I used to drive for Luckets on the NX job didn’t last long not a bad firm but the hours were diabolical and it wasn’t long before I realised it was not for me. Nice run really it’s just when you draw that short straw of a noisey family deciding to give you the privelidge of their company, same thing happens in Wetherspoons on Steak night 😂👍
Haha, loved the Spoons comparison - so true! I think the hours thing would be an issue for me too. I used to do shift work but much prefer standard hours tbh.
Used to drive for nx on the 205 to poole via bournemouth, do miss it but some of the hours were long, used to be a push on that run because of the hours but if the traffic was good it was nice to get down that way instead of going to london and brighton lol.
@@prodriver357On the overnight 880 from Leeds (6pm) via Manchester (8pm) to Dublin (6am the next morning), we had a regular Welsh driver who would drive all the way from Leeds to Holyhead, where he finished his shift and drove home to Bangor at 1.00 am, then the new driver would drive onto the Irish Ferries 2.40 am sailing to Dublin and drive direct off the ferry to Dublin Busaras Coach station - this service was always comical, as we would see people scrambling like mad for the connecting Bus Eireann coaches to Sligo, Galway & Castlebar/Westport, especially if there was any delay docking at Dublin Port or if there was any early morning traffic in Dublin getting to Busaras
@@LetsMakeaTrip I think they're going to try and remedy this with some Class 222 Meridians, cascaded from EMR. They're going through a refurb programme on their fleet. In my opinon, they really should explore the possibility of using 9-11 car bi-mode Hitachi or 2x bi-mode Stadler FLIRTs.
Britain is becoming like America (USA). Where a lot of the greyhound bus stations attract the dregs of society. Mainly homeless and those addicted to drugs.
I have felt the same way in Birmingham before, I think because it is a bit out of the centre and is a warm, dry building certain characters do take shelter there. I've been asked for money by people in Birmingham bus station and to be honest have felt uncomfortable there. Don't fet me wrong ive had this feeling in my local bus station but that was in the dark hours, with young kids about being loud and rude. Birmingham I felt that way in broad daylight with orher passengers around!
What I find stupid and which is the same in most towns and cities with a train station is the coach/bus station is not in the same place. Birmingham being a classic example when the built the new, New st station they could have added a coach station but no its only a half mile walk .. carrying a heavy suitcase, herding a bunch of kids in heavy rain
With regards to lorries using motorways and costs the truth is there is no extra charge or reduction for using a roads and motorways its simply customer requirements, they pay road tax just like cars and coaches except they pay a few thousand a year for the privilege, haulage is now a 7 day 24 hour operation especially with supermarkets and fresh deliveries unlike in continental Europe where there are restrictions but there are none in the UK, and most haulage fleets especially fresh and frozen deliveries run their vehicles 20 plus hours daily and simply change drivers to maximise revenue
I unavoidably had to travel cross country trains from Birmingham to Bournemouth. They laid on a 4 car train on a day when the NES had a major show. As a result found myself stood up from Birmingham to Brockenhurst. Never again. It was nothing short of horrific.
Oh dear, not the best experience in Digbeth getting the "Oi, Yow!" treatment 😂 My first encounter of Brum was during a fairly late in the evening coach change at the original Digbeth. Time allowed for a walk to the nearby Dubliner for one of the best pints of Guinness I've ever tasted, followed by a burger from a van outside the coach station. That place seemed to be open 24 hours 😂
Have seen that before yes it does look a fantastic route. I’m back up in Scotland in Jan and one of the things I’m doing is the Inverness to Ullapool run and then across to Stornoway for a couple of days. Hope the scenery’s decent for that one too 😊👍
@@LetsMakeaTrip Travelling in January is one way to avoid the midges. ; ) If you've not been up that way before at that time of year don't underestimate how short the days are and how badly that might affect any filming. (The timeanddate website is useful as it includes twilight, too, if you'll be needing every minute of that!) Thanks again & Have fun. : )
Seemed pretty good to me. And an 18 minute delay is really nothing. You'll always have the chance of a noisy group, whichever public transport you use. It's just on most trains, you can walk to a different carriage, etc. Although, you're not guaranteed a seat and it's at least twice the price, so maybe the coach is a better option, especially if you've got 2A. I think I was put off by National Express when, admittedly many years ago, the coach was overheating on the way to Bristol from London, so the driver put the heating on full to cool the engine. It was horrendous and we eventually stopped to await another coach, but only because the driver was about to have a riotous mutiny!
