This has now become a very significant topic here on the Coffee Shop forum.

I have moved and merged several previous topics here, which all relate specifically to the subject of 'Imber Bus' events. This is therefore our definitive topic on that subject, including all historic posts: as ever, nothing has been deleted, and the original post headings have been preserved wherever possible.

I continue to look forward to meeting some of you at Imber on Saturday. 

 
The link has the path of the March 2015 eclipse. About 86% at Bath. Wednesday's will be ~93% at Bath, ~96% at Cape Cornwall.

Mark

http://xjubier.free.fr/en/site_pages/solar_eclipses/TSE_2015_GoogleMapFull.html?Lat=52.71505&Lng=-4.83316&Zoom=8&LC=1

 
Number 12, appended with 'sham'?

Mark

 
I've seen no sign the main TV channels have picked up on the eclipse, at least not so as to get it mentioned in listings or EPGs. Which is odd, as while it may be "only a partial", it falls during live broadcast segments for most of them. The start coincides with news for BBC1 and ITV, and local news I'm sure will cover it. C4 news will see "peak dark", and for BBC2 and ITV1 that comes during sports OBs. I'm sure the technical side can make sure they have the right filters etc, but how will the commentators for the athletics in Birmingham or the football at Croke Park cover it?

Well, I just heard Steve Cram ask "will we get a view of the eclipse on Wednesday?" Andrew Cotter didn't know, but at least the commentators can set about doing their research (or getting it done).

 
I have met Coffee Shop forum member 'broadgage', and he seems to do remarkably well on that diet.

CfN. 

 
20:06 Westbury to Cheltenham Spa due 22:06

20:06 Westbury to Cheltenham Spa due 22:06 will be terminated at Gloucester.
It will no longer call at Cheltenham Spa.

It is being delayed at Westbury.
This is due to a fault on this train.

 

That's all fine with me - but I will still need to purchase some fridge magnets.

 
And so in summary, someone asked my favourite place the other day.  Sorry, Tom, no single place. And a social media post asked a whole group "what’s one place you visited that completely exceeded your expectations?".  Can't answer that either, but here are 20 places I've been to this year and would happily recommend

 
How do the train crew rosters work at Truro? Falmouth trains are regularly cancelled at short notice and main line trains held awaiting crew.
The replacement staff seem to come on trains that these days are regularly very late. Therefore delays are amplified.
On Saturday a two coach 175 that was packed with standing passengers because the previous two London trains had been cancelled from Penzance.
The 175 was then held for ages awaiting a late down train for a crew member to join it. Some passengers gave up and got off.
Seems a weird way to run a railway?

 
I very seldom drink tea or coffee. Beer or water only for regular consumption, with brandy or port or gin, for a treat.

 

I must see if I still have the figures - I hold my hand up to simply slapping them into Excel and asking it to plot a graph.

In one way the change in lighting during a partial eclipse wouldn't be noticed by many, things do go a bit weird though - shadows described as sharper, and the illumination gaining a metallic quality.

I've just looked out my photos of the March 20th 2015 partial eclipse and was surprised at how deep it was, yet, subjectively the hit to light levels though noticeable was as that graph might suggest. The light, though, did gain a strange quality and then of course all those little crescent shadows beneath trees.

Mark

 
To meet up, Imber Church is always very busy with long queues on bus days, though worthwhile for me anyway to spend some time there and catch up very briefly with old friends.    Does anyone fancy choosing / recommending anywhere that might be slightly quieter even on this day?

 
Hmm.  My train from NLS at 08:45 to WMN (via BRI) should get me there at 10:10.

We can then meet up somewhere in Warminster, before yomping over those artillery ranges to Imber.

(No, actually: we'll get on one of the buses - even though it will be less exciting. )

CfN. 

 

Snap....and likewise for paint brushes, especially for stripey paint.

 
Some of my favourites come from an artisan ceramics in Ronda, Andalusia.  My late brother toured southern Spain in his car in the early 2000s and brought back an axle bending quantity of kitchen ware from that establishment which takes pride of (kitchen ) place in the family pile in south Devon to this day.

 
Which comes first though? Eclipse or bed?

 
Being Left Handed, I'll only drink from a plain cup that has a handle on the left hand side   

 
Personal plans - to catch the regular bus to Market Lavington and then the 10:25 or 10:55 from there




The 3A would connect for me at West Lavington.    Illustrates rather than we do have a good selection of buses around on a Saturday morning, none of which understand the term "clock face".

 

The civil servants at the Treasury are number crunchers, not customer facing.

That's my personal opinion - not the official view from this Coffee Shop forum.

CfN. 

 

Wonderful reading ... looking forward to the next chapter (in the next few days) and perhaps seeing some of these places for myself in the next few years.

 

I'm with that!

CfN. 

 
I'm reminded that in Devon in 1999 the farming community joked that Cornish farmers would turn in for bed during the eclipse.  I'm sure that the joke worked similarly for Cornish farmers.

