27520, 27522 and 27523 have gone from internal Sussex posters to no posters to now containing Bedford posters and route maps so I think we can safely say that they are staying put in Bedford. Where is 27521?
Usually, on River Festival Saturday, I am miles away from Bedford like in 2012 when I did a Kent oly bash, albeit I did cover the 2014 Saturday as the last time the festival was held when Bedford still had olys but more on that later in the week. Owing to the continuing hot weather and the dying embers of the World Cup I had grounded myself so I was available to view. So I dared to venture into town on Saturday and paid the price by having to suffer a densely populated 47354 on the 9. Foolishly I thought on a hot day, the world and it's wife being in Bedford for the festival that there is no way a joke bus would appear on the 9. More fool me...
Naturally, being the busiest weekend in Bedford of the year, none of the display screens in the bus station worked. This, added to the fact that we don't have any bus timetable stands filled with timetables, information office or café compared to other Stagecoach towns like Mansfield, must have given visitors to our world on this one weekend a right good impression.
Anyway orange blob 15405 appeared on the 1232 50 so I did a ned leap to Clapham Road to return on the first 6 which just happened to be winner 48031 packed to the rafters. Our busiest Saturday in the calendar year and another inappropriate bus for the loads heading for the river. As the 1332 50 is usually a trident I had intended to cover it but I made a fatal mistake by trusting winner 48025 to get to Fenlake and back on the plus 11 on the 1245 3 which departed at 1250. Unfortunately the traffic over the town bridge was building up and we got stuck on the way back which wasn't quite my downfall. What finished me off was 19703 nipping in front of us on a 2 absolutely rammed. I knew I was doomed for the 1332 50 at this point as the barriers outside the courts meant we couldn't pull up to the stop until 19703 disgorged it's contents. I sat there timing it as nothing better to do. 3 minutes and 47 seconds slipped away by the time 19703 pulled off and we vacated the space it left to let people get to the Embankment so I didn't even see the type of vehicle on the 1332 by the time we reached the bus station. So much for the plus 11...
Festival route gen:
1 - 18419, 19698, 19700, 19702, 19888, 19892, 34827
2 - 19703, 19890, 19893
3/7 - 48024, 48025, 48033, 48035, 48036
5/6 - 18423, 27643, 27647, 34425, 36935, 48031, 48032
8/10 - 47351, 47352, 47435, 48024
9 - 27520, 27523, 27644, 47354
41 - 19892, 34428, 34828
42 - 19706, 19892, 34831
50 - 15405, 15608
51 - 19706, 19888, 37434
53 - 18336, 19699, 34828, 36041, 36044, 37433
71 - 34422, 36042, 36045
72 - 34424, 34831, 34833, 37438
73 - 34422, 36042, 36936, 36937, 37431, 37436, 37438
81 - 19700, 34830, 34833, 37436
X5 - 19889 arrived from Cambridge and was due to return on 1456 to Cambridge but I had gone home on 27520 by this stage
Owing to the traffic chaos from the college into town the buses got a bit lost which meant there was a bit of swapping going on which is why I viewed at least 7 vehicles on the 1 when only five are required.