Britain has more CCTV everywhere you go. You're being filmed; some people say to switch off the camera, my privacy really, but your on Instagram and Facebook defeats the object really. You have to create privacy. Stay at home or wear a mask outdoors. Privacy doesn't really exist in public space. people are just paranoid. Walk past someone house your filmed by a "Ring" bell even cars have dash camera. Do we switch everything off. 😂
Yep, totally agree. I guess it’s just more obvious if you’re walking around holding something. I try to be inconspicuous but it doesn’t always work as I found out.
Speaking as someone from Ringwood, wherever that is. National express is one of our only ways out, assuming driving isn't an option. Bournemouth station is a bus ride and a wait away. You can get to London Victoria for about £15 in 2 hours if you plan ahead and then the world is your lobster.
Cheers Andrew, apologies I must be honest I’d never heard of Ringwood before and the coach never really gave me much of a view. I’ll try and make a point of visiting sometime and for £15 to London, like you say can’t go wrong for that. Main thing for me though would be it’s near the coast and there are surely some great ferry journeys you can do down there.
We took the National Express from Manchester to Bradford last month. What a fantastic driver and quick thinker too. We were scheduled to arrive approximately at 9pm in Bradford, we were late 45 mins BUT the driver diverted us through Oldham Road (A672) instead of the M62 where we could see a massive traffic jam to our right side. And we saw beautiful scenery and small towns like Booth Wood. Our bus was tidy and comfortable, and the driver was funny and professional. Your video basically is like our journey. Sums it up. Was not good because of the delay but not bad since we weren't stuck in a traffic jam for miles. 😊 We also took the 2.30am bus from Bradford back to Manchester and it only took us 1 hour and 10 mins. 🎉
It’s quite rare to see a large family on a coach so well done for not going too mad. This as the route we used to take back,on family holidays when travelling down from Stockport to Poole and that was before the Newbury bypass but we used to set off very early, grab breakfast at Chieveley Services and only hit traffic joining the end of the M3. As for scenic routes I love the route up the A19 north of Thirsk when travelling to the North East, great views of the North York Moors in the distance. There is also a FlixBus route that goes over the Woodhead Pass from Manchester to Sheffield on route to Leicester and almost most passes my house as it climbs up. Since NX dumped their route to Sheffield this is the only coach service to use it.
I have noticed that filming is not always as popular. A gang of youths in Aberdeen threw water balloons at me once when I was walking around filming. They didn't want to be on youtube, which I respected. Luckily they didn't hit me with the water balloons, hehe 😊
During the 1970s, and living in Ramsgate, Kent, when I was attending universities for interview (Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Durham etc; because half my family is Scots) my late father would not pay for my fares; and so I used the overnight sleeper (which I could afford; courtesy of my school's 'hardship fund') run in those days by 'Caledonian Scottish' from Victoria. Blankets were provided; and for their day - the coaches were magnificent, with two drivers. The most dreadful thing was - having attended interview at Edinburgh - I returned home to an invitation from Aberdeen! I later worked as a bus conductor, to re-pay my borrowings; and that enabled me to return to university, after every summer vacation, as one of the wealthier students. Yours is a great channel. Thanks for the post and tips.
As a former wagon driver... stuff is moving on sunday for any of the following reasons: Sunday delivery and pre-positioning for an early or distant monday delivery/pickup. Sunday is usually an overtime day for drivers, and is usually used only when needed. Of course, some companies and contracts differ.
It’s always like that in Birmingham coach station I’m not keep on the place to be honest and the area kings heath you went threw that’s where I live if your ever in kings heath give me shout and I’ll meet up and give you some history of kings heath and even take you to the pub where I work
Cheers Mark, I’ll try and remember that! Never been around Kings Heath. Digbeth I used to go to the Institute quite a bit in the old days. Plenty of live music round there 👍
@@LetsMakeaTrip kings heath is a great village with some good pubs. I work in the Billesley pub which is in kings heath if you look it up on Google and you will see the great menu there and your very welcome I love your videos there are great
I see homeless people sleeping rough outside Birmingham Coach Station in Digbeth (from the bus). Also graffiti tags outside too. Security guards don't like big cameras. Even for taking photos.
