Wonderful! Ever since 2013 when I (a visitor from the US) was caught in travel chaos after the St Jude's Day storm and made my way from Cambridge by finding local buses to get to Harwich for the Netherlands ferry, I have dreamed of having a vacation entirely spent roaming around England on local buses. A national treasure you folks are lucky to have. Maybe someday!
Just using my bus pass, I have just rolled your inspirational route into my own. Starting on Friday evening on the East Sussex coast the aim was Gretna some 400+ miles. Some deviations from your route along the way. By taking the Greenline 757 which runs through the night to Luton Airport from London. The first bus to Milton Keynes leaves at 05.30. Getting to MK earlier I improvised and made up more time. Preston was my overnight and after a delightful journey through The Lakes. A change in Carlisle and you can still use the bus pass as far as Gretna. All in roughly 48 hours. Thanks for the video, it brings much of it back.
@@user-gt2ud2gw9e I did and with others passengers that night without question. There were restrictions for parts of the journey and am not totally clear of the current situation.
Excellent - as ever. I can't help but feel that these videos will be even more interesting as they age. The video captures so much that we will take for granted - the people, their clothes, their cars, the advertisements. And such interesting commentary.
Epic ! A really erudite and entertaining tour of a fair slice of England's heartland. Witty and informed commentary throughout. Michael Portillo has some serious competition.
As a child we were always aware of the bell codes to the driver. One ring indicated someone needed to get off, two bells (only rung by the conductor) time to set off and finally the magic three bells, the bus is full, foot to floor full speed ahead. The sheer speed with the bus full, every square inch taken by standing passengers as it (seemingly) roared down the road even passing other buses. Yes those days are long gone but still remembered by my sisters and I. Thank you for your excellent videos. Ps I live in states now, have never taken a bus ride very few train rides but thousands of miles driving my car.
Most of these towns are familiar to me, an American, because at one time or another Top Gear drove through them. It reminded me a bit of a TG challenge too! Nice to see a different perspective - I really enjoyed this.
I wanted to say thank you for making this video and sharing your experience. It was a really enjoyable watch. The narration was informative without being over excitable. The maps and text added to the scenery and helped with following the journey. The music complimented it well. Altogether very professional. It also showed bus travel in a refreshingly good light. I was amazed how far you got. I won’t be trying to beat it but I do hope we get to hear of another of your adventures.
As somebody born in Slough, I can confidently say that there was never a roundabout under the Brunel bus station. The large roundabout was nearby, and at the junction of Wellington Street and William Street, and had a sunken centre for pedestrians with underpasses. That too has gone. I am old enough I can recall the area before the developments of the late 1960s wiped out the area around Slough station. Opposite was the Royal Hotel, used by Queen Victoria on her way to Windsor Castle before the branch line to Windsor was built. A live cattle market used to be held close to the railway station until the middle of the 1960s, and the roads around the station, including on the site of the old bus station, used to have some rather grand Edwardian villas. The Licensed Victuallers private school, in another rather grand building, very close to the station survived into the 1980s to be demolished and replaced by a giant, hideous Tesco. But this sort of architectural vandalism was common. Sir William Herschel's home, Observatory House, on Windsor Road was demolished in the 1950s to be replaced by a nasty office block (since refurbished). He is buried, nearby, in Saint Laurence Church. I also used to work in Slough Trading Estate, just a few hundred metres from Crossbow House used in the opening sequence of the Office which was then the base for Crane Packing, a company which specialised in mechanical seals, not packaging as people might think. It is still based in the Trading Estate, albeit as John Crane and part of the Smiths Group. Their new building is also called Crossbow House. Every single landmark in the opening sequence of The Office has now been redeveloped with the sole exception of the sign to Slough Trading Estate. I'm also wondering if Thunderbirds is more famous than The Office, as that was filmed at Gerry Anderson's studio in Slough Trading Estate, just down from where they (still) make Mars Bars. I also went to school just a few hundred metres from the Trading Estate, and at a time where Slough Estates still had the remnants of its internal rail system running down the sides of and across the roads in front of factory bays. The little steam tank engines were, by that time (in the middle of the 1960s), reduced to a weekly function dragging rail oil tank trains to the estate's power station. My mother, born into a poor working class family just a short distance from Slough Station in 1931, now lives in a little village just outside Aylesbury, so you have sort of traced part of her journey of 90 years in just a couple of hours. The recommendation to build a huge airport at near Wing could well have been a factor in the local MP, one Robert Maxwell, losing his seat to the Conservatives in the 1970 general election. which effectively ended his burgeoning political career. It may be that there were two close shaves with disaster avoided at that point. John Betjamen, who wished friendly bombs to fall on Slough, was an influential member of the Wing Airport Resistance Association.
