North East thread 7: the bus chat continues...

[Someaddedsugar]

Just setting this up so it's here

A councillor from Gateshead was on radio Newcastle this morning. About time as the only time they mention was in traffic reports.
But god knows what will happen when metro is on strike. My part of N.E might as well not exist ( I know my chip is very very heavy)

Oh yes we love that one with the lovely poppy display, they always have very nice cakes, but we are also fond of one further up the street that's normally fairly busy, but it definitely was less so.

I did notice that there is a bigger Greggs opening up where the shoe shop was, with a seated area. That will be popular I think.

I was disappointed that Greggs was closed, was wanting to use my free coffee.
But the bigger one looks great, I did look in window.

It's all geography. Rivers, bridging points, hills, dales, etc. It's the same in all relatively un-urbanised areas. e.g places like Cornwall will have little choice either - being on a peninsula with moors, the R.Tamar as a boundary etc.

Because of the R.Wear, It's much easier for me to drive to Chester-le-St than it is to go to B&Q at Belmont. And if I do go there, I am careful to pick my times!

The inhabitants of large, relatively flat, cities are used to being able to travel in any direction

Revitalising local shops is an excellent silver lining to the bus strike. I hope it will be sustainable once the dispute is resolved. The Earth cannot afford us nipping out by car for things for much longer...

"Because of the R.Wear, It's much easier for me to drive to Chester-le-St than it is to go to B&Q at Belmont. And if I do go there, I am careful to pick my times!"

Isn't it just?! Unless something is urgent, we tend to save up things we need to make a trip across the river for or DH might swing by on his office day.

It's mad isn't it. I live in the borough of Gateshead but I can't get to Gateshead town centre on the bus, nor any of the small towns / large villages that are within about a 5-8 mile radius of my village.
All roads buses lead to the town or the metrocentre and bypass the actual economy that's local to me.
For Gateshead it's not even any better by car as the road system around the town centre is such a shit show. It's no wonder the high street is in the state it is

Doh - by "the town" I meant Newcastle

Are you in GNE bus routes? You would think the buses would go to Interchange.
I hate driving though Durham city centre. If we only need B&Q we go to Washington one, sort of the back road via Barley mow. So much quicker and we can nip to Aldi on way home.

yes go north east. not a sausage to gateshead from where i am.

My really do have an monopoly in certain areas

Gateshead has always had it bad, I think. I suspect this may be because those immediately to the North of the Tyne look down on Gateshead like Londoners North of the Thames look down on Londoners South of the Thames, of which I am one

The Gateshead Garden festival was fab, though

Lived in Gateshead for years and it turns out you need a passport to cross the Tyne and a special visa to visit Sunderland.

Is the gne strike still indefinite? I've had a Google and it doesn't look great. I drive but my grandad relies on the buses and I feel it's quite isolating at this point.

12 weeks I heard. The union won’t be able to pay the strike fund indefinitely.
Local councils/government needs to step in.
It’s the workers who can’t afford taxis etc who I feel sorry for.
Yes very isolating for older people. I’ve seen quite a few people with shopping trolleys.
I’ve also given my older DD work colleagues lifts(she can drive but can’t afford a car yet) she normally uses mine and I just get the bus if I need.

Also the weather again (bloody rain ☔️)

Yeah of course people getting to work I feel bad for. I don't mean I don't care about that. But was asking specifically re my grandad because he my only family member who needs to use them.

I feel conflicted because I do support strikes normally and the power to strike. But I feel it's having such a huge impact.

@Wotsitfappe i agree, just the getting a bus into town is so important for older people. Even in the village my DM lives in without my DF she couldn’t walk to Dr.
Everything social is a good walk away and it’s hilly around us.
Hopefully the family can rally round, but that does take away his independence, especially if he use to just go out and about whenever he liked.

But it does seem to have been in news a bit more. I don’t think some people realise how much of an monopoly GNE has, no trains or metros near me.
But at least the metro strike isn’t going ahead now.

The garden festival was brilliant! and now contains the cycleway I use to get to work

There was a bus strike somewhere in Japan recently whereby the drivers instead of not working just don't take any payment for travel. So the services still run but the company is still hit. I don't know the ins and outs of it but on the surface it sounds like a better idea. I absolutely support the workers but it's such an impact on so many people.

Has anyone seen Fenwicks window yet? We wouldn't normally go until December anyway but I've seen a few reports saying it's very underwhelming (again).

There's currently no more talks planned this year. They're really digging their heels in.

That tactic used in Japan is illegal here, which is why it's not happening. The strict rules about striking go both ways because GNE also aren't allowed to take on new drivers, either on direct payroll or via an agency, during that 12 weeks.

The Metro strike being averted will be a huge relief for a lot of people.

The train services have been terrible recently as well, not helped by the awful weather. So many cancellations and delays.

We went to see the Fenwicks window at the weekend whilst we were in Newcastle. It is themed on The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe which our children liked but it is mainly painted scenes if that makes sense (I'm not sure what previous years have been like in comparison). There was a huge queue in the morning so we popped back later in the afternoon.

They aren’t talking again this year, bloody hell!!
I dread to think about how money is being lost to the local economy.
I’m going see Fenwicks window in December. I will have to go on train there and see if I can get on X12 coming back. If not I will get train back. Will use Park and Ride.
Saw in paper that a bus company are running a service in Washington.
I’m still annoyed that it’s not getting much news coverage, even in NE.

I thought the Fenwick window was a bit underwhelming, this year.

The smiley chappy driving that bus between Washington and Heworth certainly has an interesting history, if you Google him. Suella is probably a bit woke for him.

Skeleton timetable in place, from tomorrow. Interestingly, despite being arranged "in consultation" with nexus and DCC, they're not running the bit of the 20 that DCC pays them for, between Durham and Sacriston
https://www.gonortheast.co.uk/update-industrial-action