Celebrating the 65
Published on 5 April 2004 in London, Transport, buses, Ealing, London
On the first of April, people were standing outside Liverpool Street station handing out leaflets about new combined railway franchise, One Railway. Meanwhile at Ealing Broadway, First Great Western Link were so happy to be starting their franchise, taking over from Thames Trains, that they were Apparently handing out bucks fizz.
Personally I take the tube. But I was reminded about London United taking over the 65 bus route, and this evening I found a I post about it that I made to a mailing list.
Friday 28 June 2002 was Armchair’s last day of running the 65 bus route, running Ealing Broadway to Kingston. They were to be replaced the following day by London United.
Rather jokingly I said to Catherine (who gets the 65 to go to work) that the bus would turn up with lots of bunting and big banners saying "goodbye" and "Thanks for your custom". Naturally this didn’t happen!
London United took over on Saturday, but Catherine’s first trip on the new look 65 was the following Monday (1 July 2002), and following on from my pitifully poor joke, I said that there might be balloons, party poppers and face painting for the kids on board! Well it seemed funny at the time.
Okay this one’s unblown, but the ones on the buses weren’t.
Which is why I was rather stunned that as we walked down the road, we saw an Ealing Broadway bound bus pass by… with white balloons inside tied to the hand rails!
Apparently there was more. On the seats had been left unblown balloons and badges marked "Route 65 Fulwell Garage". There were also “London United” pens free for the taking.
The rather snazzy Route 65 badge.
Catherine told me on the way home, her bus passed by a stationary Armchair bus that used to be on the 65, where upon the London Driver driver preceded to have a quick chat with the other driver and hand him some pens and a balloon.
How many people on the bus actually noticed is a another business… Obviously the team at London United were pretty happy at the event, and all I can say is that my Route 65 badge takes pride of place… shoved in the bottom of a draw.