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Leeds-Whitby, Yorkshire Coastliner, May 2008

Leeds-Whitby, Yorkshire Coastliner, May 2008

Old Jun 8, 2008, 2:55 pm
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Leeds-Whitby, Yorkshire Coastliner, May 2008

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Last edited by Mrs Poppleton; Jun 8, 2008 at 3:38 pm Reason: Images to follow....
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Old Jun 8, 2008, 5:38 pm
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Mrs Poppleton had some technical issues with her report, so she asked me to post this on her behalf. Enjoy!

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Good afternoon Flyertalkers,

As promised, here's my trip report from my recent day outing from Leeds to Whitby. Those of you familiar with Yorkshire's East Coast will know just how lovely that part of England is. I'd been looking forward to my excursion from the home all spring, and as soon as the crocuses began to bloom in the garden I knew it was time. My grandson Benji told me I ought to chart my route using a marvellous new tool called the Google Earth. He came over one evening the week before my trip and, aided by some of his Nan's buttered crumpets and Ovaltine, managed to bring up this beautiful picture of the Coastliner's path from Leeds to the coast:



The following day I went to Marks and Spencer for a new cardy and tights, and, knowing how much I like something sweet on long journeys, I popped across the street to Montaz the newsagent at the bottom of Drigsby Lane. Montaz always has a good stock of Werther's Originals, so I bought a quarter pound - I do have a sweet tooth, I know. That's why all my teeth fell out during the miners' strike in 1984! So after a sleepless night I was soon ready to catch the number 71 bus from Bramley to Primley Park via the central bus station in Leeds.



Unfortunately on the morning of my trip I had a call from cousin Elsie who told me she couldn't meet me at the bus station as her nephew Ronnie's gastric acid was playing up. I've never trusted Ronnie. He's a crafty beggar, but I can't say I was too disappointed about Elsie's news. She does grumble, and she insists on putting radishes in her packed lunch, which means we can't share. Why she chooses the radish over Branston Pickle is anyone's guess.



As you can see above, the Leeds city station is nothing special. Chavs everywhere of course, but that's the case in most places these days. I preferred the punk rockers in the early 1980s. At least they had a bit of colour in their hair. These chavs and their shell suits look a bit of a muddle I think. I didn't feel like a Whopper from the Wimpy Bar so early, so I made do with a Cornish pasty and a warm brew from Briggs the Baker. Only 89p for the pasty, and just the right mix of meat and puff pastry. Delicious.




Yorkshire Coastliner runs an hourly service from Leeds but I wanted to make sure I got there before 9.30am so I could use my OAP pass, which gives all us old devils free travel before the suits pile on and take the premium seats at the front of the bus. There's always a bit of a scramble to get the front seat on the top deck, and I've been involved in a couple of heated arguments myself in the past trying to get my shopping bags into 1A or 1B. Vernon the driver knows me though, and made sure I was able to board first. It's always good to see a friendly face, and I slipped him an aniseed twist as my way of saying thanks. That's the one thing I like about the Coastliner. It's service with a smile. I know the names of most of the drivers, and they're all much friendlier than those miserable buggers who work for First Leeds and Black Prince. Even the Black Prince livery is aggressive I think, and the drivers drive like maniacs, as you can see in this picture:



Thankfully Yorkshire Coastliner employs no such ruffians. Vernon's bus wasn't close to half full, so I could take my shoes off and rest my tootsies. I took out my copy of "Take a Break," and settled back as Vernon pulled out the choke and reversed out of the bus bay.

On board service 840 at last, and what a beautiful bus she was! I arrived just in time for her arrival at Leeds before boarding.



