Brrr. I'm frozen through. Those streetlites are the coldest buses known to man (except in the height of summer)

Only took us 3 hours to get home from South Shields. Only an hour longer than it should have.

Pic taken 2 hours ago. Slushy in places, but pretty deep on the pavements. Slow going for the bus and we got pelted with snowballs in Shotton and Wheatley hill.

(12 Dec 2015, 5:03 pm)Dan wrote Can tell you work for a bus company coming out with that old chestnut... Turn it off then turn it back on again! 

Aye you are right, but normally works for my Sky box 

Its raining in Ershington.

(12 Dec 2015, 5:20 pm)citaro5284 wrote Aye you are right, but normally works for my Sky box 

Works for most electronickery.

(12 Dec 2015, 4:52 pm)Jimmi wrote According to the Arriva Live Map earlier there was a 7 running around 105 minutes late! Mind it also said there were buses a few minutes away from Newton Aycliffe Town Centre for around 40 minutes!

Sky can't seem to get any signal, just been a blue screen since I came home an hour ago.

How on Earth did that happen?!

(12 Dec 2015, 5:03 pm)Dan wrote Can tell you work for a bus company coming out with that old chestnut... Turn it off then turn it back on again! 

Usually works.

(12 Dec 2015, 4:52 pm)Jimmi wrote According to the Arriva Live Map earlier there was a 7 running around 105 minutes late! Mind it also said there were buses a few minutes away from Newton Aycliffe Town Centre for around 40 minutes!

Sky can't seem to get any signal, just been a blue screen since I came home an hour ago.

There's one now 84L and another 89L and the 21 is 40L. The 16:20 X12 from Newcastle is 75L.

The weather saw to the diversion of X1's and X25's heading through Low Fell tonight.
Saw the X1 turning off the motorway at the Bowes Incline. Assume the X25 did the same.

6022 was looking very forlorn at the top of Blind Lane at about 1545.

(12 Dec 2015, 6:20 pm)DanPicken wrote There's one now 84L and another 89L and the 21 is 40L. The 16:20 X12 from Newcastle is 75L.

Saw a 21 running 50 odd minutes late earlier, many buses seem to be running excessively late. There has been some buses even getting stuck the snow has been that bad in parts of County Durham.

(12 Dec 2015, 6:20 pm)DanPicken wrote There's one now 84L and another 89L and the 21 is 40L. The 16:20 X12 from Newcastle is 75L.

Arriva tweeted about the x12 and the 21a being held up and mentioned that they were having to regulate some services. The 22 from Sunderland was full of people wanting to get to Sedgefield as there was no sign of the x21. Apparently Sedgefield, ferryhill etc are pretty bad.

Here in High Spen the snow has caught a few buses out too:



(The photo was edited to look nice on my phone but it doesn't look the best on the computer, sorry!)


This Renown found itself stuck on the incline leaving High Spen (heading towards Chopwell) just metres away from another Stricken Renown. However, a Scania L94UB with Wright Solar bodywork (It may have been a B7RLE Eclipse) was able to power past the beleaguered Renown.

I think GNE's drivers deserve a pat on the back for their efforts today, I can't imagine it's an easy job driving buses in these conditions.

(12 Dec 2015, 6:56 pm)Sidthebusbabe wrote Here in High Spen the snow has caught a few buses out too:



(The photo was edited to look nice on my phone but it doesn't look the best on the computer, sorry!)


This Renown found itself stuck on the incline leaving High Spen (heading towards Chopwell) just metres away from another Stricken Renown. However, a Scania L94UB with Wright Solar bodywork (It may have been a B7RLE Eclipse) was able to power past the beleaguered Renown.

I think GNE's drivers deserve a pat on the back for their efforts today, I can't imagine it's an easy job driving buses in these conditions.

The streetlite on the 22 did a valiant job of getting up the hill (pictured above - there's much steeper sections of it) in our village. A good steady crawl. I think being a lightweight bus made the difference. Much as I was wishing for a nice hot E400 to have found its way onto the route, I don't think it would have made it. Husband's entertainment for the afternoon was people getting stuck and having to revise the way they were driving!

Looking through the pics on the Chrimicle website. (Er Chronicle, but I rather like my typo). Sheriff Hill looks quite the bus graveyard. Thinking on, glad we don't have Geminis locally!
http://i2.chroniclelive.co.uk/incoming/a...648356.jpg
http://i1.chroniclelive.co.uk/incoming/a...648363.jpg

Keeping on the subject of stuck buses, this is rather nice. Someone using a 4 by 4 to rescue passengers and take the poor driver a hot drink.
https://twitter.com/IncidentsTEES/status...0582249473

In contrast, there's floods around Hartlepool and East Cleveland - the Hartlepool situation not being helped by a burst water main on the A179.

(12 Dec 2015, 7:16 pm)BusLoverMum wrote In contrast, there's floods around Hartlepool and East Cleveland - the Hartlepool situation not being helped by a burst water main on the A179.

Maybe Jimmi would have had trouble getting to the gig without the snow haha!

