The Transport Game

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Note : It has been decreed in the past on this quiz that ferry services of any mode to the Isle of Wight are NOT allowed

Time to spare for our next onward connection and we enjoy some nautical sights before returning to the station and boarding the 1223 FGW service to Salisbury that arrives at 1339 on Tuesday afternoon.

 

[dzug2]

Note : It has been decreed in the past on this quiz that ferry services of any mode to the Isle of Wight are NOT allowed

True - but there was a post (which I'm not going to look through 121 pages to find ) that suggested that this was not set in concrete and might be modifiable if desired.

Anyhow, we continue from Salisbury on the 1352 SWT departure to Keynsham (that's spelt K-E-Y-N......) arriving at 1454 Tuesday afternoon

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

The rules in the very first posting show.....

"You must not leave the island of Great Britain"

 

[Zoe]

"You must not leave the island of Great Britain"[/B]

I have changed this to "You must not leave the island of Great Britain except where there is a fixed link to an island close to Great Britain." as under the old rule you wouldn't have been able to visit Holyhead. The Isle of Wight is still excluded at this time but if there was interest then the rule could be changed to allow ferries to be used to visit any island close to Great Britain.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Anyhow, we continue from Salisbury on the 1352 SWT departure to Keynsham (that's spelt K-E-Y-N......) arriving at 1454 Tuesday afternoon

We do not have to wait very long for our next onward connection and we board the 1518 FGW service to Bristol Parkway that arrives there at 1548 on Tuesday afternoon.

 

[Zoe]

Now on the 1601 FGW service to Swindon arriving at 1627 on Tuesday.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Again, we do not have long to wait before boarding the 1654 FGW service to Cheltenham Spa that arrives there at 1803 on Tuesday afternoon.

 

[dzug2]

Stagecoach bus service D from the station forecourt at 1820 takes us to the (Cheltenham) Racecourse P&R, arriving 1839 Tuesday evening

 

[Zoe]

Not much choice here than to take the 1846 Stagecoach route D to Cheltenham Rail Station Queen's Road arriving at 1905 on Tuesday.

 

[dzug2]

We continue by rail at 1958 on the XC service to Ashchurch for Tewkesbury arriving 2005, Tuesday evening.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

No-one would deny the fact that a hearty meal would not go untowards after such a day as that we have had and we find a good place to restore the needs of the "inner-man" before returning to the railway station to board the 2152 FGW service to Bristol Temple Meads that arrives there at 2319 on Tuesday night.

 

[dzug2]

Not wishing to spend the night on a station either here or further down the line, we find a hotel and at the civilised hour of 0830 next morning catch the XC service to Berwick-upon-Tweed, arriving at 1422, Wednesday afternoon

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

After such a long journey, it is time to have a meal then to explore this ancient settlement which has changed its nationality many times, which we do until we return to the station, to travel again in a northerly direction by rail and board the 1739 EC service to Aberdeen that arrives at 2116 on Wednesday night.

 

[gnolife]

We wait around the station for the 21:55 ScotRail service to Inverness, arrving 0005 on Thursday morning

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

If ever a day called for a soft bed and an early morning alarm call it was this one, so we book into a small hotel and the alarm call ensures we eat our porridge and be at the station in good time to make the ultimate journey northwards by rail and full of expectation, we board the 0706 First ScotRail service to Wick, that arrives there at 1132 on Thursday morning.

 

[dzug2]

Just in time to catch the 1140 Stagecoach 77 bus to John o Groats bus stand, arriving 1209, Wednesday afternoon

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

It was sometime in 2011 when a past member of this quiz was so lost during his bus travel routing in this extreme north-eastern part of Scotland that a phrase was specially coined for him, stating that he was suffering from "Lybster Omnibus Syndrome"...

 

[dzug2]

To Lands End in 6 easy moves anyone?

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

To Lands End in 6 easy moves anyone?

Oh!..I was wandering if we would be now having a sudden return to the bus service provision in this area, that was the reason for the outbreak of "Lybster Omnibus Syndrome" in past days on this quiz. Remember also, just as quick trips by ferry to the Isle of Wight are not allowed, the same ruling applies to disallow any ferry journeys to the Orkney Isles.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Nothing ventured...nothing gained...so after a stroll around, we board the 1414 Stagecoach Highlands service 80 to Mey (Post Office) that arrives there at 1431 on Wednesday afternoon.

 

[dzug2]

Well the 80 is the only bus serving Mey, so we explore for a couple of hours and get the next one on at 1629 and take the short trip to Scarfskerry Baptist Church arriving at 1635, Wednesday afternoon

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

It matters not a jot if that is the only onward service with a good time gap in-between services, at this affords us the opportunity to walk around an area we would normally never have the chance to see and time flies by before we return to the bus stop and board the 1837 Stagecoach Highlands service 80 to Thurso railway station approach that arrives there at 1921 on Wednesday evening.


See, we have already made four bus journeys since leaving Wick, without a single onset of Lybster Omnibus Syndrome.....

 

[dzug2]

The only option this evening seems to be a trip to Castletown and maybe back again, which doesn't inspire, so we have an early night and leave next morning at 0648 on the Scotrail train to Dingwall, arriving at 1003, Thursday morning.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Any bus journey is worth experiencing in this area and we leave the railway station to go to the George Hotel, where we join with a group of middle-aged ladies wishing to make today a shopping experience in "the big town" and board the 1033 Stagecoach Highlands service 27 that arrives at Inverness Bus Station at 1100 on Thursday morning.

 

[gnolife]

We decide to wander off to see what Inverness has to offer, and come back for the 12:46 ScotRail service to Dunkeld & Birnam, arriving 1444 on Thursday

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Determined to see the most of what sights this area of Scotland has to offer, we leave the railway station and walk to the Birnam Hotel nearby, where we have but a few minutes to wait, before we board the Scottsh Citylink M91 service to Aviemore that arrives there at 1652 on Thursday afternoon.

 

[dzug2]

We decide to continue by rail on the First Scotrail service at 1807, alighting at Gleneagles at 1951 on Thursday evening

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Keeping our choices open as to the mode of travel, we stroll across to the bus stop nearest to the railway station and board the 1935 Scottish Citylink service M8 to Glasgow Buchanan Street bus station that arrives there at 2045 on Thursday evening.

 

[dzug2]

We stroll slowly, partaking of an Irn Bru and a deep fried mars bar (do they really exist?) on the way, to Queen Street station to take up our berth at 2200 on the Scotrail sleeper that departs at 2340. We disembark at Watford Junction at 0650 Friday morning

 

[Class20]

We have a half hour wait before joining the 07:21 London Midland service for St Albans Abbey which arrives at 07:37 on Friday morning.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

One thing that taxi drivers know, is to where to find a good basic place to eat and we are soon enjoying a hearty breakfast and we decide that, seeing as we are at the end of a rail terminal branch line, the bus or coach will suffice for our onward journey and we walk to the bus stop on Holywell Lane, where we soon board the 0919 Green Line service 724 to Heathrow Airport Central Bus Station that arrives there at 1045 on Friday morning.