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Another travellers' tales dairy, this time from computer consultant
Gavin Haslehurst.
He makes the journey from Stoke Bishop to UWE at Frenchay every
day.
He writes:
Every day this summer I have been travelling from my student
accommodation in Stoke Bishop to UWE's Frenchay Campus, where
I work as a computer consultant.
This job will last until my Bristol University term starts,
when the commute will change slightly!
The journey starts at 8.30am, when, having just rolled out of
bed, I step out into the wind and rain, and walk across the
Downs to the bus stop.
Because the vacation buses are so rubbish, I have to walk an
extra mile or so down to the Arches, where I catch the number
70 to UWE.
Blimp on the Downs
I often see a few interesting sights on the Downs.
The other day I was buzzed by a gigantic blimp, which, I assume,
took off from the Balloon Festival.
The Downs also seem to be blocked off most of the time by fences
erected for various festivals and events.
And, of course, when the ground isn't baked hard, you run the
severe risk of being engulfed in a quagmire of mud!
That said, in the two years that I have been walking across
the Downs, I have never come across any the unsavoury people
that the rumours speak of...
Number 70 bus
The number 70, I have to say, is very regular.
I have had no problems with delays, and the service is incredibly
frequent.
The route takes you up past the City of Bristol College and
around the most fantastic winding back streets.
Grand three story terraces line the first section of the route,
and the old pillar lamp posts give the place a very traditional
air.
There are also several points where a fantastic view is to be
had from the top floor of the double-decker: a great vista of
streets, churches and towers.
Swinging treacherously past the Muller Road depot, the bus climbs
towards Filton Avenue.
Ankle-deep
There was an incident last week when all the passengers had
to bundle onto a different vehicle, because the first one started
letting in torrents of rain!
If we had stayed on the bus, we would have been ankle-deep in
water by the end of the trip. Onwards, the bus trundles through
the vast 1960s housing estates of Filton.
If you look carefully you can spot Bristol's Fifth Avenue (a
cul-de-sac!).
The route then pitches under the railway bridge, and past the
massive MOD and HP sites.
Snarl-up
Many frustrating minutes are spent marvelling at the Coldharbour
Lane junction snarl-up, where all hell has broken loose with
roadworks and new developments.
At one stage, it was even necessary to take a detour towards
the motorway, because one exit from the junction was closed.
Eventually, the bus reaches UWE - passing through the gates
and through the car parks at incredibly high speeds! |
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