Photo-a-Day  (Thursday, 2nd May, 2024)

Buzy Bees . They stand out in the traffic.

With the Cupola of the Queens Hall visible above, from within the bus stations concourse the architects have incorporated a gap so that the modern stained glass widow is still there for all to see.

I like the picture Colin, but I must say I don’t like the colour of those buses.

Not many comments today which is not surprising.
I went to Wigan this morning from Standish, the first two buses drove past stating ‘Out Of Service’ no doubt driver training as they frequently get lost, when one from Chorley did stop and not a yellow bus the queue was lengthy and I was lucky to get on. So full it drove past many people on Wigan Road and Wigan Lane. The journey back was equally bad.
What a day to post this picture, my headline comment should have read ROTTEN TOMATOES!

Good shot young Colin could the double decker be the no 7 that is my bus home.

Dtease I recon there that colour to make them more visible maybe.

Good photo Colin, I've seen these buses buzzing around and hope they're a lot better than those Arriva ones, I heard that folks wasn't happy with them.
You've captured an ominous looking sky too.

Is Irene okay? she hasn't posted for a few days - she may know about the 1940s event at Heskin Hall this weekend, though here are the details for anyone interested:
https://heskinhall.com/1940s-weekend-heskin-hall-4-5may-2024/

Isn't your bus now the 607 bus, John, (westhoughton)? They changed the bus numbers 7, 8 and 9 to 607, 608 and 609 a few weeks ago. I imagined they were painted yellow and black to represent bees, as they are known as "the bee network"

I left my car for its MOT in Chorley today, and came home and returned for it on the same service, Colin - both buses I caught were right on time.
I like to see the buses in a uniform livery - instead of the motley collection we used to have.

Cyril, thankyou so much for your kind enquiry; I haven't commented since Monday morning as I haven't been too well for a few days and had just left a message for John from Westhoughton when your comment appeared. Thankyou, I DID know about the 1940s event at Heskin Hall but just don't feel up to going. However, I will certainly keep my fingers crossed for good weather for those who attend.

Irene hope your well soon and my 26 year old granddaughter as just confirmed whilst having her tea with us that you are correct about the bus being 607 now so thanking you Irene as I’ve got agate coming to Wigan more regularly having a drink with a couple of lads from work who took early retirement,on Colin’s birthday I took the train there and back so not used bus for maybe 2 months so thanks again.

Why go to Chorley for MOT....Rev Long. ? We have MOT stations in Standish

Cyril, thanks for the heads up regarding Heskin Hall, we shall certainly make an effort to get there.
60’s and 70’s was more my era as a dedicated follower of fashion, now my clothes are more 1940’s!
Cheers.

Irene, glad that you posted today, Veronica, Maureen and Helen were ‘No Shows’ but sure they will be back soon.
PS, I was on your territory today, hope Dennis doesn’t beat me to it with his camera!

Irene, so sorry to hear you've not been well, hoping you soon feel a lot better.
John, it would've been a big struggle bringing your gate on a train to Wigan, and lucky you didn't forget and leave it in the pub.

Rev Long, lucky you to have been so fortunate.
One lady waiting for the bus said she was going to Wrightington Hospital the other day from Standish, the driver got totally lost and had to turn back at Birkacre Garden Centre!
Having said that, not everyones taste but I love the custard cream yellow, very refreshing.

You're right, Alan, there are MOT stations in Standish - against which I have nothing. But I only told part of the story - I also had my car serviced at a dealer's - there are no car dealerships in Standish, and the Wigan dealerships are around the same distance from Standish as is Chorley - and my dealership in Wigan is not as accessible by bus as its equivalent in Chorley. Moreover - going to Chorley enables me to indulge one of my pastimes - mooching around charity shops. There are more of them in Chorley than in Wigan and they are closer together... and seem to have a far wider choice of items for sale. Also - Brown's butchers in the Market Place sell a fantastic black pudding in the form of a rectangular cake, and opposite them is a fish stall where I can buy Manx kippers - though Morrison's supermarket also has a superb fish stall... and then there's Booths fish stall to fall back on....
Don't ask me why the fish stalls in Wigan Market closed... as did Morrisons - and Tesco's fish counter also disappeared - so all we have now is a fish van a couple of times a week.... You can't blame that on internet buying.

Cyril I also brought the saw that the farmer sawed the kea’s yead off with so wernt so bad,Lanci born and Lanci bred strung in tharm and thick in yead. Big smiley face cheers Cyril.

Given that Birkacre is on the edge of Chorley, so the bus had travelled a few miles off its set route, what on earth were the passengers doing once it headed in that direction?
I know there are signs saying you're not to distract the driver, but I don't think I'd have let the driver get so far off route before saying something - once he'd passed Lidl they should have been shouting. Or maybe they thought the driver was taking them off to Blackpool for the day.

It will be back lane garden.

Rev Long, you are right about Chorley being a good shopping centre, butchers and fish stalls we try to get there Tuesdays for the market. Yes the charity shops are great, we have had some good bargains from them.
Regarding the bus, my experience is that many drivers don’t speak English so perhaps the elderly passengers protestations when unheard.

Sue - if you mean that it was more likely to have been the Golden Days Garden Centre on Back Lane, Shevington, I agree it seems more likely, and a far less dramatic turn off-route.

Those Bee Network Buses are brilliant, OK there have been some teething troubles has the services get going, so what do you expect, because that happens with everything new, and in 1985 the buses should never have been deregulated and privatised, doing that priced most people out of catching the bus, and it ended up being cheaper to go by taxi, rather than by bus and I am not joking.