Blyth's Pulsar Gemini's (especially the original batches in the MAX livery) are looking increasingly battered and run down - especially the rust bubbling around the windows and IMHO feel increasingly run down inside to boot. Blyth's older Enviros, well they are what they are (at least after their Sapphire refurb by Thorntons seemed to minimise the rattles) but it is obvious they have had a hard life as well. On the plus side they all aged far better than the Scania/ELC Cityzen nightmares before them, but the current state is not good enough either. For Ashington, to add more to the fire, the baby Solos are still ending up on the 57/57a runs. I know a bus is better than no bus, but with the current Summer Holidays and the traffic to Whitley Bay it attracts, Arriva are doing themselves no favours.