Overnight coaches from Manchester or London to Dublin on National Express/Eurolines are not worth it and ever since Covid, the fares have at least doubled - there used to be a direct 880 coach from Leeds via Manchester & Holyhead to Dublin but they withdrew it some years before Covid, the only other option now is connections from Manchester Chorlton St via Birmingham to their 871 coach to Dublin (from London Victoria) - there used to be an overnight Megabus Coach from Manchester Shudehill to Dublin direct, but they withdrew that as well some years before Covid - in my 23 years living in Manchester, they really need to do something about SailRail because it is a disaster - what they really need is a dedicated SailRail service from Hull, Leeds, Manchester Victoria to Holyhead direct, without having to change trains, timed to meet ferry check ins at Holyhead and ferry arrivals from Dublin
2A is ok if you don't have someone next to you just did overnight from Scotland to London was ok to to Carlisle with the person next to me then from Carlisle I ended up kind of squashed with no room 🙄
Kings Heath was jammed up because the stupid council have insisted on those even more stupid ‘low traffic zones’ in the area, meaning the roads are constantly full of standing traffic kicking out fumes. How that’s helping anything, I don’t know!
What bugs me with modern coaches is vinyl seats, hot and sweaty in summer, bum freezing in winter. Bring back good old moquette, if operators need something easier to clean then use leather. Didn't your Mother tell you that it is rude and bad manners to take one's shoes off in public unless one has slippers to put on.
Yay Bournemouth :D Its a bit late in the year now, but maybe for next year you can take the New Forest Tour Bus, its a fantastic trip around the New Forest on an open top bus and theres plenty to see. Thanks for this lovely video, its nice to see people promoting Bournemouth in a positive light :)
To be fair not everyone wants to be filmed and put on RU-vid without their knowledge. There are plenty who film without regard for people's privacy. Doesn't matter if it legal, just be polite and respectful as you always are.
I really enjoy watching . Those families with crying babies I mean. God bless. They follow me around like no tomorrow. On a plane from Bangkok to London . Only the other day , Blooming Doncaster to Sheffield..the same scenario ! 😂
Having travelled by coach and train for decades, it just seems that the British approach to public transport is very functional. Okay, this was a fairly short journey and National Express offers a comfortable and reasonably efficient service. Most of the drivers are very friendly. But it is basically a no frills A-Z experience. Having watched Japanese videos where there are airline style seats, TV screens with earphones, privacy curtains and blankets, the English version is pretty mediocre. Of course, there is a price difference for such extras.
I’ve watched a few Japanese travel bloggers, too, and like how they offer some privacy, especially with the seat neighbour. My only criticism is lack of toilets on some of the low-cost coaches. I tend to avoid coach toilets as much as possible, but having the option eases the mind a bit.
During the summer months there are three open- top bus routes running around the New Forest, well recommended. You can catch them at Brockenhurst railway station..
i remember taking National Express when i was about 12 or something like that and went by myself. met by my grandparents in Ipswich at the start of my holiday and at the end travelled back to Basingstoke. the driver actualy got lost getting into basingstoke (lots of new building going on and bus station had moved) and i had to actualy give directions. many many years ago now. my wife recently used national express to go to scotland. luckily no driver getting lost that time.
Hi Mark another great video trucking is now 7 days a week as supermarkets want shelves full 7 days a week so have to keep the wheels turning to keep those shoppers that moan about trucks on the road fed🤷♂️
Try Birmingham to Belfast for scenery. I done it years ago, the ticket included sailing from Stranraer to Belfast. We had a stop at Manchester and then Carlisle where we could stretch our legs.
To correct you about the clock tower in Southampton. It is the Civic Centre clock tower I used to work in an office directly next to the tower and the clock chimes very loudly. The Sea City Museum was previously the central police station,
I used to drive an HGV overnight from Bournemouth to Birmingham and back, following the same route - without the stops, though. Hardly any traffic, so good fuel economy.
