Let's be fair to British Rail
Page 22
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THE ARTICLE by Jack Semple on the "Amazing" coach services between Newcastle and London (CM, August 3) confirms my own experience as a frequent coach traveller. However, he spoilt his description by cheap and inaccurate jibes at British Rail and perhaps by an excess of kindness towards Tyne and MY ATTENTION has been drawn to a letter appeared inCM, (August 4), from a Mr J. Scovell which concerned the restoration of an RAF-type Leyland vehicle currently owned by this company. This vehicle is described there, and earlier by The Hawk in Birds-eye View, as of 1919 vintage when in point of fact it was manufactured in 1917.
Whilst accepting that the vehicle had been retrieved, I believe, from a farmyard somewhere in West Sussex and much work had been undertaken in restoring it to running condition, on its purchase we found a number of items which needed further renovation, and in point of fact, stripped the whole vehicle down, including the engine and gearbox and completely reconditioned the chassis and most moving parts, to bring it up to concours condition. Wear Passenger Transport Executive.
Specifically, the rail fare structure which Mr Semple mocks has enabled British Rail to obtain excellent load factors and justify the case for electrication. The rail inquiry telephone service in Newcastle is excellent — far better than those of the coach services — and it is possible for people waiting for a late running train to find out what is happening — It was not the intention of those responsible for the press release (referred to in Bird's-eye view, CM, July 14) to belittle the work carried out previous to our acquiring the vehicle, and if, in any way, this news item should have upset either Mr Scovell or Mr Ellison from whom we purchased the vehicle, then I am happy to apologise to them.
They may, however, be interested to know that the work which they began and we finished, has led to the excellent quality of the restoration being recognised by the judges at the Ardingly event, both in 1983 and 1964, when on each occasion the "Stan Easton Memorial Trophy" Rose Bowl has been awarded to the Leyland as being the best vehicle in its class.
B. B. FUNNELL Managing Director Bevan Funnel, Ltd Newhaven Sussex not the case with late — and early — running coaches.
As a Tyne and Wear ratepayer, I am less than enchanted by the PTE's "Clipper" venture. I would far sooner that the PTE's bus managers paid attention to running my local bus service reliably, rather than using local authority resources to compete with existing coach services.
Finally, may I say that for business travel the early evening services of all three operators are most useful, but if the operators really wish to attract business travellers in large numbers, they should offer freedom from deafening video soundtracks and proper enforcement of the nonsmoking areas. As matters stand, the bargain fares compensate for fug and din, as well as two hours of extra journey time.
DAVID STEWART-DAVID, MCIT Principal lecturer Newcastle-upon-Tyne Polytechnic