FROM LONDON TO SCOTLAND BY BUS.
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The Concluding Chapter of a Remarkable Journey, which was Covered in 35 Hours Actual Travelling Time.
A N THE opening instalment of our article describing a road journey from London to Scotland by bus which appeared in hot week's issue we dealt with details of the run so far as Burton, which place was reached soon after midday on the Wednesday. As the adventure started on the previous Monday, and was brought to .a close on Friday of the same week it can, for all practical purposes, be considered that, the story was interrupted when half completed. We can, therefore, pick up the threads from Burton, whence, with the beauties of the Peak District before us, we secure a slight impression of Derbyshire on the run to -Derby, inone of the buses of the Trent Motor Traction Co.
A Boon to Travellers.
This company have built a bus station at Derby at the back of their offices. It comprises a large open space with a concrete floor, for accommodating eight : or nine buses at a time, together with . waiting-rooms, parcels offices, and all the necessary conveniences for passengers.
It might be mentioned that the . Trent Motor Traction Co. are meeting with certain opposition from several private -bus owners. At first, these competing owners ran their vehicles over the routes at the same fares charged
• by the-Trent concern, but after a tme, they cut their fares, with the result that the Trent Co. was forced to come into line. This form of competition has today made it possible to undertake a return journey for exa,ctly.the same price as is charged for the single fare.
For example, on the route over which we travelled from Derby to Ashbourne, the fare for the single journey is is, and for the return journey -the same. It is doubtful whether competition of this kind enables reasonable working profit to he made The North-Western buses are met at Ashbourne, and they convey us in two stagers right through Buxton to Stockport. The journey through Derbyshire was somewhat marred by rain, so that many of the natural beauties of the country were lost to view, although the htunour of the driver helped to lighten the journey. Many womenfolk, returning from market heavily laden with their various purchases, responded to his appeal of, "Carry ye bag, mum!" so that he was very busy for some time. One passenger was very concerned when her box was placed on the front of the bus, but was immediately reassured that it would be quite safe, as " It is full of weight, and will not, slip off." Smoking is permitted on these buses, arid a member of the fair sex was to be seen indulging in the fragrant weed.
The Fame of Lancashire "We were crowded all the way on the two-hour run from Buxton to Stockport, during which time the weather got steadily worse. We knew only too well, however, when we crossed the county border into Lancashire by the cobbled roads, which are first met, with on the boundary, and cause considerable noise and vibration in these saloon buses.
At Stockport we leave the buses for a short while and proceed to Manchester by tramcar, as the authorities of this city do not permit buses to run in competition with the cars. We arrived in Manchester shortly after 9 p.m., where we put up for the night—after a very rainy day on the road.
Thursday dawned forth with a real Manchester morning, so thatwe were glad to leave dark grey skies and heavy • rain and board the tramcar for Strvinton, and then by the East Lancashire tramway Service to Wigan, where the Ribble Motor Co.'s bus for Chorlev was met, and carried us througn the, mining districts of Lancashire right on to Pres ton. . • .
. We had time for lunch in Preston, after which the journey northwards was continued on the service run by the Pilot 'Motor Co. to Garstang and Lancaster. It is quite interesting to note how the PilotMotor Co.' of Preston, Work in conjunction with the Castle Motor's, of Lancaster. Each company runs a set vice which links. up with the other, and through return tickets are iisued by both companies at a rate which is considerably cheaper than the railway charge for the same journey. The single fare from Preston to Lancaster by rail is 2s. 'lid.; Whilst the return fare by . bus is 2s. 6d., the single fare being is. 10d.
Opposition oica Popular Route.
" Within the past. few weeks two other companies—the R.B. Motors, of Preston, and County Motors, of Lancaster —have started to run buses in opposition on the existing services. So far, it is impossible to tell what effect this competition will have on the services run by the original companies, although we were informed that a keen fight Is expected, for, at the moment, the timetables of the competing companies prac
tically agree. This route is extremely popular, Bruck, a good fishing spot, • being a• particularly favoured run on holidays.