(12 Dec 2015, 5:03 pm)Dan wrote Can tell you work for a bus company coming out with that old chestnut... Turn it off then turn it back on again! 

Same with buses, most drivers I know, if they have a problem just turn it off and back on again

(13 Dec 2015, 10:21 am)MrFozz wrote Same with buses, most drivers I know, if they have a problem just turn it off and back on again

Or give it a whack. Tends to be the go to fix for miscreant ticket machines.

Well, Eva seems to have out done Desmond.

The wear in Durham City has gone over again, but thankfully, it's more of an inconvenience than a disaster, unlike parts of York and Hebden Bridge and much of Lancashire and North Wales. 

And part of the M62 has collapsed into a sinkhole. I suspect that's going to be rather a pig to fix, over the next few weeks or even months.
http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/n...r-10653157

What exactly is a 'snow squall'?

(29 Dec 2015, 9:19 pm)Jimmi wrote What exactly is a 'snow squall'?

From wiki:

A snowsquall (or snow squall) is a sudden moderately heavy snow fall with blowing snow and strong, gusty surface winds. It is often referred to as a whiteout and is similar to a blizzard but is localized in time or in space andsnow accumulations may or may not be significant.

(29 Dec 2015, 9:19 pm)Jimmi wrote What exactly is a 'snow squall'?

What Michael said, but a squall in general is that bit, during the peak of a storm where you say oh sugar (or words to that effect) and back away from the window for a while because everything not tied down is hitting it accompanied by a lot of wet stuff.

Just been waiting for the 50 at the arnison centre. The wind whistling through the bus stop was like a child messing about with a recorder!

Lots of reports of surface flooding, tonight.

The 24 has had to divert via Thornley. It's bad out there.

Waiting for big'un's taxi and hoping it arrives before the gap on the rain passed over as I have to walk little'un to school!

The bottom of my street is flooded.

(05 Jan 2016, 9:53 am)Davie wrote The bottom of my street is flooded.

It's a bit bumpy around your way.

Thankfully, our drains were all sluiced, yesterday, so I didn't have to do quite as much wading as I sometimes do. If our village did flood, I'd probably convert from atheism and say my prayers, since we're 500' above sea level, but the roads turn into rivers, when it's lie this and the drains further down the bank always flood.

There's an official list of flooded roads in Co durham, but knowing the area, and after seeing the 24 in completely the wrong place, I know it'll not be exhaustive. No word on Twitter about what either the 22 or 24 are doing, as part of the 22's route is impassible.
https://www.durham.police.uk/news-and-ev...dates.aspx

The following roads are currently either closed or difficult to pass due to standing water:


A181 Sherburn House (This is the road under the old railway bridge on the 22's route - the water gets quite deep and a car got stuck in it, earlier)
A691 Consett – Lanchester
A19 Peterlee area
A68 Allensford – CLOSED
New Front Street, Tanfield Lea – CLOSED
Front Road, Leadgate – CLOSED
A694 Shotley Bridge
B6312 Plawsworth
B6532 Pity Me - Sacriston

Edit - this one will be why the 24 is diverted, too
DurhamCountyCouncil ‏@DurhamCouncil 42m42 minutes ago

1/2 #traveltuesday the following are closed due to #floods - A181, Sherburn House - Durham Road, Haswell Plough.

And, apparently part of the A179 in Hartlepool is blocked by flooding.

The Chronicle's updates. Looks like Morpeth's breathing a sigh of relief, this morning
http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/loca...s-10682958

Nice day for a paddle, again. My bathroom now boasts a window with integrated shower. All the mod cons, we have  

Littl'un actually agreed to wear waterproofs and I actually didn't get kicked, putting them on him. (Those poor people who have been waiting for the just arrived almost 20 minutes late 22 didn't think to wear any, mind. I bet that's one damp bus, inside.)

I actually need to go into town, today, but it can wait until later. It's supposed to ease off, around lunchtime.

Doesn't appear to be as much flooding today, but lots of accidents. Chester road in Sunderland has been closed after an accident involving a car and a bike.

Turning much colder next week, standby for more chaos...

(07 Jan 2016, 10:32 am)tyresmoke wrote Turning much colder next week, standby for more chaos...

Think we're due some more snow in the coming weeks, or at least that's what the Accuweather app is saying on my phone.

(07 Jan 2016, 10:52 am)Jimmi wrote Think we're due some more snow in the coming weeks, or at least that's what the Accuweather app is saying on my phone.

There's a snow and ice warning for Cumbria and Norn Iron, tonight. Metoffice has been alternating between snow and more rain for us, from tomorrow. It's currently stuck on rain, though that'll probably turn out to be thw wrong answer, up here.

(07 Jan 2016, 10:52 am)Jimmi wrote Think we're due some more snow in the coming weeks, or at least that's what the Accuweather app is saying on my phone.

Yup not so much this weekend but certainly from Monday onwards, significant risk of a number of days of snow. Next weekend potentially seeing heavy snowfall.

According to my phone, there's a 72% chance of snow today....