As a haulier, with regard to your question about vehicle operating, as others have said, the key to running an efficient operation, is to keep the vehicles rolling, covering the miles, as the miles covered and load you are carrying dictates how much you get paid. So for me, I prefer long distance, night driving with precision timed early morning deliveries, that is what produces the big bucks. Sitting in congested day time roads, or even worse London! Is what costs a fortune, and it is not always possible to convince clients, why their delivery into London will cost so much. Keep up the videos, and you are absolutely correct Seat 2A for £2 is an absolute no brainer, i use a small kit bag to support my ankles, in the absence of Royal Class seats that you find on certain Belgian and German and Spanish coaches, best seat in the house!
I was on a coach from London to Liverpool, and even before we set off there was this guy bellowing into his mobile. The driver stopped and told him to either get off his phone or get off the bus. He went quiet immediately.
Had my car nicked from a car park close to the Station while on a return trip to London using NE. Should of seen it before the Bus station was face lifted. Not the nicest area they could of located it for sure .
It's been quite a few years since I've been to Digbeth coach station featured in the video and I felt it was a massive upgrade compared to the old Digbeth coach station which was past its sell by date 30 years before it got pensioned off.
Not a fan of fast food but liked your finding the entrance to Asda joke and so agree. Used to be an entrance by the Breezer stand but no more. Grand vlog thx.
Hate people tell you stop filming it's a free world public space someone even told me due to GDPR 😂 what GDPR I'm the data handler I don't work for an organisation the most these places can do is tell you to leave the private area but you can continue to film outside on a public footpath.
As a regular National Express passenger using the Swindon to London Victoria route, i found this a very interesting video. The fare prices are unbeatable, certainly compared to our alternative means of transportation via GWR trains, but that means enduring the 'instruments ot torture' that are the seats, the worst seats i have ever had to sit in on any form of public transport. What were they thinking? National Express seats in comparison are pretty comfortable, my only comment would be that they do not cant up slightly like are car seat and to me it feels as if i am going to slip forward. As you were on a somewhat longer journey, it looked to me that the coach you had was slightly better equipped. Did they mention at the start that you must use the seat belts,it is a legal requirement? I always do anyway but there are many who don't. I'd be interested to know about that 'legal requirement' bit , bearing in mind that it doesn't seem to apply to buses. Great video.
Cheers Barrie, it is a legal requirement according to the safety announcement they play prior to moving. Hardly anyone pays attention to it in my experience. I must admit I forget occasionally if I’ve just come back from the loo or something and you can be sure I will get one or two pedants on here that will point it out! I do normally try to set an example though 😊👍
Yeah, Digbeth has always been a bit of an edgy area to be fair, especially behind the coach station toward its southern side. Mind you, Vicky Coach Station can be the same. In my opinion the station itself is hopeless and inadequate at peak times, despite its modern appearance. The refreshments area should've been placed on a mezzanine level, whilst extra waiting area seating should've been allocated downstairs.
Agreed. Victoria Coach Station is beyond bad. It was already pretty grotty fifty years back when I regularly used it as a student to get down to see the family in Kent . Since then the place has been tarted up many times, but the fundamental problem is that it is cramped, poorly designed and outdated. There was a plan to build a new VCS over the rail lines south of the railway terminus decades back, but no-one wanted to pay for it. Glasgow Buchanan Bus Station strikes me as a good example of what such a facility should be like.
Oh dear....modern Britain! Shame about all the trees on the A34 as between Oxford and Winchester it passes through some fabulous scenery - rolling chalk downs. If you are ever passing that way again (I'm sure you will!), Winchester is really worth a visit - attractive town, lots of things to see, fabulous cathedral and its not on the mainstream tourist map so its not like some of the other tourist traps that have had their souls ripped out of them. As for Birmingham - it is an odd place. A bit off topic, but I do remember a bus trip I went on from Worcester to Brum on a Sunday late afternoon - we took the M5 for a while but left it quite early then made our way through all the Brum suburbs. What was amazing that every single traffic light was green the entire way - we just sailed straight through, except for the last set of lights outside Digbeth! This was a long long time ago....
Yes I was a bit disappointed we didn’t go into Winchester, felt like I never actually went there at all tbh. There’s always some other time I guess. Southampton’s another place I seem to have passed through without actually stopping.
