The ultimate bus test

摘要

Land's end to john o'groats by service bus. It is a journey contemplated by many, but carried out by few. And surely deregulation has made it harder than it would have been 25 years ago. Or has it? One man who has just completed the feat is Buses Worldwide chairman Richard Stedall. Accompanied by friends and colleagues along the way, he did it to raise funds for charity. His experiences make interesting comparisons with what was possible in the spring and summer of 1986, just as the old order was breaking down and operators were preparing for the brave new world of deregulation. We start on the scenic route from Land's End, by open-top to Penzance, a long-standing haunt of such vehicles that have borne many identities. Today it is First, which also provides a Volvo Olympian on the X18 from Penzance to Truro. But it breaks down en route, and only a quick call to Western Greyhound saves the connection towards Newquay. No such luck in 1986, when mobile phones were barely known. We transfer at St Columb Major for a marathon run of over 3hr on a route of recent creation, the 510 (Newquay-Exeter).