How did I miss this before?! I found your channel this evening for your train trip from London. I absolutely love your content, dry wit and thoughtful commentary. Keep going mate! I'm just disappointed that I've run out of your content to watch! Thank you so much!
The night buses in London are often surprisingly busy, usually with people who have to work very unsocial hours and who keep society ticking over. They are the ones who get paid the least, of course. A great video - very enjoyable and informative!
Thank you! And yes, far too many people think that London’s night buses are just a way to get people home from nightclubs. Nothing could be further from the truth!
This is dedication taken to a whole new level! I’ve traveled on trains almost non stop for as long as 6 hours, with the longest continual journey (which was Edinburgh to Merseyside with a extra helping of rail replacement bus, which was 10 hours), but this is simply a hugely interesting journey. I think this is a challenge I might attempt in the future as well.
Interesting fact - the scheduled bus from London to Warsaw takes exactly 24 hours, but it starts at Victoria (Green Line station to be exact. Before watching I must wonder if he can do better. Oh and BTW, if you wander, the bus to Warsaw is a truely afwful expirience. Even worse uf you speak Polish.
Well, if you're travelling across England by local bus, you're looking at a 6 or 7 o'clock start, and an 8 or 9 finish (although on occasion I've finished at 10). During that time you're on about 12 bus routes, and generally you're doing the whole length of each route. So of-course, you get breaks which you need for both food and toilet. The all major important factor that separates this form of travel is that nothing comes anywhere close to the experience, socially and scenically. Whether it be your car, bicycle, train, express coach, aeroplane - nothing absolutely nothing. So, I would'nt exactly call it dedication,. It's adventure, big time !!! Rather like mountaineering compared to going for a walk.
A very nice watch, thank you. It reminded me that about 50 years ago a friend and I brought, or persuaded our parents to buy, Green Rover tickets (as opposed to Red Rover tickets for cities). We had a day of travel but had to get home before the last bus and with paper only time tables I expect we just set off! As we both had only recently become teenagers it was quite an adventure. I remember a fair amount of walking as we ended up on busses that went from town to village and stopped so we had to walk to the next village and get buses to the next town then next village walk again etc
The UK version of The Office put Slough on the map as much as the American version put Scranton on the map. The fact both versions are still talked about/referenced to this day speaks volumes. Ricky Gervais is a genius
I know you went to school in Switzerland but I never knew you liked the office. As an aside is there any way of you leaving power without nuclear war how about very steadily liberalising and open up North Korea ps well done on all those holes in one xxx
A really interesting video, Only just shown up in my recommended. Enjoyed seeing the route you planned out, I’ve planned some similar trips seeing how far I can get only using buses, and even planned John o Groats to Lands End only using buses (of course, no coaches), although I’m yet to really do any of them. This might have given me the inspiration to finally give a few a go
As someone who grew up in Yorkshire and moved to Lancashire a year ago, I must say there’s a stark difference in the quality and amount of public transport (especially buses). I’d love to see how this would work heading north east, right of Manchester, as from my experience there are many more buses and routes connecting cities and large towns.
Finally, I made time to watch this and it was time well spent! Also makes me proud that you come to Manchester and Bolton - where I live now - and visited so many places from Buxton to Morecambe in the NW I also know well. This whole trip and timetabling remind me of the journeys I made around Hungary by train, more than 2000km long with a single one-way ticket.
I don't know why RU-vid offered this to me to view yesterday, but I'm very glad it did. I loved the music you chose, the photography, and the way you kept the pace going throughout. Many thanks for producing this excellent and fascinating film.
I've become really inspired by your journey. I've done loads of bus journeys since watching your video. Some of my longest ones are Bournemouth - Blandford - Yeovil , Bournemouth - Salisbury - Warminster - Bath , Bournemouth - Salisbury - Swindon & A planned future one im doing next week which is Bournemouth - Salisbury - Swindon - Oxford - London I also really enjoyed watching this video. Great production!
An absolutely fantastic video Jo, thank you. I loved the sights and sounds of urban, suburban and rural England, and your minimalist but insightful commentary. I was particularly taken with the apt music you chose for each stage of the journey. I watched the video sat on my balcony in a sweaty hot night in Bangkok, but you brought back many fond memories of a wet windswept country that I left 17 yrs ago. Thank you !
