Yesterday I spend the day roving Nottingham which is a haven for all things Scania. Something I've wanted to do for a while is sample their reasonably rare Scania Omnitowns. A small bit of nostalgia that caught my eye was the bell-presses, pictured. The last time I'd seen one in that style was on a Mk2 Lynx.

My initial though was they were just whatever East Lancs had lying around the time when they were built (2004). However I later rode on a 2011 Omnidekka which featured the same stop-bells. Does anybody know if/why this is something Nottingham specify? Also of note was the plate at the front of these Omnidekkas identified the body as an Optare, along with all the glazing being branded Optare. While I understand ELC eventually became Optare, I never realised the 'classic' Omnidekka design (i.e the style of GNE's ex-Brighton stock) was eventually an Optare product.

Sorry for the apparent blur in the picture. It turns out as well as being quirky as you like, Nottingham's Omnitowns have the ride qualities of a breeze-block.

https://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/BMAC-BUS-BELL-P...rmvSB=true&ul_ref=http%3A%2F%2Frover.ebay.com%2Frover%2F1%2F710-53481-19255-0%2F1%3Futm_source%3Dtwenga%26utm_param%3DeyJlcyI6MCwicyI6OTcyMDIzNywiY2kiOiIwMzA3MzgzOGJiYzI0MjlkYmJiYjcxNGNhMWI2YzM3NSIsImkiOiI1MjkyNjI5NDcwNTAzMDE4OTEzIiwidHMiOjE1Mjc5MzI5MTQsInYiOjMsInNvIjoxNTAwLCJjIjoxMDg4NTV9%26utm_campaign%3Dtwenga%26utm_medium%3Dcpc%26ff3%3D4%26pub%3D5574631662%26toolid%3D10001%26campid%3D5338243305%26customid%3D03073838bbc2429dbbbb714ca1b6c375%26mpre%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.ebay.co.uk%252Fitm%252FBMAC-BUS-BELL-PUSH-MODEL-439Y-%252F362282370147%26srcrot%3D710-53481-19255-0%26rvr_id%3D1551489701964%26rvr_ts%3Dbfe61ba61630a9e1ca32e3acfffb484e&_mwBanner=1&_rdt=1&ul_noapp=true

You could buy one (or 4) on ebay if you really wanted!

IIRC these were also fitted to the National 2's when they had a refurb, along with the crazy orange DIPTAC ribbed rubber grab handle slipovers.

https://twitter.com/britcultarchive/stat...04641?s=09

A class idea, brilliant project and now a local perspective!

https://twitter.com/britcultarchive/stat...04641?s=09

A class idea, brilliant project and now a local perspective!

Brilliant photo. Love seeing local oldies like that.

I remember asking the question about a 'roads' section being opened up.
Can't remember if there was a thread set up as a compromise, either way - I can't find it.

https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign...?CMP=fb_gu&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook#Echobox=1601385024

Anyway, some cracking photos of the A1. Or the people and things who travelled on it.

I remember asking the question about a 'roads' section being opened up.
Can't remember if there was a thread set up as a compromise, either way - I can't find it.

https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign...?CMP=fb_gu&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook#Echobox=1601385024

Anyway, some cracking photos of the A1. Or the people and things who travelled on it.

Some really good photos. Always remember the sheer amount of Little Chefs about. 

Some really good photos. Always remember the sheer amount of Little Chefs about. 

Also known as little thief

Some really good photos. Always remember the sheer amount of Little Chefs about. 

I was more of a Happy Eater fan.
Shit loads of them on the A1. I think they turned in to Little Chefs.

Screenshot_20201002_213100.jpg (Size 218.55 KB Downloads 10)

I was more of a Happy Eater fan.
Shit loads of them on the A1. I think they turned in to Little Chefs.

Yeah, I preferred Happy eater too as a kid.

I think it was the quirky little salt and pepper dispensers that sold it to me.

Possibly the playgrounds too.

Yeah, I preferred Happy eater too as a kid.

I think it was the quirky little salt and pepper dispensers that sold it to me.

Possibly the playgrounds too.

Like you, the play areas (just think of all the lead from passing traffic you breathed in) and also the twirly straws for the fizzy drinks were the two things that sold it to me.
Can't remember what the food was like. But those two definitely stand out for me.

I was more of a Happy Eater fan.
Shit loads of them on the A1. I think they turned in to Little Chefs.

I can't remember Happy Eater, but looking at their Wikipedia page, it was acquired by Little Chef in 1986.

I can't remember Happy Eater, but looking at their Wikipedia page, it was acquired by Little Chef in 1986.

Makes sense.

I remember we went on a trip down south one year and there were loads of the Happy Eaters all the way down the A1. 
A year or two later, we went down and there were none. But there were Little Chefs. 
Around the same sort of period, the plastic trees (or very similar ones) from the play areas in the Happy Eaters appeared in pub beer gardens across the country. The Plough at Pelton haven't long got rid of theirs.

I Remember the first couple of times I passed a Happy Eater, I couldn’t understand why a cafe was named Happy Easter in the middle of the summer!

Speaking of Little Chef, they're owned by the EG Group - the new owners of Asda.

Perhaps we'll see Little Chefs popping up in Asda replacing the in-store cafes.

**Edit**

Looks like I was WRONG!!

Kout Foods sold 70 Little Chef locations to the EG Group who, in turned, renamed Little Chef to EG Diners.

https://twitter.com/HOWManiaPod/status/1...00549?s=19 The Big Breakfast. 
Beyond what I would call 'the prime years', but Chris Evans never had a Kuyoyo-a-like lurking in the background!

Almost 30 years since the Meadowell and Elswick Riots. 

Some of this lot popped up on my fb feed earlier on. 
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=1htsoEyWBE8
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=jHD6OWjSzWc
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=I1PjCoawha8&feature=share

I remember it well.
In one of the clips there's a fella seen boarding a Coastliner decker.

Almost 30 years since the Meadowell and Elswick Riots. 

Some of this lot popped up on my fb feed earlier on. 
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=1htsoEyWBE8
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=jHD6OWjSzWc
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=I1PjCoawha8&feature=share

I remember it well.
In one of the clips there's a fella seen boarding a Coastliner decker.

Channel 4 did a follow-up a year later called 'An English Estate':



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lr-iZi6FEWo - Part One
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLVIYmvaj7M - Part Two



[url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLVIYmvaj7M][/url]

Posting in another thread, I started to think about how many classes of bus or train I've outlived.
Born before or at a similar time to roll-out and then seen them come and go.

Both scary and nostalgic at the same time.

Buses: far too many types to mention.
Train: again,far too many to mention. But locally, 43, 91, 142 and 599 jump out.