I’ve been to most places you can get to by bus from Tyneside, but there are one or two that are just too difficult. Despite the remarkable efforts of Spirit, I’ve never got to Alwinton; I’ve been as far as Whitby, but never managed Blanchland by bus.
One that’s always escaped me is Otterburn. All the talk on here of PCL Travel made me go looking for their timetables, so I discovered that Otterburn was within my grasp! The method was the Saturdays only 808 to Newcastle that starts at Bellingham, preceded by the 680 from Hexham up the north Tyne. With Mrs. Eezypeazy committed to a shopping trip in Newcastle and a commitment to meet up for dinner and with tickets to see comedian and writer Andy Hamilton, the basic outline of A Grand Day Out began to form....
0910 680 Hexham – Bellingham: GNE 5210
There was a little light rain on an otherwise mild morning as we left Hexham’s bus station. Dating from 1932, it was encouraging to see contractors busy on the new bus station, due to open at the end of November, apparently. The light rain changed to a fine mist, rather masking what I had hoped would have been fine views of the North Tyne through autumnal trees...
1010 808 Bellingham – Newcastle
First thing to note – if you’re planning to do this, don’t rely on the timetable for the 808 on the Nexus website, which has the service as departing from “Bellingham, Memorial.” It actually goes from the Heritage Centre, conveniently the terminus of the 680.
PCL Travel provided MH06 WCU, a 16-seat step-entrance LDV mini coach. There were already three regular passengers sitting on the bus when I boarded and another lady turned up before departure, which was on time. No tickets were being issued, but the driver noted my fare and pensioners passes in a notebook. Apparently, the service uses a “facial recognition protocol” for return fares – ie., if the driver knows your face, you’re on!
The driver was on first-name terms with his regulars, and before long the lady in front of me shared her packet of mint imperials!
The bus departed on time. If like me you’re into local history, there’s lots to see from the bus on this route, most notably some of the ‘bastle’ houses – strong houses for people and livestock that are scattered throughout the border lands.
We collected another passenger at West Woodburn before continuing to Otterburn, where the bus performs a reverse outside the premises of that villages’ local coach operator. This is as far north as I was to get today, being less than twelve miles from the Scottish border as the crow flies.
At Otterburn, we collected another four adults, two of them being a couple with a toddler and a baby in a pushchair, which had to be completely disassembled and the chassis folded and stowed in the aisle.
After Otterburn, the bus climbs to the hamlet of Elsdon (no passengers) and then seems to climb even higher on rejoining the A686, as the bus soon disappeared into the low clouds. The bus didn’t pick up anyone else on the run and reached St Thomas Street on time.
1155 X1 Eldon Square – Washington: GNE 6049
Having briefly met up with my wife in Northumberland Street, it was onwards towards Washington. I like the B9s – they’re comfortable. But this one did seem rather noisy. Perhaps I haven’t sat above the offside wheel arch on enough of them...
1259 Connections 4 Galleries – Glebe: GNE 5367
It has been some years since I’d been in The Galleries, so i was pleasantly surprised to find so many eateries. Opted for a Greggs sarnie and orange juice.
This was my first ride on one of the ‘newer’ Citaros. From a passenger perspective, it seemed almost identical to the ‘older’ ones in the GNE fleet.
I was off to Glebe to listen to a lecture given by the Rt Hon Lord Alan Beith on an aspect of regional history. Afterwards, with a little time in hand, I added an impromptu trip further afield....
1527 Coast & Country 8 Glebe – Stanley: 5402
I got chatting to a pair of grandparents with two grandchildren, aged about seven, who were studying the bus stop timetable liner. I thought I’d see if they could help me to find the time of my bus, so we pored over the display until I helped them find it. But 1527? What time is that? Neither generation could read the 24-hour clock. A lesson for us all there?
5402 appeared to be the busiest bus of my day. Not knowing this neck of the woods particularly well, it was an interesting mystery tour of this part of Tyne and Wear/Co Durham. At Chester-le-Street, that flying crow would have found me 35 miles south east of Otterburn. Beamish was reasonably well patronised, but no takers for the bus.
For the Streetlite dissenters amongst the forum, I can report that I heard no rattles, the bus was clean and warm, the seats comfortable and the customers happy!
For the Streetlite dissenters amongst the forum, I can report that I heard no rattles, the bus was clean and warm, the seats comfortable and the customers happy!
1615 Toonlink X30 Stanley – Newcastle: 5242
I’ve never been a fan of the Omnicity. To me, it’s wouldn’t win a bus beauty contest, and the interior layout seems very strange. Nevertheless, the bus was warm, comfortable, and smoothly driven. Got into Newcastle before the match turned out, but bailed out in Clayton Street to meet Mrs Eezypeazy for a pizza.
Andy Hamilton’s one-man show was at Northern Stage off Barras Bridge, finishing at about 2200hrs. It’s some years since we’ve sampled the delights of the Percy Street pubs on a Saturday, so for old time’s sake we sampled the local hostelries before heading for our last bus...
2320 74 Eldon Square – Hexham: GNE 667
This Saturdays Only bus is the last bus westbound towards Cowgate and Westerhope, and I’m surprised that more locals haven’t discovered this yet. Again, our driver was on first-name terms with her regulars, with people travelling towards Ponteland and Stamfordham and locals from Ponteland to Darras Hall.
In my opinion, these Solos are ideally suited to this type of work. It was powerful enough to make good progress on the dual carriageway out of Newcastle and nippy enough to cope well with the country lanes. Again, nice and warm, comfy seats and no rattles!
As you can imagine, eyelids were drooping as we gently passed through the hamlets, until the brakes were applied beyond Fenwick – there were half a dozen sheep on the road. As it transpired, our driver has some experience with sheep and knew what to do. She gently edged the bus forward, carefully encouraging them ahead until they disappeared back through the hole in the fence they had emerged from – except for one! A gentle beep on the horn, and it smartly popped back through the hole into the field!
And the award goes to...
Every bus was on time and clean inside. In experiencing about 125 miles by bus, I never had the same type twice! So I’ve decided that I should offer some “awards”:
Best bus: Coast & Country Streetlite. Warm, most comfortable seats, no rattles. A close second was Hexham’s Solo.
Noisiest bus: 6049
Customer Service award: PCL Travel for their driver knowing every passenger by name! But the people of the Coquet Valley are in for a surprise – the vehicle quality is rather less than they might be used to! Runner up was the 74 driver for her knowledge of how sheep behave!