Now time to sit back and enjoy the journey to Tadcaster, first stop on the road to Whitby. There are two main services to the East Coast from Leeds. The 840 travels to Whitby via Tadcaster, York, Malton, Pickering, and Thornton-Le-Dale. The 843 travels via Tadcaster, York and Malton to Scarborough. There's also an 845 that travels to Filey and Bridlington, but I've never rated the haddock at Brid, and I have too many fond memories of my time there with Leonard in the 1970s to go back now. The fact that there's now a summer express (the X845) to Brid makes no difference. Leonard was Brid, and Brid was Leonard. I can't say any more without the tears staining my new cardy.

Just a bit of background on the fleet. Earlier this year Coastliner became 100% low-floor when 6 Volvo B7TL/Wright Eclipse Gemini entered service, They intended to have 7 of them but the last one was diverted to Harrogate & District as a replacement for the Volvo B7RLE single decker on the number 36 (Ripon-Harrogate-Leeds). However, Yorkshire Coastliner still got a fully low floor fleet, as a replacement for the diverted bus came from Harrogate & District, which was a Plaxton President-bodied Volvo B7TL (441, Y711HRN). It has been refurbished and repainted into the 'new' Yorkshire Coastliner livery (introduced in 2004 for the first 4 Volvo B7TL/Wright Eclipse Gemini - beautiful design ^). The company also has single deckers, 6 Wrightbus Eclipse Urban Volvo B7RLEs used on routes where double deckers cannot be used.

Please send me a PM if you'd like any more information about the fleet. They're a lovely bunch of buses. Magnificent chassis.

We were soon sailing down the A64 and into the lovely Leeds suburbs of Seacroft and Whinmoor. In seat 1A I was well positioned to get this photo of one of the blocks of flats for which Seacroft is widely known:





Looking towards Garforth, it seemed the Council had been slow to cut the grass since the winter:




Soon we were on the open road towards Tadcaster, and I popped open my bag of Werther's and continued to admire the scenery on either side and through the front of the bus. There was a strange view just beyond the Strike's Garden Centre located just past Scholes. I'm still not sure what to make of this:




The scenery just beyond the Bus Stop Cafe on the A64 was spectacular. There was still some snow lingering on the hills.




I even saw Malcom, a regular on the 843 route, drive past on his way into Leeds with only a half-full load of passengers by the looks of it. I gave Malcom a wave but I think he misinterpreted the gesture as I could see his fingers make a fork sign as he sped past:



In my next installment, a stop to pick up passengers at Tadcaster, and a chance encounter with Bob Carolgees in the confectionery aisle at the Malton Spar. To whet your appetite, here's CL845 overtaking us on the way to Filey. Stay tuned folks!


Last edited by patgarrett; Jun 27, 2008 at 9:43 am
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Old Jun 9, 2008, 12:49 am
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I cant wait to read the rest of this, brilliant !!!
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Old Jun 9, 2008, 3:27 am
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This has got to be post of the week ... I'm was crying into my coffee. Obviously SQ don't offer the A380 on this route yet
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Old Jun 9, 2008, 2:57 pm
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Superb!
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Old Jun 9, 2008, 8:39 pm
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Fantastic. I would not want to cross Mrs. Poppleton as she chooses her favorite seat on the Coastliner. Still waiting for a picture of Mrs. Poppleton---expecting it during the next installment.
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Old Jun 10, 2008, 11:18 am
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Mrs Poppleton has been in touch again, and informed me she's finished editing the trip report of the second sector on her Yorkshire Coastliner journey, Tadcaster to Malton. I told her that the Flyertalkers are still reeling from the excitement generated by the first part, and that she should wait a few days before so cruelly stealing the glory of the trip reporters so eager to recount their transcontinental excesses in R and J class on the SQ A380. She was adamant that SQ R has got nothing on seat 1A on the top deck of the Coastliner, and insisted I post this as she's still having technical difficulties with the images. She's blaming her computer problems on her grandson Clive, who popped over last week and "spent three hours on Skype wittering on to some trolley dolley in Riga." Since then, Mrs Poppleton informs me, her computer has "been neither use nor ornament!" Hopefully this will be the last we hear from her for a while!

