91/92/93/94

Service 1/1B/5/5A/12/19 - VDL Pulsars- 1424-28/1463/65/66/1506-1511 (a selection of any pulsar)

Service 2 -Man Ecocity - Frequenta Branded 4801-4808

Service 3/3A/3B - Optare Solo- frequenta Branded 2830/32/33/35/36/41

Service 4 - Optare Solo- Frequenta Branded 2859/60/61/62

Service 7 - VDL Pulsar/ADL Enviro 400 - Sapphire branded 1513/14/15/16/7534/35/36/37/40

Service 8 - VDL Pulsar (see Pulsars on the 1/1b) (a selection of any Pulsar)

Service 9/10 - Optare Solo - Frequenta Branded 2863/64/65/66/67/68/69

Service 13A/13B - Optare Solo - Frequenta Branded 2852/53/54/55/56/57/58

Service 21/X21/X22 - Man Ecocity- WOOSH Branded 4812/13/14 (and either 4809/10/11)

Service X26/X27 - Scania Omnicity - MAX Branded 4645/46/47/48

Service 66/X66/X67 - Scania Omnicity - MAX Branded 4649/51/55/56/57

Service X75/X76 - Scania Omnicity - MAX Branded 4652/54/58

Service 830 (Northern Dalesbus) -Optare Solo - usually 9/10 branded

Service M1 (Moorsbus) - VDL Pulsar - usually 1498

Frequenta Spare
2843/49/50/51

MAX Spare
1406/1416/4643/4644/4650

Spare buses

4809
4810
4811

Might be worth mentioning that two new Optare Metrocity buses have turned up for use on the car park shuttles at Newcastle Airport - believe they are YJ16DXO/DXP.

Current vehicles are:
MAN MCV Evolution AE05OVA (BUS3)
MAN MCV Evolution BC05JHU (BUS2)
MAN Meridian FJ09PXO (BUS1)
Centro MX59KUE (BUS4)

I expect some of these will leave now though.

Are you attending this new event at Riverside?

There's been some discussion on facebook around the merits of charging money to attend bus rallies and running days - I'm wondering what opinion is on here.

There seems to be two main camps on the issue:

1. Free events attract new people to the hobby and in turn promote further vehicle preservation
   There's a real concern that charging entry to a bus rally would vastly reduce visitor numbers to the point where it wouldn't be worth running the events at all. Additionally the added cost is likely to put of 'marginal' enthusiasts leaving only the dedicated few same people traipsing to the same events with the same people to see the same vehicles. This alone could lead to the decline of the hobby. This would also extend to family visitors who contribute massively to visitor numbers at many who enjoy a low-cost day out. Though many enthusiasts may see small children getting in the way of their photos an annoyance; without them it's likely commercial operators such as ANE & GNE would cease to send vehicles as there would be no potential customers to promote to. After all, there's no point showing off your new bus to enthusiasts who already know all about it!Many bus enthusiasts have cited the friendly and inclusive atmosphere of the scene they experienced as a youngster as the reason they continued their hobby onto bus ownership and preservation. If exclusion via cost begins it could be argues that many vehicles will be lost to the scrap pile in the future.         
   
2. It is rude & ungrateful to not contribute to the running costs of a vehicle when an owner offers rides on it
   The first argument here is the most obvious. A preserved bus owner has already spend £000s on restoration and ongoing costs to keep their vehicle before they've but £150 of diesel in it to bring it to a running day. And certainly many owners are not overly wealthy individuals; just people with a passion and desire to keep vehicles special to them going. To open that hard work up to the public who could easily damage your well preserved bus and then receive a small donation from less than half of those on board will be infuriating. It would be understandable if an owner then decided not to enter their vehicle for running any more; leaving their bus as a static exhibit only. There would be still many enthusiasts who are able to appreciate a bus from looking at it but it would still not be the same as being able to board and hear it run. Again, this could lead to less interest and the increased likelihood of the bus event being pulled altogether. This would certainly be the case for running-based events such as the 500 group's day.  
   

The above is a summary of the arguments I've seen rather than my own opinion, which is very much that passengers should offer a donation to the owner of a preserved bus if it's being ran but an entry fee in addition to a donation to an event may kill it. 

A way forward could be charging a fee for a programme or similar and only those in possession of one may use the running services. 
 
As an example: ACME bus group holds an event, any bus from any group may enter to run. At rally control people may purchase one-day membership for £4 adult, £2 child, £8 family. Only members may ride buses running shuttles that day. Those who have not purchased membership are welcome  to be at the event, taking photos and exploring static exhibits. The money raised by the membership subscriptions that day are then divided into an equal amount per vehicle per run operated and donated to the individuals who own each bus. As long as the amount donated didn't outweigh the cost the owner has outlaid in bringing the vehicle to the event, then this would still satisfy the 'not for hire or reward' clause required by the insurance of many preserved buses. 

What does everybody think?

Stagecoach North East: Rare & Odd Workings - May 2016

Stagecoach North East: Latest News & Discussion - May 2016

Arriva North East: Latest News & Discussion - May 2016

(30 Apr 2016, 5:25 pm)BusLoverMum wrote Either 1412 or 1413 on its way into Durham on the 22

Will have been 1412 as I seen 1413 on the 6 at 14.00

I always hated the Vykings (see previous postings under GNE and how they've never got bus type right on the Angel)

Anyhow, had 3963 and it was far nicer than I remember. Certainly felt more powerful than the Hybrid duds. Though in solidarity and tribute to days gone by on the Angel...no one used the middle door