Out and about today - 13th November 2024

[whole diary]

[grahame]

Out and about today - via and to where?

[Chris from Nailsea]

1.  Devizes.  From the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page), https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c1dp0y12qy6o 

[grahame]

1.  Devizes.  From the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page), https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c1dp0y12qy6o 

Correct. Used to be our favourite Kebab shop when we lived in Easterton.

[Chris from Nailsea]

I think I've managed to answer the 'via', but not the 'to where', parts of your question. 

[grahame]

I think I've managed to answer the 'via', but not the 'to where', parts of your question. 

Indeed you have. I'm writing up in the morning.

[JayMac]

Who ordered their diced lamb well done?

[stuving]

Would the second one be Salisbury? That's a destination for which "via Devizes" looks plausible.

[grahame]

Would the second one be Salisbury? That's a destination for which "via Devizes" looks plausible.

Yes, it would ... writeup of the day's travels to follow.   A further day that I put myself in the shoes of a less informed traveller than I really am.

[Chris from Nailsea]

An update on the 'via Devizes' part of this question - from the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

High street shop closures 'a big worry' for town



Residents and business owners in a Wiltshire town have expressed their concerns over the future of the high street after a series of shop closures.

Several businesses have recently shut in Devizes, including the gift shops Emporium and Expressions, and the charity shop Scope.

People in Devizes say the situation has not been helped by the continued closure of Northgate Street, one of the key routes into town, which has been partially shut since November due to a fire at a kebab shop.

Sam Holliday from the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB^» (Federation of Small Businesses - about)) said: "I'm afraid it isn't just Devizes, it's across the country. Our high streets are really struggling."

Concerns include a lack of variety on the high street and shops closing early due to lack of footfall.

Ian Williams from fabric shop, Shamrock Linens, described the situation as "very sad for the town", adding that he felt car parking charges in the town centre had pushed shoppers to out-of-town shopping centres.  "I think when shops go it takes a bit of the heart of the town out," he added.

The relocation of the bus stop away from Northgate Street due to the road closure was also highlighted as an issue, as it makes it more difficult for residents with mobility issues to get into the town centre.  It had been planned for the road to reopen fully in March, but it has been delayed.

Richard Staker, from gaming shop Level Up said: "The road was closed fully for six weeks (after the fire) so that had a massive impact.  Now it is starting to pick up but it's still having a big impact with one-way traffic. There is a big worry for the future that it could be one of the next towns that becomes deserted."



Mr Holliday, FSB development manager for Gloucestershire and the West of England, said: "They (businesses) had to get through COVID and since then, there's been one issue after another."  He added that it was "vital" that customers continue supporting small businesses. "I still belong to a generation that believes the high street is the heart of the community. So we've really got to do everything we can to be part of that," said Mr Holliday.

Wiltshire Council said it was working with the owners of the properties damaged by the fire so that the road could open fully but there is currently no confirmed date.

[grahame]

Someone has managed to run into the bus shelter on the bus island too ... and that's got barriers all around it. 





Bus infrastructure far from impressive at the moment ... a trip to the RUH in Bath yesterday and the main stop for the routes to the hospital, on Dorchester Street, has no seating available - very silly when that's the very stop that needs seating as there will be a higher proportion of people less able to stand who will be waiting around than for other buses.



Many bus stops have new timetables and better signs that they use to, but this classic rescued from the hedge lies - the 272 ceased calling here in 2018. The D3 called for a further 2 years - at which point First pulled out.  Faresaver's 271 outward from Bath still calls until mid afternoon (the last two services skip this stop - so last bus from Bath is at 15:15) and then loops back into Bath, and there's also journeys from here on the x34 route to Chippenham in the morning and to Trowbridge in the afternoon.  If you know about them, good ... and around 10 people got on to the x34 to Trowbridge when I was on it the other day, which I supposes goes to illustrate how un-necessary the sign is anyway for regular passengers.



And finally - a bus stop that has disappeared in road improvements.   There used to be a stop both sides of the road here - 2 buses an hour to Bath and one to Devizes.  But an extra new road has been opened, with a new roundabout just behind where the picture was taken, and in order to get to the new bus stop you have to cross multiple busy roads.   Behind the bus is The Spa area of Melksham - perhaps 80 to 100 people live there and just behind the hedge is a major housing area of a few years vintage and the access path from it to the stop.   Probably doesn't matter for the people there - I suspect most of them have cars ;-)

[Mark A]

That's quite a catalogue. Good point on Bath's bus station seating, the external seating there was suffering and was removed a few years ago. I've sent a request via Fixmystreet to install new.

Which reminded me... no-one ever did get a handle on the acid etch tagging of bus stop & station glass and it's now everywhere.

Also, the people who took over the enquiry desk space are now running a cafe in there to supplement their other stuff.

Mark

[Mark A]

There's an entire thread to be had on... suboptimum placement of bus stops owing to the pressure from traffic. The continued lack of provision of a stop at the GWSR's racecourse station got my goat. Closer to home, some of Bath's London Road stops aren't really placed to meet the needs of people who would use them.

How someone managed to clout that Melksham bus stop I don't know. I do have a photo from Devizes of a vehicle, having misjudged the turn by a set of the bus stops there, with its wheels off the ground, the driver hit a knuckle fast enough to run up on it and ground it.

Mark

[Chris from Nailsea]

How someone managed to clout that Melksham bus stop I don't know.

Devizes, not Melksham.