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Good afternoon, Flyertalkers. Mrs Poppleton here again, with the trip report for the second sector, Tadcaster-Malton, of my Coastliner journey from Leeds to Whitby. We arrived at Tadcaster on schedule at 10.30am, and Vernon announced to the passengers that we'd have a 15-minute leg stretch and penny spend. The facilities at the Tadcaster bus station leave a lot to be desired, so I popped into the Spar next door to use the ladies there and to stock up on West Indian Limes, some of my favourite hard-boiled sweets. Here's the Spar, and what a lovely building it is.





I headed straight for the confectionery aisle, and who should I almost knock over but TV's own Bob Carolgees! Bob told me he was on his way to perform that evening at the Royal Opera House in York, and that he'd stopped off at the Spar to pick up a morning paper and some fudge (he too has a sweet tooth!). I couldn't see Spit and Bob told me that he'd had to leave him in the car as he was playing up that morning - he'd even wound down the passenger window just outside Seacroft and cursed at a postman, something to do with a "hacienda"! Bob told me that Spit's on a new medication and that he's a bit volatile at the moment. I asked Bob if he would mind having a picture taken with me, but he politely declined, saying he'd had one too many shandies the night before and didn't feel "too photogenic." I hope you don't mind, Bob, but here's a photo of you anyway, just for my American readers.





Speaking of shandy, Bob's comment reminds me that Tadcaster is the home of John Smith's beer, and is known for its many fine public houses. Whenever I pass through on the Coastliner I'm reminded of my night on the town here with my cousin Barbara in 1953 after Early Mist won the Grand National. I'd won four guineas that afternoon on a 5-2 stake and I blew it all on gin and Guinness. We were absolutely bladdered! I was in a bit of a state although I forget the details, but a week later I received a letter from Black Sheep Brewery telling me I was banned for life from the Royal Oak! I couldn't believe it. I'm told there's still a picture of me behind the bar, fifty-five years later - "Mrs Poppleton: Do not serve this woman!"

After leaving the Spar I still had a few minutes to kill, and I could see Vernon pulling out a second crafty cigarette, so I wandered over to the farmer's field just behind the bus station. Here's a picture of CL843, heading out of the Tadcaster station towards Pickering. I think the driver was Dudley. He always makes good time.




The farmer's field is often empty, but if you're lucky you might catch a glimpse of Trevor, one of Tadcaster's most famous residents. Trevor is a kangaroo, and he's been in the field since the late 1980s. It's a sad story. Trevor's owner, a New Zealander, ran the Wetherby Whaler, a local fish restaurant, but in 1989 he was pursued by the Inland Revenue on tax evasion charges and had to make a hasty return to Coolangatta. QF2 couldn't accommodate Trevor, so he had to remain in Tadcaster. He didn't expect to be orphaned at such a young age, so he made up for his disappointment by committing himself to a strict exercise regimen. This is Trevor:



I couldn't believe my eyes the first time I saw Trevor's biceps. I thought I'd taken one too many Co-proxamols! However, Ashley, the Tadcaster park ranger, assured me that Trevor's diet and lifestyle are very healthy and he's never been tempted by offers of illegal substances as a way of beefing up his upper body. He's a tremendous looking marsupial, and a credit to Tadcaster.

Unfortunately Trevor was nowhere to be seen that morning so I hopped back onto the Coastliner and soon Vernon was back on the A64 and cruising towards Malton. It's only thirty miles from Tadcaster to Malton but that's long enough to enjoy the scenery to either side. I love this part of North Yorkshire. Some of the side-roads look just as attractive as the A64, although it is quite dry at this time of year.



I also noticed some limestone quarrying going on over towards Boroughbridge. I know we need the stone but I do think it spoils the landscape.




Just outside Malton I was surprised to see this National Express coach, supposedly heading to South Shields. Why on earth was it not on the A1? I was also taken aback by the passenger sitting in such close proximity to the driver. Hardly a safe situation for either party, although National Express are known for cutting corners and compromising passenger safety. That's why I always use the Coastliner.