' We are now getting into the Lake Pistrict, and the run from Lancaster to Kendal was very enjoyable. The Lambs
field fleet of buses, which: we joined at Lancaster, comprises 25 b.p.. and 30 h.P. Leylands, and they are timed to do the 24 miles separating these two places in 11 hours. This service, however, does not rim in connection with any other bus service, and-, consequently, we had a. fairly long time to wait in Lancaster and in Kendal.
However, after leaving • Lancaster, crossing the hills and dropping into the valley of the Kent, we came to Levees Halt Farther on, Sizergh Castle is met. This is one of the oldest-inhabited houses -in the country, and it can be rightly associatedWith Agnes Strickland, author of the " Lives of the Queens of England." Many other interesting and historic places are passed hereabouts, although pressure of space precludes mention-of-them being made, so after 14hours' fast travelling we arrived at Kendal to he handed overto the c,re of the Kendal Motor Co., whose vehicles are to carry us to Bowness, in the heart of the Lake District. It was getting late-8 p.m—when we started this journey, but this did not prevent us from appreciating to the full the innate charms of this glorious spot.
From Windermere. to Bowness is a 4-mile continuous run downhill, the gradient in places being as steep as 1 in 5. We ran right down to the front on Lake Windermere itself, where crowds of holiday-makers were returning, like ourselves, to dinner and then to bed.
Finding Bowness full of visitors, we stayed at 'Windermere on Thursday night, and duly met the 9 o'clock bus on Friday. Morning. The Lake District Motor-Co.'s regular service vehicle is a Thornycroft char-isbancs, and, therefore, we had an unimpeded view throughout the 4-hour journey to Keswick. The fare is Ss., and although, when considering the length of the run and the time it takes, this first strikes one as being excessive, it must be remembered that this is a "season trip" particularly arranged for the benefit of visitors. The return fare is, however, 10s. 6d., which is only 6d. more than the single fare was last season. A gloriously fine day gave us the chance of enjoying to the full this 22-mile run through most wonderful country.
From Windermere we took the Lake Road, and followed it to Antbleside. the lake below us on our left and the Cumberland Hills on our right providing a feast for the eye, Every now and then we ran clear of the belt of trees, when wonderful panoramas which are beyond description presented themselves to view.
At. Ambleside we had an interesting chat with Mr. Dodd, the manager of the Lake District Motor Co. He told us that the fleet under his charge consisted of 14 Thornycroft chars-asbancs, two Fiat chars-à-banes, and two Ford vans,
the last-named being used for the mail contract which the company hold. Just recently the company have taken delivery of one of the latest-type Thornycroft coaches, and during a recent stay of H.M. the Queen of Holland in the district, this vehicle was used to take the Queen and, her suite a tour of the surrounding country.
The road from Arnblesidc to Keswick is too well known to call for special de
scription, for this is perhaps the -.roost frequented of all roads in the Lake District. Our route was past Bydal 'and Grasmere and over airmail Raise, With Seat Sandal on the rigirt and Steel Fell on the left. From the summit of Dunmail a fine vaew of Thirimere was obtained, and looking behind and below a panorama of Grasmere, and remarkable scenery of this description continued until we arrived at Keswick to meet the bases run by Cumberland Motor Ser. vices, Ltd., which were to take usto Cockermouth, Maryport, and Carlisle.
From Cockermouth northwards we left the scenery behind, and ran once again into flat country, over which we obtained views extending for miles, and which perhaps hold a beauty of their own. At Carlisle the last stage of our 320-mile journey was reached, and with the Cheviots away to the right and Solway Firth to the left we -crossed the
Border and on to Gretna Green. At the famous old smithy we alighted and took our last picture, and. bid good-bye to the bus as it sped on its way farther north to Annan.
Thus ended a memorable journey, which, although viewed in the first place with some feeling of misgiving, had pro, vided much to interest and amuse and giVen evidence of the advancement of the mechanically propelled vehicle as a passenger-carrying unit.