A Happy New Year to all my readers

New Year - Issue 14
(OBP-230)
Wednesday 1st January 2003

next update week commencing 6th January 2003

Please note that any comments made in this news page are those of the Editors' and in no way constitute 
any official points of view from the bus companies mentioned,  or indeed any other official body. 
As a news page we reserve the right to make valid comments as seen from an editorial point of view.

If you wish to be included on a mailing list where I will advise of any mid week news please
let me know on malcolmhc@aol.com

A New Year and already on issue 14 of this Weekly News Page. how time seems to fly and this week I am very short of the commodity. So I regret that this will be a very short page with a full edition, hopefully this coming Sunday.

The weather has been quite appalling and my thoughts on going to Winchester today were made up in the negative after a couple of trips to Heathrow with coach 14. The M40 was a total nightmare and I saw three crashes in the space of a few miles, seemingly caused by the torrential rain and subsequent aquaplaning of the cars, which had left the road in most cases.

I am including a few photos this week but holding over your contributions until issue 15. I hope you appreciate the need for some moments with my family and the additional responsibility of visiting my mother who is sadly in hospital after two falls over Christmas.

One of Motts Mercedes leaves West Wycombe, passing The golden Ball, on its way to High Wycombe
whilst operating an M1 service from Reading on 28th December in sun!!!!

Stagecoach in Oxford have, as mentioned before rebranded the route3 to Rosehill.
The pink makes quite a splash of colour on a winter's afternoon at Carfax with 936.

Thames Travel X384VVY, a Solo, shares this St Aldates picture with Great Tom, a pub and "an LT bus stop"
- Wonder how long one would have to wait for an N71?

On its first day in service, Mercedes Citaro 823 put in some time on the 300 service - 28.12.02.
Indeed this was after its first run with Oxford Bus.

I have been looking over some old timetables for COMS following a duty on the X3 to Abingdon last Saturday. I will put pen to paper on the subject of how routes have changed since 1958 when my timetable relates to. It is fascinating to see how things have changed.

An item of some note last week was the sad demise of an Oxford tube which caught fire whilst en route to London. coach nr 38 suffered an electrical fire which destroyed part of the upper deck and following fire-fighting by the local brigade needs considerable attention before it can re-enter service. It is not yet known what the outcome will be.

Commenting on the cancelled/postponed trip on a new Mercedes, planned for last Sunday, I think we were lucky not to go as the weather was really atrocious and no place for any self respecting photographer. We'll try again in the spring.

I look forward to your continued support with news and photos for this page.

Malcolm Crowe, January 1st 2003.

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PHOTO CORNER
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