What a brilliant film and love the perfect musical choices. The historical snippets add the colour. Fascinating glimpse into how some of our finest architectural heritage has been sorely impacted by the infernal combustion engine and the growth of its never ending needs. Where next ?
I'm glad I found your channel, I remember following your journey live on Twitter but never quite made it through the whole thing and was wondering exactly where you ended up. It sure was an interesting journey.
Amazing! Thanks for sharing! It's amazing which long journeys you can take by ordinary buses. I'm sure around my way they still run buses from Fareham to winchester and havant to brighton and maybe more. Lookforward to any more of your future videos. Thank You 👍
amazing video, weird to see the bus i have used so many times on one of your videos. and the fact you went past my house on one of the clips in Buxton. love it mate
I really enjoyed this video. I have often wondered what it would be like to travel a long distance by ordinary buses and you have provided the answer. The objective of seeing how far one can get in 24 hours is a delightfully pointless enterprise and such a thoroughly English thing to do. Your commentary was excellent and your delivery was just right and I enjoyed much of the musical accompaniment. I hope you found a comfortable hotel where you were able to have a well deserved good night's sleep. Many thanks.
royalty free farty blues soundtracking a bloke filming his journey through rural East Midlands out of the bus window - THIS is the kind of stuff I live for, absolutely quality RU-vid. Love those "ah i cant wait to binge watch all of this channel" moments
I've done York, but of-course the big thing to remember is I only can do such distances on Saturdays. Also, things have become progressively more difficult since the pandemic. With regard to Manchester, in fact you used to be able to make Keswick in one day (on Saturdays). But that also has now become more difficult. You can't rely on travel-line - you have to have your own expertise and that can mean trying with different options online long before you leave home. And personal experience is king above anything else, especially with regard to changing points, different streets, stops, even different parts of town.
Most folk in Belper get irate if you say they live in the North, however the hills that surround the town are the start of the Pennines ! They also do fabulous eggs Benedict in the bus station café which is certainly not a Northern thing 🤣fabulous film I enjoyed it a lot.
As the bus is going out of Belper on it's way to Buxton, you pass Belper Mill. During the 19th Century an American was so impressed by Belper Mill he built a replica in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, USA. Hence Belper has since been twinned with Pawtucket.
Good stuff, lovely fim, those trips will be memorable. Back in the 1980's used to do trips like this from the Reading area into Wales to visit family. Trips like Reading- Oxford - Worcecter- Hereford - Hay- Brecon - Methyr -Pontypridd- Bridgend etc. Back then all thise services were all run by the National Bus Company and a day ticket cost £2.97.
I was just talking to my pensioner friend about whether he could travel to Grimsby on public transport buses at zero coast and then this video pops up, spoooooooky :) Great vid BTW
"and not one of these new-fangled urban constituencies" I'm sure these urban constituencies are still nothing compared to the gerrymandered congressional districts that we have. I mean have you SEEN how some of our congressional districts are shaped like? It's like they got a kindergartener to do it for them! Or perhaps they looked at a jigsaw puzzle and said "I'll do you one better"
RU-vid recommended your train video this morning, which I watched straight away and have just finished this one. Enjoyed them both and can't help wondering what's next on your list?
What a brilliant adventure and well presented video. Only just popped up as a suggestion after watching a Geoff Marshall #PurpleTrain vid! I think you could have bashed the full 24hrs by starting south of London, say Biggin Hill at 0035 on the 246 to Bromley South; then N3 to Trafalgar Square - I make that 363.75km
3 in the morning. Something I would never do. I like how Trafalgar Square is busier at 3am than where I live at midday wow I never thought that buses (not coaches) could go on motorways too - Ive been to Milton Keynes area and forgot theres so many roundabouts nice commentary Im not certain if its deliberate or not but your voice seems to be only on the left channel thanks for the upload
Thank you so much for this and the link, as I want to work out if I can get from Manchester to London, just on public buses just using my National Bus Pass.
@@Banshmansh After watching the whole video. It is do-able, as you say in reverse. I can get the 199 from Stockport to Buxton and work backwards. If I do it on a Saturday, then there is no 9.30 am time limit start, weekends and Bank Holidays have no early time limit, so could be out of my door early around 07.00 for my local 343 service to Hyde, then 330 to Stockport to get the 199 to Buxton. I only want to go as far as Heathrow as I am a plane nut for a couple of days or so spotting, but may also do East Midlands en-route as the bus goes past East Mids too. For a few hours on the bus for free, beats over 100 quid on the train, that I can put to a B+B, etc at Heathrow.