We arrived in Malton, on schedule, at 11.20am. Malton has always been a little bit "alternative," ever since the town hosted a prog rock festival in 1961. Apparently some of the imported pharmaceuticals got into the water supply and the locals have been out to lunch ever since. I'll save a full report on Malton for my next installment, but here's a taste of what you can expect to see on the cobbled streets of this lovely Yorkshire town if you ever decide to pay a visit. As we say in this part of the world, "If brains were currants you'd be a plain teacake!"



More from Mrs Poppleton soon. Feel free to send me PMs with your thoughts on the report. I hope you're enjoying reading it as much as I'm enjoying writing it! Bye for now.
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Old Jun 10, 2008, 11:59 am
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I cant imagine what our American readers are making of this, but its the best thing i've read in ages. Some of it brings back memories of holidays in Yorkshire when i was young, now we are talking years ago !!

Keep it coming.
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Old Jun 10, 2008, 12:18 pm
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ROFLMAO Oh god... I lived here for years, and took the Coastliners from time to time

Mrs Poppleton (first name not Nether surely? ) has surely got her photographs out of sequence though. I detect some York city walls

But it is very sad about the limestone mining
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Old Jun 10, 2008, 12:40 pm
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Question

Originally Posted by Gatwick Alan
I cant imagine what our American readers are making of this, but its the best thing i've read in ages. Some of it brings back memories of holidays in Yorkshire when i was young, now we are talking years ago !!

Keep it coming.
This American reader hasn't quite gotten to the "making something" level yet....still pondering. This American reader, soon to be moving to the UK, reads reports like this thinking it might be insightful into learning more about UK life, culture, etc.........uh huh.......
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Old Jun 11, 2008, 7:06 pm
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By Eck Lass

crackin..!
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Old Jun 12, 2008, 11:47 am
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If only more trip reports were as good as this. Love it! Keep 'em coming.
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Old Jun 13, 2008, 3:38 am
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Funny stuff. Very entertaining.
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Old Jun 13, 2008, 5:53 pm
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Sector 3: Malton-Pickering

Mrs Poppleton has been in touch again, with news about her bulging mail sack and an odd encounter with an American celebrity near the fish farm in Pickering. Enjoy!
____________________
Good afternoon, Flyertalkers. Mrs Poppleton here again, with my report of the third sector on my Yorkshire Coastliner journey, Malton-Pickering. Thanks so much for all your PMs and words of encouragement. You're such a lovely bunch of lads and lassies, and it's good to know you appreciate my efforts. One of the nicest cards I've received is from Captain Gerard Yeap of Singapore Airlines, pictured below. Gerard's a cracking lad. We first met in the late 1990s on the Herman's Hermits message board. Here's Gerard in the middle of this picture.





Gerard writes: "Dear Mrs Poppleton, It's been smashing reading about the Yorkshire Coastliner. Can you please fix it for me to travel with you in seat 1B from Leeds to Whitby? When LBA-SIN on the SQ A380 becomes a daily service in April 2009 I will have many days off to explore the Yorkshire countryside. I would like nothing more than to travel to the East Coast with you and suck on West Indian Limes. Kind regards, Gerard." Well, Gerard, I too am looking forward to the start of the daily LBA-SIN service, and will happily introduce you to the pleasures of the Coastliner. And you should know that if they're fully booked at the Holiday Inn, you can always stay at Poppleton Towers and enjoy complimentary Bovril and buttered crumpets . I do wonder though if Gerard, by asking me to "fix it," is confusing me with another famous Leeds resident, Sir Jimmy Savile. Here's a photo of Jimmy, looking as mental as ever, for my American readers:





Jimmy is famous for "Jim'll Fix It," a 1980s TV show in which he made the dreams of young lads and lasses come true. My grandson Clive wrote to Jim in 1982 and asked if he could fix it for him to meet his hero, the magician Paul Daniels. Jim obliged and Clive met Paul and his lovely wife Debbie at a Wimpy bar in Cleckheaton, where they enjoyed a Knickerbocker Glory together. Paul was quite a charmer in those days. It's a shame that he's now a mardy pants who spends all day selling tat on Ebay

Anyway, Flyertalkers, back to the trip . After a quick fag break at Malton Vernon pulled smoothly away from the bus station and we were back on the road and gunning toward Pickering - map below.