 
With my very grateful thanks to grahame for hosting this image (and for overlooking the fact that I nicked one of his mugs, years ago), here is my own collection:



Actually, bearing in mind that I am the only person in our household of three who actually drinks coffee, I was rather startled that I have apparently collected six mugs. 

CfN. 

 
The Harz hex bottom left. Big and light inside so I can see it's been through the wash.

 
They are so new (this year?) that I suspect they haven't yet even considered that those questions need answers....so no, is the answer I expect.

 
Thanks for your update, ChrisB.

I understand that the erstwhile village church in Imber will be filled with stalls offering all sorts of souvenirs for the event. SWMBO, who is an avid collector of fridge magnets, has instructed me to purchase some, so I'm collecting all of our loose coins here (it will be cash only) to do so.

See you there on Saturday! 

 
Chapter 3 is Bucharest to Sofia, a more character-building part of the journey. I asked at the hotel whether the metro was normal on a Sunday- yes but you can just walk around the corner and catch trolley bus 10 direct to the station. This I did with a swipe from my bank card – not sure it registered by nobody cares. Bucharest Gara de Nord is a large terminal station with a typical layout of about 16 platforms and a very large building as the entrance portico. The departure board and platform numbering are perfectly logical counting from No 1 at the left. (I recently saw an internet influencer going crazy as unable to find No 4 but that is what these types do and for the rest of that video). As this was a holiday Sunday it was busy with families heading for the Black Sea coast. Plenty of snack outlets around the station.

The once daily train for Sofia departs at 10.46 and is multi-portion. I also fully paid for this trip at around £30. The journey is scheduled for 10 hours. I would say it was 10 car initially, with a mix of Romanian, Bulgarian and 1 x Turkish Couchette cars. It was mighty hot and my seat was in quite tired Bulgarian second class compartment stock with no a/c. The compartments had 6 well padded seats with armrests and quite comfortable. (I did see the first class version of this later which seemed no different apart from the seat colour). The windows were sprung upwards and kept closing. There are locks for a carriage key but the conductor failed to get them to work and resourcefulness was used to keep them open.
 
There were many stops along the way and we arrived 1 hour late for no obvious reason. The train divides at Ruse just inside Bulgaria (30 min stop - time for shopping!) where a portion is removed for Varna and one is added, perhaps from Varna. Sometime later at Gorna Oryahovitsa, the Turkish couchette is removed and sent on separately to Dimitrovgrad to eventually join the main Sofia-Istanbul overnight train. The through couchette service is summer only but the journey can be easily undertaken on the seats every day, using the various local services and joining the main train at Dimitrovgrad. As “seats” in a couchette may not be so comfortable it may be possible to use the seated coaches anyway until the train divides. The through journey to Istanbul takes about 24 hours with lots of hanging around so quite challenging and I was wise to divert to Sofia.

Sofia Central station is again a large Communist era structure where the many and quiet platforms are on top with a vast network of subways below. There are few catering outlets in the subways and not much else apart from toilets and ticket offices. One walks forward from the platforms following signs for taxis or trams/metro. I went too far and missed the taxis and still not clear where they were. As my hotel was quite close, I again resolved to walk (at 21.30!). Quite straightforward apart from some rough pavements and I reached safety just in time for the World Cup final which took me ages to find on the Bulgarian TV channels. This was the simplest hotel I used but perfectly fine. I now know it was very easy to catch a tram!

Sofia is also an impressive city with lots of historic and communist-era architecture and of course is now a modern “Western”-style city like everywhere else. I did a morning walk around in the heat and got slightly lost. I had enough and wanted to get to the hotel but not prepared to walk. A quick consult of Mr Google advised walk around the corner catch Tram 3 and on a circular route be back at the hotel in 15 mins! Sofia like all the other cities has fantastic public transport. Here the tram network is incredibly dense in the city with routes everywhere. Bank cards accepted on the tram too. (Bulgaria joined the Euro this year). Motorists were also well behaved in all cities except perhaps in Istanbul with good allowances at pedestrian crossings and not overtaking at tram stops located in the middle of the road.

I also took another Communist-Era tour which provided background history etc., most of which was new to me. The Bulgarian big boss, Todor Zhivkov, was deposed in 1989 by a tap on the shoulder at a meeting where he had no expectation of this. He had a kinder fate than Ceaușescu although convicted and imprisoned for a while. Meanwhile the remaining party officials suddenly became the new democratic government! Enjoy the read Chapter 4 awaits.   

 
After a previous solar eclipse it was reported that the children at local school, were banned from any direct observation of the eclipse, and only permitted to view it on TV.
Then it was declared, that even watching it on TV was only permitted if via dark glasses ! "we can't have too much safety"

 
I have voted - including one vote for 'some other reason'.  That is because I have a partial disability in my right hand, so I prefer to select a mug (or beer glass) with a handle, the dimensions of which I can pick up easily and securely.

As an occasional resident in Melksham, I am familiar with those mugs grahame has illustrated.  I tend to use one of their older mugs, branded 'Well House Manor' - purely for nostalgia reasons.

CfN.