(04 Sep 2016, 1:08 am)GMitchelhill wrote Bridge Cameras such as my Canon SX410 Powershot are just as good, it's just what you used to having used pocket digital cameras over the last few years, I'm impressed with my bridge camera, and it's compact enough for me. I find DSLR camera's too bulky.

But one gripe for me is people who use their phones or ipads etc as their main camera. Give your head a wobble, camera's on phones are not a good thing to use to photo buses, the timing is bad on a lot of phone, just look at some of the tripe uploaded to the crap facebook groups where you either see an extremely blurred photo of a bus, or the top right hand corner of a bus. The only time I use my phone to photo buses is if I haven't got a camera and I'm caught out by a new vehicle or unusual working (which could have applied today if the MMC remained on the 71 for more than one journey this morning), or if I want to send a picture over Social Media to quickly show a friend. Plus you look a little bit daft photoing with a phone, especially if someone phones you whilst you are taking a photo. Though people using Ipad to take photos look even stupider, you may as well take a tea tray. In my opinion you are not a proper photographer if you don't own a proper standalone camera.

I'd say you can use whatever you want but typically I am less likely to look at photos taken on mobiles, iPad's etc partly because of the quality not being as good.

The worst is people who take mobile shots in portrait, "that's nice, it's the pavement!"

Can't stand people taking photos on iPad's but I partly put that down to one individual who I can't stand and nor can most people it seems, especially the time I tried photographing a Waggonway on a evening peak X21 and he got in the way with is baking tray. Worst was the time I was behind someone at a gig and they got a iPad out and started filming the bloody gig!

My big gripe today cash points. I intended going to NNRG running day. My plan was to catch the X70 from the Team Valley upto consent.

I arrived at the Team Valley in good time after walking down from my dad's. Only to find the HSBC near the bus stop was out of use. I checked in the shops nearby, none of them did cash back .

So I decided to hike upto Lobley Hill knowing there was a cash point at the Post Office. Made this with 3 minutes to spare. only to find this was out of use as well. Tried going into the shop next door but there was a massive queue.

Next I tried to get the bus to Consett using my Nexus travel card to the Tyne & Wear boundary at Bryremoor and paying the rest from there to Consett. Unfortunately I was 85p short.

No NNRG running day for me. I'm not a happy bunny.

Charles

(04 Sep 2016, 11:11 am)Charles41 wrote My big gripe today cash points. I intended going to NNRG running day. My plan was to catch the X70 from the Team Valley upto consent.

I arrived at the Team Valley in good time after walking down from my dad's. Only to find the HSBC near the bus stop was out of use. I checked in the shops nearby, none of them did cash back .

So I decided to hike upto Lobley Hill knowing there was a cash point at the Post Office. Made this with 3 minutes to spare. only to find this was out of use as well. Tried going into the shop next door but there was a massive queue.

Next I tried to get the bus to Consett using my Nexus travel card to the Tyne & Wear boundary at Bryremoor and paying the rest from there to Consett. Unfortunately I was 85p short.

No NNRG running day for me. I'm not a happy bunny.

Charles

Aye, wish they accepted debit payment on the bus but of course if the transaction didn't complete for whatever reason you'd get your journey for free.

(04 Sep 2016, 11:11 am)Charles41 wrote My big gripe today cash points. I intended going to NNRG running day. My plan was to catch the X70 from the Team Valley upto consent.

I arrived at the Team Valley in good time after walking down from my dad's. Only to find the HSBC near the bus stop was out of use. I checked in the shops nearby, none of them did cash back .

So I decided to hike upto Lobley Hill knowing there was a cash point at the Post Office. Made this with 3 minutes to spare. only to find this was out of use as well. Tried going into the shop next door but there was a massive queue.

Next I tried to get the bus to Consett using my Nexus travel card to the Tyne & Wear boundary at Bryremoor and paying the rest from there to Consett. Unfortunately I was 85p short.

No NNRG running day for me. I'm not a happy bunny.

Charles

Bit of a hike, but M&S and Sainsburys both do cashback, if you find yourself in a similar predicament, again.

(04 Sep 2016, 7:38 pm)BusLoverMum wrote Bit of a hike, but M&S and Sainsburys both do cashback, if you find yourself in a similar predicament, again.

Also Wetherspoons, which I find rather odd, but useful if you get stuck without cash.

Not annoying but sad...

Going to our lasses Granddads funeral this morning...