Absolutely awesome video that I’ve been planning to watch for a while after seeing your twitter thread! Just a little disappointing that your voice is only coming out of my left headphone, so I’ll probably change the iphone output to mono audio for now!
I've been on several of them buses. I certainly enjoy it, although with out a ENCT card that's a bit eyewatering, although probably still only a quarter of the cost for the avanti train home.
Of course the Matlock to Buxton bit covers a much missed missing rail link to Manchester. An epic journey! I might have guessed you'd end up on a 40. A newer one too. It's usually older Scanias on that route and I don't think they've repainted those. Surprised there's one that late.
Well done that man! I must admit I would prefer to do the train challenge rather than the bus one due to comfort and the fact most trains have lavatories on them but I admire your commitment. In a way the fact you only got as far as Morecambe makes all the hard work of arranging it all the more admirable. I think the next challenge should be seeing how far you get in 24 hours by low cost airline or, even better, by utilising only turboprop aircraft.
@@TomARowly Turtle’s train challenge wasn’t confined to the UK thanks to the Channel Tunnel. I guess the longest uk train trip would be Penzance to Wick and utilising one of the overnight sleeper trains it would be fairly easy to complete it within 24 hours.
London has night buses, so in a 24-hour period, you want the overnight part to be across London. You could easily extend your journey by starting from somewhere on the other side of London, such as Orpington.
We are also fortunate around East Midlands Airport as the Blue (One I normally use for work to the nearby East Mids Gateway) and Yellow, operate 24 / 7.
Loved it..the train one seemed more comfortable but both videos have definitely revived my interest in non car/plane travel...trying to remember what was name of the European Train timetable book I used on an Internal trip 40 years ago .
Thank you! Hopefully the train one shows a bit of technical progression from the bus one, which was my first ever video. The timetable you are thinking of is probably the Thomas Cook European Timetable - Cooks discontinued it a few years back, but it was resurrected by the old compiling team www.europeanrailtimetable.eu/
An impressive distance!In NBC times you could have used one Explorer ticket outside of the London Transport area and PTE areas so you'd have saved a fortune and in theory you could have bought one on East Kent and ended your use on United in Northumberland assuming you could cover the distance in one day but not now .... thanks Maggie thanks a bunch!When you began before I knew that you where going north west I'd have said Leeds.Probably via Aylesbury, Bicester, Banbury, Stratford, Birmingham, Tamworth, Derby, Chesterfield, Sheffield but it's possible that you might be able to make Ripon or York? Services north of them are very infrequent and if you continued the next day I'd go Scarborough, Middlesbrough, Newcastle, Berwick and you've run out of England!
Yes, the moment you hit East Midlands Airport, you could have got a Derbyshire Wayfairer, which covers you all the way to New Mills (on the Transpeak Route), which you can buy one on pretty much any bus, or train station within Derbyshire, including yellow Skylink), then a Manchester Wayfairer (I know from at least Matlock, the co-op does them, or any PayPoint retailer), which will you get you quite some distance for around £30. Think key is no matter what route you take, visit the area of concerns local transport website of the Borough / County Council or Transport Executives, whom should have the info you need.
Absolutely brilliant! I thoroughly enjoyed that. I did once go from Eltham in London to Brecon in one day by bus. Also Weymouth to Eltham. One memorable Boxing Day I actually managed Eltham to Colchester by bus! It is possible to cover considerable distances by bus, it's just that few ever consider that as an option.
Brecon, you mad? :D I've got family there, and been looking for ways to get over there (From pretty much East Mids Airport), bulk of the trip being on train, but no matter what route you use, you are likely facing 2 - 3 hrs on a local bus.
Not just expensive post COVID the buses in s York's are very unreliable of one or two buses just never turn up and the next driver will say something like no staff or some off sick.
I remember when Aylesbury bus station replaced Kingsbury Square. Now I have a Pensioners Pass but, regrettably, where I live gets 3 buses per day. The last inbound service is about 17.00 which the bus company describes as ‘early evening’ but the rest of us consider to be mid-afternoon.
When I was at school, Blackburn's bus station was in an open area called "The Boulevard" (universally known as the booley) just in front of the railway station and not totally dissimilar to the Milton Keynes one. All built on now alas.
