A Trip to Bournemouth

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With a new open top bus operator and a new summer timetable for the incumbent; who could turn do a day at the seaside? It’s turns about just about no-one. The school day start time, on the first weekend of half term. So at 10am, as I write this, I diverted of my South Western Railway to Bournemouth and I start my day on market day in Lymington.

It’s the first weekend of the new morebus timetable so we will see how far I can go. Standing on a ten coach class 444 was getting tiring by Brockenhurst and a quick scoot to Lyminton Town had me heading to the X1 or X2.

Lymington Town is beautiful on a sunny Saturday

No pictures I am afraid, as that was not today’s target. You have the Town Quay of little independent shops, on a Saturday you have the market in the High Steeet, and if you are a Wetherspoons connoisseur then you have The Six Bells.

Sorry…. one picture….

So off to bus number one.

The 1008 Lymington to Bournemouth X2 was bang on time when it got to Preistlands Place. I would have boarded at Lymington Post Depot, but the bus stop flag said “Market Days Only” and the timetable case said “This Bus Stop is closed on Market Days” on a big red background.

Go South Coast are apparently aware of this typo and a fix is already in the works.

Unfortunately, I had already lost the prime front seats, upstairs on bus 1538. An older couple decided they needed one pairs of seats each, but otherwise the top deck was surprisingly empty.

Passing us going the other way was Bluestar branded 1530, let loose from its usual haunts to Southampton. Some of the spots through Pennington amd Hordle are quite tight for two buses to pass.

As we pass over New Milton railway station, there are a few down people waiting for a train; I think I made the quieter choice! New Milton looked quite busy, with a local 119 service in the distance. That will be the one that I saw in the distance at Lymington on the 10am departure.

To the First Breezer of the Day

When I was first looking at my jaunt, I had not planned to head all the way out past Christchurch to Holbourne Holiday Park.

With the re-routing of the X1 and X2 along the main road though, the X2 shares a bus stop outside the caravan park with Beach Breezer 80. I know Breezer is a long standing brand, but I think this is the first year of Beach Breezer? MAYBE I am just reminiscent too much.

Former Yellow Buses 1812 (YBZ 223) is doing the honours and it is already quite busy on day one, trip three of the new service. I suspect many of the locals joining us through Mudeford are doing so rather than the old X1 or 2.

It’s a “Fun Bus” according to the passengers.

I am surprised the use of an open top bus has passed muster though. The 20 or so of us on the open deck are ducking for the trees showering us with leaves and the odd branch in the face. I don’t think we will need a tree lopper though, not after a few more thwack.

Once you get to Christchurch though, the clientelle is decidedly more local, and many of them lutching brand new printed timetable guides. I wonder if they are available somewhere in Bournemouth?

A brief interlude at Heingstbury Head, whether this is planned or just because we are early, allowed us to see some rare phenomenon. Firstly, a rare Land Train, at completely the wrong angle for a picture from the top deck and an even lessor spotted Transpora open top bus on its new T1 service. Not surprisingly, contraflow to the summer traffic, it left empty towards Bournemouth Pier.

Boscombe Pier

It’s almost like there is deliberately long wait points on the trip. We have been at Boscombe Pier for a good five minutes, having left the opposition to race ahead:

The plan is more likely that there is loading time and the fact that a quick run along the coastal road can leave you running extremely early.

Ironically, while sat at Boscombe Pier the car parks attendants did not get the chance for breath and it is a very busy beach day. Cars filling up the car park when a bus from the nearby railhead would work well.

Into Bournemouth for some lunch and a realisation that there are in fact three open top bus operators in the town.

Operating an open-top tour with recorded commentary, the City Sightseeing experience runs from Discover Dorset, although while I was sat waiting for around 10 minutes it just sat there. I presume it is an hourly service and a 40 minute round trip or something?

We also have the morebus Breezers, which…. as I started to notice, they are also to a point sub-branded as well. Some seem to be branded Harbour Breezer – for the Harbour Breezer 60?

We then also have the Bournemouth Coaster from Transpora, with this rather fetching branded open-top …. err…. bus. DON’T WORRY you saw the other bus further up the page.

Back to riding buses

I popped onto 1407 at Bournemouth Pier after lunch. It was running on Beach Breezer 70 through to Rockley Park.

It’s another trip through the beach roads and back roads, through gorgeous Lilliput and lots of houses that I could only dream of owning.

Here is 1407, after getting off in Poole Bus Station.

I did spy the more Travel Shop at Poole Bus Station and had hoped to pick up one of the new timetable booklets. Alas, only open Monday to Friday and the box outside the door was empty. My energy levels were also on the flag, so by then it was time for my other enjoyment, a good pint.

An unidentified bus in the m1 to The Westbourne for one, then a UniBus decker on another m1 back to Bournemouth Square was on the cards, before walking off the calories to the Railway Station and home.