September 22nd 2020 @ 14:15: Fleet Ramblings

22/9/2020

Stagecoach UK
Look out for a short tour across some Stagecoach regions as The People’s Friend’s colourful yarn-bombed bus takes to the road.
The People’s Friend Yarn-Bombed Bus started its tour in Torquay yesterday, using Stagecoach South West Dart SLF 34685, followed by Barnsley (today) using Stagecoach Yorkshire Dart SLF 35256, and is then visiting Cumbria (24th September) with its final stop on Saturday 26th September in Dundee - the home of The People’s Friend for the last 150 years.
The bus, donated by Stagecoach, will deliver cheer and drop off magazines and knitted bunting to care homes and residential streets, as the clamp down on visitors and socialising tightens
The travelling spectacle is adorned with hundreds of donations from knitters across the UK, sending a warm message of friendship to those shielding or feeling lonely due to the pandemic
The activity is in partnership with loneliness charity Re-engage to raise funds for a telephone befriending service
The People’s Friend, in partnership with friendship charity, Re-engage, and the UK’s biggest bus and

coach operator, Stagecoach, has launched a colourful knitted bus to tour the length of the country to show older generations that the nation is behind them - as many continue to shield or feel the effects of the pandemic on their social lives. Loneliness is at a high amongst this demographic, and the bus's visit coincides with new restrictions placed on care home visitors.
The nation’s knitters have sent in hundreds of hand-made bunting triangles to adorn the bus, which will deliver magazines and knitting to care homes, as well as collect funds for Re-engage’s new telephone befriending service ‘Call Companions’. The service was launched in response to Covid-19 to offer free, friendly, and regular calls to ensure that those most vulnerable to isolation remain connected to the outside world.
Alongside the donated bunting, the bus embraces the trend of yarn bombing and is adorned with friendly crocheted faces, including The People’s Friend mascot Marmalade the Cat, delightful pom poms and brightly coloured squares which cover the length of the 40ft single decker bus.

Stagecoach South Wales
News reaches us that Optare Solo 47349 at Merthyr has become the first Solo in the fleet here to receive Stagecoach ‘Local’ livery.
Unreported recent transfers include Enviro 200s 36407 and 36776 from Merthyr to Blackwood and Optare Solo 47315 from Aberdare to Blackwood whilst Enviro 200 36853 is a transfer from Blackwood to Caerphilly.

Stagecoach East
Busway Volvo B7RLE 21225 is at Grayson Thermal Systems in Birmingham for Euro 6 modifications.

East Yorkshire
East Yorkshire MAN/ALX300 9919 is being used as a staff canteen at the main Hull depot.

Stagecoach Merseyside & South Lancashire
Reserve Fleet Tridents 15583/84 are now at Birkenhead which allowed the transfer of Scania/Enviro 400s 15583/84 to Gilmoss. Chester has received Enviro 200s 36813/21/61 from Gilmoss in exchange for the three former Stagecoach Midlands MAN/Enviro 200s 39690/91/93.

Stagecoach South
Trident 18527, from Andover, is now for disposal whilst 18084 and 18188 from the Reserve Fleet at Winchester are now on the main allocation at Andover.
Dart SLF 35260 has transferred from the Reserve Fleet at Andover to Worthing whilst Enviro 200 36833 has moved from the Reserve Fleet at Basingstoke to the main fleet at Chichester.
Now allocated to Winchester is Optare Solo SL 47554, which had been in Reserve Fleet at Andover.
Delicenced here for repair assessment or disposal approval are Enviro 300 27667 and Enviro 400 19161.

Stagecoach South East
The third Mercedes-Benz Sprinter to be received here from Stagecoach North Scotland [Highlands] is 44019. Reserve Fleet Dart SLFs back in main fleet service are 34438 and 34547 at Dover, 34493 at Eastboune and 34646 at Herne Bay. Volvo B9Rs returned to service at Herne Bay to meet schools requirements are 53705 and 53708.

Stagecoach Cumbria
& North Lancashire
Unusual workings continue as most bus operators adapt to post-lockdown operations. Here Optare Versa 25265 has been out on the 300 service.