Lets hope it passes without a hitch as half the family hate each other and her sister has a vendetta against me for some reason

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(04 Sep 2016, 11:11 am)Charles41 wrote My big gripe today cash points. I intended going to NNRG running day. My plan was to catch the X70 from the Team Valley upto consent.

I arrived at the Team Valley in good time after walking down from my dad's. Only to find the HSBC near the bus stop was out of use. I checked in the shops nearby, none of them did cash back .

So I decided to hike upto Lobley Hill knowing there was a cash point at the Post Office. Made this with 3 minutes to spare. only to find this was out of use as well. Tried going into the shop next door but there was a massive queue.

Next I tried to get the bus to Consett using my Nexus travel card to the Tyne & Wear boundary at Bryremoor and paying the rest from there to Consett. Unfortunately I was 85p short.

No NNRG running day for me. I'm not a happy bunny.

Charles

Lloyds have a few machines at their branch on the middle of Kingsway.

(04 Sep 2016, 7:42 pm)James101 wrote Also Wetherspoons, which I find rather odd, but useful if you get stuck without cash.

IIRC, that Sainsburys also has cashpoints (as do most of their big branches). Husband often uses them at one branch or other, so they're fine with HSBC.

Bloody pedestrians walking into me at Park Lane

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(06 Sep 2016, 2:10 pm)northern156 wrote Bloody pedestrians walking into me at Park Lane

#JimmiProblems

(06 Sep 2016, 2:10 pm)northern156 wrote Bloody pedestrians walking into me at Park Lane

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Bloody bus enthusiasts taking photos of me at Park Lane!!!!!

(06 Sep 2016, 3:40 pm)Dan wrote Bloody bus enthusiasts taking photos of me at Park Lane!!!!!

Frothing over 650 no doubt. 

I go back to school tomorrow

Sick of people doing all these 'friend tests' on Facebook. Usually you have to do something like copy the text the person has written and re-post it on your wall or something like that, or comment under the post with either 'stay' or 'leave'

Surprised I haven't lost any friends yet by not responding to these, although a fair few of these I see are people on my friends list responding to them.

(06 Sep 2016, 9:33 pm)Jimmi wrote Sick of people doing all these 'friend tests' on Facebook. Usually you have to do something like copy the text the person has written and re-post it on your wall or something like that, or comment under the post with either 'stay' or 'leave'

Surprised I haven't lost any friends yet by not responding to these, although a fair few of these I see are people on my friends list responding to them.

This is why I don't fakebook.

Today's gripe is PCL Travel.

Travelled to Morpeth from Newcastle with a view to catching the 13.35 79 service over to Kingston Park via Scots Gap.

Waited until 14.00 but the bus never turned up. It is still advertised at Morpeth Bus Station as running. It is also advertised on PCL Travel's website and is registered on VOSA.

At 14.00 PCL Travel's Ford Transit turned up and dropped two old ladies off from Wallington Hall. I asked the driver what was happening. He stated that they have withdrawn the service as no-one uses it.

This begs two questions, firstly why has none of the information been updated either on-line or at the bus station and secondly what were two old ladies doing on a bus service that does not seem to be advertised or registered?

A complete shambles.

Charles

(07 Sep 2016, 2:39 pm)Charles41 wrote Today's gripe is PCL Travel.

Travelled to Morpeth from Newcastle with a view to catching the 13.35 79 service over to Kingston Park via Scots Gap.

Waited until 14.00 but the bus never turned up. It is still advertised at Morpeth Bus Station as running. It is also advertised on PCL Travel's website and is registered on VOSA.

At 14.00 PCL Travel's Ford Transit turned up and dropped two old ladies off from Wallington Hall. I asked the driver what was happening. He stated that they have withdrawn the service as no-one uses it.

This begs two questions, firstly why has none of the information been updated either on-line or at the bus station and secondly what were two old ladies doing on a bus service that does not seem to be advertised or registered?

A complete shambles.

Charles

That has happened to me every time I try, the service is non existent

(07 Sep 2016, 8:16 pm)NK53 TKT wrote That has happened to me every time I try, the service is non existent

PCL Travel is the one company I try and avoid using

Speaking of PCL, was waiting at Prudhoe station for the train to Sunderland. Saw their rural link dart come into Prudhoe Interchange and park up and the driver gets out and goes into the industrial estate bit next to Prudhoe Station. Was gonna get a photo of it while driver was gone but the train was due any minute so missed out. If he done that 10 minutes earlier I would've got one. Then I get to Sunderland as I wanted to trade in my Silver Milanese Loop for a black one at CeX for my Apple Watch, wait for it to be tested and come back and they check it and they realise the one they have is a fake one, bit of a waste of a trip, but they had some online so ordered one from there with the voucher I got from them for my genuine one.


