I've told this tale before, but here goes again:-

I was attending an event at Haltwhistle and had arrived there by bus (Arriva 685).

At the end of the event I was offered a lift back to Corbridge, but the driver discovered that they had neither cash nor cards and they were running low on fuel, so it was agreed to drop me in Haydon Bridge (the car owner lived north of HB).

On the A69 before HB we passed the 685 parked-up in a layby with the hazards flashing.

In HB I waited, and, of course the 685 didn't come.

What's more, the following 685 didn't come either.

When the (now very late) 685 eventually turned up, the passengers related their tale of woe.

The first bus had overheated with a warning lamp, so the driver stopped and called base (Carlisle) who sent out a mechanic (but no replacement bus as the following service was, by then, 'due'), however the following bus had crashed in Carlisle and couldn't continue, and the mechanic had decided that the original bus couldn't be fixed, so, eventually they decided that the 'third' bus would collect the passengers from outside Haydon Bridge.

Waiting with me in HB were several would-be passengers heading to Hexham.
I suggested the train, but, apparently, HB only gets a two-hourly train service.


I have also been on the Arriva 685 from Hexham towards Newcastle when it threw a rear inner tyre tread at Dilston.

We continued at slow speed to Corbridge where I confirmed to the driver what had happened. Fortunately I was able to commission (!) the GNE 684 as it emerged from Princes Street - though it was truly standing room only on the MPD - in fact passengers had to alight to let those at the rear to get off, having sailed past the stops between Corbridge and Newcastle due to being full up - they were several standing in the 'entrance' of the MPD.

And another time when the 685 overheated at Heddon causing 'loss of service' until the following 685 arrived an hour later.

Oh joy!