As you can see, the landscape between Malton and Pickering becomes quite dramatic after the dry plains that border Tadcaster. There are quite a few big glaciers in this area, and the slippery roads mean that the Coastliner's anti-lock brakes are really put to the test. Vernon, as ever, deftly handled the big bird and all us old biddies were able to enjoy the view without too much worry about our shopping bags falling off our seats.





By this point it was nearly lunchtime and the sun was quite bright. I took out my sunglasses and felt a bit more comfortable. I picked these up at the Argos for a fiver. My nephew Roger laughed when he first saw me wearing them and told me I look like "Bono during the Fly period." I had no idea what the heck he was talking about, the silly wazzock. I've never understood Roger's sense of humour. I've told him he should move to Malton and live with the other "alternatives." I know some of you have been dying to see a picture of me, so here I am. I think I'm still quite a catch! Vernon took this of me when we'd arrived at Pickering. As you can see, I was having a lark - I do love the Coastliner!





We arrived promptly at Pickering at 1.45, and Vernon announced there would be a 45-minute break for refuelling and packed lunches. Rather than sit with the other passengers I always take myself off to the trout farm and hatchery. On a clear day you can see the Rainbow Trout in all their glory, and I love to buy a bag of fish food and watch them go absolutely mental when I chuck it in. Sometimes when they jump too high I get a little bit frightened. I always manage to take a photo though.





Just a bit of background on the Rainbow Trout. The species was originally named by Johann Julius Walbaum in 1792. In 1855, W. P. Gibbons found a population and named it Salmo iridia, however this name became deprecated once it was determined that this was a population of the already named species. More recently, DNA studies showed Rainbow Trout are genetically closer to Pacific Salmon (Onchorhynchus species) than to Brown Trout (Salmo trutta) or Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar), so the genus was changed. Fancy that! ^


After watching the trout for a few minutes and polishing off my Wensleydale and Branston sandwich, I was about to head for the exit when who should catch my eye but TV's own Peter Falk! I was amazed to see him and managed to snap a quick photo. You can tell he was enjoying the trout as much as I was!





I've been a fan of Peter's since his Columbo days, and it was smashing to see him looking so well. We got chatting and Peter told me he has his own trout farm at his home in Santa Monica, so when he's passing through Pickering he makes a point of stopping off and admiring the Yorkshire trout. He told me he thinks the Yorkshire trout have a character of their own. Even though they might seem frugal with their affections, Peter said, on the inside they have hearts of gold, and are always willing to listen. It's lovely to know that even celebrities share the interests of us normal folk, although Peter's obviously as mad as a hatter these days.

Peter was on his way to perform stand-up at the Futurist Theatre in Scarborough (a triple-billing with the Krankies and Jimmy Cricket), so we exchanged email addresses and while he walked back to his second-generation Mustang, I pegged it back to the Coastliner, keen to tell Vernon about the star I'd just met. Vernon was less than happy with me though, as he said I'd kept him and the other passengers waiting for five minutes after the scheduled departure time, and he pointed up to seat 1A without the usual glint in his eye. I plonked myself down and pulled out a banana and custard to suck on. We were quickly away and back on the road to Whitby. Looking down from Pickering, the winding A64 looked sublime in the afternoon sun:





Stay tuned folks, that journey will be my fourth and final sector, and it's the most exciting of all!

Last edited by patgarrett; Jun 13, 2008 at 7:38 pm
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Old Jun 13, 2008, 11:37 pm
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This is without doubt the best trip report I have ever read.
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