Hay Fever
Malcolm Keeley gets overheated
There are times when you begin to turn into Victor Meldrew or Inspector Grim of the Thin Blue Line. You want to rant and rage about politicians and their cronies, including the rotten self-serving legal system which encourages the foul mouthed drunks and shaven-headed slug-like morons whose knuckles shave the ground where only 50 years ago walked a race of proud people renowned the world over for fair play and courteous behaviour. You want ... you want (splutter, pause to wipe foam from mouth) ... you want an antidote.
BaMMOT's tours seem to offer such an antidote and each now carries a loyal band of supporters from all over the country, looking forward to a day of delightful towns and villages with carefully researched photo stops, a reassurance that perhaps all is not lost. The latest, using BMMO S16 5545 on June 22nd, was styled as the Ultimate Extremity Tour as it went as far south-west as possible on the Midland Red bus network to Hay-on-Wye, just over the Herefordshire border in Wales.
Passengers from Birmingham had been shuttled by S15 to the Wythall start point, an arrangement that worked perfectly and set a standard for clockwork operation that lasted all day. As well as being virtually the longest day, it was also the warmest and the generosity of the S16's ventilators was much appreciated. Ledbury provided an ideal location for lunch before moving on to Hereford and then into deepest Herefordshire for the back route towards Hay. Here we entered a land where little has changed, providing photo stops where the S16 looked completely at home. Some of the photographers were disappointed that the sunshine had disappeared, indeed thunder and lightning were dancing over the hilltops near Tyberton, but this was actually a benefit as the sun would have been in the wrong direction! The landlady of the Red Lion at Bredwardine was surprised and pleased to see a Midland Red on the forecourt again after many, many years and one cannot help feel sadness at all those routes that have been lost.
Afternoon tea was taken at Hay-on-Wye, renowned for its bookshops. A former work colleague was on board and his name, Max Lock, came to mind as Phil extricated 5545 from the town and I suddenly remembered why the tour had to go in the clockwise direction. Anticlockwise would have been impossible; I would be interested to learn how Midland Red used to achieve the Oxford Road bus stance! The route home was quicker and one marvelled as 5545 loped along the A438 back to Hereford; a 36-footer with only 8 litres and no turbocharger to power it along so easily. Wythall and Birmingham were achieved ahead of time and the party alighted; most were able to look forward enthusiastically to the next fix of the antidote against the madness around us, the D9 tour on September 7th.
Thanks to Phil and Keith for doing the driving, much appreciated by the passengers. For the photographers, the stops were taken at Inkberrow (351), Bosbury (417), Ledbury (473), Tarrington (476), Tyberton (449), Bredwardine (463), Hay-on-Wye (440), Clyro (464), Hereford (423), and Bromyard (427).
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