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(07 Sep 2016, 2:39 pm)Charles41 wrote Today's gripe is PCL Travel.

Travelled to Morpeth from Newcastle with a view to catching the 13.35 79 service over to Kingston Park via Scots Gap.

Waited until 14.00 but the bus never turned up. It is still advertised at Morpeth Bus Station as running. It is also advertised on PCL Travel's website and is registered on VOSA.

At 14.00 PCL Travel's Ford Transit turned up and dropped two old ladies off from Wallington Hall. I asked the driver what was happening. He stated that they have withdrawn the service as no-one uses it.

This begs two questions, firstly why has none of the information been updated either on-line or at the bus station and secondly what were two old ladies doing on a bus service that does not seem to be advertised or registered?

A complete shambles.

Charles

I'm sure the 79 is a Council contract, therefore the operator can't withdraw it?

(08 Sep 2016, 8:00 am)GX03 SVC wrote I'm sure the 79 is a Council contract, therefore the operator can't withdraw it?

I'm not sure they're that tightly regulated in places. What I mean is somebody has to actually take the service in the first place to then go and report it as not running. The council then has to go about investigating whether it did run or not, and what have they got in terms of evidence?

Want to head some places today for photos of GNE's new Solo SR's but I'm currently stuck waiting ages to get my hair cut

How late do Deptford's Solo SR's stay out and on which service(s)?

(09 Sep 2016, 8:40 am)Jimmi wrote Want to head some places today for photos of GNE's new Solo SR's but I'm currently stuck waiting ages to get my hair cut

How late do Deptford's Solo SR's stay out and on which service(s)?

Bit of a late response but only 689 and 690 out today,with an MPD making up the 3rd. Currently on the 33, but I think Dan mentioned they'll be used for evening services too?

(09 Sep 2016, 1:27 pm)Adrian wrote Bit of a late response but only 689 and 690 out today,with an MPD making up the 3rd. Currently on the 33, but I think Dan mentioned they'll be used for evening services too?

Thanks, happy so long as I can get one of them. Just wish the sun would come back out as the gloomy clouds ain't helping at getting some good photos. Currently wanting some more Gateshead Central Taxis double deckers come through Heworth Interchange en- route to school contracts.

(09 Sep 2016, 2:04 pm)Adrian wrote Bit of a late response but only 689 and 690 out today,with an MPD making up the 3rd. Currently on the 33, but I think Dan mentioned they'll be used for evening services too?

549 is on 2 i think

Went to o2 this morning for just after opening time to pre order the new iPhone 7+ and they say can only do pre orders for the 7 as can't do pre orders on them. They said can't order online so went home and guess what, managed to order online, up to 6 week wait though.


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Tapatalk using so much data even with images off etc and very light usage.. Chrome is nee better either.

(09 Sep 2016, 2:56 pm)TEN 6083 wrote Went to o2 this morning for just after opening time to pre order the new iPhone 7+ and they say can only do pre orders for the 7 as can't do pre orders on them. They said can't order online so went home and guess what, managed to order online, up to 6 week wait though.


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There's really 6 weeks worth of people waiting for them? I thought the iPhone 7 announcement was pretty dull myself, and there's nothing in there that screams out to me to buy it.

(09 Sep 2016, 5:45 pm)Adrian wrote There's really 6 weeks worth of people waiting for them? I thought the iPhone 7 announcement was pretty dull myself, and there's nothing in there that screams out to me to buy it.

Especially the lack of headphone jack.

(09 Sep 2016, 1:27 pm)Adrian wrote Bit of a late response but only 689 and 690 out today,with an MPD making up the 3rd. Currently on the 33, but I think Dan mentioned they'll be used for evening services too?

Yes - they're out pretty much all hours.

One board starts service at 06:11am on the 135, then is out on the 33 all day, then is out on the 135 all night until 23:49.
Another board starts service at 07:37am on the 33, then is out on the 38C all night until 23:34.
The final board starts service at 07:47am on the 33, then is out on the 136 all night until 23:35.